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16 Dec 2003 : Column 890W—continued
Midwifery Units
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwifery-led units have been closed since 1997; how many were transferred to hospitals to become consultant-led units; how many consultant-led units were closed; and how many have become midwifery-led units since 1997. [144662]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.
MMR
Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the two-year-old cohort received the MMR vaccine in (a) the last 12 months, (b) 1997 and (c) 1990. [143601]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: Information about the uptake of MMR immunisations and other childhood immunisations is published annually. The latest information is in DH Statistical Bulletin, NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2002–03, available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0316.htm.
The uptake levels for MMR by the second birthday by financial year (April to March) from 1989–90 to date are shown below in the table.
| Percentage uptake | |
|---|---|
| 1989–90 | 84.0 |
| 1990–91 | 87.1 |
| 1991–92 | 89.9 |
| 1992–93 | 91.6 |
| 1993–94 | 90.8 |
| 1994–95 | 91.0 |
| 1995–96 | 91.9 |
| 1996–97 | 91.5 |
| 1997–98 | 90.8 |
| 1998–99 | 88.3 |
| 1999–2000 | 87.6 |
| 2000–01 | 87.4 |
| 2001–02 | 84.1 |
| 2002–03 | 81.8 |
Nappies
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the Government's target to reduce disposable nappy waste; and if he will make a statement. [143226]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In July 2003, I met my hon. Friend, the Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elliott Morley), along with representatives from the Women's Environmental Network to discuss disposable nappy waste.
The Department of Health supports the target on waste prevention and reduction. We believe women and their families should be given information on the use of both re-useable and disposable nappies to make an informed choice. "The Pregnancy Book" and "Birth to Five" are two comprehensive information booklets produced by the Department of Health and given free to all first time mothers. Both these publications give detailed information on both reusable and disposable nappies.
Neonatal Intensive Care
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish his response to the Report of the Neonatal Intensive Care Services Review Group; and if he will make a statement. [143678]
Dr. Ladyman: I expect to do so shortly.
NHS Dentistry
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the provision of NHS dentistry in Bolton. [143248]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: Bolton Primary Care Trust is in discussion with the recently launched Bolton Oral Health Advisory Group to address the provision of national health service dentists within the area.
Organ Transplants
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children are currently registered for an organ transplant in (i) St. Helens and (ii) Merseyside. [142904]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested in shown in the following tables.
| Organ | St. Helen's | Merseyside |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney | 25 | 80 |
| Pancreas | 1 | 4 |
| Kidney/pancreas | 1 | 5 |
| Lung | 2 | 5 |
| Heart/lung | — | 1 |
| Total | 29 | 98 |
| Organ | St. Helen's | Merseyside |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney | — | 3 |
| Pancreas | — | — |
| Kidney/pancreas | — | — |
| Lung | — | — |
| Heart/lung | — | — |
| Total | — | 3 |
Notes:
1. St. Helen's is taken as the former St. Helens and Knowsley Health Authority.
2. Merseyside is taken as all other postcode with prefix 'L'.
Source:
UK Transplant.
Palliative Treatment
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent on palliative care in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [141946]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information about how much has been spent on palliative care in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally.
The Government recognised in the NHS Cancer Plan (2000) that national health service support for specialist palliative care services needed to increase. We pledged to increase NHS investment in specialist palliative care by £50 million per annum by 2004. Ministers also made available an additional £10 million from central budgets in 2002–03.
We have now set up a £50 million per annum central budget for specialist palliative care to ensure that our pledge in the NHS Cancer Plan is met. This extra £50 million over and above what is already being invested, is to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in
16 Dec 2003 : Column 893W
providing agreed levels of services. All 34 cancer networks have submitted investment plans for the use of their allocation to the National Partnership Group (NPG) for palliative care (a joint NHS/voluntary sector group). The NPG has assessed the investment plans. Plans have been approved and allocations have been made to local cancer networks which will result in an additional 71 whole time equivalent consultants, an additional 162 whole time equivalent cancer nurse specialists and an extra 86 specialist palliative care in-patient beds. The £50 million represents a significant increase of nearly 40 per cent. in NHS funding for specialist palliative care over 2000 levels.
Pedometers
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he has spent distributing pedometers to primary care trusts in areas of high deprivation. [144569]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health is contributing £27,000 out of a total budget of £85,000 for this initiative which will distribute 10,000 Step-O-Meters to general practitioner practices in areas of high deprivation and where there is a high rate of coronary heart disease. Other funding partners are The Countryside Agency and The British Heart Foundation.
Pregnancy Care
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of pregnant women have had as their first point of contact (a) a general practitioner and (b) a midwife in each of the last six years. [144659]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the varying rates of caesarean section in England. [144660]
Dr. Ladyman: In order to establish the reasons for the varying rates of caesarean section rates, the Department commissioned the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to carry out the first ever and biggest National Sentinel Audit. The findings of the audit were published by the RCOG in October 2001 and these have been referred to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to issue clinical guidelines. The guidelines are expected in January 2004.
Prevenar
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many studies he has commissioned into the vaccine Prevenar. [142931]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has three studies on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom that are addressing a number of issues.
- the optimal schedule of this vaccine in the infants;
the need for booster doses;
the optimal schedule for catch-up for older children; and
to assess the impact that introducing the pneumococcal vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule has on the level of protection given by the other childhood vaccines.
16 Dec 2003 : Column 894W
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what preventive measures are being taken by NHS trusts to prevent respiratory syncytial virus; [143683]
- (2) how many paediatric wards have been closed due to respiratory syncytial virus infection in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS trust; [143684]
(3) how many babies contracted respiratory syncytial virus while in each NHS hospital trust in the last 12 months; [143685]
(4) how many cases of respiratory syncytial virus have been admitted to each NHS trust in 2003. [143686]
Dr. Ladyman: Palivizumab, a monoclonal antibody, is indicated for the prevention of serious lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) requiring hospitalisation in children born at 35 weeks gestation or less, and who are less than six months old at the onset of the RSV season, or in children less than two years old who have received treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia within the last six months. The use of Palivizumab is a matter for clinical judgment.
Information on the number of wards closed to new admissions owing to RSV, and RSV infections contracted while in each national health service (NHS) hospital trust, is not collected centrally. Information on the number of cases of RSV admitted to each national health service trust in 2003 has been placed in the Library.
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