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HEALTH
Accident and Emergency (Catchment Areas)
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average catchment area of an accident and emergency unit is in terms of (a) population and (b) travel time. [4000]
Mr. Byrne:
This information is not collected.
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Actrapid Insulin
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has assessed on the effect on diabetic patients of changing their insulin regimes from actrapid or basal to other types. [5674]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There has been no research to assess the effects on diabetic patients of changing their insulin regimes from the NovoNordisk product Actrapid or other basal types. All patients will be assessed individually by their clinician and prescribed an appropriate alternative. They will be trained in how to use/manage the new insulin and monitored closely over the short and long-term.
Air Pollution
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the findings were of the research the Department have conducted on the links between air pollution and health. [5844]
Caroline Flint: The findings of the Department's first two air pollution research programmes are published in "Joint Research Programmes on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution: A Review of Progress 1999", which is available on the Medical Research Council Institute for Environment and Health's website at http://www.le.ac.uk/ieh/pdf/sr4.pdf
A third research programme started in 2002 and is still ongoing. The projects selected for funding are listed on the Department's air pollution website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/07/06/08/04070608.pdf
Alliance Medical Ltd.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average cost of a scan conducted by Alliance Medical Ltd. on behalf of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust during the five-year life of the contract; what methodology was used to calculate the average cost; and if she will make a statement. [2030]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 6 June 2005]: The average cost of a scan conducted by Alliance Medical Ltd. is a matter of commercial confidentiality and cannot be disclosed without prejudicing the commercial interests of the company. The contract was secured at excellent value being approximately half the national health service equivalent cost for the total patient episode.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which countries Alliance Medical send scan results produced under its NHS contract to be assessed. [2251]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 6 June 2005]: Scans are sent to qualified radiologists in Scotland, Belgium, South Africa and Spain.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average amount of time is that a patient has waited for the results of a scan undertaken by Alliance Medical. [2254]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 6 June 2005]: The information is not collected centrally. However, the average reporting time for a scan is between four and
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seven and a half working days, that is, not weekends, bank holidays etc. The national health service timetable will determine when the results are given to the patient.
Ambulances (Equipment)
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on what equipment should be provided in ambulances. [4405]
Mr. Byrne: The Department expects ambulances to be appropriately equipped to deliver care, in accordance with national clinical guidelines, to the patients they see. It is for each national health service ambulance trust to determine how this is done. Regional variations in service provision and type of vehicle, for example, weight allowance, are all factors, which trusts take into account. The British Standards Institute has a recommended list of equipment to be carried, which trusts can use and add to as appropriate.
For emergency preparedness, every front line emergency ambulance is equipped to deal with a major incident, having on board and being familiar with their local major emergency plan and action cards. All have the correct level of personal protective equipment to allow them to work in a major incident environment. In the event of a major incident, every trust has emergency equipment vehicles carrying the extra medical supplies required for a large-scale incident and a mobile control unit, plus sufficient ambulance officers to manage the incident.
Audit Systems
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems of audit are used to check information provided by general practitioners to strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in terms of dealing with targets. [3728]
Mr. Byrne: Audit of general practitioner information is a matter for primary care trusts and specifically their chief executives as accountable officers.
Autism
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research projects into the causes of autism have been (a) supported and (b) funded by the Government since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [3075]
Mr. Byrne: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
The MRC invested some £8 million in autism research in the seven years from 1997–98 to 2003–04. This total includes an allocation of £2.5 million made by the Department in 2002.
Details of the projects funded in that period and more recently are shown in the table.
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(17) The most recently completed
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Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects, including a number concerned with the causes of autism, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice she has given to the Department for Education and Skills regarding the training needs for those working with people with autistic spectrum disorders; [4415]
(2) what advice has been given to local authorities on the appropriateness of (a) learning disability teams and (b) mental health teams taking the lead responsibility for people with autism; [4430]
(3) if she will issue advice to local authorities regarding the desirability of having a named senior manager with responsibility for autism for both children and adults. [4421]
Mr. Byrne: "Valuing People, A New Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities" (2001) recognises that many people with severe and profound learning disabilities have autistic behaviours, even if not formally recognised. It is important that all services for people with learning disabilities have the skills to recognise and make adequate provision locally for them although the majority will not need autism specific services.
Adults with disabilities, including those with autism, are covered by the mental health national service framework in respect of their mental health problems.
Addressing the training needs of those working with people with autistic spectrum disorders is the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory bodies. They set standards for the pre-registration training of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, approve the education institutions that provide the training and determine the curricula. Post-registration training needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service.
There are no plans to issue advice to local authorities regarding the desirability of having a named senior manager with responsibility for autism for both children and adults. It is for local authorities and health service providers to determine how best to provide services to meet the needs of the individuals.
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders among the black and minority ethnic population; and if she will make a statement; [4418]
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of adults with autistic spectrum disorders in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England; [4419]
(3) what estimate she has made of how many adults have undiagnosed autistic spectrum disorders; and what action is being taken to ensure that individuals receive a correct diagnosis and appropriate support. [4420]
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Mr. Byrne: Information on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) among the black and minority ethnic population is not collected centrally. The Medical Research Council's (MRC), "Review of Autism Research" (2001) states that it is unclear whether people of particular racial origins are more at risk for ASDs.
The number of adults with ASDs living in Staffordshire is not available. The MRC report estimates that there are approximately 60 per 10,000 children under eight years old with ASDs in England. The prevalence in autism in the adult population is not known, nor are there estimates of how many adults have undiagnosed ASDs.
It is the responsibility of all health and social care agencies to ensure that their staff are appropriately trained to make sure that individuals with ASDs receive a correct diagnosis and appropriate support.
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