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11 Jul 2005 : Column 745W—continued
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions her Department has had with representatives of (a) patient groups and (b) professional organisations on the implementation of the waiting times targets for prostate cancer patients; [10223]
(2) what safeguards she plans to put in place to ensure that the cancer waiting time targets allow prostate cancer patients time to reflect before deciding on an appropriate course of treatment; [10224]
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(3) what steps she has taken to inform (a) professionals, (b) hospitals trusts and (c) patient support groups of issues relating to the implementation of waiting time targets for prostate cancer patients; [10225]
(4) what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that prostate cancer patients are not directed towards a less effective form of treatment so as to meet waiting time targets. [10226]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answers 7 July 2005]: The NHS Cancer Plan sets out our strategy to reduce waiting times for cancer patients. There are two targets for prostate cancer to be achieved from December 2005; a maximum 31 day wait from diagnosis of prostate cancer to start of treatment and 62 days from urgent referral for suspected prostate cancer to first treatment.
A national cancer waits project was set up in December 2004 and has held two national conferences on achievement of the 2005 waiting times targets. An expert reference group, chaired by the national cancer director, consisting of representatives from special health authorities, primary care trusts, senior clinicians and national health service managers meets regularly to advise the project and discuss NHS implementation of the targets. The prostate advisory group, which includes membership from prostate charities, also discussed prostate cancer waits at its last meeting.
If a patient tells a clinician that they need time to reflect before deciding on treatment, then clinicians are allowed to suspend the time patients need to consider their treatment options. This means that when monitoring the time taken to achieve the targets, this time does not count as part of the 31 and 62 day waiting times. This ensures that patients have enough time to
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make the right decision about their favoured treatment option. Decisions on the best treatment for each individual cancer patient must remain a clinical decision made by a multi disciplinary team. The targets ensure that agreed treatment is delivered quickly.
Psoriasis
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the proportion of the NHS drug budget that was allocated to treating psoriasis in the last year for which figures are available. [5986]
Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the form requested. However, in 2003–04, the net ingredient cost of preparations used in the treatment of psoriasis was £31 million. This is 0.4 per cent, of the total net ingredient cost of all drugs dispensed in the community in England.
Residential Care
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of extra-care tenants died in (a) their extra-care home and (b) in hospital in the last period for which figures are available; [7756]
(2) what percentage of residents of nursing and residential care homes died (a) in their care home and (b) in hospital in the last period for which figures are available. [7757]
Mr. Byrne: The data are not centrally available.
Sexually-transmitted Diseases
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) gonorrhoea, (b) syphilis, (c) Chlamydia and (b) thrush have been diagnosed in each primary care trust in London in each of the last five years. [8227]
Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of cases of gonorrhoea, syphilis, Chlamydia and thrush (anogenital candidosis) diagnosed in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in each primary care trust (PCT) in London from 2000 to 2004 inclusive has been placed in the Library.
Skin Cancer
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with skin cancer in London in each year since 1997. [8323]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Ms Sarah Teather, dated 11 July 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many people have been diagnosed with skin cancer in London in each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (8323)
The most recent available figures for the incidence of melanoma skin cancer are for the year 2002. Numbers of cases in London for the years 1997 to 2002 are given in the table below.
| Persons | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 484 |
| 1998 | 516 |
| 1999 | 482 |
| 2000 | 571 |
| 2001 | 508 |
| 2002 | 459 |
(45)Melanoma skin cancer is coded to C43 in the 10th edition of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10).
(46)Government office for the region.
Source:
Office for National Statistics
Years 2000 & 2001—table 4 'Cancer statistics: registrations, England' series MB1.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=
8843&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=240.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many cases of skin cancer linked to exposure to the sun have been reported in each of the last five years. [9213]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Mark Tami, dated 11 July 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many cases of skin cancer linked to exposure to the sun have been reported in each of the last five years. I am replying in his absence. (9213)
The most recent available figures for the incidence of melanoma skin cancer are for the year 2002. Numbers of cases by sex for the years 1998 to 2002 are given in the table below.
(47)Melanoma skin cancer is coded to C43 in the 10th edition of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10).
Source:
Office for National Statistics
Information on whether or not cases of skin cancer are linked to sun exposure is not available centrally.
Smoking
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations the Government have received regarding circumstances when smoking does not have a negative effect on public health. [7129]
Caroline Flint: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on Tuesday 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 365W.
Sterilisers
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sterilisers for decontaminating surgical instruments were (a) over 16 years, (b) 11 to 15 years and (c) 10 or less years old in NHS hospitals in England, in the most recent period for which figures are
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available, broken down by health authority; and what proportion of the total number of sterilizers this represents in each case. [9306]
Jane Kennedy: We do not routinely collect information about the number of sterilisers and their ages. Information collected in compiling the comprehensive survey report, A Review of the Decontamination of Surgical Instruments in the NHS in England", published in December 2001, is shown in the table.
| Age (years) | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 | 251 | 29 |
| 6–10 | 200 | 22 |
| 11–15 | 199 | 27 |
| Greater than 16 | 242 | 27 |
As part of phase one of the decontamination programme, 160 sterilisers were procured by the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) for NHS trusts in England. We have no information on sterilisers that may have been bought by NHS Trusts without involving NHS PASA.
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