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21 Jun 2004 : Column 1282W—continued
Orlistat
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of orlistat were dispensed in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996. [177966]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The available information is shown in the tables.
| Year | (thousands) |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 127.2 |
| 2000 | 155.7 |
| 2001 | 414.9 |
| 2002 | 540.2 |
| 2003 | 484.2 |
| SHA in which Orlistat prescribed | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire | 17.7 | 17.0 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 15.4 | 13.2 |
| Birmingham and The Black Country | 24.1 | 23.1 |
| Cheshire and Merseyside | 31.1 | 28.0 |
| County Durham and Tees Valley | 16.2 | 15.3 |
| Cumbria and Lancashire | 24.3 | 21.1 |
| Essex | 13.6 | 10.8 |
| Greater Manchester | 37.3 | 36.7 |
| Hampshire and Isle Of Wight | 17.1 | 16.1 |
| Kent and Medway | 20.0 | 17.6 |
| Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland | 15.8 | 13.9 |
| North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire | 20.1 | 17.2 |
| Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire | 19.6 | 18.6 |
| North Central London | 10.4 | 10.1 |
| North East London | 13.9 | 11.9 |
| North West London | 14.9 | 12.8 |
| Northumberland Tyne and Wear | 20.2 | 18.9 |
| Shropshire and Staffordshire | 19.4 | 15.5 |
| Somerset and Dorset | 7.2 | 5.9 |
| South East London | 16.1 | 14.3 |
| South West London | 10.6 | 9.8 |
| South West Peninsula | 15.4 | 11.8 |
| South Yorkshire | 18.6 | 18.3 |
| Surrey and Sussex | 25.1 | 21.1 |
| Thames Valley | 16.3 | 14.8 |
| Trent | 33.9 | 29.1 |
| West Midlands South | 18.0 | 15.8 |
| West Yorkshire | 27.9 | 25.6 |
| England Total | 540.2 | 484.2 |
Notes:
1. This information was obtained from the prescribing analysis and cost (PACT) system, which covers prescriptions prescribed by GP practices in England and dispensed in the community. Prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England are included. Prescriptions written within a GP practice but dispensed outside the SHA will be included in the SHA in which the GP practice is based. Prescriptions written in hospitals/clinics that are dispensed in the community, prescriptions dispensed in hospitals and private prescriptions are not included in PACT data.
2. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
3. Orlistat is defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.5 "Drugs used in the treatment of obesity".
4. Data in the table are presented in thousands.
5. The sum of all SHAs does noi: equal the total England figure, because the total England figure includes unidentified doctors (those it is not possible for the Prescription Pricing Authority to allocate to a primary care trust).
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1283W
Prescriptions
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to prevent contra-indication prescription errors when electronic prescriptions are introduced. [176747]
Mr. Hutton:
There is growing United Kingdom and international evidence that appropriate use of information technology can help significantly reduce human error in the use of paper records. Securing this important benefit is one of the key objectives of the national health service national programme for IT (NPfIT).
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Electronic prescribing will be a service provided as part of the NHS care records service (CRS) that is being implemented through the NPflT. Decision support systems that include functionality to warn clinicians of possible contra-indications when prescribing are already in use in many parts of the NHS, but will be provided to all prescribing clinicians through the NHS CRS.
NHS pharmacists also use their professional expertise to warn patients and their fellow clinicians of possible contra-indications when dispensing drugs and medicines. The introduction of electronic prescribing within the NPflT will not change this important role.
Radiographers
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalent medical staff were employed by the NHS in clinical radiology (i) in total and (ii) broken down by (A) consultant, (B) non-consultant grade, (C) doctors in training and (D) hospital practitioner/clinical assistant in each year since 1997. [176752]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
| All staff | Consultant | Non-consultant career grade | Doctors in training | Hospital practitioner/clinical assistant | Other community health service staff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2,014 | 1,442 | 12 | 521 | 39 | — |
| 1998 | 2,075 | 1,481 | 15 | 541 | 38 | — |
| 1999 | 2,164 | 1,507 | 21 | 605 | 31 | — |
| 2000 | 2,303 | 1,585 | 28 | 655 | 35 | — |
| 2001 | 2,454 | 1,645 | 33 | 743 | 32 | 1 |
| 2002 | 2,538 | 1,702 | 29 | 774 | 32 | 1 |
| 2003 | 2,693 | 1,810 | 38 | 818 | 27 | — |
| All staff | Consultant | Non-consultant career grade | Doctors in training | Hospital practitioner/clinical assistant | Other community health service staff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,895 | 1,364 | 8 | 507 | 16 | — |
| 1998 | 1,935 | 1,387 | 11 | 524 | 13 | — |
| 1999 | 2,028 | 1,414 | 16 | 587 | 10 | — |
| 2000 | 2,134 | 1,460 | 21 | 639 | 13 | — |
| 2001 | 2,256 | 1,492 | 22 | 729 | 11 | 1 |
| 2002 | 2,371 | 1,582 | 22 | 754 | 11 | 1 |
| 2003 | 2,505 | 1,669 | 28 | 799 | 9 | — |
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
The number of headcount and whole-time equivalent staff in clinical radiology has increased by 34 per cent. and 32 per cent. respectively since September 1997.
Retinal Screening
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of diabetes sufferers received annual retinal screening in the latest year for which figures are available. [179111]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The latest figures show that, in 2003–04, 53 per cent. of those people identified with diabetes in England received screening for the early detection, and treatment where necessary, of diabetic retinopathy.
Working Time Directive
Mr. Tynan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in his Department have (a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1285W
his Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available. [178378]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Thirty employees in the Department have signed an "opt-out" agreement under the working time regulations. None of the Department's
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employees are exempt from the working time regulations. The Department is aware of the particular business areas where staff regularly work close to or surpass the forty-eight hours per week limit and keeps this under review.
The Department is committed to reducing the number of employees who are required to work in excess of forty-eight hours per week to the absolute minimum.