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5 May 2004 : Column 1609W—continued
Blood Transfusion
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the revised approach to the Better Blood Transfusion Strategy will be published; [163478]
(2) what progress has been made in implementing the Better Blood Transfusion Strategy. [163479]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
Since the publication of the Health Service Circular 2002/009, "Better Blood Transfusion—Appropriate Use of Blood", in July 2002 we have seen some improvements including greater participation in the serious hazards of transfusion reporting system and an increase in the number of hospital transfusion committees. As indicated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health in his
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statement to the House on 16 March, the Chief Medical Officer is producing a revised approach to better blood transfusion and work on this is under way.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to identify whether there is a causal connection between the donor and recipient of the blood transfusion where a variant vCJD transmission may have occurred. [163613]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A paper by Llewelyn CA. et al (2004); Lancet; Vol.363, pp 417–421 reported more details of the possible link between a donor and a recipient of blood where variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) transmission may have occurred. The paper has been placed in the Library. This paper concluded that human prion diseases, including vCJD, may be transmissible through blood transfusion but that through the study only of natural disease can evidence of an actual iatrogenic (caused by medical examination or treatment) risk be identified. With the current extent of scientific knowledge, it is unlikely it will be possible to prove that there was a definite causal link between donor and recipient.
Breastfeeding
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on promoting breast feeding in 2001–02 and 2002–03. [166465]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department produces a number of educational resources and promotional materials to communicate positive messages about breastfeeding to mothers, families, friends, health professionals and others in the community. The materials are available year round but are actively promoted during the national breastfeeding awareness week in May of every year. The awareness week is also the focus of specific regional promotional events.
In addition, during 2001–02, the Department spent just under £1 million as part of the infant feeding initiative, which provided support for 79 best practice community-based projects on breastfeeding and funded two part time national infant feeding advisers as well as other work related to promoting breastfeeding. The Department continues to have a national infant feeding adviser and the 79 projects have been evaluated. The evaluation will form the basis of best practice guidance to health professionals; to be launched at this year's awareness week from 9 to 15 May.
The total spend on promotion of breastfeeding is shown in the table.
| Amount spent (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 1,115,000 |
| 2002–03 | 263,000 |
Capio Healthcare (Newcastle)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) value and (b) target capacity for the independent treatment centre awarded to Capio Healthcare in Newcastle is; what types of treatment it will offer; and when he expects the treatment centre to be functioning. [168700]
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Mr. Hutton: The treatment centre at Newcastle is part of the independent sector treatment centre spine chain. The final contract has not yet been signed. It is expected that the treatment centre will open in April 2005 and will provide approximately 1,600 procedures per year for five years across a range of specialties including hernia repair, skin surgery, breast surgery, varicose vein, and ear, nose and throat and oral surgery; and 2,000 associated outpatient assessments.
Carcinogen Exposure
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the Committee on Carcinogenicity's conclusions were concerning the relative safety for young girls and adult women of exposure to dioxins through the vagina; [168993]
(2) what basis the Committee on Carcinogenicity concluded that (a) exposure to dioxins through the vagina would be a form of background exposure and (b) safe exposure to dioxins through the vagina should be measured on the basis of daily levels of absorption. [168951]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 27 April 2004]: The risk assessment of exposure to dioxins in young girls and adult women through the vagina has not been considered by the committee on carcinogenicity in food, consumer products and the environment.
Chlamydia
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether it is possible to introduce chlamydia screening for all women aged 16 to 24 years immediately; and what the possible barriers to providing such screening are; [164862]
(2) if he will estimate the cost of providing chlamydia screening for (a) all women aged 16 to 24 years, (b) all women over 16 years, (c) men aged 16 to 24 years and (d) all men; [164864]
(3) if he will estimate the cost in 2003–04 of treating complications in chlamydia, including the cost of treating infertility; and if he will make a statement. [164871]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 March 2004, Official Report, column 1066W, which set out the reasons why the nationally chlamydia screening programme is being phased in rather than implemented immediately.
Estimates of the cost of providing chlamydia screening for the groups stated are not available.
An estimate of the cost in 2003–04 of treating complications in chlamydia, including the cost of treating infertility is not available.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1065–66W, on chlamydia screening, what the cost of implementing the programme in each of the primary care trusts has been so far; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the third phase of the programme. [165676]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The chlamydia screening programme incorporates 26 programmes, covering consortiums of 84 primary care trusts (PCTs). The cost of implementing each programme varies, dependant upon the size and the number of tests the programmes plans to undertake. The cost of implementing the programme in each PCT is not available, but the total estimated costs of the first three years of the chlamydia screening programme, from 2000 to 2003, are £13.5 million. The estimated costs for the third phase of the programme are £5.5 million over three years.
Competent Authorities (EU Accession States)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the European Commission proposes to take in relation to accession states which are not compliant with their EU obligations, with particular reference to requirements on regulation and training in the health professions. [165903]
Mr. Hutton: The Commission's assessment is that training in all the acceding countries will meet minimum requirements after 1 May. It is for the Commission to determine what action to take in relation to any acceding countries which do not meet these requirements.
Diagnostic Testing
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to encourage the use of diagnostic tests in (a) general practitioner surgeries and (b) pharmacies to reduce referrals to secondary care; and if he will make a statement. [169710]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is committed to improving access to diagnostic services in primary and community settings to prevent inappropriate hospital visits.
Work is under way to develop the role of practitioners with special interests in primary care to undertake outpatient appointments and to help improve access to diagnostics and treatment. The National Primary and Care Trust Development Programme is providing specific support to strategic health authorities and primary trusts to help expand the range of services provided locally.
The new contractual framework for community pharmacy, once agreed, will recognise the increasing role community pharmacies are playing in providing access to diagnostic testing.
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