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7 Jul 2005 : Column 573W—continued
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each year since 1997. [9912]
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Mr. Byrne:
This information is not collected centrally. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence appraisal of the use of Methylphenidate in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), published in October 2000, estimated the prevalence of all types of
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ADHD at around 5 per cent., of school-aged children, or approximately 345,000 six to 16-year-olds in England.
Bacteriophages
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the suitability of bacteriophage in methods to reduce MRSA infection; and what representations she has received on such suitability. [3360]
Jane Kennedy: The available evidence suggests that bacteriophages may have a role in helping to control health care acquired infections, such as methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA). It is for any company or individual, who believes they have a product that has an effective role to play in combating health care acquired infections to refer to the rapid review panel, when appropriate.
Blood Donations
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have given blood in London in each of the last five years. [8312]
Jane Kennedy:
Information on the number of donors and donations of blood collected in the Greater London area between 2000 and 2005 is shown in the table.
Thousand
| Active donors | Collections | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 188.5 | —(7) |
| 2001–02 | 176.8 | 238.6 |
| 2002–03 | 172.5 | 226.3 |
| 2003–04 | 164.8 | 216.7 |
| 2004–05 | 152.9 | 196.0 |
(7) The National Blood Service (NBS) collects such information in a different geographical format, so it is unable to provide information on the number of collections in the Greater London area for 2000–01.
Source:
NBS
Children's Hospices
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list children's hospices, broken down by region; and if she will make a statement. [8045]
Mr. Byrne: There are now 35 registered children's hospices in England. In addition, a small number are at the planning stage. A full list of the current hospices is shown in the following table.
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Departmental Advertising Expenditure
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) the Department and (b) non-departmental bodies for which the Department is responsible spent on advertising in 2004–05, broken down by media type. [8019]
Jane Kennedy: Media spend on advertising for the Department for 2004–05 was £32.7 million. The breakdown is shown in the following table.
| Media type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Press | 6.8 |
| Regional press | 2.1 |
| Television | 17.8 |
| Radio | 3.5 |
| Outdoor posters | 2.3 |
| Online | 0.2 |
We have no central record of advertising spend by non-departmental bodies, and could not obtain these without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental Advice
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department's advice "Clostridium Difficile:
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Infection Prevention and Management" was last reviewed; and what plans she has to audit compliance with it. [8017]
Jane Kennedy: "Clostridium Difficile: Infection Prevention and Management" has not been formally reviewed, but we will be discussing options for this with the Health Protection Agency, in light of the lessons we have learned since its publication and any recommendations that may arise from the Healthcare Commission inquiry into the recent Clostridium Difficile outbreak. The guidance is still relevant in its current form. There are no plans for an audit for compliance with this guidance.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list diagnostic and treatment centres, broken down by (a) location and (b) specialism. [6810]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Diversity Training
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) medical students and (b) student nurses receive diversity training; and what research the Government have commissioned on the effects of diversity training for (i) medical students and (ii) student nurses. [9615]
Mr. Byrne: The Department does not set the curriculums for health professional training. This is a matter for the statutory and professional bodies. However, we do share a commitment with them that all health professionals are trained to acquire, the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to the diverse range of individuals, cultures and groups with whom they have contact.
East Sussex Hospitals Trust
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates the Department's Recovery and Support Unit visited East Sussex Hospitals Trust; whether it has reported to Ministers; and what actions she plans to take as a result of their intervention. [9782]
Caroline Flint: The Department's recovery and support unit (RSU) has not visited the East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
In line with "Shifting the Balance of Power", the RSU addresses all performance issues, including performance at the East Sussex Trust, through the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SHA). It is not standard practice for the RSU to intervene directly with trusts.
The RSU continues to discuss specific performance issues relating to East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust with the SHA.
Ethical Recruitment
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of recruiting agencies used by the NHS were signed up to the Department's Code of Practice on ethical recruitment in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [9823]
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Mr. Byrne [holding answer 5 July 2005]: Compliance with the code is recorded on the NHS Employers' website at: www.nhsemployers.org/doc/recruitment_code_of_practice.pdf.
115 recruitment agencies were invited to sign up to the code via the website at the end of 2002. By February 2003, 64 agencies had replied with confirmation that they complied with the provisions of the code. By August 2004, the number had increased to 164.
A revised code was published in December 2004, which tightened arrangements for locum recruitment and the private sector.
As at June 2005, the number of agencies currently named on the Code of Practice website is 237.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that the NHS abides by its Code of Practice on ethical recruitment. [9824]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 5 July 2005]: A list of commercial recruitment agencies compliant with the Code of Practice is kept on the NHS Employers' website at www.nhsemployers.org/workforce/list_of_agencies.asp
NHS Employers monitors the use of agencies by the national health service and checks that the agency used is on the website list.
NHS Employers checks that agencies are compliant with the code and makes inquiries if there is evidence an NHS employer or an agency is in breach of the code.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that the NHS does not recruit from the private sector health care workers who have migrated to the UK from countries which would be excluded under her Department's Code of Practice on ethical recruitment had they been recruited directly into the NHS. [9825]
Mr. Byrne: [holding answer 5 July 2005]: A person given leave to remain in the United Kingdom enjoys the same protection from racial discrimination and access to equal opportunities as other UK nationals when seeking employment.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that the NHS does not contract out services to private sector organisations which have not signed up to the Department's Code of Practice on ethical recruitment. [9826]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 5 July 2005]: The Code of Practice covers the recruitment and employment of health care professionals. Compliance with the Code of Practice is a contractual obligation for all independent sector providers and recruitment agencies working with the national health service.
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