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Haringey Social Services

Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed in Haringey Social Services Department, broken down by grade; what the vacancy rate is; and how many care managers in specialist teams for mental health are employed. [210290]

Dr. Ladyman: At 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which data are available) the whole time equivalent number of staff directly employed by Haringey Social Services Department was 1,295. Data on the number of care managers in specialist teams solely for mental health are not available centrally, but as at 30 September 2003, the whole time equivalent number of care managers in specialist teams for mental health, people with learning disabilities and/or people with physical disabilities directly employed by Haringey was 10. Data on numbers of staff by grade and vacancy rates are not available centrally.

Hepatitis C

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was spent on hepatitis C treatment by Norfolk primary care trusts (PCTs) in each of the last five years; and what guidance he has issued to those PCTs on treatment for hepatitis C. [210247]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We do not hold the information requested about expenditure on hepatitis C treatment by Norfolk primary care trusts.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the use of interferon alfa (pegylated and non-pegylated) and ribavarin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in January 2004. The guidance is available on NICE'S website at http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=101627.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated in 2004–05 for hepatitis C awareness and prevention. [210249]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Estimated central expenditure on activities connected with hepatitis C awareness-raising and prevention in 2004–05 is £780,000.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice the Government have given to primary care trusts concerning the relationship between hepatitis C and chronic disease. [210250]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The national health service hepatitis C awareness website at www.hepc.nhs.uk and associated publication, Hepatitis C: essential information for professionals and guidance on testing", both contain information on hepatitis C and liver disease. Guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on the treatment of chronic hepatitis C also contains similar advice.

Homelessness

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department provides access to (a) detoxification services and (b) primary health care for homeless people. [206596]

 
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department provides access to detoxification services for homeless people via funding through the pooled drug treatment budget, which is £253.4 million in 2004–05, in addition to primary care trust (PCT) mainstream expenditure.

The National Treatment Agency, which was set up by Government in 2001 to increase the effectiveness and availability of drug treatment is working closely with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. This is to ensure that drug action teams, which have the responsibility for commissioning drug treatment services locally, including detoxification, include the needs of homeless drug users in their treatment plans.

Access is also provided by primary health care for homeless people through PCTs, which have a duty to secure the provision of primary medical services for their local populations, including any homeless people. The new contractual framework for primary medical services now offers PCTs a variety of contracting mechanisms, including provision of a service themselves, to help them to discharge this duty.

Hospital Infections

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a product or treatment may bypass the Rapid Review Panel assessment; and if he will list the products or treatments that have done so. [208998]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Consideration by the rapid review panel may not be appropriate for products where the results of manufacturers' own studies have shown that the product has potential value for hospitals and other healthcare premises. To date, only the JohnsonDiversey Jonmaster microfibre cleaning system has not been considered by the panel on these grounds.

Information on products used to prevent and control healthcare associated infections is not collected centrally and it is not compulsory for manufacturers to go through the Health Protection Agency rapid review panel in order to make their product available in the national health service.

Intermediate Care Accommodation

Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what provisions of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 the inspection of intermediate care accommodation is required. [204658]

Dr. Ladyman: Health care facilities providing intermediate care are inspected under the provisions of Part two of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Standards Act 2003. Social care facilities providing intermediate care may be inspected under the Care Standards Act 2000, if that care is provided by an establishment or agency as defined in sections four and five of that Act.

London Heart Hospital

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of purchasing the London Heart Hospital; whether the hospital is working at full capacity; and if he will make a statement. [210359]

 
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Mr. Hutton [holding answer 24 January 2005]: This is a matter for the Chair of the University College London Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to the Chairman, Peter Dixon, informing him of the hon. Member's inquiry.

Telecommunications Masts

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent international research he has assessed on the health risks of mobile phone masts. [209299]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 18 January 2005]: The National Radiological Protection Board provides statutory advice on risks from exposure to radiation and electromagnetic fields. Their recent publication Mobile Phones and Health 2004" (Documents of the NRPB, Vol. 15, No. 5, 2004) issued on 11 January has reviewed the possible health implications of mobile phones and base stations and made a number of recommendations. Appendix D of the report lists and summarises recent research reviews from a number of different countries. The report is available on the NRPB website www.nrpb.org and copies are available in the Library. The Government are currently considering the recommendations.

MRI Scans/Scanners

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for MRI scans were in (a) the South Staffordshire Hospital Trust and (b) each of the primary care trusts in Stoke-on-Trent in the last period for which figures are available. [209903]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of (a) a MRI scanner and (b) a CT scanner; and what resource funding is needed to run a scanner for a year. [210366]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The costs of both magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanners and computed tomography (CT) scanners are dependent on a number of factors, such as scanner specification, software and hardware options included and the price submitted by the supplier during the tender process.

The approximate capital purchase costs of an MRI scanner may range from £700,000 to £1,700,000, and £400,000 to £800,000 for a CT scanner.

Revenue funding for CT and MRI scanners will also vary according to staff numbers who operate these scanners directly or indirectly. These include radiologists, radiographers and administrative and clerical staff. There are also non-staff costs such as the maintenance contract, consumable use, and depreciation rate. The annual revenue costs for CT and MRI scanners may range from £250,000 to £400,000 per annum.

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