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20 Oct 2005 : Column 1213W—continued
Influenza Vaccines
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes are planned to the (a) provision and (b) distribution of influenza vaccines in the Province. [10963]
Mr. Woodward: The Department of Health, social services and public safety has placed orders for influenza vaccine directly with three manufacturers for the 2005–06 immunisation programme through a process of central procurement. This differs from previous years where the responsibility for securing vaccine for Northern Ireland rested with independent GP and pharmacy contractors.
The arrangements for the distribution of the flu vaccine for the 2005–06 programme will involve direct supply of vaccine to GP surgeries from an appointed wholesaler. In previous years community pharmacists were involved in the distribution of vaccine from wholesaler premises to GP surgeries.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what extra facilities will be provided to assist general practitioner surgeries in the Province with the storage of increased numbers of influenza vaccines. [10964]
Mr. Woodward: There are no plans to provide extra storage facilities in GP practices for influenza vaccines. In view of the arrangements being made this year for the ordering and delivery of vaccine to GPs, the Department of Health, social services and public safety does not anticipate a need for any additional refrigerated capacity in surgeries.
Knife Attacks
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many violent attacks involving knives were recorded in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years; and what steps he is taking to reduce such incidents. [18906]
Mr. Hanson:
The number of recorded offences involving knives in Northern Ireland from 2002–03 to 2004–05 is as follows:
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| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 986 |
| 2003–04 | 985 |
| 2004–05 | 1,000 |
The Government have tabled an amendment to the Violent Crime Reduction Bill currently before Parliament to extend to Northern Ireland the proposal to further restrict the sale of knives to those aged 18 or over.
Marfan Syndrome
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations have been made to the Department from (a) medical staff and (b) others regarding provision for sufferers of Marfan syndrome in the Province. [11083]
Mr. Woodward: From 1 January 2003 to 7 July 2005 the Department has received correspondence about Marfan service provision from one clinician, together with six inquiries from elected representatives and one enquiry from a carer of a patient with Marfan syndrome.
Currently, patients suffering from this rare syndrome are treated by consultants working in the Regional Genetics Centre at Belfast City Hospital and other appropriate specialists, particularly those within the cardiology unit at the Royal Group of Hospitals.
Mental Health
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultants specialising in mental health are employed by the (a) Royal Group, (b) Mater hospital and (c) United Hospitals Trust at Whiteabbey and Antrim. [9481]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table.
Source:
NI HSS Trusts.
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United Hospitals Group HSS Trust does not directly employ any consultant psychiatrists. However, mental health services are provided at Whiteabbey hospital and are staffed by one consultant psychiatrist employed by Homefirst HSS Trust.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultants specialising in child and adolescent mental health are employed by the North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust. [9484]
Mr. Woodward: The number of consultants specialising in child and adolescent mental health employed by the North Belfast and West Belfast HSS Trust is 1 (0.3 WTE). This consultant provides a trust wide service across North and West Belfast and is a consultant psychologist in the trust's paediatric clinic.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to improve the safety of patients and staff on mental health wards in the Province. [10970]
Mr. Woodward: In response to concerns about the number of violent attacks on patients and staff, the Department issued guidance to health and personal social services employers. This guidance urged employers to regularly review the assessment of risk associated with different facilities/locations, to introduce a standard method of recording all incidents of verbal and physical abuse and to regularly train staff and ensure that the training is appropriately tailored for the different staff disciplines. Employers were also encouraged to press charges in situations where staff have been the subject of violent or abusive behaviour and to provide lone peripatetic workers with a mobile telephone and develop protocols to monitor the safety of the worker. The guidance also advised that the number of entrances to A and E departments should be restricted, particularly late at night and that limits should be placed on the number of persons, not themselves requiring treatment, given entry to an A and E department.
In implementing the guidance, some trusts have installed emergency panic buttons and CCTV in A and E units, and toughened transparent screens at interview hatches.
The Department has launched a publicity campaign, designed to emphasise the message that violent attacks on staff are a crime and that the perpetrators could face a prison sentence. The Department and PSNI have also developed joint protocols for reporting incidents of verbal and physical abuse.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) members of staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors have suffered (i) verbal and (ii) physical assaults at each mental health trust in the Province in each of the last 10 years. [10971]
Mr. Woodward:
This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Missed Appointments
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many missed hospital out-patient appointments there were in each health trust in the Province in each of the last three years. [17545]
Mr. Woodward: The total number of missed hospital out-patient appointments in each financial year 2002–03 to 2004–05 is provided in the following table. Please note that figures for 2004–05 are provisional. These figures represent the number of out-patient appointments where a patient did not attend and failed to give advance warning to the hospital.
(50)Provisional
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