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20 Jan 2005 : Column 1117W—continued
MRSA
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the efficacy of essential oils in killing MRSA bacteria. [208661]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 January 2005]: None but the Department is aware of research in this area.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his strategy is for tackling the spread of MRSA outside hospital settings; and what funds his Department has set aside to tackle MRSA. [208809]
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Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 17 January 2005]: The Government's programme to prevent and control methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other healthcare associated infections is outlined in "Winning Ways—Working together to reduce healthcare associated infection in England and Towards cleaner hospitals and lower rates of infection". This recognises that infections occur in a variety of healthcare settings and refers to relevant guidance such as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's "Infection Control—Prevention of healthcare associated infection in primary and community care".
Allocation of resources is a local decision, but we are increasing investment in the national health service by around 7.2 per cent., a year in real terms in the period from 2003–04 to 2007–08.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals are in place to combat the spread of MRSA in the London borough of Havering with particular regard to the New Oldchurch Hospital. [209438]
Dr. Ladyman: The spread of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be controlled by good infection control practice and the national programme to tackle such infections is outlined in "Winning Ways" and "Towards Cleaner Hospitals". The national health service has a target of halving rates of MRSA by 2008.
The new Oldchurch Hospital, which is currently under construction, has 20 per cent. of its beds in single rooms. This will allow for the effective isolation of patients with infections.
The trust's director of nursing has started negotiations with the private finance initiative company over cleaning schedules to ensure that these meet "Towards Cleaner Hospitals" requirements and has gained assurances that the housekeeping and domestic staff will be accountable to ward sisters and matrons.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the timetable for introducing Aimspro as a licensed drug for multiple sclerosis sufferers. [205412]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Aimspro is a product being developed by Daval International, a United Kingdom company, for a number of indications, including multiple sclerosis. Aimspro is still at an early stage of development and the company is conducting or planning to conduct a number of trials in these indications. Further information on the safety, quality and efficacy of Aimspro will be required for this product to progress to license application. Only very limited clinical data are currently available on Aimspro. Timing in relation to the granting of any product licence depends on how long it takes the company to complete the relevant development work, prepare the regulatory submission and obtain regulatory approval.
No Secrets Guidance
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implementation of No Secrets guidance by local authorities. [202917]
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Dr. Ladyman: The Department commissioned the Centre for Policy on Ageing in 2002 to analyse implementation of the Department's "No Secrets' guidance, which provides the basis for local multi agency codes of practice to prevent and tackle the abuse of vulnerable adults. The analysis indicated that local councils have met the requirements required by "No Secrets' and that considerable progress has been made towards improving co-ordination between agencies when dealing with adult abuse cases.
Out-of-hours Services
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the reasons were for the decision of the North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors co-operative to go into administration last month; and what action the Government is taking to ensure that the quality of out-of-hours care in North Yorkshire is not jeopardised by this decision; [208713]
(2) what new funding is being made available so that the out-of-hours service in North Yorkshire can continue to function effectively; [208714]
(3) what assessment he has made of possible sources of new funding for out-of-hours services in North Yorkshire; and what funding he expects to come from (a) primary care trusts, (b) the Government and (c) other sources. [208715]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has been in close contact with the local strategic health authority and primary care trusts (PCTs) who are leading on ensuring the continuity of out-of-hours services in North Yorkshire, and that the services meet the national quality requirements.
The Department is supporting out-of-hours services through greatly increased funding which has been allocated directly to the PCTs who commission out-of-hours services.
Some £316 million is available this year to help fund PCT provision of out-of-hours services. In addition, PCTs are also using their unified budgets—increased by 12.7 billion from £45 billion in 2003–04 to £53.9 billion in 2005–06—to establish integrated networks of urgent care provision.
Ovarian Cancer
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress he has made in developing referral guidelines for ovarian cancer; [208361]
(2) what progress cancer networks have made with support for sufferers of ovarian cancer. [208362]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In 1999, the Department published "Improving outcomes guidance for gynaecological cancers". One of the major outcomes of this guidance was the introduction of specialist teams to treat gynaecological cancers, including ovarian cancer.
We have also instituted a two-week wait policy for all urgent cancer referrals. Latest figures show that 99.5 per cent. of suspected gynaecological cancer referrals were seen within the two week period.
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The Department issued general practitioner cancer referral guidelines in 2000 to assist GPs in determining those patients who need to be referred urgently to see a specialist within two weeks, those patients that can be referred for a routine appointment and those who can be safely watched at a primary care level. The guidelines include a section on gynaecological cancers.
The referral guidelines are currently being reviewed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Updated guidelines are due to be published in March 2005.
Paddington Basin Health Campus
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what penalty clauses his Department is contractually liable for commercial enterprises relating to the progress of work on the Paddington Basin Health Campus project. [209320]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has no contractual commitments to commercial enterprises relating to progress of work on the Paddington Health Campus project.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department has incurred to date on the Paddington Health Campus Project; and how much of that expenditure has been in consultancy fees. [209321]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not incurred any consultancy fees on the Paddington Health Campus project. Staff working on the project have done so as part of their normal duties and no records are kept of the total time or cost.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the date when the Paddington Basin Health Campus will become fully operational. [209356]
Dr. Ladyman: The outline business case for the Paddington Health Campus estimates that the new facilities will be fully operational from June 2013.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department to receive planning permission from Westminster borough council to proceed with the Paddington Health Campus project. [209358]
Dr. Ladyman: Westminster city council issued a draft planning brief for the Paddington Health Campus site in December 2004. A masterplan will be submitted to the council in February by the Royal Brompton and Harefield and St. Mary's national health service trusts in response to the planning brief which is due to be considered by the council at a meeting in March. A planning application will follow the committee's consideration of the masterplan.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS personnel have been involved in working (a) full-time and (b) part-time on the Paddington Basin Health Campus project in each year since 1997; how many of these were working in (i) his Department, (ii) health authorities and (iii) trust hospitals; and what his estimate is of the figures in each of the next eight years. [209360]
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Dr. Ladyman: The following table shows the head count of personnel that have worked on, and been charged to, the Paddington Health Campus project in each of the six years from 1999–2000. In 1999, a designated team was set up to support the West London Partnership Forum, hosted by the former Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster health authority (KCWHA). The Paddington Health Campus project team was set up in 2000, hosted by St. Mary's national health service trust. There was no designated project team before 1999 and statement of case work was resourced by former HA and regional HA personnel as part of their routine strategic function. Records of personnel resources working on the project are not available prior to 1999. There have been no full time, nor regular part time, staff working on Paddington Health Campus at either the Department or the North West London strategic health authority.
(44) KCW HA/West London Partnership Forum.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) capital and (b) revenue financial contributions have been requested by his Department of the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS hospital trust towards the Paddington Basin Health Campus project in the interim period before the campus becomes operational; and whether these contributions have been approved by the Board of the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS hospital trust. [209361]
Dr. Ladyman: The outline business case for the Paddington Health Campus identifies a capital contribution of £1 million per annum for four years and revenue support of £800,000 per annum for six years during the construction phase of the project from the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS trusts. The resolution in support of the outline business case agreed by the trust board in December 2004 stated that capital and revenue contributions will be required from the trust during the transitional period. The Department has not requested or required either trust to make these contributions.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the funds to be realised for his Department from land sales on the site of (a) Harefield hospital and (b) the Royal Brompton hospital; and what proportion of the total estimated final cost of the Paddington Basin Health Campus they constitute. [209362]
Dr. Ladyman:
There is no plan within the outline business case for the Paddington Health Campus to dispose of the Harefield hospital site. In line with its undertaking to maintain employment in the area, the Royal Brompton and Harefield National Health Service Trust's plans for the Harefield site include the facilitation of a science park on that location following the move of the hospital's work to the campus. The
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estimated value of the Royal Brompton hospital site within the outline business case is £94.5 million. It is currently planned that, with the appropriate approvals, land sales from the Royal Brompton and Harefield and St. Mary's NHS Trusts will fund the cost of the proposed land acquisition and other capital commitments of the Paddington Health Campus. The construction cost of the Campus is assessed as £789 million at current prices, exclusive of value added tax and inflation. The estimated value of the Royal Brompton hospital represents 12 per cent., of the estimated construction cost of the campus.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the consultants to whom NHS monies have been disbursed for work related to the Paddington Basin Health Campus since the beginning of the project, broken down by amount of money. [209403]
Dr. Ladyman: Table 1 shows a list of consultants and payments made for advice provided since the beginning of the Paddington Health Campus project. Table 2 summarises the total expenditure on consultants by year. From 1999, the Paddington Health Campus was the responsibility of the West London Partnership Forum, hosted by the former Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority (KCW HA). In November 2000, responsibility for the costs of the project transferred to St. Mary's National Health Service Trust. Thousands.
(45) Consultants currently contracted to PHC. Thousands
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(46) Includes accruals for estimated charges to December 20O4.
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