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15 Dec 2003 : Column 785W—continued
Radiation Workers
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Defence on 1 December 2003, Official Report, column 39W, if he will make it his policy to (a) offer annual medical examinations to retired or ex-radiation workers and (b) to amend the guidelines to medical professionals to encourage them to note the profession of radiation workers in the medical notes of their families. [143034]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Ionising Radiation Regulations provides for an appointed doctor to undertake pre-employment health checks, reviews of health at least once a year while in work, and a review of health when the employment has ceased where this is necessary to protect the health of the individual.
Authoritative scientific and medical opinion is that health checks for all persons with past employment in the radiation industry would, in most cases, be both clinically inappropriate and a diversion of valuable clinical time away from patients with known needs; unless the person indicates symptoms of disease, or the general practitioner has been informed by the appointed doctor of the special circumstances leading to a possible need for continuing surveillance.
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The content of patient records is essentially a matter for the clinical judgment of the practitioner, taking account of guidance from his or her professional body and all of the circumstances. However, in addition to a general obligation to render to patients all necessary and appropriate personal medical services—including offering to patients consultations and, where appropriate, physical examinations for the purposes of identifying, or reducing the risk of, disease or injury—general practitioners in the national health service are required to seek and record relevant information about patients' and patients' families medical history as well as social factors (including housing, employment, and family circumstances) that may affect patients' health.
Research Projects
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research projects will be conducted in response to the findings of the national consultation on how best to improve choice, responsiveness and equity in the national health service and social care; and if he will make a statement. [141694]
Mr. Hutton: On 9 December 2003 the Government published "Building on the Best: Choice, Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS". This strategy document sets out action on how we intend to expand choice for service users. A copy of the document in available in the Library. We are now considering with the national health service and partner organisations how further research might help inform future action.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the findings of the national consultation on how best to improve choice, responsiveness and equity in the national health service and social care; and if he will make a statement. [141696]
Mr. Hutton: On 9 December 2003, the Government published a strategy paper "Building on the Best; Choice, Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS", which draws out and develops the main themes that emerged from the Choice, Responsiveness and Equity consultation. The document broadly sets out how we will make NHS services more responsive to patients, by offering more choice across the spectrum of healthcare. A copy is available in the Library.
Sexual Health
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the exclusion of sexually transmitted infections from the new general practitioner contract; whether all GPs will (a) examine and (b) treat patients suffering from a sexually transmitted infection; and if he will make a statement. [140696]
Mr. Hutton: No disease is excluded under the new general medical services contract. All practices will provide essential services, which provide for the management and on-going treatment and care of patients who are ill, or believe themselves to be ill. Practices will continue to offer consultations and, where appropriate, physical examination for the purpose of identifying the need, if any, for treatment or further investigation.
15 Dec 2003 : Column 787W
Sperm Donors
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to change arrangements for anonymity of sperm donors; [142152]
- (2) what plans he has to give a right to children produced as a result of donor insemination to know the identity of their parents. [142153]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This is a highly sensitive issue for the children born, their parents and their donors. Section 31 (5) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 does not permit donors to be identified retrospectively. We are considering whether
15 Dec 2003 : Column 788W
to ask Parliament to approve regulations to make identifying information about future donors available on request to donor-conceived people age 18 or older. The Government expect to make a decision on this shortly.
St. Helens Projects
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the capital projects (a) built and (b) being built in connection with health care provision in St. Helens in each year since 1997. [141476]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is shown in the table.
| SHA name | Trust name | Scheme name | Outturn cost(£ million) | Funding | Start on siteactual/target | Finish on siteactual/target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA | St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust | St. Helens and Knowsley Health Community Strategic Redevelopment | 284.0 | PFI | February 2005 | December 2010 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA | St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust | Re-provision of Knowsley House | 2.77 | Public | June 2000 | August 2001 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA | St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust | Rehabilitation Wards (60 Beds) | 5.2 | Public (PC21) | January 2003 | December 2004 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA | St. Helens PCT | NHS LIFT—3rd Tranche | 22.0 | LIFT | — | March 2O05 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic HA | St. Helens PCT | Millennium Centre Phase 3 | 3.4 | Public (PC21) | January 2003 | December 2003 |
Source:
NHS Estates
Tamiflu
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he is applying to the availability on prescription of Tamiflu as a treatment for influenza. [141313]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that Tamiflu should not be used for the treatment of influenza in children or adults unless they are considered to be 'at-risk'. Full details of the NICE guidance issued in February 2003 is available on the website www. nice.org.uk.
The Department is consulting on a proposal to enable other patients not considered to be 'at-risk' to receive Tamiflu from their doctor. The consultation is available at www.doh.gov.uk/tamifluconsultation.
Third Register Review
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the timetable is for the review of the third register; who will conduct the review; and when the report of the review will be published; [140627]
- (2) if he will publish the terms of reference for the review of health visiting. [140628]
Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has now completed its consultation on the third part of the NMC register, where it is proposed that health visitors will be separately registered.
A separate review of the nursing, midwifery and health visiting contribution to children at risk is being undertaken by the Chief Nursing Officer (England) (CNO) in the light of the recent Green Paper, "Every Child Matters". The scope and process of the review are set out on the CNO web site at www.doh.gov.uk/cno/cnoreview.htm.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ministerial commitments to consult and respect the views of the profession were met during consideration on the review of the third register. [140630]
Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is required by the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 to consult representatives of any group of persons it considered appropriate including, as it sees fit, representatives of registrants or class of registrant, employers of registrants, users of the services of registrants and persons providing assessing or funding education or training for registrants or prospective registrants.
In exercising its function, the NMC must have proper regard to the interests of all registrants and prospective registrants and to any differing considerations applying to the professions and to groups within them.
I am satisfied that the NMC has consulted both appropriately and sufficiently in regard to this review.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when and by whom the health visiting profession was consulted regarding the third register; and what the outcome was of the consultation. [140631]
Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is an independent statutory body and is required to consult representatives of any group of persons it considers appropriate. Further specific information in respect of this is a matter for the NMC.
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