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Health Care Associated Infections

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Office for National Statistics has made in undertaking a qualitative study on the proportion of deaths which may be associated with healthcare associated infections; and what the timetable is for this work to be completed and published. [1563]

Jane Kennedy: This study consists of two main parts that are being taken forward separately. The Health Protection Agency and the Office for National Statistics are currently progressing the confidential study of healthcare associated infections (HCAI) related deaths. A separate quantitative analysis on the proportion of deaths which may be associated with HCAIs will start later in the year.

Hospital Cleanliness

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to improve the level of cleanliness on hospital wards. [3145]

Jane Kennedy: Since 2005, the Department has had a comprehensive and multi-faceted programme of work covering a wide range of issues, including:

In 2000, we introduced an annual programme of patient environment action team inspections. Then, around one third of hospitals were poor or unacceptable. Today, 98 per cent. of national health service trusts are rated as acceptable or better.

Illegal Meat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to tackle the sale of illegal meat unfit for human consumption in restaurants. [2952]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply Igave on 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 530W.

Infection Surveillance Data

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish data collected under the mandatory surveillance system for (a) Clostridium-associated diarrhoea, (b) glycopeptide resistant enterococci and (c) orthopaedic surgical site infection; and whether she will be publishing this data for intervals of six months. [2277]

Jane Kennedy: Data from the mandatory surveillance system for Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea and glycopeptide resistant enterococci will be available this
 
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summer and information for orthopaedic surgical site infections will be published in the autumn. This data is likely to be published annually.

Intensive/Critical Care Beds

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) intensive and (b) critical care beds are available per 100,000 population in England; and what evidence she has evaluated on numbers of such beds available in (i) Germany, (ii) France and (iii) the USA; [1347]

(2) what the cost of high dependency care was in each of the last three years in England; and what evidence she has evaluated on the level of such costs in (a) Germany, (b) France and (c) the USA. [1348]

Mr. Byrne: As of 13 January 2005, there were 6.4 adult critical care beds and 3.6 intensive care beds per 100,000 adult population in England. The Department does not have any comparable figures for Germany, France or the United States of America. National health service expenditure on intensive care and high dependency care beds is not separately identified from the annual financial returns of NHS providers, but the Government invested an additional £300 million in adult critical care services between 2000 and 2002, which is now incorporated in primary care trust baseline budgets.

Macular Degeneration

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated with photodynamic treatment for wet macular degeneration in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) England in the latest year for which figures are available. [2563]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2003–04, there were 3,418 finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was degeneration of macular and posterior pole" and an operation was carried out in the national health service. For trusts in Gloucestershire, there were 37 finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was degeneration of macular and posterior pole" and an operation was carried out in the NHS. The Department does not hold information on the use of photodynamic therapy in these treatments.

MRSA

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have contracted the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin superbug in each of the last five years; and how many went on to make a full recovery. [2258]

Jane Kennedy: Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) producing Staphylococcus aureus" is a rare infection; which is commonly associated with skin and soft tissue infections. The information requested is not available as not all Staphylococcus aureus" isolates are tested for the presence of PVL.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to raise awareness of cases of the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin superbug among (a) the public and (b) doctors and other healthcare professionals. [2259]


 
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Jane Kennedy: The Health Protection Agency has already published a number of articles for healthcare professionals to raise awareness of these infections and the Chief Medical Officer will be providing further guidance to raise awareness and promote good practice.

There are no plans for a specific public awareness campaign on Panton Valentine Leukocidin producing Staphylococcus aureus".

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the incidence of MRSA in NHS hospitals. [2878]

Jane Kennedy: The mandatory surveillance system for health care associated infection started in April 2001 with the collection of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections data.

The latest data, for April to September 2004, shows a six per cent. drop on the corresponding period in 2003. More details can be found on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/PublicationsStatistics Article/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4085951&chk=HBt2QD.

NHS Continuing Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether she expects the national framework on continuing care to contain national eligibility criteria for fully-funded NHS continuing care; [2928]

(2) when she expects to publish the response to the Health Committee report published in April on NHS continuing care; [2929]

(3) when she expects to publish the national framework on continuing care; [2930]

(4) how many cases related to retrospective continuing care assessments have been taken up by the Ombudsman at appeal; and how many of these were upheld. [2936]

Mr. Byrne: The Department is currently working closely with selected stakeholders to produce a national framework for the assessment of continuing care, due for publication in early 2006. This should result in national eligibility criteria and suitable assessment methodologies for access to national health service continuing care. I have received a number of representations about the development of a national framework, all of which will be taken into account in its development. In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, we will consult on the official guidance and any legislation required later this year. I expect to make a formal response to the Health Committee report on NHS continuing care before the summer recess.

Details of the review's progress were presented to the House in a written statement by my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 16 September 2004 Official Report, columns 175–77WS, of the 11,655 requests for investigations received by 31 March 2004, 86.1 per cent. had been investigated, with 1,796 being found eligible for recompense. No later data is available. The Department does not collect data about the number of people who subsequently took cases to the Health Ombudsman.
 
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