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6 Jul 2005 : Column 453W—continued
Diabetes
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children were diagnosed with diabetes in London was in each of the last five years. [8322]
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Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts provide psychotherapy support for those affected by domestic violence. [8406]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not centrally available.
Edgware Hospital
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1503W, what further work is necessary; when she expects a decision to be taken; and if she will make a statement. [9110]
Jane Kennedy: The Department continues to support the North Central London Strategic Health Authority (SHA) in this area with regard to the use of Alliance Medical Ltd. mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit at Edgware Hospital. Further work is required to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the mobile MRI unit at Edgware Hospital and the time scale for this will be lead by the SHA.
Health Care Acquired Infections
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health care acquired infections are subject to mandatory reporting; when that reporting commenced; which are not subject to mandatory reporting; and for what reasons. [7222]
Jane Kennedy: The components of the mandatory surveillance system for health care associated infection and the dates when reporting started are:
Bloodstream infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including susceptibility to methicillin (MRSA)—from 1 April 2001
The above were selected for mandatory surveillance because information on them has national relevance and they act as markers of infection control. Virtually all micro-organisms can cause health care associated infections and prioritisation is essential to ensure that only significant infections are included in the mandatory systems. We expect that new infections will be added in the future in line with scientific advice.
Information on infections not included in the mandatory system is available from the Heath Protection Agency's voluntary reporting systems and there are local surveillance systems.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to include acinetobacter bacteraemia within the mandatory surveillance systems for hospital acquired infection; and if she will make a statement. [7451]
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Jane Kennedy: There are no plans to include bacteraemias due to acinetobactor in the mandatory surveillance system at present. Decisions on extending surveillance will be made in the light of any advice from the Health Protection Agency's steering group on health care associated infections.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) wards and (b) beds in (i) East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and (ii) West Hertfordshire NHS Trust were isolated owing to hospital-acquired infection incidence during (A) 2001–02, (B) 2002–03, (C)2003–04 and (D) 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [8732]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a result of (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital-acquired infections in hospitals in (i)East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and (ii)West Hertfordshire NHS Trust in (A) 2001–02, (B)2002–03, (C) 2003–04 and (D) 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [8733]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the numbers of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia reports for East and North Hertfordshire National Health Service Trust and West Hertfordshire NHS Trust are shown in the table.
| East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust | West Hertfordshire NHS Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 72 | 77 |
| 2002–03 | 86 | 40 |
| 2003–04 | 56 | 45 |
| 2004–05 | 50 | 53 |
MRI Scans
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for routine MRI scans; [8341]
(2) what representations she has received on waiting times for routine MRI scans; [8342]
(3) what assessment she has made of the effects of delayed MRI scans. [8343]
Mr. Byrne:
To address concerns expressed from various sources about waits for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, we have introduced a target that, by 2008, no patient will have to wait more than 18 weeks from referral to start of hospital treatment. This will include any diagnostics tests or procedures leading up to the start of treatment. To support this, in addition to investing in additional capacity in the national health service, 40,000 additional MRI scans per annum have been procured from the independent sector through the use of state-of-the-art mobile scanning units. We are also in the process of procuring a further £200 million worth of diagnostic capacity from the independent sector, as announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in September 2004.
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As part of their local delivery plans, strategic health authorities (SHAs) have been asked to produce trajectories showing planned reductions in maximum waiting times for such tests. New data systems will allow assessment of performance against the SHAs' trajectories.
MRSA
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all known strains of MRSA; and if she will make a statement. [7802]
Jane Kennedy: The total number of strains is not known, but the Health Protection Agency receives around 7,000 methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains a year for typing on a voluntary basis to assist in the investigation of serious disease and outbreak investigation and control. Most hospital outbreaks in the United Kingdom are due to epidemic strains of MRSA, which can readily spread from person to person and affect more than one ward in more than two hospitals. A total of 17 epidemic strains have been identified in the United Kingdom to date and two strains, EMRSA 15 and EMRSA 16, predominate.
NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors)
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to amend the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 to include HIV in those conditions exempted from charging. [9072]
Jane Kennedy: The NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, already state that diagnostic testing for HIV and any associated counselling is free of charge to all irrespective of their residency status. Overseas visitors not eligible for free hospital treatment are required to pay the full costs of any HIV treatment beyond the initial test and counselling. There are no plans at present to amend the regulations to change this.
NHS Patients (Overseas Treatment)
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have been treated in hospitals overseas in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [9239]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Health, (Ms Winterton) gave to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1612W.
NHS Staff (Assault)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other NHS staff have been the victims of offences of violence suffered in the course of their employment in each of the last 20 years. [7561]
Jane Kennedy:
Information on assaults against national health staff by occupational grouping has not been collated centrally.
6 Jul 2005 : Column 457W
In April 2003, the NHS Security Management Service 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. Information concerning physical assaults against NHS staff is expected to be available from summer 2005.
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