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20 Oct 2003 : Column 466W—continued
Housing Benefit
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that people with learning disabilities are not deprived of housing benefit as a result of their accommodation being registered under the Care Standards Act 2000. [133167]
Dr. Ladyman: This is a matter for the Department of Work and Pensions.
Hypertension
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Government are making towards their target on hypertension. [130110]
Miss Melanie Johnson: High blood pressure is addressed through the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease, which identifies the importance of prevention, detection and effective treatment of high blood pressure.
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National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of hypertension in primary care to be published in February 2004, and the new general medical services contract, will further support national health service action to tackle high blood pressure.
It is also essential that individuals across the population be made aware of the risks associated with high blood pressure and the importance of regular testing. The Department has contributed to the funding of the Blood Pressure Association's national blood pressure testing week in September 2002 and again this year. This voluntary screening event offers people the chance to visit temporary blood pressure testing stations in order to check their own blood pressure numbers and find out more about high blood pressure.
The Department, working jointly with the Food Standards Agency, has called on industry to take a lead in reducing salt in processed foods and together will lead a salt stakeholders meeting to highlight the role of all sectors including industry health and consumer bodies.
Wider initiatives, such as five-a-day, to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and the recently formed, cross-government activity co-ordination team to increase mass participation in physical activity and sport, also have the potential to reduce the risk of high blood pressure in individuals.
Influenza Vaccinations
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will fund a scheme to offer influenza vaccinations to employees of large organisations on their work premises; and if he will make a statement. [132461]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department's policy for recommending influenza vaccination is to protect those most at risk from serious illness should they catch influenza.
If employees of companies are in the recommended risk group to be vaccinated they can receive their flu vaccination from their general practitioner free of charge. Otherwise it is a decision for individual companies as to whether or not they offer their employees influenza vaccination under an occupational health scheme.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the provision of free influenza vaccinations to citizens under 65; what assessment he has made of the cost of extending provision; and if he will make a statement. [132462]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Departmental policy is determined following recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI). This is an independent group of experts, which reviews all current research on the subject of immunisation and its recommendation is based on reducing morbidity and mortality among the population.
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Based upon current scientific research, the JCVI recommends that people aged 65 years and over and those aged under 65 years of age in certain clinical risk groups benefit most from being immunised against influenza.
This advice is kept under regular review.
IVF Treatment
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the draft NICE guidance on IVF treatment. [132350]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department commissioned the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in July 2001 to produce a clinical guideline for National Health Service fertility services. The guideline will cover primary, secondary, and tertiary care, including in vitro fertilisation treatment.
A draft guideline was issued to a stakeholder group for consultation on 2 June 2003. A second draft was published for public consultation on 26 August.
Publication of the final document is expected in February 2004.
Licensing of Medicines
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency powers to require pharmaceutical companies to provide all available data and reports on products submitted for licensing. [132316]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), already has the necessary powers to require pharmaceutical companies to provide all available data and reports when submitting an application for product licensing.
The Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisation Etc.) Regulations 1994 require companies to make applications in accordance with the relevant European Community legislation, including Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use. All information which is relevant to the evaluation of the medicinal product concerned must be included in the application, whether favourable or unfavourable to the product.
NHS Compensation Payments
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much compensation was paid to patients and relatives by the NHS in each year since 1990. [132739]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.
NHS Dental Registration (Children)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Hull and East Riding were registered with an NHS dentist on (a) 1 September 2002 and (b) 1 September 2003. [132392]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The table shows the number of children registered with a general dental services (GDS) dentist in the Hull and East Riding area for 31 August 2002 and 2003.
| 2002(18) | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hull and East Riding HA(18) | 79,056 | — |
| East Yorkshire PCT | — | 21,564 |
| Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT | — | 14,270 |
| Eastern Hull PCT | — | 14,712 |
| West Hull PCT | — | 24,668 |
(18) In October 2002, responsibilities for dentistry were moved from health authorities (HAs) to primary care trusts (PCTs).
Note:
Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentist within 15 months. The registration figures for children therefore exclude those who have not been to their GDS dentist within the past 15 months. The figures also exclude children who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services, including dental access centres.
NHS Dentists
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children were registered with an NHS dentist in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available. [131030]
Ms Rosie Winterton: At 30 June 2003, 6.7 million children were registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist in England, 60.4 per cent. of the population of children. Information on the percentage of the population and of children registered with a dentist in each strategic health authority area and primary care trust (PCT) area by region at 30 June 2003, has been placed in the Library.
Primary care trusts have little influence over the provision of general dental services in their area under the current statutory arrangements. Proposals in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will give PCTs a duty to secure the provision of primary dental services. The proposed changes will help underpin a modernised high-quality primary dental service provided through contracts between PCTs and dental practices properly integrated with the rest of the national health service. With these new responsibilities will go the £1.2 billion financial resources currently held centrally.
Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentist within 15 months, and so the registration figures exclude patients who have not been to their GDS dentist within the past 15 months. The figures also exclude patients who receive dental treatment from other NHS dental services including dental access centres.
Otitis Media
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children diagnosed with otitis media have parents who smoke. [132211]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally.
20 Oct 2003 : Column 470W
Paediatric Continence Services
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has completed an audit of whether the guidance "Good Practice in Continence Services" has improved paediatric continence services; [132876]
- (2) what assessment his Department has made of how the children's national service framework will improve services for children with continence problems; [132885]
(3) what assessment his Department has made of how many children in England suffer from (a) nocturnal enuresis, (b) daytime wetting and (c) constipation and soiling. [132887]
Dr. Ladyman: Good Practice in Continence Services was issued by the Department in April 2000 and provides guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) on continence services. This includes that PCTs should have specialist continence services in place, which provide patients with an individual assessment of their needs. Provision of these services in England is a matter for PCTs, which are responsible for determining the level of services required to meet the needs of their local populations.
The children's national service framework (NSF) will set out standards covering a broad range of services, including the management of common childhood conditions. Whilst few specific conditions will be covered, the standards are likely to cover what support should be available to children and their parents in managing a wide range of conditions and problems, including enuresis and soiling. The NSF will emphasise the promotion of evidence-based clinical guidelines and a number of examples of good practice in a range of different areas.
Information on the prevalence of these common conditions in childhood is not collected centrally.
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