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28 Jun 2005 : Column 1513W—continued
Jarvis plc (Private Finance Initiative)
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the private finance initiative contracts that exist between NHS organisations and Jarvis plc. [5939]
Mr. Byrne: In January 2005 Jarvis's shareholding in national health service private finance initiative (PFI) projects was ended when the infrastructure investment group secondary market infrastructure fund bought out its equity interests in two project companies which hold PFI contracts with NHS bodies—the Whittington hospitals NHS trust and Birmingham hospitals NHS trust. Jarvis subsidiary companies continue to provide construction and long-term facilities management (FM) services at these schemes, under a subcontract with the project companies.
Jarvis is also a subcontractor of a charitable trust which has entered into a PFI contract with Newbury and Community primary care trust. Jarvis group companies acted as the construction contractor and are now providing FM services.
Leukaemia
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet the charity Children with Leukaemia to discuss the implications of the Draper report; and if she will make a statement. [6190]
Caroline Flint:
There are currently no plans to meet the charity Children with Leukaemia. The recent publication in the British Medical Journal by Dr.Draper and colleagues found a statistically increased incidence of leukaemia for children whose home address at birth was near power lines compared with those further away. The work was funded by the Department and has significantly added to the body of knowledge built up over the last few years regarding this very important subject. The work will continue with an investigation of the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures at the addresses studied.
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A number of population studies in the past have linked magnetic field exposure with a raised incidence of childhood leukaemia. This has led to the International Agency for Cancer Research to classify extremely low frequency fields or ELF, such as those associated with power lines and domestic wiring as a possible carcinogen". The World Health Organisation and indeed the Health Protection Agency have recommended additional research and the need for further precautionary measures to be considered.
The stakeholder advisory group on electromagnetic ELF fields (SAGE) set up last year has already enabled Government officials to engage in detailed discussions with industry, regulators, professional bodies and interest groups about how to respond to this complex issue. The intention of the process is to offer carefully considered recommendations in the interests of society as a whole, which can be found on R.K. Partnership's website at: www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage
Hair Dyes (Cancer Risk)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will commission research into possible links between the use of hair dye and lymphoma. [6430]
Caroline Flint: There has been some research which suggested a weak link between occupational use of hair dyes and increased risk of cancer, although overall the epidemiological literature is unclear whether an association exists between use of hair dyes and lymphoma.
The European Union initiated a review of hair dyes a few years ago. Advice on the standards of testing and research to be undertaken by industry in order to support continued use of hair dyes was provided by the EU's Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food products intended for consumers (SCCNFP). The SCCNFP has subsequently been replaced by the Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products (SCCP). The SCCP is continuing the review of hair dyes and its agendas, minutes and opinions are available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph risk/committees/04 sccp/04 SCCP en.htm.
Mental Health
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been treated by child and adolescent mental health services in each of the last eight years. [4646]
Mr. Byrne:
Since 2002, some data about the overall child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) case load in England has been collected by the annual CAMHS mapping exercise. This includes a snapshot of the total CAMHS case load in England in a four-week
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period. The case load is defined as the number of active cases that CAMHS teams worked with during the four-week period. The table shows a headcount of children and young people who have received support, treatment and care from specialist CAMHS professionals.
(48)Data for the years 2002–03 and 2003–04 have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data and unknown/invalid clinical data, ie the data are ungrossed.
Notes:
1.Disclosure rules apply due to the sensitive nature of the data; therefore, figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
2.In the four-week period in 2002 a total of 80,602 children and young people were seen and this increased to 86,521 in 2003. The 2004 CAMHS mapping will be published shortly.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reduce violent and threatening behaviour within mental health wards. [5995]
Jane Kennedy: At national level a head of mental health and learning disabilities has been appointed by the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) to lead on a specific programme of work, aimed at providing safe, secure and therapeutic environments in mental health and learning disability settings. The post holder has extensive clinical experience in these environments and was formerly a professional advisor to the Nursing and Midwifery Council on violence against staff. The head is responsible for the development of professionally trained and accredited local security management specialists for mental health and learning disability settings, which will be fully implemented in these areas by summer 2006.
The local security management specialists, supported by the NHS SMS, will ensure that each mental health and learning disability trust has access to professional and specialist skills to tackle issues such as violence in these settings. This role includes developing preventative measures as well as managing violent incidents when they occur.
The NHS SMS has also developed a training syllabus on non-physical intervention techniques for those working in mental health and learning disability settings. This syllabus will be rolled out in autumn 2005 and will complement the National Institute for Mental Health in England's (NIMHE) work on physical interventions.
Guidance developed by NIMHE, Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health In-patient Settings" (February 2004) and by the
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National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence The Short-term Management of Disturbed/Violent Behaviour in In-patient Psychiatric Settings and Emergency Departments" (February 2005) has already been made available to national health service bodies. A key role for the LSMS will be to ensure that this guidance is implemented where appropriate.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to primary care trusts on the provision of (a) alternative and (b) cognitive behavioural therapies in mental health wards. [5997]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Psychological therapies, which include cognitive behavioural therapy, were included alongside drug treatments in the national service framework for mental heath (1999) to reflect their importance alongside drug treatments, and their popularity with some service users. In 2001, an evidence based guideline, Treatment choice in psychological therapies and counselling" was published in 2001 to help general practitioners and other professionals know more about the most effective treatments for particular conditions. A booklet for service users and carers, Choosing talking treatments?", was also published in 2001 to help them know the questions to ask when seeking a talking treatment. The Department also published a best practice guide entitled Organising and delivering psychological therapies" (2004) in order to help local services deliver acceptable, accessible, equitable, cost effective and safe psychological therapy services.
As stated in the national director for mental health's recent report on the implementation of the national service framework for mental health, Five years on", published in 2004, the Department is planning to commission a review of evidence of effectiveness of complementary healthcare for mental health problems. This review will inform the development of a national framework for supporting local innovation in mental health services to make them more responsive to individual needs.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase provision to (a) train and (b) recruit psychologists for inpatient mental health wards. [6036]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Within the context of implementing the National mental health workforce strategy" (2004), the Department will continue with its drive to increase the numbers of staff who can deliver psychological therapies which has contributed to an almost 75 per cent. increase in the number clinical psychologists and a 125 per cent. increase in the number of non-medical psychotherapists working in the national health service since 1997.
In addition, as set out in the national director for mental health's report on the implementation of the national service framework for mental health, Five years on" (2004), a new programme of work in the National Institute for Mental Health in England will explore ways of expanding the availability of talking treatments. These are likely to include improved psychological therapy skills in frontline staff, new staff who are trained in brief interventions of proven effectiveness, self-help technologies and a broader
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choice of providers of therapy in the national health service and the independent sector. These initiatives are being supported by the Department's guidance entitled Organising and Delivering Psychological Therapies" (2004).
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being implemented following the publication of the national service framework for mental health—Five years on". [6144]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department will continue with the implementation of the national service framework for mental health (1999), take forward the recommendations of the Social Exclusion Unit's report on mental health (2004), help challenge discrimination against people with mental health problems through a new anti-stigma programme, eradicate unsuitable mental health wards and work to improve mental health care for ethnic minorities. The Department will put greater emphasis on improving the mental health and well-being of the community as a whole and explore ways of expanding the availability of talking treatments. The Department will continue to work towards its public service agreement target to reduce mortality rates from suicide and undetermined injury by at least 20 per cent. by 2010.
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