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12 May 2004 : Column 452W—continued

Drug Addicts

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Heywood and Middleton are receiving drug treatment. [168538]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In 2000–01, there were 712 people receiving drug treatment in Rochdale. This is the latest available data. Data broken down by drug action team for 2001–02 and 2002–03 have not been finalised.

Exubera Inhaler

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Exubera inhaler will gain a certificate of a medicinal product and become available on the NHS to diabetics. [170535]

Ms Rosie Winterton: As with all marketing authorisation applications, before Exubera is granted a licence and becomes available in the United Kingdom it must be fully evaluated in relation to the appropriate standards required in the relevant European rules and
 
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regulations on medicinal products. Data submitted in support of the application will need to demonstrate that the safety, quality and efficacy of the product are satisfactory for its intended use.

Food Procurement

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is towards local food chain procurement; and what attempts he has made to amend his Department's competitive tendering rules. [170140]

Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) and NHS Estates have produced an action plan, entitled "Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative", on behalf of the Department. The action plan was produced in response to the action on farming and food programme and it focuses on promoting sustainability in terms of NHS food procurement. This plan can be viewed at the PASA's website at www.pasa.nhs.uk or copies can be requested from the Corporate Affairs Manager, NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, 80 Lightfoot Street, Chester CH2 3AD.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is towards special dietary provision by health trusts with reference to (a) halal, (b) kosher and (c) vegan diets. [170141]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Ensuring patients have access to adequate nutrition is a key component of effective health care. National health service trusts should have arrangements in place to ensure that the individual dietary needs of all patients can be met whether these arise from clinical need, cultural or religious requirements, or individual choice.

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is currently re-negotiating two new central agreements for the provision of special diets and authentic ethnic food. The process is currently under way for developing the specifications for these with religious and cultural leaders and with dieticians and the British Dietetic Association to ensure authenticity and acceptability of the products.

General Practitioners

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average cost of each patient consultation to a general practitioner and (b) average (i) hourly and (ii) daily cost to the NHS of a general practitioner's time was in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [168716]

Mr. Hutton: Data on general and personal medical services expenditure and activity are included in the Department's annual reports.

The report for 2004—Cm 6204—was published on 29 April 2004, and figure 7.5 of the report shows that expenditure per consultation was £17.42 in 2002–03.
 
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The Report is available in the Library and on the  Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/DHAnnualReportsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT   ID= 4080936&chk=OsqvVR

General practitioners are self-employed contractors to the national health service and so determine their own hours of work and the hours of work of the staff that they employ to assist them. It is not possible, therefore, to estimate hourly or daily rates for a GP's time.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) under what circumstances a general practitioner may make a charge to patients for signing official documents; and if he will make a statement; [169746]

(2) if he will issue guidance to primary care trusts on suitable levels for charges by general practitioners for signing documents; [169756]

(3) if he will list the official documents and certificates which require a general practitioner's signature; and what action he is taking to satisfy himself that the level of charges by general practitioners for such signatures are reasonable. [169757]

Mr. Hutton: General practitioners are required to sign the following prescribed list of medical certificates:

They must also sign prescription forms. If the doctor is asked to sign another document, such as a passport application form, he or she is not obliged to do so. However, if the GP does do this work, he or she is entitled to charge a fee. There are no plans to issue guidance on the level of this fee since successive Governments have regarded it as a private matter to be agreed upon between doctor and patient.
 
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Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much income general practitioners lost in 2003–04 owing to not meeting specific targets imposed on them by his Department in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [170206]

Mr. Hutton: No targets have been imposed on general practitioners in any of the last three years.

Guide Dogs

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support is given to train guide dogs for the blind. [171536]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 10 May 2004]: The Government do not fund the training of guide dogs. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is a registered charity and has not requested core funding from the Department or from the National Lottery.

Health Checks (Over-75s)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tests are contained in the general practitioner health check for all patients aged 75 or over who request it and have not had a consultation within the last 12 months. [169717]

Mr. Hutton: Tests to be undertaken in the health check for patients aged 75 and over are not specified. It is a matter of practitioners' clinical judgment, based on the patient's needs arising from the consultation.

Health Directorates

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each local health directorate in England the number of (a) men and (b) women elected. [164632]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Services

Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents in Bootle awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [169263]


 
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Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of suspected cancer patients in Bootle saw an NHS consultant within two weeks in each of the last seven years. [169265]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Information from 2000–01, the earliest available, is shown in the table. BOOTLE—Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral.
Seen within two weeks
QuarterNHS TrustPercentageNumber
2000–014Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100665
2001–021Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100683
2001–022Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100712
2001–023Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100878
2001–024Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100795
2002–031Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100916
2002–032Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust100992
2002–033Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust1001066
2002–034Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust1001019
2003–041Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust1001094
2003–042Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust1001150
2003–043Aintree Hospitals NHS    Trust1001151




Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.




Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inpatients in Crosby had to wait more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months for treatment in each year since 1997; and what the percentage change in each year was in each case. [164307]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not collected on a constituency basis but at national health service trust level. This information is shown in the tables.
Selected Trusts in Crosby area: Counts of finished admission episodes (valid waiting list and booked cases) by time waited grouping—NHS hospitals, 1997–98 to 2002–03

Time waited grouping1997–981998–991999–20002000–012001–022002–03
0 to 3 months38,83635,10236,45237,93135,23034,472
more than 3 to 6 months4,6185,4785,6725,7405,7235,652
more than 6 to 9 months2,3842,8962,4142,7783,1742,597
more than 9 to 12 months1,6851,9181,9472,3532,0332,607
more than 12 months2,7533,3772,9902,6362,2351,749
Total admissions50,27648,77149,47551,43848,39547,077

Selected Trusts in Crosby area: Counts of finished admission episodes (valid waiting list and booked cases) for aggregated time waited groupings—NHS hospitals, 1997–98 to 2002–03

Time waited grouping1997–981998–991999–20002000–012001–022002–03
0 to 3 months38,83635,10236,45237,93135,23034,472
more than 3 months11,44013,66913,02313,50713,16512,605
more than 6 months6,8228,1917,3517,7677,4426,953
more than 9 months4,4385,2954,9374,9894,2684,356
more than 12 months2,7533,3772,9902,6362,2351,749
Total admissions50,27648,77149,47551,43848,39547,077

 
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Selected Trusts in Crosby area: Year-on-year percentage change of finished admission episodes (valid waiting list and booked cases) for aggregated time waited groupings—NHS hospitals, 1997–98 to 2002–03

Time waited
grouping
1997–98 to 1998–991998–99 to 1999–20001999–2000 to 2000–012000–01 to 2001–022001–02 to 2002–03
0 to 3 months-9.63.84.1-7.1-2.2
more than 3 months19.5-4.73.7-2.5-4.3
more than 6 months20.1-10.35.7-4.2-6.6
more than 9 months19.3-6.81.1-14.52.1
more than 12 months22.7-11.5-11.8-15.2-21.7




Notes:
1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
2. Figures are grossed for coverage, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
3. Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
4. Trusts in Crosby Area:
REM Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust
REQ Southport and Formby Hospitals NHS Trust
RJV West Lancashire NHS Trust
RVY Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.
5. Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust was created on 1 April 1999 from Southport and Formby Hospitals NHS Trust and part of West Lancashire NHS Trust. The figures for West Lancashire NHS Trust for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are for the whole trust. It is not possible to identify the proportion of this figure attributable to Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health



Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of suspected cancer patients in Wigan saw an NHS consultant within two weeks in each of the last seven years. [169348]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Information from 2000–01, the earliest available, is shown in the following table.

Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral.
Seen within two weeks
QuarterNHS TrustPercentageNumber
2000–014Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust100146
2001–021Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100214
2001–022Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100232
2001–023Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100304
2001–024Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100346
2002–031Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100306
2002–032Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100337
2002–033Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100353
2002–034Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100337
2003–041Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100396
2003–042Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100393
2003–043Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100447




Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.





 
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Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS waiting times for heart surgery in Wigan. [169349]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In February 2004, no patient waited more than nine months for heart surgery at The Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospital National Health Service Trust or the South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Wigan with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years. [169352]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected breast cancer following urgent GP referral

Seen within 2 weeks
QuarterNHS TrustPercentageNumber
1999–20001Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10019
1999–20002Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10031
1999–20003Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10053
1999–20004Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10059
2000–20011Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10048
2000–20012Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10068
2000–20013Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10080
2000–20014Wigan and Leigh Health    Services NHS Trust10071
2001–20021Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10089
2001–20022Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10093
2001–20023Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10093
2001–20024Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100106
2002/031Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100107
2002–20032Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10088
2002–20033Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100120
2002–20034Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10088
2003–20041Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10093
2003–20042Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust10098
2003–20043Wrightington, Wigan and    Leigh NHS Trust100110




Source:
DH form QMCW.





 
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