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31 Mar 2004 : Column 1517W—continued
Healthy Eating Campaign/Living Centres
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to mount a public health information
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campaign with the aim of (a) decreasing meat consumption and (b) increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. [164223]
Miss Melanie Johnson: No plans have been made for a health information campaign aimed at decreasing meat consumption. The Department recommends a balanced diet, which can include meat. The Department's "five-a-day" programme aims to raise public awareness of the health benefits of eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day and what counts towards "five-a-day". This is supported by a range of information materials, including booklets, posters and leaflets. There is also a "five-a-day" logo for use on promotional materials and on food packets to help consumers choose a diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) in total to healthy living centres. [163654]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department allocates no funding directly to Healthy Living Centres (HLCs). The New Opportunities Fund has committed a total of £204 million to the HLC programme in England and expects all committed funds to have been expended by 2009.
HIV/AIDS
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on (a) publicity and health advice and (b) treatment of HIV/AIDS in each of the last three years. [163687]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A total of £223.5 million was allocated to the national health service in England in 2001–02 for the treatment and care of people with HIV. £55 million was allocated for local HIV prevention in 2001–02. These sums were added to the general NHS baselines in 2002–03 and are no longer separately identified.
In addition to these NHS allocations, the Department of Health centrally funds national targeted HIV prevention and health promotion campaigns. Expenditure on this national work for the past three years is shown in the table.
| £ million(19) | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 3.60 |
| 2002–03 | 3.80 |
| 2003–04 | 4.35 |
(19) Figures include expenditure on national telephone helpline provision (including substance misuse and alcohol advice lines).
Immigrant Medical Inspections
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what circulars, guidance and memoranda of understanding he has issued which clarify accountability for services concerned with preventing the importation of infectious disease. [156850]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979, the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979, and the Public Health (International Trains) Regulations 1994 set out a number of
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requirements intended to control the importation of infectious disease. Implementation of the regulations is generally a matter for local authorities, with medical input provided by the national health service.
"Instructions to Medical Inspectors", issued by the Department in 1992, sets out the procedures to be followed by medical inspectors responsible for medical examinations of prospective entrants to the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971. This was supplemented by a letter from the Department in January 2003, which asked that the attention of medical inspectors be drawn to section 133 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (this section provides a basis for medical inspectors to pass information about those they have examined to others in the NHS).
Liver Disease
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England with hepatitis C who are not being treated; and if he will make a statement. [162069]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department does not hold information centrally about the number of patients with hepatitis C not receiving treatment.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of services for treating liver disease in (a) England and (b) each region. [162070]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The University of Southampton has recently carried out a survey of health care services for hepatitis C in the United Kingdom on behalf of the British Association for the Study of the Liver, the British Society for Gastroenterology (Liver Section) and the British Liver Trust.
Mental Health Services
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require records, audited by his Department to be kept of the use of control and restraint on mental health patients. [163559]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not currently keep any central statistical record of the use of control and restraint. Information about the use of control and restraint is collected in a number of ways. Individual authorities are required to have clear policies on the use of restraint which include provision of a review of each incident of restraint, and its application audited and reported to hospital managers (Chapter 19.14 of the Mental Health Code of Practice).
'Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health Inpatient Settings' was issued by the National Institute for Mental Health in England in February 2004. This guidance makes clear recommendations to services. It states that clinical audit should be an integral part of service culture in order to monitor service responsiveness to the various aspects of patient care.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be publishing guidance later this year relating to management of violence.
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The National Patient Safety Agency has developed a national reporting and learning system to promote comprehensive national learning about patient safety incidents. This includes reporting of patient safety incidents involving control and restraint. This information will permit feedback to be provided on services and issues to be identified.
From 1 January 2004, the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC), as part of its programme of monitoring vulnerable patient groups, has asked providers of acute mental health services to notify every occasion when a detained patient sustains an injury which requires medical intervention as a consequence of an incident of restraint. Following notification, the MHAC will seek to arrange for a commissioner to visit the patient concerned and, during the visit collect information regarding the handling of the incident using a specifically designed commission visiting questionnaire. Providers also receive a short report of the commissioner's findings with recommendations for action where applicable.
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to create an ethnically more diverse workforce in mental health services. [163560]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The need for services to be appropriate and responsive to the communities they serve is laid out in the consultation document, 'Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action' (October 2004). To support this, the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) will be developing work to address the cultural capability of organisations, and staff within them, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for those who use services. The importance of this issue is also highlighted in 'Mental Health Services—Workforce Design and Development: Best Practice Guidance (2003).
Linked to 'Improving Working Lives', we have the national 'Positively Diverse' programme to support employers in working towards creating an ethnically more diverse workforce across the whole National Health Service, including mental health services.
The development of black and minority ethnic staff networks at local (trust) and regional levels has also been actively encouraged with seed funding being provided by the Department. In 2002–03, 120 black and minority ethnic staff networks received seed funding through 'Positively Diverse'. All have agreed to report back on good practices, particularly related to the effect on recruitment and retention of staff from black and minority ethnic heritage. The Positively Diverse programme will also be developed within NIMHE to address these issues within the organisation.
Further work is being considered in the light of the 'Delivering Race Equality' consultation responses and the David Bennett Inquiry recommendations.
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce cultural awareness training for all mental health staff along the lines proposed by the independent inquiry into the death of David Bennett. [163563]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Institute of Mental Health in England's (NIMHE) national workforce programme is developing a set of shared capabilities that all staff should possess as part of their education and training. One of these is to respect diversity and to provide care and interventions in ways that respect and value diversity including age, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.
Further work is being considered in the light of the Delivering Race Equality consultation responses and the David Bennett Inquiry recommendations. Very early discussions have taken place between the Sainsbury Centre and the NIMHE to develop work in this area, building on existing good practice.
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