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Cardiology Services

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on routine follow-up tests for people who have suffered heart attacks and suspected heart attacks; and if he will make a statement. [126007]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: Provision for cardiac rehabilitation is addressed in Standard 12 of the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease. This states:

"National Health Service trusts should put in place agreed protocols/systems of care so that, prior to leaving hospital, people admitted to hospital suffering from coronary heart disease have been invited to participate in a multidisciplinary programme of secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of the programme will be to reduce their risk of subsequent cardiac problems and to promote their return to a full and normal life."

Service models for the delivery of this standard are set out in the NSF.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for cardiology appointments; and if he will make a statement. [126008]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Rapid access chest pain clinics (RACPCs), supported by clear referral criteria and protocols for investigation, can provide rapid diagnosis and assessment of people with suspected angina.

There is now a RACPC in every acute trust in England, working to ensure that all patients are seen within two weeks of a general practitioner referral.

For other cardiologist referrals, the Coronary Heart Disease Collaborative is working with local health services to support them in reducing waiting times.

Care Standards

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the effect of standard 31.7, within the National Minimum Standards of Care, on the ability of volunteers to assist with lifting the elderly. [125644]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 14 July 2003]: I believe this question refers to standard 31.7 of the care homes for adults (18 to 65) standards, which says that volunteers should supplement and not replace paid staff and that volunteers should not undertake tasks which are the responsibility of paid staff. The equivalent standard in the care homes for older people standards is 36.5.

The intention of these standards is to ensure that volunteers are not used to enable a care home to avoid employing suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff in numbers appropriate to meet the assessed needs of the residents. There is no intention in either standard to prevent volunteers assisting with lifting residents in the care home where this is appropriate and subject to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 being taken into account.

Chloramine

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter of 1 July, ref PO 103 0668, what action he is taking to change guidelines at public swimming pools in relation to chloramine being a possible cause of asthma. [126270]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 17 July 2003]: My letter of 1 July referred to a paper published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine on

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28 May which suggested that chloramine, a cleansing agent used in swimming pools, may be a cause of asthma.

The Department of Health Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) plan to write to the journal raising a number of technical issues. A statement from COMEAP will also be prepared. These can be used to help the Health and Safety Executive judge whether there is any need to change guidelines to swimming pools at this stage.

CJD

Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish an update to the Department's interim report on the vCJD's Incidents Panel's consultation document, 'Management of Possible Exposure to CJD Through Medical Procedures'. [123377]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have endorsed the majority of the proposed advice set out in the CJD Incidents Panel Framework document, as revised following a public consultation. However, the CMOs have advised that the proposed establishment, without informed consent, of a database of patients possibly exposed to the CJD agent, required wider debate.

The CMOs have informed the panel of their view and requested that the panel amend its framework document to indicate that this part of the document has not yet been agreed. The Department of Health will publish the framework document once the panel has responded to this request. Publication is anticipated during the autumn.

All documents relating to the work of the CJD Incidents are published on the CJD Incidents Panel page of the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/cjd/incidentspanel.

Consultants' Contract

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the Central Consultants and Specialists Committee of the British Medical Association to discuss the Government's proposals for a consultants' contract; and if he will make a statement. [125035]

Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met representatives of the British Medical Association on 17 July 2003 when it was announced that talks had successfully concluded with an agreed way forward on the new consultant contract.

Donaldson Report

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Donaldson report into clinical negligence will be published. [126126]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I am pleased to confirm that on the 30 June 2003 we published Professor Sir Liam Donaldson's proposals for reform of the national health service clinical negligence system.

In his report, entitled "Making Amends", the Chief Medical Officer proposes a NHS redress scheme which would offer redress for injuries. The scheme would

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provide people who were injured with an explanation of what went wrong, the necessary apologies, treatment for that injury and support for patients and their families, as well as some financial compensation in appropriate cases. He also proposes that families of neurologically impaired babies would be eligible for the NHS redress scheme if the impairment was birth related and fulfilled other eligibility criteria.

The report is published for consultation and the consultation period will end on 17 October 2003. Following considerations of the issues raised and of the views of respondents on the specific questions asked, the Department of Health expects to set out the next steps to reform the clinical negligence system later this year or early in 2004.

Eating Disorders

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children suffered from anorexia in each year since 1997. [125092]

Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. A survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 1999 found that the prevalence of eating disorders (including anorexia nervosa) among all children aged five to 15 was 0.1 per cent. and the rate for girls aged five to 15, 0.2 per cent.

Prescriptions

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been put in place for those doctors who were participating in the electronic transmission of prescriptions pilots to continue to be able to use the ETP system while the national model is under consideration. [127033]

Ms Rosie Winterton: There are elements within the electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) systems that general practitioner practices that participated in the pilots could continue to use as part of the electronic prescribing process. This arrangement will likely to be subject to agreement between the practices and pilot consortia. It will not be possible however to transmit the prescription electronically using a GP's electronic signature as the temporary legislation to enable the ETP pilots to use electronic signatures was put in place for the pilots only. The Prescription Pricing Authority will continue to receive electronic prescriptions for payment processing until 30 September 2003 to ensure that patients who have signed up for the pilot do not experience difficulties in obtaining their prescriptions and that they are clear about the arrangements for receiving their medicines once ETP transmission has ceased. After 30 September 2003, participating GPs will revert to the manual process.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to introduce the national model for e-prescribing. [127034]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Programme for National Health Service Information Technology is considering a range of options for delivering a robust national model to deliver electronic transmission of prescriptions.

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The Government remains committed to achieving the targets outlined in Delivering 21st Century IT Support for the NHS of a national prescription service, 50 per cent, of which will be implemented by the end of 2005, with all of it fully implemented by 2006–07.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the findings of the electronic transmission of prescriptions pilots. [127035]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The pilots have been independently evaluated by the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics Newcastle. The draft evaluation reports are currently being reviewed by the Department of Health and will be finalised shortly. Among the key findings of the evaluation is that electronic transmission of prescriptions is technically viable and could provide a range of benefits including improved patient choice and safety.

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