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7 Mar 2005 : Column 1558W—continued
Digital Hearing Aids (Gloucester)
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated to help improve the delivery time for digital hearing aids in Gloucester. [218670]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2004–05, Gloucester Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust has received £472,000 through the modernising hearing aid services programme to sustain its modernised hearing aid service, and to implement capacity initiatives such as public private partnership schemes.
This funding is in addition to the historical audiology funding which is locally determined.
Disabled Facilities Grant
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what input he has had to the review of the disabled facilities grant; [218840]
(2) what assessment he has made of the health benefits of accessible housing for (a) children with disabilities, (b) adults with disabilities and (c) family carers of disabled people; [218841]
(3) what financial allocation his Department makes to vital housing adaptations for disabled adults and children; and how much has been allocated in the past three years. [218842]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department of Health is working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Department for Education and Skills as one of the three Government Departments undertaking the review of the disabled facilities grant. The ODPM is the lead Department in the review.
The Department of Health has not made any specific assessment of the benefits of accessible housing. However, we have commissioned a piece of work on the outcomes and costs of community based care for people with learning disability and mental health problems, which includes accommodation issues.
The Department of Health makes no direct financial allocations for housing adaptations. Primary care trusts and social service departments make funding decisions regarding minor adaptations to peoples' homes and equipment services. Since 9 June 2003, all community equipment loaned or given to people is free of charge, as are adaptations costing under £1,000 (minor adaptations) provided by councils. This change was brought about by regulations associated with the Community Care (Delayed Discharges) Act 2003.
Housing authorities are allocated funding by the ODPM for disabled facilities grants in order to fund adaptations to individuals' houses.
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Distalgesic and Co-proxamol Prescriptions
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)what advice is given to general practitioners who are unwilling or discouraged from re-issuing prescriptions for distalgesic and Co-proxamol; [218451]
(2) what advice his Department gives with regard to the prescription of distalgesic and Co-proxamol. [218452]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) having considered all the available evidence, including the results of a public request for information, has advised that co-proxamol should be withdrawn from the market on the grounds that the benefits of co-proxamol are not considered to outweigh the risks. The Licensing Authority has accepted this advice and a public announcement on the decision to withdraw co-proxamol was made on Monday 31 January. The Marketing Authorisation holders have agreed to withdraw co-proxamol over an extended period of time in order to allow long term users an opportunity to adopt suitable alternative pain management strategies.
There are a number of alternatives to co-proxamol for managing pain and the CSM has issued advice on pain management options to assist prescribers together with their individual patients, in choosing appropriate pain management strategies. This guidance also refers to a number of sources of additional advice including the British National Formulary, which is sent to all doctors and pharmacists.
The CSM's overview of alternative analgesic options was communicated though the Chief Medical Officer's public health link to all health care professionals, accompanying the communication on the withdrawal of co-proxamol and is available on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's website (www.mhra.gov.uk). Copies have been placed in the Library.
East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-clinical staff are employed by the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust. [219403]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The most recent figures for the number of non-clinical staff employed by the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) is shown in the table.
(55)All practitioners include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted general practitioners, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, GP retainers, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
(56)Practice staff (excluding practice nurses) includes direct patient care, administrative and clerical and other.
Sources:
Department of Health non-medical workforce census.
Department of Health general (QMS) and personal (PMS) medical services statistics.
7 Mar 2005 : Column 1560W
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the total budget of the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust was spent on administration in each of the last three years. [219405]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The percentage of total operating expenditure spent on administration by the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) is shown in the table. The PCT was established on 1 April 2002. Therefore, figures are only available for two years.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 2.8 |
| 2003–04 | 1.7 |
Source:
Audited summarisation schedules of the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT: 2002–03 and 2003–04.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust owes to the NHS Bank. [219406]
Ms Rosie Winterton: To assist in financial recovery, Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority (SHA) has received £90 million from the NHS Bank over the past three years. The SHA advises that East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust has not received any of the £90 million.
Epilepsy
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist epilepsy nurses have been working in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [219739]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 3 March 2005]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
7 Mar 2005 : Column 1561W
FSA Eat Well Campaign
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the Food Standards Agency Eat Well campaign; and how much of this money was spent on each aspect of expenditure on the campaign. [218171]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that a total of £64,999 has been spent on the FSA's campaign to promote the eatwell" website (February 2005), www.eatwell.gov.uk, to a total targeted audience of 2.5 million people. This total splits as follows:
Inserts in four targeted women's magazines (Woman, Woman's Own, Now and Hello whose readers demonstrate medium/high internet usage): £40,531
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