House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 4 Nov 2004 (pt 16)

4 Nov 2004 : Column 398W—continued

Pharmacists

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost will be of the new community pharmacy contract to pharmacists looking to expand their practices. [195474]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The new funding arrangements for community pharmacy have been informed by a cost of service inquiry for existing provision and detailed modelling of the costs of new services. The cost to community pharmacies of expanding services to include those detailed in the new contractual framework will vary. Cost will be dependant on the size of the pharmacy, how easily premises can be adapted to offer additional services, staffing levels and which services are to be provided.

Processed Food (Salt)

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he will take to ensure that supermarkets and food manufacturers reduce the salt content of processed food products. [191130]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department and the Food Standards Agency are working together with all parts of the food industry, including retailers and manufacturers, to reduce the salt levels of processed foods. The aim is to reduce average intakes of salt to six grams per person per day by 2010.

Waiting Times

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Hull and the East Riding waited 13 weeks or more for an out-patient appointment in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [194957]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is shown in the table.

4 Nov 2004 : Column 399W

Waiting times for first consultant out-patient appointment following General/Dental Practitioner referral

Quarter NHS Trust Patients who waited over 13 weeks

2002–03 4 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 28

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 15,994

2003–04 1 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 26

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 3,901

2003–04 2 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 13

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4,708

2003–04 3 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 11

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 5,007

2003–04 4 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 20

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4,287

2004–05 1 Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust 0

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 3,262

Source:
Department of Health form QM08.

	Quarter	NHS Trust	Patients who waited over 13 weeks
2002–03	4	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	28
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	15,994

2003–04	1	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	26
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	3,901

2003–04	2	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	13
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	4,708

2003–04	3	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	11
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	5,007

2003–04	4	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	20
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	4,287

2004–05	1	Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust	0
		Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	3,262

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times for residents of South West Surrey in the past seven years; [195087]

(2) how many in-patients in the primary health trust covering South West Surrey had to wait more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months for

4 Nov 2004 : Column 400W

treatment in each year since 1997; and what the percentage change was in each case. [195100]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The numbers of people waiting more than three, six, nine and 12 months for treatment in each year since 1997 and the comparisons for the last seven years are shown in the tables.
Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: Position at month-end

Patients waiting over:

Health authority (HA) or
primary care trust (PCT) Total patients waiting Three months Six months Nine months 12 months

1997⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 15,339 8,810 4,925 2,449 838

1998⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 17,648 10,892 6,996 3,952 1,602

1999⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 14,521 8,920 5,491 2,809 1,180

2000⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 15,400 9,739 5,965 3,416 1,618

2001⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 14,608 8,595 5,188 3,009 1,420

2002⁽⁶⁾ West Surrey HA 13,718 7,404 3,970 1,806 558

2003⁽⁶⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT 4,436 2,196 973 302 0

2004⁽⁶⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT 4,117 1,601 375 0 0

2004⁽⁷⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT 3,778 1,486 328 0 0

⁽⁶⁾ March
⁽⁷⁾ August
Source:
Department of Health form QF01 and monthly monitoring.

Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: Percentage of change on previous period

Patients waiting over:

Month end Health authority (HA) or
primary care trust (PCT) Three months Six months Nine months 12 months

1997⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA — — — —

1998⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA 23.6 42.1 61.4 91 .2

1999⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA -18.1 -21.5 -28.9 -26.3

2000⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA 9.2 8.6 21.6 37.1

2001⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA -11.7 -13.0 -11.9 -12.2

2002⁽⁸⁾ West Surrey HA -13.9 -23.5 -40.0 -60.7

2003⁽⁸⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT — — — —

2004⁽⁸⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT -27.1 -61.5 -100.0 —

2004⁽⁹⁾ Guildford and Waverley PCT -7.2 -12.5 — —

⁽⁸⁾ March
⁽⁹⁾ August

4 Nov 2004 : Column 401W

			Patients waiting over:
	Health authority (HA) or primary care trust (PCT)	Total patients waiting	Three months	Six months	Nine months	12 months
1997⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	15,339	8,810	4,925	2,449	838
1998⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	17,648	10,892	6,996	3,952	1,602
1999⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	14,521	8,920	5,491	2,809	1,180
2000⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	15,400	9,739	5,965	3,416	1,618
2001⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	14,608	8,595	5,188	3,009	1,420
2002⁽⁶⁾	West Surrey HA	13,718	7,404	3,970	1,806	558
2003⁽⁶⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	4,436	2,196	973	302	0
2004⁽⁶⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	4,117	1,601	375	0	0
2004⁽⁷⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	3,778	1,486	328	0	0

		Patients waiting over:
Month end	Health authority (HA) or primary care trust (PCT)	Three months	Six months	Nine months	12 months
1997⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	—	—	—	—
1998⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	23.6	42.1	61.4	91 .2
1999⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	-18.1	-21.5	-28.9	-26.3
2000⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	9.2	8.6	21.6	37.1
2001⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	-11.7	-13.0	-11.9	-12.2
2002⁽⁸⁾	West Surrey HA	-13.9	-23.5	-40.0	-60.7
2003⁽⁸⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	—	—	—	—
2004⁽⁸⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	-27.1	-61.5	-100.0	—
2004⁽⁹⁾	Guildford and Waverley PCT	-7.2	-12.5	—	—

Willerby Call Centre

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what call statistics have been collated for the East Riding NHS Direct call centre in Willerby for the last 12 months. [194977]

Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally.

Yellow Card Scheme

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he plans to make the Yellow Card scheme a compulsory component of clinical training of medical students; [190500]

(2) what plans he has to increase awareness of the Yellow Card scheme among (a) health professionals and (b) patients; [190501]

(3) what measures he has taken in response to the findings of the Report of an Independent Review of Access to the Yellow Card scheme; [190502]

(4) what plans he has to allow patients to send yellow card reports to the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. [190701]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The report of an independent review of access to yellow card scheme was published in May 2004 and my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Lord Warner, immediately accepted the recommendation to introduce a system of direct patient reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). An expert working group of the Committee on the Safety of Medicines (CSM) has been established to advise on how best to develop effective patient reporting nationally, including aspects of communication and evaluation. The expert working group is chaired by Dr. Patricia Wilkie, a lay-member of the CSM; is multidisciplinary, has broad representation and has met twice to date. Work has commenced on the development of pilot patient reporting schemes.

In advance of the first formal pilot, the MHRA has already begun work on a pre-pilot survey of patients who have experienced suspected adverse drug reactions during the last year, so the patient perspective can be built into the development of pilot schemes from the outset. Invitations to patients to be involved in this survey, which will help to shape the future design of direct patient reporting systems are going out this week, to coincide with "Ask About Medicines" week.

The independent review of access to the yellow card scheme also includes recommendations to strengthen the scheme by raising public awareness of the important role the scheme has in protecting public health. The report recommends that a communications strategy should be developed to improve professional and public education and provision of information about the yellow card scheme and that the scheme should receive greater emphasis during the clinical training of all health professionals, whether they prescribe or not. These specific recommendations are being considered in conjunction with the other recommendations in the report.

4 Nov 2004 : Column 402W

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