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19 Nov 2003 : Column 1132W—continued
Obesity
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the average body mass index in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority for each of the last 10 years. [138191]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Figures available from the Health Survey for England are set out in the table. For those respondents with a valid height and weight measurement from which the body mass index could be calculated, it gives the average body mass index by Government Office Region for the period 1998–2001. Figures prior to 1998 are not available by Government Office Region. Care should be taken in interpreting trends in children's body mass index because of small sample sizes.
Note:
Figures prior to 1998 not available by Government office region.
Source:
Health Survey for England, Department of Health.
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Paramedics (Data Link Schemes)
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will provide financial assistance to the setting up (a) in England and (b) in Brent of Data Link schemes for paramedics to obtain details of a person's medical history. [136640]
Mr. Hutton: Access by paramedics to patients' medical history (subject to appropriate security and confidentiality safeguards) will be included in the core functionality of the integrated care records service (ICRS) that will be implemented across the National Health Service, beginning in 2004 as part of the national programme for information technology in the NHS. Local service providers are being appointed to work with local health communities to deliver solutions tailored to specific local needs.
Central funding for the National Programme for IT in the NHS, of which the ICRS is one component, is to be made available as follows—£370 million in 2003–04, £730 million in 2004–05 and £1.2 billion in 2005–06.
There is also some £850 million per annum provided in local baseline allocations that must be used to support investment in IT infrastructure or particular local priorities. If there is specific functionality required in Brent or elsewhere, and local circumstances or priorities dictate that it will be required sooner than ICRS will be rolling it out nationally, then local funds should be used to procure and provide that application, system or service.
Funding for local initiatives is a matter for the relevant strategic health authority and primary care trusts.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the questions regarding chiropody services tabled on 14 October 2003 by the hon. Member for Billericay, reference numbers 131565 to 131568. [139788]
Dr. Ladyman: I replied to the hon. Member on Monday 17 November 2003, Official Report, column 578W.
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Patient Referrals
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been referred by each (a) Strategic Health Authority and (b) NHS Trust in London in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [135154]
Mr. Hutton: It has not been possible to respond to the specific question raised. Strategic health authorities do not refer patients. However, if the hon. Member requires specific waiting time information by commissioner and provider, he can visit the following website, www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes.
Pneumococcal Disease
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recorded incidence of pneumococcal disease infection by health authorities was in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of unreported pneumococcal disease infection by health authority. [139482]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on the incidence of pneumococcal disease infection by health authority (HA) is not available. Notifications are for pneumococcal meningitis only and these are listed by health authority in the table. No estimate has been made of unreported pneumococcal disease infection by HA.
Source:
Health Protection Agency, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.
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