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19 Nov 2003 : Column 1104W—continued
Bovine TB
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued to those who have been in contact with animals infected with bovine tuberculosis. [132628]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Guidance on the management of the public health consequences of tuberculosis in cattle was issued to all consultants in Communicable Disease Control in June 2000.
BUPA
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS has been of (a) hip replacements, (b) knee replacements and (c) cataract operations carried out at the BUPA hospital in Redhill. [134950]
Ms Rosie Winterton: As the release of this information would entail disclosing a third party's commercial confidences, exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Open Government applies.
Cannabis
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in trialling cannabis for medicinal use; and if he will make a statement. [137563]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department supports the evaluation of the therapeutic use of cannabis by clinical trials, and is working with organisations able to conduct high quality clinical trials that will put this research onto a scientific footing. A Medical Research Council supported clinical trial to attempt to measure the therapeutic effects of cannabis extract in people with multiple sclerosis was recently completed by Dr. John Zajicek, a Consultant Neurologist at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Further information on the trial can be accessed at http://www.cannabis-trial.plymouth.ac.uk/
A programme to develop a medicine derived from cannabis has been ongoing in the United Kingdom. The work is led by Dr Guy of GW Pharmaceuticals Limited. Current details about the clinical trials being sponsored
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by GW Pharmaceuticals Limited may be obtained from the Company's website at http://www.gwpharm.com/rese clin index.html.
If the benefits of a cannabis-based medicine are scientifically demonstrated, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will move to seek Parliament's agreement to any necessary changes to the misuse of drugs legislation. It would be premature to take such a step before the quality, safety and efficacy of the medicine have been fully established.
Consumers for Health Choice
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of his discussions with the representative of Consumers for Health Choice on Tuesday 7 October. [138204]
Miss Melanie Johnson: On Tuesday 7 October, I met with representatives of Consumers for Health Choice, the Health Food Manufacturers' Association, the Proprietary Association of Great Britain and the National Association of Health Stores to hear these groups' concerns about the implications of the Food Supplements Directive.
I restated the Government's commitment to pressing for European Union maximum permitted limits of vitamins and minerals in food supplements to be set on a safety basis and to this end, using its influence in both scientific and political forums. I will raise this issue with Ministers in other member states as and when appropriate. I am also seeking to arrange a meeting with Commissioner David Byrne at the earliest practical opportunity.
Contaminated Blood
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from haemophilia have (a) died and (b) suffered illness as a result of contaminated blood products from the NHS in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [138790]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The number of haemophilia patients registered with the Macfarlane Trust who have died in the last five years, after infection with HIV from infected national health service blood products, is shown in the table.
| Number of deaths | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 22 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 24 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 12 |
Information on the number of haemophilia patients with HIV who have suffered illness is not available.
The latest information from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation show 212 patients with haemophilia have died from liver disease. The number of haemophilia patients with hepatitis C who are demonstrating signs of serious liver disease is 2,645, from a total 2,829 patients who are living with hepatitis C, as at January 2000.
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to compensate (a) the dependants of those who have died from hepatitis due to infected blood products and (b) those who contracted hepatitis by such means, but recovered after treatment. [138791]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The details of the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme are still being worked out. We expect to announce the scheme's eligibility criteria and payment structure shortly.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) is evaluating in order to determine the level of compensation for people infected with hepatitis C due to infected blood products; and if he will make a statement. [138792]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The following independent resources are being considered as part of the on-going deliberations to determine the level of payments made under the proposed hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme:
- the scheme of payments implemented by the Macfarlane Trust;
the scheme of payments implemented by the Eileen Trust;
the report of the Hepatitis C Working Party to the Haemophilia Society; and
the report of the Scottish Executive's Expert Group on Financial and Other Support chaired by Lord Ross.
Miss Melanie Johnson: The safety of blood and blood products used in the national health service is of paramount importance. Every reasonable step has been taken to minimise any risks during blood transfusion. The current high levels of safety are achieved by screening out potential high risk donors and then further testing of every unit of donated blood for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis before it is released to hospitals.
As a precautionary measure against the theoretical risk that vCJD can be transmitted through blood, since 31 October 1999 all blood used for transfusion has had the white cells removed (a process called leucodepletion), and in 1998, we stopped using United Kingdom plasma in the manufacture of blood products.
New blood safety initiatives, including technologies to remove pathogens in blood, are kept under review by the National Blood Service's Blood and Tissue Safety Assurance Group and the Department's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation.
Coronary Disease
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has met milestones one to four for primary care management of heart failure in the national service framework for coronary heart disease; whether he has plans to set further milestones; and if he will make a statement; [138188]
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- (2) whether his Department has met milestones one to three for hospitals admitting patients for the management of heart failure in the heart failure section of the national service framework for coronary heart disease; whether he has plans to set further milestones; and if he will make a statement. [138189]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The national health service has made good progress on meeting the heart failure milestones set out in the national service frameworks. This has been supported further this year through the publication of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guideline on the management of heart failure. The Department has set a target for improved management of heart failure in the Planning and Priorities Framework for the next three years and has supported delivery of this target through publication of a toolkit of best practice for the NHS in October of this year.
The quality and outcome framework in the new general medical services contract will support further progress in this important area.
Dentistry
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service dentists there were in each year between 1997 and 2003. [135370]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of national health service dentists on a head count basis in England at September each year from 1997 to 2002. Information for 2003 is not yet available.
Information is not available on a whole time equivalent (wte) basis because dentists working in the general dental service dentists (CDS) are self employed dentists who are not required to work standard hours and who are free to vary their working time if they wish.
NHS dentists cover dentists working in the GDS, hospital dental service, community dental service, personal dental service (PDS) and salaried dentists working in the GDS. Dentists working in more than one dental service are included in each service, apart from dentists working in both the PDS and the GDS, who are counted in the GDS only.
| September each year | Number of dentists |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 20,393 |
| 1998 | 20,887 |
| 1999 | 21,435 |
| 2000 | 21,728 |
| 2001 | 22,321 |
| 2002 | 23,183 |
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) what plans he has to increase spending on the provision of dentures; and what discussions he has had with the General Dental Council on the provision of dentures; [136753]
- (2) what plans he has to prevent the illegal (a) production and (b) fitting of dentures; and what estimate he has made of the level of illegal (i) production and (ii) fitting of dentures. [136754]
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(3) if he will introduce an agreed qualification in denturism to permit clinical dental technicians to deal directly with the public. [136755]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dental appliances are manufactured to the prescription of a registered dentist, mostly in privately owned laboratories, which have to be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. We are working with the General Dental Council and the profession to provide for the registration of dental technicians including clinical dental technician (CDTs). As a result, members of both professions will need to be appropriately trained and qualified. The registration of CDTs will enable suitably qualified members of the profession to both supply and fit dental appliances thereby legalising the practice of denturism.
No prosecutions have been undertaken against dental laboratories which have failed to register under the Medical Devices Regulations. The vast majority of breaches of the Regulations are resolved with the co-operation of the manufacturer in line with the Government's Concordat on Enforcement without the need for prosecution. The MHRA investigates and resolves all potential breaches that are drawn to their attention. Information on the illegal fitting of dentures is not held centrally.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state (a) the reasons for compulsory retirement in dentistry and (b) the age limit for this retirement. [138196]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Health Service (General Dental Services Supplementary List) and (General Dental Services) Amendment Regulations 2003 amend the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Regulations 1992 by changing the age at which a dentist must be removed from a dental list from 65 to 70 years of age. A dentist so removed may continue to assist in the provision of general dental services after the age of 70 years.
The NHS Pension Scheme's current normal retirement pension age is 60. Members may stay in the scheme until age 70 but from age 60 they may retire and take a pension voluntarily without reduction.
Any member still employed at age 70 may take their retirement pension and continue working in the NHS.
Dentists, along with all other NHS Pension Scheme members are able to retire with benefits from age 50 on a voluntary basis. The voluntary early retirement from age 50 is payable with actuarially reduced benefits.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union on regulations on services that may be provided by dental technicians within the European Union. [138221]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Working practices and any legislative controls for dental technicians vary across the countries of the European Union. We intend that the General Dental Council's proposals for registration should aid the development of common standards to assist freedom of movement within Europe.
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Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with representatives of dental technicians regarding regulations relating to their position in providing dental services; [138223]
- (2) what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Welsh Assembly regarding regulations on the provision of dental services within the UK by dental technicians; [138224]
(3) what recent discussions he has had with the General Dental Council on the role of dental technicians in providing dental services. [138225]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dental technicians are key members of the dental team. All the Health Departments in the United Kingdom have indicated their support for the General Dental Council's proposals for the registration of dental technicians. This will ensure that they are properly trained and acquire registrable qualifications, which have been identified in consultation with the profession. We plan to put the necessary legislative changes in place during 2004 and intend that registration arrangements should give new impetus to the training and recruitment of dental technicians.
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time before dentists qualified overseas can take the qualifying examinations to practise in the UK has been over the last five years. [135917]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 10 November 2003]: The International Qualifying Examination (IQE), which is the General Dental Council's (GDC) statutory examination for the purpose of gaining admission to the United Kingdom dentists register, was introduced on 1 January 2001. Since then, the number of dentists applying to take the examination has increased from some 150 to nearly 200. Average waiting times for the three parts of the IQE since that date are shown in the table.
| Part A | Part B | Part C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2.75 | 4.5 | 7.4 |
| 2002 | 4.25 | 5.5 | 10 |
| 2003 | 5.75 | 7.5 | 10 |
The figures exclude candidates who have asked for the timing of the examination to be delayed. Information for the years prior to the introduction of the IQE is not available. The GDC has increased Part C capacity for 2004 and waiting times should be shortened significantly, with some candidates given only three months wait to sit Part C.
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