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Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress had been made in each strategic health authority towards the target for 80 per cent. of diabetics to be offered retinopathy screening by 2006 (a) at Q4 of 200304 and (b) at the last quarter for which figures are available. [208402]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Department plans to publish guidance on the role of Directors of Infection Prevention and Control. [208082]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Guidance on competencies for directors of infection prevention and control was distributed in May 2004 and is available on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/LettersAndCirculars/DearColleagueLetters/DearColleagueLettersArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4083982&chk=Z4VWx7. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for doctors in NHS hospitals within the Greater London area. [209411]
Dr. Ladyman:
The information requested is collected by strategic health authority (SHA) area. Data for the London SHAs are shown in the table.
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Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list, by primary care trust, how many people had received the (a) flu and (b) pneumonia vaccine by 30 November; [202942]
(2) what percentage of eligible people in each primary care trust had received the (a) influenza and (b) pneumonia vaccine by 30 November. [203878]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information has been placed in the Library, showing:
The number of eligible peoplethose 65 year and over and those under 65 years in a medical risk groupwho received flu immunisation for which data is available as at the end of November 2004, by primary care trust.
The number of people 80 years and over, who were immunised during the first year of the pneumococcal immunisation programmefrom 20 Aug 2003 to 31 March 2004by primary care trust.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when statistics will be available on (a) clostridium difficile infections, (b) vancomycin resistant enterococci and (c) surgical site infections. [208091]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on "Clostridium difidle" disease, vancomycin resistant enterococci and surgical site infections is already available from the Health Protection Agency's voluntary reporting scheme and published routinely on their website. Data from the mandatory surveillance system is likely to be available later this year.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of heroin addiction was in the Greater London area for the latest period for which figures are available. [210313]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.
Glenda Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a review into the possible
20 Jan 2005 : Column 1116W
health implications of mobile telephones in the light of the report by the National Radiological Protection Board. [208968]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) provides statutory advice on risks from exposure to radiation and electromagnetic fields. Its recent publication, "Mobile Phones and Health 2004"Documents of the NRPB, Vol. 15, No. 5, 2004has reviewed the possible health implications of mobile phones and made a number of recommendations. The report is available on the NRPB website at www.nrpb.org and is available in the Library. The Government are currently considering the detailed recommendations.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he is giving to those who have (a) a pacemaker and (b) a digital hearing aid on the advisability of using a mobile phone on a regular basis; and if he will make a statement. [209162]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 18 January 2005]: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) predecessor, the Medical Devices Agency (MDA), issued guidance to clinicians about possible interference effects to pacemakers from digital mobile telephones in February 1996 in Pacemaker Technical Note PTN 61. Clinicians were asked to advise patients to ensure that a minimum separation distance of 15 centimetres was maintained between the implanted pacemaker and a mobile telephone and that the mobile telephone should be used with the ear furthest away from the pacemaker.
Advice given to users is that they should check the operation of the mobile telephone with their hearing aid. New hearing aids should quote the measured input related interference level: the lower the figure, the better the immunity from mobile telephone interference.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) supported and (b) commissioned on the impact of mobile phones on those who have a pacemaker. [209163]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 18 January 2005]: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and its predecessor the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) have provided input and advice to research activities undertaken by pacemaker manufacturers, through representation at European and International pacemaker safety standards committees.
The MDA, with the co-operation of St. Georges hospital, Tooting, commissioned a small study to assess the impact of digital mobile telephones on implanted pacemakers, to confirm the appropriateness of advice issued to health service clinicians in Pacemaker Technical Note PTN61February 1996.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have MRI scanners; and if he will make a statement. [207896]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are approximately 230 magnetic resonance imaging scanners installed in national health service hospitals in England. Information listing the hospitals has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many MRI scanners there are available and how many hours are designated for NHS neurological use; [208845]
(2) whether additional MRI scans are to be purchased from Alliance Medical to reduce waiting times for people with neurological conditions. [208852]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are approximately 230 static magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners installed within the national health service. There are also 12 mobile MRI scanners operating through centrally funded procurement. It is for strategic health authorities and trusts locally to decide how to use this additional capacity to meet the needs of their local population.
National MRI mobile scanning provided by Alliance Medical is adding over 15 per cent. more capacity to the NHSup to 131,000 additional scans by 12 mobile units moving from location to location will be available to doctors to help them give patients a diagnosis including patients with neurological conditions.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent figures are for waiting times for MRI scans, broken down by (a) hospital trust and (b) primary care trust. [208520]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether additional MRI scans to be purchased through the private system are reported on by (a) UK staff and (b) staff overseas. [208853]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The additional magnetic resonance imaging scans procured from the independent sector are being reported on by radiologists who are on the register of the General Medical Council and the appropriate specialist register for the Royal College of Radiologists, as is the case within the national health service. This is the case whether or not these qualified radiologists are performing their duties from within the United Kingdom or overseas.
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