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21 Jun 2005 : Column 968W—continued
Clostridium Difficile
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have been (a) infected with and (b) died from the clostridium difficile bacteria in each of the last five years. [4460]
Jane Kennedy: Complete information on the number of patients with clostridium difficile infections in the last five years are not available, but reports made under the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) voluntary reporting scheme are shown in table 1.
(27) 2000-England and Wales only.
(28) Provisional data.
Source:
HPA.
The only routinely available mortality statistic on clostridium difficile are those associated with enterocolitis, the most common illness caused by clostridium difficile infection.
Table 2 shows total mentions of clostridium difficile enterocolitis and the number where it was also the underlying cause of death for 2001 onwards. Comparable figures are not available before 2001, because no specific code for clostridium difficile exists in the ninth revision of the international classification of diseases (ICD). The version of the ICD used to code death certificates did not include a specific code for clostridium difficile enterocolitis.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is working with the HPA on a special study to identify the total number of deaths where clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate.
(29) Selected using the code A04.7 from the ICD, tenth revision (ICD-10).
Source:
ONS.
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Dentistry
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent Personal Dental Service conversion rates are, broken down by primary care trust area and expressed as a percentage of the total number of dental surgery addresses. [2772]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 9 June 2005]: The information requested has been placed in the Library. This shows the percentage of dental practice addresses at 31 May 2005 which have an open personal dental service (PDS) contract—expressed as a percentage of the total number of dental surgery addresses with either an open general dental service (CDS) or PDS contract. At 31 May, there were 5,845 dentists in PDS pilots. This was 28.9 per cent, of the total number of dentists in the GDS and PDS pilots.
Hepatitis C
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her officials will discuss with the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health its data collection on hepatitis C in Scotland; and if she will make a statement. [1701]
Caroline Flint: Departmental officials are in contact from time to time with officials in the Scottish Executive, who take advice from Health Protection Scotland (HPS), (formerly known as the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health) about a range of issues around hepatitis C, including data collection on hepatitis C in Scotland.
I am aware that the Health Protection Agency, which is responsible for national surveillance of hepatitis C, is discussing with HPS ways in which reporting in England may be improved.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy response she has formulated to the advice of the Chief Medical Officer given in the document Getting Ahead of the Curve published in 2002 relating to the treatment costs of hepatitis C. [3138]
Caroline Flint: The Department published its Hepatitis C Action Plan for England" in 2004 to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. Implementation of the action plan is being underpinned by an awareness raising campaign for health care professionals and the public.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her officials have had with the Scottish Executive concerning differentials in the rate of diagnosis of hepatitis C in Scotland and England; and if she will make a statement [1463]
Caroline Flint
[holding answer 6 June 2005]: Departmental officials are in contact from time to time with officials in the Scottish Executive about a range of issues around hepatitis C, but have not had any specific discussions on the differential rates of laboratory reported hepatitis C diagnoses made to Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in England. However, we are aware that the HPA, which is responsible for national surveillance of hepatitis C, is discussing with the HPS ways in which reporting in England may be improved.
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Hospital Hygiene
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps cross-infection sisters are taking to control infection. [3188]
Jane Kennedy: The role of the infection control nurses is defined in Hospital Infection Control, Guidance on the control of infection in hospitals", prepared by the hospital infection working group of the Department and the Public Health Laboratory Service in March 1995, which is available in the Library. The infection control nurse is responsible for surveillance, prevention and control of infection and has responsibility for ensuring policies and training are in place to secure effective infection control.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)what guidelines have been issued on the hygiene of interaction between patients, clinical staff and visitors in NHS hospitals; [3904]
(2) what guidelines are followed when isolating patients who contract infections in relation to contact between patients, clinical staff and visitors in NHS hospitals. [3907]
Jane Kennedy: Trusts have their own infection control manuals and these will include policies on the management of isolated patients and procedures to be followed by patients and relatives. These will be based on national guidelines and other evidence.
The key guidance documents available on the Department's website include:
The epic project: developing national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare associated infection; Phase 1: guidelines for preventing hospital-acquired infections"
National Institute for Clinical Excellence, Infection Control: prevention of healthcare associated infection in primary and community care"
Information on the management of infected patients is available on the newly created national resource for infection control website at http://www.nric.org.uk.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether bedside Bibles have been removed in University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust to stem transmission of infections between patients. [3906]
Jane Kennedy: Bedside Bibles are still available to patients at University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service Trust. Although publications such as Bibles cannot be thoroughly decontaminated between patients, they are not a major source of infection.
The national programme to tackle healthcare associated infections concentrates on reducing significant risks, for example, by improving hand hygiene.
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NHS Staff (Assaults)
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assaults have been recorded on ambulance staff in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [4398]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested has not been collated centrally for the period 1999–2000.
The table shows the estimated number of reported violent incidents against ambulance staff for 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2002–03. These estimates could represent a range of incidents from assault to verbal abuse and therefore do not accurately identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem.
| Total number of reported incidents in the year | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 3,882 |
| 2001–02 | 4,778 |
| 2002–03 | 5,283 |
In April 2003, the national health service security management service (SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. In November 2003, a new national reporting system for physical assaults against NHS staff was introduced. The SMS has begun a programme of work
21 Jun 2005 : Column 972W
to identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem of violence against NHS staff. Accurate information concerning physical assaults against NHS staff is expected to be available from summer 2005.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the number of violent incidents in ambulance trusts in the NHS in England in each year since 1997, broken down by trust. [4400]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested has not been collated centrally for the period 1997–99.
The table shows the estimated number of reported violent incidents involving ambulance staff for 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2002–03 for each ambulance trust in England. These estimates could represent a range of incidents from assault to verbal abuse and therefore do not accurately identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem.
In April 2003, the national health service security management service (SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. In November 2003, a new national reporting system for physical assaults against NHS staff was introduced. The SMS has begun a programme of work to identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem of violence against NHS staff. Accurate information concerning physical assaults against NHS staff is expected to be available from summer 2005.
Source:
Department of Health.
21 Jun 2005 : Column 973W
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on the provision of protective uniforms to ambulance personnel for protection against violent attack. [4404]
Jane Kennedy: The provision of protective uniforms is a matter for each individual national health service ambulance trust, based on a comprehensive risk assessment of the risks faced by their staff. A joint Treasury-funded project between the NHS security management service and the Home Office is currently evaluating the effectiveness of such equipment in helping to better protect ambulance staff. This is due to report later this year.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attacks there have been on ambulance officers and paramedics in each of the last five years, broken down by health authority; how many people have been successfully prosecuted for carrying out such attacks; how many prosecutions are ongoing; and if she will make a statement. [4158]
Jane Kennedy
[holding answer 15 June 2005]: The information requested has not been collated centrally for the period 1999–2000.
21 Jun 2005 : Column 974W
The table shows the estimated number of reported violent incidents involving ambulance staff for 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2002–03 for each ambulance trust in England. These estimates could represent a range of incidents from assault to verbal abuse and therefore do not accurately identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem.
In April 2003, the national health service security management service (SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. In November 2003, a new national reporting system for physical assaults against NHS staff was introduced. The SMS has begun a programme of work to identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem of violence against NHS staff. Accurate information concerning physical assaults against NHS staff is expected to be available from summer 2005.
Information relating to the number of prosecutions for those who have assaulted NHS staff was not collated centrally in any systematic manner prior to 2004–05. In 2002–03, there were 51 prosecutions against those who had assaulted NHS staff who could be identified by a Department of Health survey of NHS health bodies. Information relating to the number of successful prosecutions obtained against those who have physically assaulted NHS staff for 2004–05 will be available shortly.
Source:
Department of Health
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions for violence against the staff of NHS trusts have been taken out in each year since 2003; and what targets have been set by her Department to increase the number of incidents where the perpetrators are prosecuted. [4399]
21 Jun 2005 : Column 975W
Jane Kennedy: Information relating to the number of prosecutions for those who have physically assaulted national health service staff was not collated systematically prior to 2004–05, when the NHS security management service (SMS) introduced a national reporting system for physical assaults.
In 2002–03, there were 51 prosecutions against those who had assaulted NHS staff who could be identified by a Department of Health survey of NHS health bodies. Information relating to the number of successful prosecutions obtained against those who have physically assaulted NHS staff for 2004–05 will be available shortly.
No targets for increasing the number of prosecutions obtained against those who assault NHS staff have been set. A developing network of local security management specialists across the NHS, supported by the SMS, will provide stronger local liaison with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and ensure that all incidents of violence against staff are properly investigated and prosecuted, where that is appropriate and in the public interest.
A Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Chief Police Officers will be agreed by autumn this year. This will ensure that the responsibilities, in relation to tackling violence, of health bodies, the SMS and the police are clearly defined.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set by her Department on reducing incidents of violence against NHS staff. [4631]
Jane Kennedy: No targets are set currently for reducing the number of incidents of violence against national health service staff.
In April 2003, the NHS security management service (SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for tackling violence against NHS staff.
The SMS aims to deliver a secure environment for both those who use or work in the NHS, so that the highest standards of clinical care can be made available to patients. Its objective is to deter and prevent such incidences from occurring but, where this cannot be achieved, enable staff to manage these incidents with a minimum of risk to themselves and others.
In November 2003, a comprehensive range of measures were introduced to tackle incidences of violence against NHS staff, both proactively and reactively. The SMS has begun a programme of work to identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem of violence against NHS staff. Once this work is completed, meaningful and achievable targets for delivering a secure environment for NHS staff will be set.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total financial cost to NHS trusts of pursuing prosecutions on behalf of staff who have been victims of an alleged assault during their hours of work was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what assessment she has made of the effect of such costs on trusts' willingness to prosecute. [5162]
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Jane Kennedy [holding answer 20 June 2005]: The information requested is not collated centrally.
In April 2003, the national health service security management service (SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. In November 2003, the SMS legal protection unit was created, as one of a range of measures introduced to tackle violence against NHS staff. Its objective is to work with health bodies, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to increase the number of prosecutions against those who assault NHS staff.
They provide free and consistent advice on action to health bodies to deal with those who abuse or assault staff and where legal action is required, independent of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, will share up to 50 per cent. of the costs of pursuing such action. This represents a significant financial saving for health bodies.
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