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25 Mar 2004 : Column 1051W—continued
Consultant Nurses
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant nurse specialists are working in elderly care in the NHS. [163338]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 24 March 2004]: The information requested is not separately available; consultant nurse specialists in elderly care are included with consultant nurses in the acute, elderly and general area of work. As at September 2003, there were 235 consultant nurses in the acute, elderly and general area of work, an increase of 37 per cent. over the previous year.
Contraceptive Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether general practices will be able to opt out of providing contraceptive services; [162155]
- (2) what forms of contraception may be prescribed in NHS walk-in centres; [162178]
(3) what forms of contraception are available over the counter; and what plans he has to extend this range; [162179]
(4) what powers pharmacists have to prescribe contraception; and what plans he has to change this. [162185]
Miss Melanie Johnson: General practices have always had the ability to decide whether or not to provide contraceptive services for their patients. Under the new general medical services (GMS) contract they will have to follow procedures to opt out of providing contraception as an additional service and, where they do so, for the first time primary care trusts will be responsible for securing alternative provision for patients affected.
National health service walk-in centres can provide emergency hormonal contraception as part of their core services and may also provide condoms. They exist to provide one-off episodes of care and quick access to advice and treatment for minor ailments and injuries. Therefore, it is not appropriate for them to prescribe regular methods of contraception which require follow up and repeat prescriptions.
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Forms of contraception available over the counter are emergency hormonal contraception; male and female condoms, other female barrier methods (including the diaphragm or cap), spermicides and fertility devices. There are no plans currently to extend this range.
Some pharmacists are supplying emergency hormonal contraception under patient group directions which require pharmacists to satisfy certain criteria before supplying these medicines. Also, some pharmacists have undergone an approved training programme to qualify as supplementary prescribers. Under such arrangements the supplementary prescriber is able to prescribe medicines for an individual patient following diagnosis by a doctor as part of a clinical management plan agreed with the patient. Pharmacists could, under these arrangements, prescribe oral contraceptives.
Eye Tests (Crosby)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many residents in Crosby aged over 60 years have benefited from the abolition of charges for eye tests; [160389]
- (2) how many senior citizens in Crosby have access to free eye tests. [160534]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Year ending | Sight tests for aged 60 and over(40) | All sight tests |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 1999 | — | 42,210 |
| 31 March 2000 | 21,830 | 57,070 |
| 31 March 2001 | 24,320 | 58,850 |
| 31 March 2002 | 24,220 | 58,400 |
| 31 March 2003 | 26,140 | 55,730 |
(40) From 1 April 1999, all patients aged 60 and over were included in the group eligible for NHS sight tests. From October 2002, primary care trusts took over the responsibility from health authorities. Sefton Health Authority became South Sefton PCT and Southport and Formby PCT. The data for the PCTs has been added to give 2003 data
Source:
SBE515, Department of Health.
General Practitioners
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) accident and emergency units, (b) the ambulance service and (c) NHS Direct of the new general practitioner contracts from 1 April. [162264]
Mr. Hutton: The new contract for general medical services will enable strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to commission more integrated unscheduled care services, bringing together providers of primary medical services, NHS Direct, ambulance trusts and other providers to enhance the delivery of high-quality, continuous and holistic care.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total cost to the NHS of general practitioner services in the last recorded year. [158265]
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Mr. Hutton: The table shows total general medical services (GMS) and personal medical services (PMS) expenditure for the financial year 2002–03.
| Strategic Health Authority expenditure | Primary Care Trust expenditure | Total expenditure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMS discretionary | 989 | 863,371 | 864,360 |
| GMS non discretionary | 1,116,722 | 951,003 | 2,067,725 |
| PMS | 3,607 | 1,148,179 | 1,151,786 |
| Total | 1,121,318 | 2,962,553 | 4,083,871 |
Sources:
1. Strategic Health Authority Audited Summarisation Forms.
2. Primary Care Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules.
Genetically Modified Foods
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recent report published by the British Medical Association "Genetically modified foods and health: a second interim statement". [162174]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In assessing the safety of genetically modified foods the Food Standards Agency ensures that the most up to date scientific knowledge is taken into account. The agency regularly reviews its research programme to ensure that gaps in scientific knowledge are addressed and has noted the points raised in the recent report by the British Medical Association where additional areas of research have been identified.
Getting Ahead of the Game
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the action plans announced in his report Getting Ahead of the Game in January 2002 have been produced; when he intends to publish them; and if he will make a statement. [161139]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 15 March 2004]: The Department's infectious diseases strategy is entitled "Getting Ahead of the Curve" and identified four serious infectious disease problems requiring intensified or new control measures—health care associated infection, tuberculosis (TB), antimicrobial resistance and blood-borne and sexually transmitted viruses (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C).
The action plans for healthcare associated infection and antimicrobial resistance have been encompassed within the Government's recent policy document "Winning Ways—Working to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in England", published in December 2003 and available at http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/cmo/hai/winningways.pdf.
The TB action plan that will be published in the next few months.
"The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV Implementation Action Plan" was published in June 2002 and is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/
25 Mar 2004 : Column 1054W
assetRoot/04/01/95/90/04019590.pdf. A hepatitis C action plan to implement our consultation paper, "Hepatitis C Strategy for England", will be published in the next few months. We are keeping under review the need for a specific action plan on hepatitis B.
Health Development Agency
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2004, Official Report, column 393W, on the Health Development Agency, what the level of income from sources other than government is; and what the sources are. [159157]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
| Source/Purpose | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income from rent of premises to Electoral Commission | 0 | 597 | 93 |
| Policy and Communications | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Transport and health | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| PCTs and Has | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Income for overseas (European) work and other fees | 610 | 512 | 399 |
| Publications and merchandise and miscellaneous | 87 | 54 | 87 |
| Conference income | 0 | 21 | 110 |
| Total | 697 | 1,213 | 697 |
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the Health Development Agency. [160075]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The effectiveness of the Health Development Agency is kept under regular review as part of the annual ministerial accountability review process.
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