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18 May 2004 : Column 961W—continued
Hearing-impaired Patients
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to address the problems experienced by deaf or hard of hearing patients who miss NHS appointments due to poor communication; [170969]
(2) what plans there are to introduce (a) loop systems for hearing aid users and (b) visual displays in (i) reception areas and (ii) consulting rooms in general practitioner surgeries. [170970]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) on 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 163W.
Heart Surgery (Manchester, Blackley)
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Manchester, Blackley awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [172887]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.
HIV/AIDS
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were suffering from HIV/Aids on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by age group. [173479]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 May 2004]: The latest information on numbers of diagnosed HIV-infected individuals seen for care by the national health service, including breakdown by age, is available from the Health Protection Agency's website at http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics az/hiv and sti/publications/sophid2002.pdf.
Immigrant Medical Inspections
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports have been (a) commissioned and (b) received by his Department since 1997 on the usefulness of screening immigrants for TB by X-ray at the ports of entry; and if he will publish them. [156844]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A four-month pilot study of the medical inspection function was conducted at Heathrow airport in 1997 which tested an approach whereby immigrants who were high risk for Tuberculosis were screened by the health control unit only if they had no valid United Kingdom address; in other cases the unit simply forwarded their contact details to the districts concerned to arrange screening. The report was distributed to those involved in the study, including Hillingdon health authority. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Immunisation
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the availability of appropriate treatment for children with brain damage caused by immunisations. [166823]
18 May 2004 : Column 962W
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have not received representations on the availability of appropriate treatment for children with brain damage caused by immunisations.
Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to NHS trusts on the criteria to be used in prioritising patients for implantable cardiac defibrillator procedures. [172900]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) undertook a technology appraisal and published guidance on the use of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) for arrhythmias in 2000. It was circulated to all national health service trusts and it detailed which patients should be considered for the use of ICDs.
This is currently being reviewed by NICE and further guidance is expected to be published in July 2004.
A copy of the current guidance has been placed in the Library and can be found on the NICE website at: http://www.nice.org.uk/pdf/nice+defibrillator+ +guidance.pdf
Medical Staff (Manchester, Blackley)
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in Manchester, Blackley in each of the last seven years. [172885]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Mid-Essex Hospital Trust
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are waiting for inpatient treatment in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust area. [172209]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 12 May 2004]: The information requested is shown in the table. These are the latest data available.
| March 2004 | Number |
|---|---|
| Total | 7,331 |
| 9–11 months | 0 |
| 12 plus months | 0 |
Source:
Department of Health statistics division—KH07 returns.
Obese Children
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children were registered as obese in (a) Bolton North East, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England in the last year for which figures are available. [172599]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The available information is shown in the table. The figures are taken from the Health Survey for England for 2002, the latest year for which figures are available. No figures are available for Bolton North East or Greater Manchester.
18 May 2004 : Column 963W
| Boys | Girls | All persons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMI status | |||
| Obese(65) | 16.0% | 15.9% | 16.0% |
| Bases | 4,740 | 4,672 | 9,412 |
(65) Equal to or greater than 95th BMI percentile
Source:
Health Survey for England 2002
Obesity
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce levels of obesity, with particular reference to young people. [171891]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 12 May 2004]: The Government takes the issue of tackling obesity in children very seriously. Prevention is the best long-term approach, by improving diet and promoting physical activity. A variety of initiatives are in place, including the promotion of breastfeeding; reform of the welfare food scheme; action within schools, such as the food in schools programme; the 5 A DAY programme including the national school fruit scheme and action to address sugar, fat and salt levels in the diet. Significant investment is being made to transform physical education, school sport and club links over the next three years.
Strategies are being developed through the Choosing Health? Choosing a better diet and the Choosing Health? Choosing Activity consultations. Both these consultations will inform the forthcoming White Paper which will include tackling obesity in children.
Osteoporosis
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve services for osteoporosis patients while the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is developing guidance on osteoporosis. [172200]
Dr. Ladyman: Services to identify, treat and offer preventative advice are readily available on the national health service. Significant progress has been made in highlighting the importance of preventing the development of osteoporosis and resulting fractures.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) support and (b) resources are available to strategic health authorities to ensure implementation of (i) osteoporosis and (ii) falls strategies; [172202]
(2) what support is available to primary care trusts for establishing osteoporosis (a) strategies and (b) services. [172203]
18 May 2004 : Column 964W
Dr. Ladyman: A range of national actions have been taken to support the implementation of integrated falls service required by the national service framework for older people. As outlined in the framework this should include appropriate links to osteoporosis prevention, treatment and care. National support has included asking the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to develop clinical guidelines on the prevention of falls, and on osteoporosis prevention; the publication of supporting documents "How can we help older people not fall again? Implementing the Older People's NSF Falls Standard—Support for commissioning good falls services" in September 2003, including cascade training events on the use of the document; and developing and sharing practice through the National Falls Collaborative and Healthy Communities Collaborative on falls. We are continuing to work closely with and support Help the Aged's slips and trips campaign.
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal on osteoporosis is implemented. [172558]
Dr. Ladyman: National health service bodies are under a statutory obligation to fund treatments recommended in National Institute for Clinical Excellence technology appraisals. We expect primary care trusts (PCTs) to meet their statutory obligations, and strategic health authorities to follow up any allegations of non-compliance. We last reminded PCTs of these obligations in guidance published in January 2003.
Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of what features are required in a fully integrated falls and osteoporosis service. [173542]
Dr. Ladyman: The national service framework for older people, published in March 2001, set out an evidence based service model detailing the essential features of an integrated falls service, this included appropriate links to osteoporosis. A copy of the publication is available in the Library.
Two evidence based supporting documents have been published: "How can we help older people not fall again? Implementing the Older People's NSF Falls Standard—Support for commissioning good falls services"; September 2003 and "Making the case for investing in falls and fractures prevention—A workbook of ideas", February 2004. Copies are available in the Library. Cascaded training of their use was offered to all local health and social care communities.
The Department asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to develop separate but linked clinical guidelines on the prevention of falls and the prevention of osteoporosis. These are due for publication in September 2004 and 2005 respectively.
18 May 2004 : Column 965W
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