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30 Jun 2005 : Column 1758W—continued
Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed in each hospital located in the Haringey teaching primary care trust area; and if she will make a statement. [7800]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is shown in the table.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census 2004.
Hepatitis
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports have been made of adverse reactions to hepatitis B vaccination under the yellow card scheme in each year since the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine. [6972]
Jane Kennedy: The safety of all medicines and vaccines, including hepatitis B vaccine, is continuously monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. The MHRA uses a variety of data sources for this purpose including reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) which are reported through the yellow card scheme, clinical trials, published literature, epidemiological studies and periodic safety update reports from marketing authorisation holders.
The table shows the total number of suspected ADR reports received via the yellow card scheme from 1 January to 31 December for hepatitis B vaccine during each year since the first report was received in 1983.
It is important to note that a report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug or vaccine. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication or a newly occurring or previously undiagnosed underlying illness.
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Honours
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour. [5117]
Mr. Pope: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Hutton) on 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1059W.
Hospital Beds (London)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) intensive care and (b) high dependency beds there were in each strategic health authority in London in January in each of the last three years. [8011]
Jane Kennedy: The data requested are published on the Department's website at: www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/critical_care_ beds.htm.
Hospital Travel Costs Scheme
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with hospital trusts on the implementation of its Hospital Travel Costs Scheme Guidance (2003) with reference to the promotion of the Hospital Travel Costs scheme to patients attending hospital for cancer treatment. [7938]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect any central information or issue guidance regarding the promotion of the Hospital Travel Costs scheme to patients attending hospital for cancer treatment.
Hospital-acquired Infections
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role community matrons play in minimising MRSA in residential care and nursing homes; and if she will make a statement. [5897]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 22 June 2005]: The Matron's Charter" launched in October 2004, reinforced the matron's role by setting out 10 key commitments to cleanliness, aimed at all staff in the national health service. Although the focus was on care in the hospital setting, many of the principles espoused are applicable across the whole spectrum of health care.
Residential care and nursing homes are not required to have community matrons on staff complements but may receive advice from community matrons on clinical issues.
The care homes regulations set out requirements for hygiene and infection control and care home providers are required to ensure that at all times suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff are working in the care home. These persons should receive training appropriate to their work and infection control is detailed in the induction standards set by Skills for Care and should be used by all new staff and those taking national vocational qualifications.
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David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has undertaken into possible links between use of agency and bank nursing staff within the NHS and prevalence of MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections. [6552]
Jane Kennedy: The Department has conducted initial research to examine the links between the use of temporary nursing staff, hospital cleanliness and methicillin resistant" Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the work is still in progress and results are not yet available.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Department's policy is on the use of (a) disinfectants and (b) detergents for cleaning, with particular reference to control of hospital infections. [7735]
Jane Kennedy: The use of disinfectants is a local decision and trusts should have local policies on disinfectant use focused on specific infection risks.
The National health service cleaning manual, which is endorsed by experts in cleaning and microbiology, recommends detergents for routine use, but recognises disinfectants are needed in particular circumstances.
As overuse of disinfectants can damage some fabrics and surfaces and may encourage the development of resistant organisms, the Department is supporting research into microfibre cleaning, which requires neither detergents nor disinfectant. Early results are encouraging. The cleaning manual will be updated following the trial.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff at the (a) Whittington hospital, (b) Royal Free hospital Hampstead, (c) North Middlesex university hospital and (d) Haringey teaching primary care trust St. Ann's hospital have been allocated to the treatment of (i) Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (ii) Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus, (iii) Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhoea, (iv) Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and (v) Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci in each of the last five years; and what proportion of the budget of each hospital was allocated to the treatment of each in each year. [7751]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has evaluated on possible risks of transmission of MRSA within hospitals on neck-ties worn by doctors and other hospital staff; and if she will make a statement. [7762]
Jane Kennedy
[holding answer 28 June 2005]: Although studies by Nurkin et al have shown the presence of pathogens on neckties, the evidence indicates that inadequate hand hygiene is the main cause of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission. However, health care workers should use appropriate protective clothing such as aprons to prevent transmission of micro-organisms to patients and contamination of their own clothing or skin.
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