---

19 Jul 2005 : Column 1663W—continued

Breastfeeding

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts (a) are collecting reliable data on breastfeeding initiation and duration rates and (b) have appointed a breastfeeding co-ordinator. [11206]

Caroline Flint: The latest data provided to the Department for 2004–05, found there were 201 primary care trusts collecting reliable data on breastfeeding initiation, where reliable has been defined as consistent data in which at least 96 per cent. of mothers have their breastfeeding initiation status given.

Data on the number of primary care trusts who have appointed a breastfeeding co-ordinator are not collected centrally.

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the baseline breastfeeding initiation data as outlined in the Priorities and Planning Framework 2003 to 2006 are for each primary care trust. [11207]

Caroline Flint: Data for breastfeeding initiation are not yet sufficiently robust to reliably assess levels of breastfeeding initiation for all primary care trusts (PCTs). However, the data quality is improving. The percentage of others for whom breastfeeding initiation status was not known decreased from 14.6 per cent. in 2003–04 to 5.6 per cent. in 2004–05. We continue to monitor the progress of PCTs in improving the data quality.

Cancelled Operations (Southend)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations in Southend primary care trust were cancelled on (a) the day of and (b) the day after admission; and how many of these patients were not readmitted within a month in each quarter of the last five years for which figures are available. [10532]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information about cancelled operations at primary care trust level.

However, the table shows the number of operations cancelled at the last minute for non clinical reasons and the number of patients not admitted within 28 days at Southend Hospital National Health Service Trust.

Quarter	Number of last minute cancellations for non clinical reasons in the quarter	Number of patients not admitted within 28 days of cancellation on the day of surgery
2004–05
April-June	124	5
July-September	250	30
October-December	298	28
January-March	335	39
2003–04
April-June	177	1
July-September	149	1
October-December	226	3
January-March	139	2
2002–03
April-June	81	11
July-September	34	3
October-December	179	5
January-March	215	4
2001–02
April-June	86	0
July-September	113	0
October-December	104	0
January-March	97	14

Notes:
1. Data were collected by health authority only prior to 2001–02. Trust level data were collected from 2001–02 onwards
2. A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. For example, a patient is to be admitted to hospital on a Monday for an operation scheduled for the following day (Tuesday). If the hospital cancels his/her operation for non-clinical reasons on the Monday, then this would count as a last minute cancellation. This includes patients who have not actually arrived in hospital and have been telephoned at home prior to their arrival.
3. An operation which is rescheduled to a time within 24 hours of the original scheduled operation should be recorded as a postponement and not as a cancellation. The QMCO collection does not record the number of postponements.
4. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable.





 
19 Jul 2005 : Column 1664W
 

Cancer Treatment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are being treated with the cancer drug Anastrozole in each NHS health authority area in England. [11227]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of people currently being treated by Anastrozole in each national health service health authority area in England and Wales is not collected centrally. However, the prescription cost analysis database contains the following data for Anastrozole dispensed in the community. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.
Number of items and cost of Anastrozole dispensed in England, 1995 to 2004

	Items	Cost (£)
1995	1,131	109,341
1996	27,896	2,764,835
1997	65,487	6,595,537
1998	97,275	9,883,452
1999	121,150	12,457,630
2000	145,746	14,909,606
2001	171,971	17,556,672
2002	218,438	22,322,882
2003	275,043	28,359,636
2004	331,582	34,358,711

Care Homes (Essex)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) local authority and (b) private sector care homes there are in each local authority in Essex. [10531]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of care homes by type of provider in Essex at 31 March 2001 is shown in the table.
 
19 Jul 2005 : Column 1665W
 

I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
Number of care homes in Essex by type of provider at 31 March 2001

Rounded number(60)
	Residential homes(61)		Nursing homes(62)
Councils with social services responsibilities	Local authority staffed	Independent(63)	Independent
Total for Essex area	45	490	(64)120
Essex	40	355	n/a
Southend	5	110	n/a
Thurrock	5	25	n/a

n/a = Data not available.
1 Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2 Excludes dual registered homes.
3 Includes general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics. Dual registered homes are included under nursing homes.
4 Includes voluntary, private and small homes.
5 Data on nursing homes relates to North Essex and South Essex health authorities.
Source:
RA Form A,RH(N) Form A.

Chlamydia

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) males and (b) females have been diagnosed with Chlamydia in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [12780]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 5 July 2005, Official Report, columns 364–65W.
 
19 Jul 2005 : Column 1666W
 

Clostridium Difficile

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she will publish the terms of reference of her proposed inquiry into Clostridium difficile; [7737]

(2) whether the terms of reference of her proposed inquiry into Clostridium difficile will cover the role of (a) her Department and (b) the Health Protection Agency in responding to the trend in the incidence of Clostridium difficile and the discovery of strain 027 in English hospitals; [8957]

(3) if she will frame the terms of reference of her proposed inquiry into Clostridium difficile to cover each hospital where strain 027 has been confirmed. [8960]

Jane Kennedy [holding answers 4 July 2005]: In asking the Healthcare Commission to undertake its investigation, the Secretary of State made it clear that the first priority must be to bring the outbreak at Stoke Mandeville under control and requested that the investigation only commence once all parties agreed that it was sensible to do so. The Healthcare Commission are drawing up the terms of reference for the investigation and these will be available shortly.

The Healthcare Commission has been asked to undertake an investigation into Clostridium difficile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It is hoped that any learning and best practice arising from the investigation will be shared across the national health service.

---