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22 Feb 2005 : Column 490W—continued
Digital Hearing Aids
Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on patients of waiting times for assessments for digital hearing aids in Bournemouth west; what proposals he has to help the Bournemouth teaching primary care trust to reduce this time; what steps he is taking to increase the number of audiologists; and if he will make a statement. [217041]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the waiting times for patients waiting for assessments for digital hearing aids is not collected centrally.
In line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power", it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs,) in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people including audiology services.
I am advised by Dorset and Somerset SHA that the Bournemouth PCT is making good progress with reducing waiting lists by increasing in-house activity, and using private providers under the public private partnership scheme.
More generally, the modernising hearing aids services (MHAS) project is being managed on behalf of the Department by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. Since September 2000, the MHAS project has been retaining audiologists and generally modernised services in a phased way to enable them to offer digital hearing aids to people who would benefit from them. The fourth and final wave should be complete by the end of March 2005.
Drug Addiction/Treatment
Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has gathered on the relative addictiveness of (a) nicotine, (b) heroin and (c) methadone; and if he will make a statement. [214279]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has not commissioned any specific research to gather information on the relative addictiveness of these drugs. Relative addictiveness depends on dose, route of consumption and other factors, and varies for each drug across the components that make up the syndrome of dependence.
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated by the Somerset drugs service in each of the last eight years. [214474]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Data is not available prior to 2003–04.
Data published by the National Drug Monitoring System, indicates that 1,118 people were in contact with structured drug treatment services in Somerset in 2003–04.
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Enbrel
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2005, Official Report, column 1117W, on Enbrel, if he will refer the drug Enbrel to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in relation to its prescription in cases of juvenile arthritis. [217166]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued appraisal 2002/016 on 22 March 2002, which addressed the use of Etanercept (Enbrel) for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Etanercept and Infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis. Further information is available on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk.
EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Pharmaceutical Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [214308]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The pharmaceutical committee met on 19 January 2004 and 8 and 9 November 2004, under the Irish and Netherlands presidencies. There were no meetings during the Italian presidency from 1 July to 31 December 2003. On both occasions, the meetings were held in Brussels and the United Kingdom was represented by at least one senior official from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
I refer the hon. Member to the series of Command Papers on prospects for the European Union—Cm 6174 laid in April 2004, Cm 6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm 6450 laid in February 2005, which cover the periods of the above presidencies and are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.
Forensic Medical Examiners
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many female doctors are forensic medical examiners at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust. [216203]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
22 Feb 2005 : Column 492W
HIV/AIDS
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will exempt HIV treatment and care from the regulations applying charges to those not entitled to free NHS care. [216473]
Mr. Hutton: Diagnostic testing for HIV and associated counselling is free to all, but the national health service (charges to overseas visitors) Regulations 1989 (as amended) have always specified that subsequent treatment for HIV, should the test prove positive, is chargeable if the patient is a chargeable overseas visitor. There are no plans to change that.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2005,Official Report, column 883W, for what reasons only initial diagnostic testing and associated counselling given to those suffering from HIV/AIDS are exempt from charges made to those who are not ordinarily resident in the UK. [216179]
Mr. Hutton: It has always been the case that only diagnostic testing for HIV and associated counselling is free of charge to all under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 (as amended). Subsequent treatment should be charged for if the patient is a chargeable overseas visitor. The greatest public health risk is from those who are unaware that they are infected with HIV, so it makes sense that diagnosis, and the advice that needs to go with it, should be free to all.
Hospital Infections
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his Department's procedure for the use of new infection control technologies in the NHS following a recommendation from its Rapid Review Panel; [208995]
(2) what plans he has to publish the minutes of the meetings of the Rapid Review Panel; [208996]
(3) how many products have been recommended to his Department by the Rapid Review Panel for (a) development for use in the NHS or (b) trial in an NHS clinical setting; [208997]
(5) if he will publish a list detailing the number and name of all products which have submitted applications to the Rapid Review Panel for use in fighting infection in the NHS since the Panel's establishment; [209000]
(4) if he will publish the list of those products and treatments reviewed by the Rapid Review Panel since December 2003 that are now being used for infection control or cleaning purposes in NHS facilities; [208999]
(6) how many submissions the Rapid Review Panel has received for its review of products to aid cleanliness and fight infections in the NHS; when each submission was received; and for each submission, when the Rapid Review Panel reported its results. [209001]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Health Protection Agency rapid review panel assesses all products for which
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applications have been received from companies, provided the product falls within the panel's remit. There are currently 58 product reports available on the Health Protection Agency's website, together with the minutes of the panel meetings and a list of products reviewed by the panel. This information can be found at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rapid_review/. A further 25 applications received since 13 January will be reviewed later this month. Information on those products awaiting review is not publicly available as information provided by applicants is regarded as commercial in confidence until the applications have been assessed.
Of the 58 reports available on the panel's website so far, 19 contain recommendations for further research and development before the product is ready for evaluation and 10 contain recommendations for in-use evaluation/trial in a national health service clinical setting. Two products have been identified as showing benefits that should be available to NHS bodies to use as appropriate. These products are being considered for inclusion in future workplans for the NHS Purchasing
22 Feb 2005 : Column 494W
and Supply Agency (PASA) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Information on which products are currently used in NHS facilities is not collected centrally.
Where the rapid review panel suggests further work, it is generally the company's responsibility to organise this; the panel itself does not organise product evaluations. Some evaluations may be performed as part of normal PASA tendering exercises. Also, some products may be included in the Department's research and development programme for healthcare associated infection if it is thought they may have a particular impact in a priority area.
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