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Infected Blood

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many payments have been made by the Skipton Fund to Hepatitis C sufferers who were infected from NHS blood or blood products; and how many applications have been received. [189320]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 16 September 2004]: The Skipton Fund became operational on 5 July. As at 14 September, the Skipton Fund has made 749 stage 1 payments. A total of 1,943 applications have been received.

Joint Replacement Operations

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are on a NHS waiting list for a hip replacement operation. [189224]

Mr. Hutton: We do not collect data on the number of national health service patients waiting for hip replacement operations. Data on NHS patients waiting for elective admission are collected by the consultant's main specialty function. Patients waiting for hip replacement are usually listed under the trauma and orthopaedic specialty. There were 232,006 patients waiting for trauma and orthopaedic elective admission at 31 July 2004.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much a knee replacement operation costs in the NHS. [189225]

Mr. Hutton: The national average unit cost (per operation) for all national health service trusts in England for primary knee replacement where the operation is undertaken electively (that is not as an emergency) is £5,197.

The data source is the Reference Costs 2003 Collection, relating to the financial year 2002–03. This is the most current data available and is accessible on the Department's website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/Publications PolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance Article/fs/en?CONTENT ID=4070195&chk=UzhHA3.
 
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Calculation of the costs provided are based on all activity and costs associated with each procedure, regardless of the speciality in which the activity is recorded.

Mary Rose Birthing Centre

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent representations he has received on the proposal to close the Mary Rose Birthing Centre in Portsmouth; [188615]

(2) what recent assessment his Department has made of the proposal to close the community midwife-led maternity service at St. Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth and transfer the maternity services to Queen Alexandra Hospital; what research has been conducted on the effect on expectant mothers; and if he will make a statement; [188617]

(3) if he will make it his policy to use his powers to ensure that the midwife-led maternity unit at St. Mary's Hospital Portsmouth is retained; and if he will make a statement. [188618]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of the proposal to close the community midwife-led maternity service at St. Mary's Hospital. In line with our policy of "Shifting the Balance of Power", the configuration of local health services is a matter for the local national health service, working in partnership with its local community. It is for local NHS organisations, with their knowledge and expertise, to plan and develop services based on that knowledge. I am aware that the provision of maternity services in Portsmouth is under review and that Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, in collaboration with the three local primary care trusts, has engaged patients, carers and a range of other key stakeholders in shaping the proposals so far.

Since April 2004, the Department has received one representation about the Mary Rose Birthing Centre, which was from the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given the Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust following the report to the Department of Health children taskforce from the maternity and neonatal workforce group on the proposal by the trust to close the Mary Rose Birthing Centre. [188616]

Dr. Ladyman: The report to the Department's children's taskforce from the maternity and neonatal workforce group was made available on the Department's website in January 2003. The Department has not issued any guidance to trusts following the report.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted since 1997 into mental health in-patients' perception of their safety in NHS accommodation; and whether there is evidence of changes in perceptions of safety. [188860]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department's national research programme is funding a number of studies into the organisation and delivery of inpatient mental health
 
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services as part of its continuing evaluation of models of service delivery. In three of those studies, patients' views are being sought on aspects of inpatient care, including safety. Details can be found at:

http://www.sdo.Ishtm.ac.uk/evaluatingmodels.htm_bowers.

http://www.sdo.Ishtm.ac.uk/evaluatingmodels.htm_75.

http://www.sdo.Ishtm.ac.uk/evaluatingmodels.htm_lelliott.

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 completed and current individual projects can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.

"The Architectural Healthcare Environment and its effects on the Patient Health Outcomes", University of Sheffield in association with NHS Estates, Poole Hospital NHS Trust and South Downs Mental Health Trust (2003) looked into the clinical and economic consequences of good architectural design in healthcare buildings. This publication is available from NHS Estates knowledge and information portal at http://195.92.246.148/nhsestates/knowledge/knowledge content/ home/home.asp.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place (a) to measure mental health in-patients' satisfaction with the services they receive while in hospital, (b) to eradicate poor practice and (c) to disseminate good practice. [188863]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All trusts are committed to measuring their patients' experience through a series of structured national surveys. The Healthcare Commission administers these and all trusts in England participate. Survey results feed into the assessment of trusts for the star ratings system, and trusts use their results to make service improvements.

Results for the mental health trust patient surveys were published by the Healthcare Commission on 4 August 2004 and are available from http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/assetRoot/04/00/81/83/04008183.pdf.

The Department has published a national service framework for mental health and a series of mental health policy implementation guides which provide services with good practice guidance. The National Institute for Mental Health in England provides trusts with practical support with implementing such guidance.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to ensure that service users are involved in the planning and delivery of mental health hospital services. [188865]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 places a duty on national health service organisations, including mental health trusts, to involve and consult patients, the public and their representatives in the planning and development of services and to consult them on changes to the operation of services. The duty was commenced on 1 January 2003.
 
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"Mental health policy implementation guide on adult acute inpatient care (2002)", which is available in the Library, recommends the establishment of acute care forums with involvement of service users and carers to agree and regularly review the operation and co-ordination of the range of acute care services.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on access for mental health patients to (a) fresh air, (b) exercise and (c) meaningful recreation; and what measures he has put in place to achieve this. [188866]

Ms Rosie Winterton: As set out in the "National service framework for mental health" (1999) and "Mental health policy implementation guide on adult acute inpatient care" (2002), a flexible range of appropriate therapeutic and recreational resources and activities must be available in mental health inpatient settings.

"National minimum standards for general adult services in psychiatric intensive care units and low secure environments" (2002) requires all patients to have access to fresh air and secure external space and space for regular exercise with appropriate supervision. This guidance also recommends such services to provide access to a games room in which board games, art equipment and stereo equipment is placed.

Performance ratings of mental health trusts produced by the Healthcare Commission use performance indicators assessing the suitability of physical environments to meet the needs of service users and to ensure their privacy and dignity.

Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which publicly funded bodies carry out inspections of NHS mental health trusts; and how frequently such inspections take place. [189441]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Healthcare Commission, the independent healthcare inspectorate for England, may carry out inspections of all national health service bodies, including NHS mental health trusts. The Commission is required by the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 each financial year to review the provision of health care for each English NHS body; such a review may include an inspection.

As part of its remit to keep under review the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act Commission visits all hospitals and registered nursing homes with detained patients at least three times biennially.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards meeting the target for all regular carers of people with mental health problems to have been identified, received an assessment and have their own care support plans by 2004. [187868]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: In line with standard six of the national service framework for mental health (1999), all individuals who provide regular and substantial care for a person on care programme approach should have an assessment of their caring, physical and mental health needs, repeated on at least an annual basis. Such people should have their own written care plans, which are implemented in discussion with them. Up to 700 carer support workers will be in post by end the year to increase the breaks available for carers and to strengthen carer support networks. To consolidate the progress that is being made and to build on good practice and research, the Department has published guidance entitled, "Developing Services for Carers and Families of People with Mental Illness".

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