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9 Sept 2004 : Column 1355W—continued

HEALTH

A and E (Chorley and South Ribble)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hours a day of consultants' time on average was spent in the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital in the last year for which figures are available. [187506]

Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is not collected centrally.

As at 31 March 2004, there were seven accident and emergency consultants within Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Age-related Disease

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public funding has been made available over the last three years for research into age-related disease; and what funding plans he has for the future. [186830]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC funds basic and clinical studies on health ageing and on the causes, prevention and treatment of a wide
 
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range of conditions that affect the elderly in particular. Details of MRC expenditure in this area are shown in the table.
Amount (£ million)
2001–0218.7
2002–0327.9
2003–04Not yet available

The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national sealth service. Spend by the Department's national research programmes on projects specifically related to the health of older people is shown in the table.
Amount (£ million)
2001–021.7
2002–031.9
2003–041.9

In addition, the NHS reported spending £36.7 million in 2001–02 and £34 million in 2002–03 on research relating to older people from research and development support funding allocations. Information for 2003–04 is not yet available.

Each of these areas of research activity is ongoing.

Alzheimer's

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the expenditure was on drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease patients in Reading, East for the latest year for which figures are available; [187015]

(2) how many patients are being treated for Alzheimer's disease in Reading, East; and how many of these are receiving drug treatment. [187016]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of patients treated for Alzheimer's disease by individual primary care trusts (PCTs) is not collected centrally. Data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community, and the net ingredient cost is collected by the Prescription Pricing Authority. The total number of prescription items dispensed for dementia drugs, and the net ingredient cost of these drugs, in the area covered by Reading PCT in 2003–04 is shown in the table.
Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for "Drugs for Dementia" (BNF 4.11, treatment of Alzheimer's Disease) dispensed in the community for Reading PCT in 2003–04

Number of prescription itemsNet ingredient
cost (£)
Reading PCT968,278
England total392,65234,217,012




Notes:
1. Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data covers all prescriptions items that are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
2. Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.
3. Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Reading PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost (NIC) is provided.
4. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
5. The NIC is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.
Source:
PCA data from the Prescription Pricing Authority.




 
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Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the total expenditure on drugs available on the NHS for Alzheimer's disease was in Dartford in the latest year for which figures are available; [187025]

(2) how many Alzheimer's disease patients are being treated by primary care trusts in Dartford; [187026]

(3) how much was spent by the NHS on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's disease patients in Dartford in the latest year for which figures are available; [187027]

(4) what assessment his Department has made of the availability of drugs for patients with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease in Dartford. [187030]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of Alzheimer's disease patients being treated by individual primary care trusts (PCTs) is not collected centrally. Data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community and the net ingredient cost are collected by the Prescription Pricing Authority. The total number of prescription items dispensed for dementia drugs and the net ingredient costs of these drugs, in the area covered by Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT in 2003–04 is shown in the table.
Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for "Drugs for Dementia" (BNF 4.11, treatment of Alzheimer's disease dispensed in the community for Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT in 2003–04

Number of
prescription items (Thousand)
Net ingredient cost (£000)
Dartford, Gravesham
and Swanley PCT
1.2105.5
England total392.734,217.0




Notes:
1. Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data covers all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
2. Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.
3. Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost (NIC) is provided.
4. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
5. The NIC is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.
Source:
PCA data from the Prescription Pricing Authority.




 
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It is not possible to provide a breakdown for expenditure on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's patients for Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT.

The Department has not made an assessment of the availability of drugs for patients with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease in Dartford. It is for PCTs, in conjunction with strategic health authorities to ensure that services meet local needs.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what access (a) primary care trusts and (b) NHS trusts who failed to secure local multi-disciplinary team status for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis services within their zone have to these services; and if he will make a statement; [186743]

(2) what plans he has to extend specialist services and local multi-disciplinary teams for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis to other areas; and if he will make a statement. [186746]

Dr. Ladyman: A central budget of £8.5 million for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) services runs from 2004 to 2006 and is intended to pump prime service development and start developing clinical services where none previously exist.

In addition to providing this extra funding, we have also asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to develop guidelines for the diagnosis and management of CFS/ME.

We have invested heavily in improving national health service services. Up to 2003–04, expenditure on the NHS has increased by an average of 6.2 per cent. in real terms each year since this Government came to power. NHS expenditure is set to further increase by an average of 7.2 per cent. in real terms over the five year period 2003–04 to 2007–08. Over three years, this will take the total spent on the NHS in England from £69 billion in 2004–05 to £92 billion in 2007–08.

It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to decide how to use this extra funding to meet the needs of their populations, including those with CFS/ME.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much money the Government has invested in the study of myalgic encephalomyelitis since 1997; [186833]

(2) how much money the Government plan to invest in the study of myalgic encephalomyelitis over the next five years. [186835]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the table.
Actual and forecast expenditure on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis since 1997

£ million
Completed research projects0.3
Current research4.3

£4.2 million of the current research total has been allocated to two five year Medical Research Council trials announced in 2003.
 
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Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects, including some concerned with myalgic encephalomyelitis, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.


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