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Hospitals (Bedside Televisions)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department intends to take to resolve the problems in some hospitals where bedside televisions cannot be switched off. [169722]

Mr. Hutton: The bedside televisions provided can be switched off and no action is therefore required. Patients can turn off screens or turn them to face the wall if they prefer.

Immigrant Medical Inspections

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies have had the prime responsibility for making available medical staff to support local authorities in their functions related to the Control of Disease Act 1984 during the NHS reorganisations of the last five years; and whether funding has followed these changes. [156843]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Long-standing central guidance has been that the local consultant in communicable disease control (CCDC) should normally be the local authority proper officer for the purposes of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. Local authorities also look to the national health service to provide medical officers for the purposes of the port health regulations which are made, or deemed to be made, under powers in the Act.
 
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In the last five years, CCDCs have been employed by health authorities, primary care trusts (PCTs—which were created in three waves, from April 2000, April 2001 and April 2002) and, from 1 April 2003, the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

From 2003–04, funding previously allocated to health authorities has been made available directly to PCTs. From April 2003, all PCTs which transferred staff to the HPA were top-sliced in line with the expenditure associated with the staff transferred. This included the funding for CCDCs and their teams.

Internet Medicine Sales

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list websites which have been (a) closed and (b) required to amend their web pages by their internet service providers following representations made by (i) the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency in the last year and (ii) the Medicines Control Agency for each year between 1997 and 2003 for (A) being in breach of the law on the scale of unlicensed medicines via the internet and (B) providing medicines without adequate patient consultations. [167807]

Mr. Hutton: During the period 1997 to 2003, the former Medicines Control Agency (MCA) achieved compliance through amendment to the website by the internet service providers in six cases involving the sale and supply of all medicines via the internet. A further seven websites were closed as a result of the operators voluntarily agreeing to do so. These cases involved both licensed and unlicensed medicines.

Specific enforcement activity is a matter between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the individual(s) concerned.

Mobile Telecommunication Masts

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to undertake further research into the health effects of G3 technology mobile telecommunication masts. [170128]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 4 May 2004]: A review of recent research entitled, "Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields", published by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) advisory group on non-ionising radiation concluded:

"Exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations are extremely low, and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health."

Nevertheless, following the precautionary approach advocated by the independent expert group on mobile phones (IEGMP) in May 2000 (www.iegmp.org.uk), the LINK mobile telecommunications and health research (MTHR) programme, was established under an independent programme management committee (PMC), following the publication of the IEGMP report. The PMC has expressed its wish to undertake research into the effects of 3G exposures and discussions are already taking place on how this can be added to the overall programme of research. Further information about this programme as a whole can be found on the MTHR website at www.mthr.org.uk.
 
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The operators of mobile telephone equipment, including 3G technologies, ensure that public exposure does not exceed national and international guidelines. A substantial number of measurements of potential exposures of the public from base station emissions, have been made by a number of bodies, including the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) (www.nrpb.org) and Ofcom, formerly the Radiocommunications Agency (www.ofcom.org.uk). In all cases, exposures have been very much lower than guidelines.

National Service Frameworks

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the National Framework milestone for primary care group and primary care trust schemes for older people to receive more help from pharmacists in using their medicines. [170617]

Ms Rosie Winterton: While we do not collect data centrally on the number of primary care trusts (PCTs) that have schemes in place so that older people can get more help from pharmacists in using their medicines, there is good evidence to indicate that the number of pharmacists providing support to patients, general practitioners and PCTs to improve medicine taking has increased significantly since 2001, when the older people's national service framework was published.

PCTs now employ over 1,000 pharmacists, some of whom provide hands on support to GP practices to set up medicines management schemes, which help patients take their medicines more effectively. Through the national medicines management collaborative at least 393 community pharmacies are actively involved in programmes such as prescription intervention schemes, medication reviews, return of unwanted medicines, and minor ailment schemes, thereby encouraging self-care and support to vulnerable groups, particularly older people. This includes enhanced prescription collection and delivery services, medicines management services to care homes and domiciliary visiting. The Department is also funding a trial of structured services based exclusively in community pharmacies for patients with coronary heart disease, led by the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee.

The proposed new community pharmacy contractual framework, which is currently being negotiated, will also be an important driver for change and will help to ensure that pharmacists are more involved in supporting patients in using their medicines. Repeat dispensing, which is expected to be an essential service provided by all pharmacies, will enable patients with stable conditions to obtain a prescription from their GP, which can then be dispensed in several instalments by their pharmacy over an agreed period of time.

The first pharmacist supplementary prescribers have qualified and will be writing their first prescriptions imminently. Supplementary prescribing within a clinical management plan agreed with the doctor will be particularly beneficial for patients with chronic diseases. The work of the medicines partnership taskforce, funded by the Department, has helped professionals and older people to become more involved in medication reviews.
 
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Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the National Service Framework milestone for single integrated community services. [170619]

Dr. Ladyman: Of the 138 areas in England that have been identified to be covered by integrated health and social services community equipment services, 110, or 72 per cent., predicted in January 2004 that they would meet the four integration criteria, which are: to have a pooled budget, a sole manager, a manager's advisory board, and unified stock. The majority of the remaining services are expected to complete their integration during the course of the year.

Neurosurgical Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many neurosurgical trainees who were awarded their Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training more than six months ago have not yet received a consultant appointment, excluding locum consultancies. [167059]

Mr. Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS Land Sales

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the sale of surplus NHS land within the Northumbria NHS Trust area. [170414]

Ms Rosie Winterton: An agreement in principle has been given to transfer surplus land in the ownership of Secretary of State for Health to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Details of the transaction and the price to be paid have still to be determined.

Some of the land under consideration for transfer falls within the area covered by Northumbria national health service trust.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what conditions attach to the receipt of the proceeds of sale of the surplus NHS land to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; [168350]

(2) what arrangements have been entered into with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that the Department receives a share of any profits made on the subsequent sale of the surplus NHS sites by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [168351]

Mr. Hutton: The announcement on 7 April was of an in-principle agreement to transfer the sites and the detailed terms of the transfer are still under discussion.

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