| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1301W—continued
Cancer
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to develop wards specifically for young cancer patients. [25118]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In October 2004, we published the national service framework for children, young people which recommended the importance of providing children and young people with access to high quality, age appropriate services whatever the setting.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published in August 2005 guidance on Improving Outcomes in Children and Young People with Cancer". This guidance addresses access to age appropriate facilities and places of care. The National Cancer Director has established an advisory group of major stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of the guidance, but ultimately it will be for local commissioners, via their cancer networks and local service providers, to ensure that the services they provide meet the recommendations in this guidance.
Carbon Monoxide
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (b) Ofgem, (c) the Health and Safety Commission and (d) CORGI with regards to the proposal from the Health and Safety Commission for a levy on the gas industry to fund a watchdog to promote carbon monoxide awareness; and if she will make a statement. [25278]
Caroline Flint:
Officials in the Department are in regular contact with officials in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These contacts ensure that there is a shared understanding of the effects of carbon monoxide on health. Strategies for reducing cases of accidental poisoning are discussed regularly. The Chief Medical Officer often draws attention to the dangers of exposure
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1302W
to carbon monoxide in his CMO update letter to doctors. A leaflet, for distribution to all General Practices will be distributed in November. The leaflet has been endorsed by HSE, The Solid Fuel Association, CORGI, CO-Gas Safety and the Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister assisted in the drafting of the leaflet. The leaflet is entitled Carbon Monoxide: Risks to health and how to avoid them".
The combined emphasis on prevention of poisoning and recognition of poisoning reflects the cross-department approach to this important problem. The Department has not discussed the proposal for a levy on the gas industry to fund a watchdog to promote carbon monoxide awareness; this is a matter for the HSE.
Cochlear Implants
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) children and (b) adults are awaiting cochlear implants in each region of England; what projections have been made for the number of cochlear implant treatments over the next five years; what resources have been allocated to this; and if she will make a statement; [25719]
(2) what guidance has been given to primary care trusts in relation to the allocation of resources for cochlear implantation treatment; [25720]
(3) how many (a) children and (b) adults were provided with cochlear implants in each region of England in the last five years. [25744]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the numbers of people waiting for cochlear implants and the projected demand is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts to determine the allocation of resources for their local population based on local need.
The number of children and adults who were provided with cochlear implants in each region of England is shown in the table.
Notes:
All Operations count of Episodes.
These figures represent a count of all FCE's where the procedure was mentioned in any of the 12 (4 prior to 2002–03) operation fields in a HES record.
A record is only included once in each count, even if an operation is mentioned in more than one operation field of the record.
Finished Consultant Episode (FCE).
An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year
Main Operation
The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode.
It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, eg. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
Secondary Procedure
As well as the main operative procedure, there are up to 11 (3 prior to 2002–03) secondary operation fields in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) that show secondary or additional procedures performed on the patient during the episode of care
Ungrossed Data
Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed)
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1303W
Equal Pay Claims
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of equal pay claims in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS trust. [25725]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 7 November 2005]: Information about the cost of equal pay claims and associated legal costs is not available centrally.
Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she used to assess the suitability of the candidates before she appointed (a) the chairman and (b) the non-executive directors of the West Gloucestershire primary care trust. [25371]
Caroline Flint:
The Secretary of State has delegated the responsibility for the appointment of chairs and members of primary care trusts to the NHS Appointments Commission, of which the Chair is Sir William Wells.
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1304W
Community Hospitals
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to monitor the number of intermediate care bed places in the community hospitals sector. [26001]
Mr. Byrne: Data on the number of intermediate care beds, the number of places in non-residential intermediate care schemes and the number of people using intermediate care are collected. There are no plans to expand the collection.
Contraception
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on free contraception for women in each year since 1997. [25906]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
(18) This is based on figures from the NHS Logistics Authority and an estimate of further spend by the NHS (for men and women).
(19) Data from the Prescription Pricing Authority for prescriptions dispensed in the community based on net ingredient costs.
(20) This is estimated using the 2004–05 NHS contraceptive services data and costs from the Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS) October 2005
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |