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10 Oct 2005 : Column 211W—continued
Drug Treatment (Essex)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential and (b) in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places are available in Essex. [15613]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Information is not held centrally in the format requested. However, establishments
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that provide residential and in-patient specialist drug treatment and rehabilitation are listed as follows:
Priory Treatment Centre—private facility—provides in-patient treatment and residential rehabilitation.
Residential rehabilitation services are mostly provided on the basis of a national catchment area and receive clients from across the country. Therefore, Essex clients who are assessed as needing treatment may be sent to residential rehabilitation services in the east of England, or nationwide, according to their choice.
Drug Trials
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many random controlled drug trials her Department has undertaken in each of the last 10years. [15382]
Jane Kennedy: The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service; and through the health technology assessment programme funds research into the effectiveness, appropriateness and cost of health treatment and prevention regimes. Over the last 10 years, research projects funded as part of these and other centrally funded programmes have included some 48 randomised controlled trials.
Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. Details of individual projects, including those classified as randomised controlled trials, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of patients whose health has been adversely affected because they received the placebo during controlled drug trials in each of the last 10 years. [15383]
Jane Kennedy: None. A placebo, in itself, would have no adverse effect and a national health service research ethics committee would be unlikely to approve a trial that denied participants the benefit of standard therapy that in doing so put them at greater than minimal risk.
E111 Scheme
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reform the E111 scheme. [15051]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The E111 forms are in the process of being replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Some member states started issuing EHICs from 1 June 2004. Others, including the United Kingdom, which had no existing card-issuing infrastructure, were given until 31 December 2005 to do so. The UK EHIC will be valid for use elsewhere in the European Economic Area from 1 September. Existing E111s will remain valid until 31 December 2005. There will be further publicity to inform the UK public.
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East Midlands Ambulance Service
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will take steps to investigate the response times of the East Midlands Ambulance Service. [15018]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power", it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs,) in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people. Within the framework set out in the NHS Plan and other policy documents, PCTs, with their specialised knowledge of the local community, are effectively able to manage and improve local services.
Elderly Patients
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish an inquiry into the care of elderly inpatients in the NHS. [15600]
Mr. Byrne: We have no plans to establish an inquiry into the care of older inpatients. The next steps programme of the older people's national service framework is looking at improving the dignity and privacy of older patients. The project is jointly led at director level by the chief nursing officer and the director of care services and supported by the national clinical director for older people.
The independent Healthcare Commission scrutinises patient complaints and inspects the clinical governance arrangements that local national health service organisations have in place. All clinical staff are regulated by their appropriate independent licensing body, for example, the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses.
Energy Efficiency
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets she has on improving energy efficiency within her Department; and how she intends to achieve these targets. [15387]
Jane Kennedy: This Department supports and aims to meet the Government's strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the Government estate. The Department has rationalised and reduced the size of its estate and reduced energy consumption by 10 per cent. relative to 1999–2000.
The Department has an on-going policy to further improve our energy efficiency year on year. We therefore anticipate meeting the Framework target to reduce our carbon emissions by 12.5 per cent. by 2010–11, relative to 1999–2000.
English Wine
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties she hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if she will make a statement. [9158]
Jane Kennedy:
English wine will be provided at the dinner for the informal meeting of Health Ministers, as part of the United Kingdom Presidency. We are also
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working with the Council Secretariat to try to provide British produce, as key ingredients, and drink for all European Union (EU) council meetings during the Presidency.
All procurement is undertaken in line with the EU's procurement rules and to obtain value for money for the Department but where possible British products are used.
Food Supplements
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department plans to take to ensure companies that sell vitamin and mineral supplements know what products they will continue to be allowed to sell following implementation of the Food Supplements Directive; and if she will make a statement. [15534]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency has published a list on its website of substances which can continue to be used in food supplements after 1 August when the European Commission Food Supplements Directive applies. This information is available at www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/vitmin/supptable.
Freedom of Information
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full. [14968]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Solicitor-General on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2248W.
General Practitioners
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered national health service general practitioners there are in each London borough. [16219]
Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold figures for the number of registered national health service general practitioners by London borough. However, the table shows the latest figures available for the number of general medical practitioners for London by strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) as at 31 March 2005.
(66)General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, general medical service (CMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included CMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
Source:
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre CMS and PMS statistics.
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Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are in (a) Castle Point and (b) Canvey Island; and what estimate she has made of the likely number of retirements over the next five years. [15602]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of general practitioners in the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust (PCT) area, of which Castle Point and Canvey Island are a part, who are aged 50 and over is shown in the table. Information is not held centrally as to the likely numbers of GPs retiring in the next five years. As part of the new GP contract, there is no upper age limit at which GPs have to retire—it is a personal choice.
| numbers (headcount) | |
|---|---|
| General medical practitioners(67) | 93 |
| of which: | |
| 50 to 54 | 17 |
| 55 to 59 | 18 |
| 60 to 64 | 10 |
| 65 to 69 | 5 |
| 70 and over | 0 |
(67)Excluding retainers and registrars.
Note:
General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
Source:
National Health Service Health and Social Care Information Centre GMS and PMS statistics.
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Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP appointments were missed by patients in (a) Suffolk, (b) West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, (c) West Suffolk Primary Care Trust and (d) Central Suffolk Primary Care Trust in each of the last five years. [15129]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people (a) requested and (b) received an appointment to see a general practitioner within 48 hours in the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust in the last 12 months; [15607]
(2) what the average waiting time was for an appointment to see a general practitioner (a) in the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust and (b) for Canvey Island general practitioners in the last period for which figures are available. [15608]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not collected in the format requested and the information that is collected centrally cannot be disaggregated to practices as each practice is anonymised within the primary care access survey.
The latest figures available, for August 2005, show 100 per cent. of patients able to be offered a general practitioner consultation within two working days within the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust area, of which Caney Island is a part.
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