House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Jan 2005 (pt 30)

27 Jan 2005 : Column 549W—continued

Diamorphine

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners are licensed to prescribe diamorphine; and how many there were in 1997. [209618]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All general practitioners can prescribe diamorphine for pain relief. The number of registered general practitioners in 1997 was 29,389, compared to the latest available figure, for June 2004, which was 33,626. However, only doctors who hold a special licence issued by the Home Secretary may prescribe diamorphine for the treatment of drug addiction. As such prescribing is recognised as a highly specialised area of practice. Only a very small number of general practitioners, who work in the specialist area of drug dependency, hold such a licence.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the overall costs of (a) supplying and (b) fitting digital hearing aids by (i) the NHS and (ii) independent providers. [210239]

Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr.Pike) today.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many digital hearing aids have been commissioned to be supplied and fitted by independent providers for NHS patients in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost was. [210241]

Dr. Ladyman: The modernising hearing aid services (MHAS) programme estimates that, by March 2006, approximately 74,000 digital hearing aids will have been supplied and fitted by independent providers for national health service patients since 2003.

The costs of the service are commercially confidential, but are available from the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency for any NHS trust which wishes to take advantage of this initiative.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which areas of England are not yet covered by the Digital Hearing Aid Roll Out programme; when the programme will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [210963]

Dr. Ladyman: All areas will be covered by the end of March 2005. From April 2005, the 164 national health service audiology departments providing hearing aid services across England will be fitting digital hearing aids.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of supplying and fitting digital hearing aids in (a) the NHS and (b) the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [210964]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department collects unit cost and activity data from all National Health Service providers in England each financial year.

This information is available in the document, in Payment by Results, Core Tools, 2004", a copy of which is available in the Library.

27 Jan 2005 : Column 550W

Data from financial year 2002–03, the most current available, shows that:

A total of 57,687 digital hearing aids were provided by NHS and primary care trusts at an average unit cost of £140 per aid.

Total expenditure for this level of activity therefore equates to approximately £8.1 million.

No NHS organisation reported data for sub-contracting or directly commissioning this activity from non-NHS providers.

Dudley, North

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effects of his Department's policy since 1997 on the Dudley, North constituency. [210743]

Dr. Ladyman: The Government have put in place a programme of National health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Dudley constituency.

For example:

At the end of June 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within the Dudley Beacon and Castle Primary Care Trust (PCT) has fallen to zero.

At the end of June 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for Out-patient treatment within Dudley Beacon and Castle has fallen to zero.

In September 2002, at the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, 85.5 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 96.1 per cent.

Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 84 to 105. Between September 1997 and September 2003, the number of nurses has increased from 1,087 to 1,112.

Between September 2001 and June 2004, the number of general medical practitioners within Dudley Beacon and Castle PCT has increased from 59 to 60.

Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within Dudley Beacon and Castle PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days and a primary care professional within one working day.

Russell's Hall Hospital, part of the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, is a new £160 million private finance initiative-funded hospital due to be opened later this year.

Elderly People

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged over (a) 90 and (b) 95 years are living in (i) residential and (ii) nursing homes. [211071]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 25 January 2005]: This information is not collected routinely. However, from the 2001 Census there were about 50,200 people aged 90 and over who were reported to be living in a residential

27 Jan 2005 : Column 551W

home in England and 30,500 people reported living in a nursing home, including psychiatric homes.

Data is not available for the age group 95 and over.

Food Consumption

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average per capita consumption of (a) meat, (b) fish, (c) fruit, (d) vegetables and (e) confectionery has been in each year since 1990. [210844]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested on the average per capita consumption of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and confectionery each year since 1990 is shown in the table. The data for 1990 to 2000 have been taken from the national food survey (NFS). The data for 2001–02 to 2002–03 have been taken from the expenditure and food survey (EFS), which replaced the NFS on 1 April 2001. These consumption data are based on household food purchases only and excludes foods eaten away from home.
United Kingdom household consumption⁽⁴⁵⁾of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and confectionery each year since 1990⁽⁴⁶⁾

Average consumption, grams per person per week

Food group 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Meat⁽⁴⁷⁾ 999 995 983 994 982 986 990

Fish⁽⁴⁸⁾ 147 141 144 148 148 147 158

Fruit⁽⁴⁹⁾ 718 728 733 726 752 778 786

Vegetables (excluding potatoes)⁽⁵⁰⁾ 1,202 1,197 1,196 1,172 1,157 1,144 1,181

Potatoes⁽⁵¹⁾ 1,154 1,118 1,095 1,084 1,031 1,021 1,042

Confectionery⁽⁵²⁾ n/a n/a 121 124 120 125 138

Average consumption, grams per person per week

Food group 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001–02 2002–03

Meat⁽⁴⁷⁾ 983 985 961 1014 1,032 1,039

Fish⁽⁴⁸⁾ 149 148 146 144 157 154

Fruit⁽⁴⁹⁾ 813 806 800 839 809 852

Vegetables (excluding potatoes)⁽⁵⁰⁾ 1,186 1,152 1,160 1,141 1,080 1,088

Potatoes⁽⁵¹⁾ 976 948 907 937 848 809

Confectionery⁽⁵²⁾ 134 131 126 151 128 127

n/a = data not available
⁽⁴⁵⁾Consumption data based on household food purchases only—exclude food eaten out.
⁽⁴⁶⁾Source of data: 1990 to 2000: NFS. 2001–02 to 2002–03: EPS. Data from the NFS have been adjusted to enable broad comparisons to be made with data from the EFS. However a break in the series in 2001–02 remains. This must be borne in mind when interpreting reported changes between the year 2000 (source: NFS) and the year 2001–02 (source: EFS).
⁽⁴⁷⁾Includes all meat/poultry and meat/poultry products.
⁽⁴⁸⁾Includes all fish and fish products.
⁽⁴⁹⁾Includes fresh, canned, dried and frozen fruit. Excludes fruit juice.
⁽⁵⁰⁾Includes fresh, canned, dried and frozen vegetables, pulses, vegetable based products/ready meals. Excludes vegetable juices/purees.
⁽⁵¹⁾Includes fresh potatoes and potato products (excluding crisps/savoury snacks).
⁽⁵²⁾Data on confectionery not collected pre-1992. NB: Excludes confectionery eaten outside the home.

	Average consumption, grams per person per week
Food group	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Meat⁽⁴⁷⁾	999	995	983	994	982	986	990
Fish⁽⁴⁸⁾	147	141	144	148	148	147	158
Fruit⁽⁴⁹⁾	718	728	733	726	752	778	786
Vegetables (excluding potatoes)⁽⁵⁰⁾	1,202	1,197	1,196	1,172	1,157	1,144	1,181
Potatoes⁽⁵¹⁾	1,154	1,118	1,095	1,084	1,031	1,021	1,042
Confectionery⁽⁵²⁾	n/a	n/a	121	124	120	125	138

	Average consumption, grams per person per week
Food group	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001–02	2002–03
Meat⁽⁴⁷⁾	983	985	961	1014	1,032	1,039
Fish⁽⁴⁸⁾	149	148	146	144	157	154
Fruit⁽⁴⁹⁾	813	806	800	839	809	852
Vegetables (excluding potatoes)⁽⁵⁰⁾	1,186	1,152	1,160	1,141	1,080	1,088
Potatoes⁽⁵¹⁾	976	948	907	937	848	809
Confectionery⁽⁵²⁾	134	131	126	151	128	127

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