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15 Nov 2004 : Column 1150W—continued

Young Offender Institutions

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for The Home Department what action he is taking to stop bullying and violence among inmates in young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement. [191957]

Paul Goggins: Reducing violence, in all its forms, is fundamental to the objectives of the Prison Service. By constructively and consistently taking action to prevent violence and promote fairness and decency, prisons can offer a structured environment in which to influence future behaviour, encourage positive communication and develop social skills that assist offenders with rehabilitation. Further, maintaining a safe environment reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes individual, organisational and public confidence.
 
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All Prison Service establishments, including young offender institutions, are required by Prison Service Order 2,750 to have (by November 2004) a strategy to reduce violence. The Prison Service's definition of violence is 'any incident in which a person is, abused, threatened, or assaulted. This includes an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well-being or health. The resulting harm may be physical, emotional or psychological.' Moreover all prison establishments are required to have an anti-bullying strategy in place, under the umbrella of violence reduction. The Prison Service's desired approach to perpetrators is one where:


 
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Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds it has been proposed to privatise Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution at Wetherby; what consultation with the (a) governors, (b) staff and (c) Board of Visitors (i) there has been and (ii) is proposed for this proposal; and if he will make a statement. [192232]

Paul Goggins: There are no plans to privatise any public sector prisons or Young Offender Institutions.

We are considering how to take forward market within the National Offender Management Service. No decision has yet been taken.
 
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HEALTH

Agency Temporary Staff

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data are kept centrally. [195248]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 1 November 2004]: The number of temporary staff employed through employment agencies can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department does not keep a central record of the number of temporary staff employed through employment agencies.

Alzheimer's

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the clinical effectiveness of anti-dementia drugs; [196931]

(2) when he expects the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to complete its review of drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease. [196932]

Dr. Ladyman: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease in January 2001. It is conducting a review of its guidance and expects to publish revised guidance in May 2005. Memantine (for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease) is currently being appraised by NICE and the Institute's recommendations on the drug's use will be included in the review of the earlier appraisal. Full details are available on the website for NICE at www.nice.org.uk

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he last met representatives of the Alzheimer's Society; and what issues were discussed; [196933]

(2) what steps his Department is taking to improve the treatment and care of Alzheimer's patients; and what steps his Department is taking to support Alzheimer's patients' carers; [196934]

(3) what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of dementia; and if he will make a statement. [196935]

Dr. Ladyman: Ministers and officials at the Department have regular meetings with the Alzheimer's Society. I recently met with them on 10 November. They raised several issues associated with the development of a vision for adult social care.

The national service framework (NSF) for older people, which we published in March 2001, sets out a range of national standards and service models of care
 
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across health and social services. Standard seven of the NSF aims to promote good mental health in older people, and to treat and support people of all ages with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised the use of anti-dementia drugs. NICE is also appraising the use of non-Alzheimer's dementia drugs. Finally, NICE is developing a comprehensive guideline on the management and treatment of older people with dementia, which will build on the medication appraisals. This will be available early in 2007.

It is essential that awareness of the needs of people with Alzheimer's disease, and of their carers is raised to help ensure that those needs are met. Through grants to the Alzheimer's Society, the Department has funded a range of projects to increase awareness and understanding of Alzheimer's disease. In 2004–05 the Society received £32,000 to support a project to promote awareness of vascular dementia.

Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) costs and (b) services of the merger of Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [197515]

Dr. Ladyman: The creation of a single trust in 1999 will have led to savings in management costs from the merger of the two organisations for reinvestment in patient services. Service developments and changes since the merger will have been the result of normal National Health Service management action, including the involvement of patients and the public.

Barnet Hospital

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from Barnet had NHS operations and other treatment (a) overseas and (b) outside London in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [197519]

Dr. Ladyman: The number of patients from Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital National Health Service Trust waiting for treatment who went on to receive treatment overseas under the London patient choice project is:
Number
2004–0513
2003–0449

The information requested on the number of patients from Barnet who had NHS treatment outside London is shown in the table.
 
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Primary care trust (PCT) of residence: 5A9 Barnet PCT count of finished admission episodes in strategic health authorities outside London—NHS hospitals, England 2001–02 and 2002–03

Finished admission episodes
2001–021,325
2002–031,210

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for accident and emergency treatment for Barnet patients was (a) at 1 May 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available; how many people were waiting for (i) elective orthopaedic treatment, (ii) elective cataract
 
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treatment and (iii) elective heart surgery at each date; what the (A) longest and (B) average waiting times were in each case; and if he will make a statement. [197622]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the tables.
Barnet and Chase Farm National Health Service Trust

Quarter 2 2002–03Quarter 2 2004–05
Number of attendances30,30534,022
Attendances waiting over four hours11,4573,491
Percentage waiting under four hours62.2089.70




Source:
Department of Health form QMAE.




Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: position at month-end


Month-end/NHS trust

Specialty
Total number of patients waitingMedian waiting time in weeks
Longest waiting time
March 1997
Wellhouse NHS TrustTrauma and orthopaedic1,12319.4No patient waited longer than 21 months
Wellhouse NHS TrustOphthalmology75520.0No patient waited longer than 15 months
Wellhouse NHS TrustCardiothoracic surgery29.8No patient waited longer than 3 months
Chase Farm Hospitals NHS TrustTrauma and orthopaedic1,35124.3No patient waited longer than 18 months
September 2004
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS TrustTrauma and orthopaedic2,15115.9No patient waited longer than 9 months




Source:
Department of Health form KH07.





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