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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1339W—continued
Plasma
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to make virally inactivated fresh frozen plasma available to patients requiring blood transfusions. [129995]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Most United Kingdom fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is not virally inactivated. High levels of safety are achieved by using leucodepleted blood from single donors, by screening out potential high risk donors and by testing every unit of donated blood for the presence of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C before it is released to hospitals.
The decision taken to import FFP from the United States for young babies and children born after I January 1996 will provide additional protection to the most vulnerable group, who will not have been exposed to BSE through the food chain. The National Blood Authority is currently involved in negotiating for supplies of FFP for this group of patients. This FFP will be virally inactivated and its planned availability is later this year. A commercially produced virally inactivated FFP product, sourced from the United States, is also available for the national health service to purchase.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent evidence he has received concerning the risks to patients associated with the transfusion of blood plasma. [129996]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The sixth report (2001–02) on the serious hazards of transfusion was published on 17 July 2003. The report provides an updated analysis of serious transfusion hazards in the United Kingdom. A copy of the report and summary findings is available at http://www.shotuk.org/.
Polypill
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Under-Secretary of State's letter, PO 1032287, of 13 August, what action he is taking to explore proposals for the polypill. [128267]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Roger Boyle, national director for heart disease, has invited the lead researchers to attend a meeting in October to discuss the "polypill" proposals. Although there are some clear attractions, there are significant clinical, practical and financial implications that need to be explored further.
Post-operative Care
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out into the impact of increasing the number of critical care beds on post-operative death rates. [129600]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not conducted any research on the impact of increasing the number of critical care beds on post-operative death rates.
The policy research programme has recently been asked to commission research on early warning scoring systems and outreach services for adult critical care; both of which can help improve experience and outcomes for patients with potential or actual need of critical care services.
Post-operative Deaths
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out into comparative post-operative death rates at hospitals in England. [129650]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 September 2003]: The national health service performance ratings include an assessment of post-operative death rates for English trusts. These allow a survey of trust performance and the overall England figure.
The information is available at: http://www.doh. gov.uk/performanceratings/
This web site gives links to the published rates for:
- National health service performance ratings and indicators: July 2002;
Performance ratings: September 2001;
Performance indicators: February 2002; and
Performance indicators: July 2000.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list post-operative death rates, by hospital, for each of the last five years. [129652]
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Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 September 2003]: A continuous series of rates for the last five years is not available, as there have been refinements and improvements in the definitions used form year to year.
However, rates have been previously published. The information is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/performanceratings/
This website gives links to the published rates for:
- National health service performance ratings and indicators: July 2002;
Performance ratings: September 2001;
Performance indicators: February 2002; and
Performance indicators: July 2000.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the post-operative death rate cited by the research undertaken by University College, London, and Columbia University for the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, is in line with that for other United Kingdom hospitals. [129654]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 September 2003]: In the 2003 performance ratings, Portsmouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust had a post-surgical mortality rate that was assessed to be not significantly different from the England average.
Further information is available at: http://www. chi.nhs.uk/eng/ratings/2003/
Prescriptions
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total value of prescriptions for privately prescribed medicines made out to patients eligible for NHS treatment was in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available. [129585]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information on private prescriptions.
Primary Care
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the elements of primary care trust funding which are ring fenced for specific purposes for this financial year. [131017]
Mr. Hutton: In 2003–04, the only funding protected by a statutory ring fence is the out of hours development fund.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) deficits and (b) underspends for each primary care trust for 2002–03. [131027]
Mr. Hutton: Audited financial information in respect of the 2002–03 year for all primary care trusts is published in their individual annual accounts. This information will not be available centrally until the end of October 2003.
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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses per child of school age there were in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available. [131028]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Private Health Care Providers
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contacts at official level there have been between his Department and United Healthcare group over the past three years. [131345]
Dr. Ladyman: Ministers and officials have had a number of discussions and meetings with representatives of United Healthcare Group since summer 2002.
In November 2002, a framework agreement was signed between the Secretary of State for Health and United Healthcare Group. Under this agreement, United Healthcare Group carried out scoping work with ten primary care trusts (PCTs) to produce recommendations on how the 'Evercare' model of care for the at-risk elderly could be implemented by those PCTs. As part of this work, two Departmental officials accompanied representatives from the communities covered by the ten PCTs on a study visit to United Healthcare Group's operations in Minnesota.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which private healthcare companies expressed interest in the pilots contracted to United Healthcare at competitive tender stage. [131346]
Dr. Ladyman: The services provided by United Healthcare Group under the framework agreement with the Secretary of State for Health and under the contracts with 10 individual primary care trusts fall into the category of administrative healthcare services and are not subject to a competitive tendering process under European or domestic procurement law.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's contract with United Healthcare and the Evercare pilots. [131347]
Dr. Ladyman: A framework agreement was signed between the Secretary of State for Health and United Healthcare Group in November 2002. This covered initial scoping work—completed in February 2003—and provided for call-off contracts between United Healthcare Group and individual primary care trusts (PCTs).
Nine PCTs have entered into contracts with United Healthcare Group for support services to help them to implement the 'Evercare' model of care for the at-risk elderly. One PCT has entered into a contract for support services to help them predict demand for health care and to plan services and workforce accordingly.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the areas piloting the United Healthcare Evercare programme; and if he will list for each pilot the percentage change in bed occupancy achieved by the programme. [131348]
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Dr. Ladyman: The following primary care trusts are implementing the 'Evercare' model of care for the at-risk elderly: Airedale; Bexley; Bristol North; Bristol South and West; Halton; Luton; South Gloucestershire; Walsall; and Wandsworth.
Implementation began in April 2003 and runs to October 2004. The early stages have involved recruiting general practitioner practices and nurses, identifying the at-risk population and training the nurses. Evaluation and monitoring, including bed occupancy rates, is built into the contracts and will be available at a later stage.
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