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5 May 2004 : Column 1625W—continued

Surplus Property Sales

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the sale of surplus NHS properties and Inventures to the Miller/Bank of Scotland Partnership. [169122]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 April 2004]: Following a decision by the Department not to pursue a real estate partnership with Miller /Halifax Bank of Scotland, an agreement in principle was given to transfer the surplus land to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). It was considered that a transfer of the property portfolio to ODPM would enable a greater emphasis to be given to addressing Government policy priorities for sustainable communities.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) transfer value and (b) size by hectare is of each of the surplus NHS properties to be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister outlined in his news release of 7 April. [169123]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 April 2004]: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department have agreed in principle to the transfer of the portfolio but the details of the transaction and the price to be paid have still to be settled. The land is currently being independently valued.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what valuations were used in determining the value of surplus NHS sites to be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and from what date. [169124]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 April 2004]: The terms of the transfer will be informed by the market value of the sites involved. An independent valuation is
 
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underway to determine an overall value for the portfolio of sites. Sites will be physically transferred as and when they become vacant.

Thimerosal

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what vaccines used in the UK contain Thimerosal; [162711]

(2) when the use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines was discontinued in the UK. [162712]

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Government gave a commitment to phase out the use of thimerosal in whooping cough vaccine; [162205]

(2) for what reason whooping cough vaccine containing thimerosal is still being used in the United Kingdom; [162206]

(3) whether his Department has consulted (a) the US, (b) Japan, (c) Sweden, (d) Australia and (e) Spain as to the reasons why they have ceased using whooping cough vaccines containing thimerosal; [162207]

(4) when the Government plan to phase out thimerosal in whooping cough vaccine. [162208]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has written to manufacturers of vaccines used in the United Kingdom to alert them to the need to phase out the use of thiomersal in vaccines where possible. This follows advice from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA), endorsed by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), to phase out use of thiomersal, wherever possible, as a precautionary recommendation aimed at limiting avoidable exposure to mercury compounds.

Manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines, and to develop new thiomersal-free vaccines. This may take time, because manufacturers need to ensure that thiomersal-free vaccines are safe and effective.

The UK currently uses a wholecell containing whooping cough vaccine (which contains thiomersal) because this vaccine offers the best protection against the disease. Whooping cough is a serious disease in young babies that can lead to death. Also, there is strong evidence that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause neurological damage to children and the CSM continues to advise that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal-containing vaccines is overwhelmingly positive. The UK will move to thiomersal-free vaccines when an equally effective alternative becomes available.

Other countries have moved to acellular whooping cough vaccines because they cause lower levels of adverse reactions, such as a sore arm, in older infants than wholecell vaccines. In the UK, this is not an issue, as babies receive the vaccine when they are young.

Thiomersal (also known as thimerosal) is present in the following childhood vaccines: the combined diptheria-tetanus-wholecell pertussis and Haemophilus Influenzae vaccine for
 
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primary immunisation and the combined diptheria/tetanus vaccine used for boosting teenagers. Details of the vaccines used in the childhood immunisation programme can be found in the national health service Factsheet, Thiomersal and vaccines.

Other vaccines that contain thiomersal are: Anthrax vaccine, some hepatitis A vaccines, some hepatitis B vaccines, some influenza vaccines and the diptheria-tetanus-wholecell pertussis vaccine.

The use of thiomersal in vaccines has not been discontinued in the United Kingdom. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) recommended in 1999 that vaccine manufacturers phase out use of thiomersal wherever possible. This was a purely precautionary recommendation aimed at limiting avoidable exposure to mercury compounds. EMEA acknowledged that there was no evidence of harm caused by thiomersal in vaccines. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) endorsed this recommendation in 1999 and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also supports the EMEA statement. There is strong evidence that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause neurological damage to children and the CSM continues to advise that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal-containing vaccines is overwhelmingly positive.

In line with the EMEA recommendation, manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines. This may take time because manufacturers are required to ensure that the replacement or elimination of thiomersal does not affect the safety or efficacy of the final vaccine.

Treatment Facilities (Manchester)

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rapid access chest pain clinics there are in Manchester, Gorton. [167390]

Miss Melanie Johnson: A rapid access chest clinic is located at Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre in Manchester, Gorton. [167391]

Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no treatment centre in Gorton. A treatment centre is located at Withington Hospital, part of South Manchester University Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Manchester Gorton are receiving drug treatment. [167465]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In 2000–01, there were 3,652 people receiving drug treatment in Manchester. This is the latest available data. Data broken down by drug action team for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are currently being finalised.

Tuberculosis

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2004, Official
 
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Report,
column 1700W, on tuberculosis, when the review of imported infections and immigration will be published. [169138]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1334W.

Waiting Lists

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Heywood and Middleton with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years. [168490]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows how many and the percentage of suspected breast cancer patients, seen within two weeks of urgent referral by a general practitioner, at the Pennine Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust and its predecessor organisations for each quarter since the first quarter of 1999–2000. Earlier figures are not available.
Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected breast cancer following urgent GP referral

QuarterNHS TrustPercentageNumber
1999–2000
1Oldham NHS Trust100.08
1Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust39.619
1North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust81.845
1Bury Healthcare NHS Trust85.034
2Oldham NHS Trust100.0n/a
2Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust64.125
2North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust90.629
2Bury Healthcare NHS Trust97.166
3Oldham NHS Trust100.0n/a
3Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust70.624
3North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust75.030
3Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.058
4Oldham NHS Trust100.022
4Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust88.6932
4North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust94.552
4Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.064
2000–01
1Oldham NHS Trust88.932
1Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust84.137
1North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust98.774
1Bury Healthcare NHS Trust98.774
2Oldham NHS Trust97.577
2Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.072
2North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust89.971
2Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.077
3Oldham NHS Trust93.876
3Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.077
3North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust93.977
3Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.093
4Oldham NHS Trust97.168
4Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.071
4North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust98.670
4Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.088
2001–02
1Oldham NHS Trust98.776
1Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.085
1North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust98.668
1Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.0105
2Oldham NHS Trust98.775
2Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust95.971
2North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust91.394
2Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.093
3Oldham NHS Trust100.0106
3Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.093
3North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust100.079
3Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.0108
4Oldham NHS Trust100.084
4Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust100.054
4North Manchester Healthcare    NHS Trust100.066
4Bury Healthcare NHS Trust100.0107
2002–03
1Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust99.4357
2Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust99.7357
3Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust99.0383
4Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust97.7334
2003–04
1Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust98.0389
2Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust98.1366
3Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS    Trust99.6449




Note:
Where patient numbers are below six the Department of Health does not publish figures in order to avoid patients being identifiable due to low numbers. Where this would apply, the table above reads n/a.
Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.





 
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Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Warrington South with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in the last year. [168688]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number and percentage of suspected cancer patients, seen within two weeks of urgent referral by a general
 
5 May 2004 : Column 1630W
 
practitioner, at the North Cheshire Hospital national health service trust and its predecessor organisations for each quarter since 1999–2000. Earlier figures are not available.
Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral

QuarterNHS trustPercentageNumber
1999–2000
1Halton general hospital89.325
1Warrington hospital96.3105
2Halton general hospital80.08
2Warrington hospital91.2103
3Halton general hospital97.437
3Warrington hospital86.281
4Halton general hospital100.030
4Warrington hospital96.994
2001–01
1Halton general hospital100.030
1Warrington hospital92.877
2Halton general hospital100.026
2Warrington hospital93.398
3Halton general hospital100.025
3Warrington hospital94.7126
4Halton general hospital100.037
4Warrington hospital100.0113
2001–02
1North Cheshire hospital95.2159
2North Cheshire hospital89.0195
3North Cheshire hospital95.8137
4North Cheshire hospital92.6162
2002–03
1North Cheshire hospital74.7145
2North Cheshire hospital90.0243
3North Cheshire hospital100.0181
4North Cheshire hospital100.0155
2003–04
1North Cheshire hospital100.0184
2North Cheshire hospital100.0141
3North Cheshire hospital100.0169




Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.




Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times in the last seven years for the residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167385]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission

Patients waiting for admission by months waiting


Month-end
Total number of patients waiting for admissionLess than 3 months3–5 months6–8 months9–11 months12–14 months15–17 months18 + months
March 1997Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust12,3135,7782,6221,9201,22361613321
March 1997Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust2,801952728528510794
March 1998Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust12,5315,8132,4541,6761,217885486
March 1998Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust3,2609859086176667410
March 1999Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust11,2665,6542,1911,614975622210
March 1999Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust2,7428497535424721188
March 2000Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust11,0405,0262,4891,7031,039533250
March 2000Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust2,63980168752337021840
March 2001Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust10,7425,0562,4321,451826606371
March 2001Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust2,63483160355237323144
March 2002Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust13,2136,0283,3332,1361,216500
March 2003Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust10,8225,6052,8321,701684000
February 2004Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust9,1766,4872,316373




Source:
DH form KH07 and Monthly Monitoring




 
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Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents in Manchester, Gorton awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [167388]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not collected centrally.


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