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20 Nov 2003 : Column 1381W—continued
Heroin
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of buprenorphine in the treatment of heroin addiction. [140054]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Buprenorphine has recently been established as a potential effective alternative substitution treatment for some patients by a number of studies, such as those concentrating on effective doses, including Johnson et al., 1995, Ling et al., 1998 and Strain et al., 1994. Specific differences from methadone have been highlighted in other studies, including Walsh et al., 1994, Reynaud et al., 1998, Bickel & Amass, 1995, Reisinger, 1997 and Barnett P. G. et al., 2001, and trials in Europe have been reviewed by Chapleo et al., 1997. Also, see Uehlinger, C et al., 1998 and Fischer, G et al. 1999 for published studies.
The Cochrane review of buprenorphine maintenance for opioid dependence in August 2002 concluded, "Buprenorphine is an effective intervention for use in the maintenance treatment of heroin dependence, but it is not more effective than methadone at adequate dosages".
HIV/AIDS
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffered from HIV/AIDS in England in the last five years for which figures are available. [139474]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The annual survey of prevalent HIV infections diagnosed collates data on individuals who attend statutory services for HIV-related treatment and care each year. The annual totals for England for the last five years are shown in the table.
| Prevalent diagnosed cases | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 16,306 |
| 1999 | 18,392 |
| 2000 | 20,855 |
| 2001 | 24,269 |
| 2002 | 29,044 |
Source:
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Agency.
20 Nov 2003 : Column 1382W
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources his Department has allocated to HIV/AIDS (a) treatment and (b) prevention in financial year 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [139475]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health no longer holds central records of the resources allocated to HIV treatment and prevention by primary care trusts (PCTs). The last year for which this data was available was 2001–02, when £276 million was allocated for HIV treatment and care, and £55 million for HIV prevention. From 1 April 2002 the ring-fence was removed from these allocations and they were added to National Health Service baselines, allowing PCTs the flexibility to determine spending priorities for maximum effectiveness.
In addition to the significant amount of work commissioned and funded at local level, national targeted HIV prevention work for those groups most at risk of infection is undertaken by the Department through contracts with voluntary sector organisations, to the value of almost £4 million (including helpline provision) in 2003–04.
Home Care Services
John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people within the London Borough of Havering in receipt of home care services provided by the council were charged for those services in the (a) 12 months before and (b) after the introduction of Department of Health guidance, "Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care"; [133265]
- (2) if he will assess the impact of Department of Health guidance, "Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care", on service users within the London Borough of Havering; and if he will make a statement. [133267]
Mr. Hutton: Information is not held centrally on the number of people within the London Borough of Havering, who were in receipt of home care services and were charged in the 12 months before and after the introduction of the guidance "Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care" and other non-residential Social Services. The impact of the Department of Health guidance on the London Borough of Havering's charging policies is a matter for the local council to assess.
The Department of Health issued statutory guidance to local councils for home care charges in November 2001. This guidance does not seek to change councils' power to charge, or not, but seeks to ensure that, where council's do charge, this will be based on fairer well designed charging policies. An important principle of the guidance is that charges should not reduce a person's income below basic levels of income support or the guarantee credit of pension credit plus a 25 per cent, buffer.
20 Nov 2003 : Column 1383W
Hospital Beds
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) general and (b) acute beds were open overnight in each English region in each of the last 10 years; [137364]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 November2003]: The NHS Plan set a target of 2,100 extra general and acute beds. By 2002–03, an additional 1,600 were in place representing over three quarters of the target set out in the NHS Plan.
Information on the number of available beds by ward classification is collected from each National Health Service trust. An available bed is one that is open and staffed at midnight. Figures for beds in wards classified as acute and geriatric (general) for England for the last ten years are shown in the table.
| Year | Acute | Geriatric |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 109,713 | 37,440 |
| 1994–95 | 108,008 | 36,795 |
| 1995–96 | 108,296 | 34,328 |
| 1996–97 | 108,869 | 31,646 |
| 1997–98 | 107,807 | 30,240 |
| 1998–99 | 107,729 | 28,697 |
| 1999–00 | 107,218 | 27,862 |
| 2000–01 | 107,956 | 27,838 |
| 2001–02 | 108,535 | 28,047 |
| 2002–03 | 108,706 | 27,973 |
Source:
Department of Health form KH03.
Information for the period 1993–94 to 1999–00 aggregated to the 8 Regional Office areas is available in Summary of Bed Availability, England copies of which are in the Library. Information for 2000–01 is available from the Department of Health website http://www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity. Any information on beds published after the abolition of regional offices in April 2002 is not available at a regional level.
Hospital Wards
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital wards he has visited in the last 12 months. [134260]
Ms Rosie Winterton: My right hon. Friend has visited 10 hospitals since becoming Secretary of State on 12 June 2003; they are listed below. As part of his visits, he saw numerous wards while meeting staff and patients.
| Date | Venue |
|---|---|
| 23 June | Great Ormond Street Hospital |
| 27 August | Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham |
| Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham | |
| 28 August | St James's Hospital HQ, Leeds |
| Leeds General Infirmary | |
| 29 August | Whiston Hospital, Prescot |
| St Helen's Hospital, London | |
| 2 September | St Mary's Hospital, London |
| 1 October | Royal Bournemouth Hospital |
| 28 October | The Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London |
20 Nov 2003 : Column 1384W
Indian Community
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the health of England's Indian community. [138200]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Members of black and minority ethnic communities, including the Indian community, are not a homogeneous group for health status, disease patterns or health behaviour. A number of studies, including Sir Donald Acheson's 'Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health', have shown that there are significant health inequalities among people from black and minority ethnic communities. These inequalities relate to differences in disease prevalence, differential access to services and differential delivery and take-up of services.
According to the Health Survey for England (1999), Indians experience higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Women born in India have a 40 per cent. higher suicide rate than those born in England and Wales. The survey also found that oral cancer has a very high prevalence among the South Asian community (Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Sri Lankan), and rates of uptake of cervical screening among South Asian women are less than half those amongst the general population.
The Department of Health's strategy for meeting the needs of minority ethnic communities is to set action on race equality within the overall framework for planning and delivering the Department's priorities.
The NHS Plan recognises that we live in a diverse society and that ethnicity can be a key factor in health inequalities. The plan sets out as core principles that the national health service will shape its services around the needs of the patient, be responsive to the needs of different groups and individuals within society, including challenging racial discrimination.
In October 2003 the Department published "Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action" as a consultation document on black and minority ethnic health setting out what those planning, delivering and monitoring local primary care and mental health services for people from black and minority ethnic communities.
The Department is committed to transforming the NHS so that it produces faster, fairer services with equity of access for all. The creation of more equal access for black and minority ethnic people is an integral and vital aspect of the Department's programme of investment and reform.
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