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7 Dec 2005 : Column 1420W—continued
North Yorkshire Area Health Authority
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed by North Yorkshire area health authority in 1997; and how many are employed in (a) York and Selby primary care trust, (b) Hambleton and Richmondshire primary care trust and (c) Harrogate and Craven primary care trust. [31721]
Mr. Byrne:
The information requested is shown in the following table.
7 Dec 2005 : Column 1421W
n/a = data not applicable.
(28) Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are also GPs working part time in hospitals.
(29) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers) includes contracted GPs, CMS others, PMS others and GP registrars. Prior to September 2004 this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
(30) Practice staff includes practice nurses, direct patient care, admin and clerical and other.
(31) There is no health authority area data available for 2004. Health authorities were superseded by strategic health authorities in 2002.
(32) There is no PCT data available in 1997 as PCTs were first introduced in 2000.
Note:
Data as at 30 September each year, except GP and practice staff data as at 1 October 1997.
Sources:
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census 2004
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
Obesity
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance her Department has given to general practitioners to reduce obesity among their patients; and if she will make a statement. [32749]
7 Dec 2005 : Column 1422W
Caroline Flint: The quality and outcomes framework specifically rewards general practitioners (GPs) for delivering evidence based care to patients with chronic diseases which may involve weight management interventions to tackle obesity.
In order to support GPs in reducing obesity we are developing a variety of tools such as the obesity care pathway, a Weight Loss Guide and a short patient activity questionnaire. Also, together with the Countryside Agency, we have already piloted the use of pedometers as a motivational tool in general practice to increase patients' levels of physical activity.
The National Institute for Health Clinical Excellence (NICE) provided guidelines for anti-obesity drugs and surgery in 2001 and has been commissioned to prepare definitive guidance on the prevention, identification, management and treatment of obesity, due for publication in 2007. NICE guidance will include an assessment of four commonly used methods to increase physical activity: brief interventions in primary care, pedometers, exercise referral schemes and community based exercise programmes for walking and cycling.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of children likely to suffer from obesity over the next 10 years. [33137]
Caroline Flint: The prevalence of obesity in children aged two to 10 years increased from 9.6 per cent. in 1995 to 13.7 per cent. in 2003. The British Medical Association estimates that one in five boys and one in three girls will be obese by 2020, as stated in the recent schools' White Paper. In 2004, the Government adopted a public service agreement (PSA) target
to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole."
This PSA target is held jointly by the Department, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the efficacy of identifying and managing obesity in children in a primary care setting. [33175]
Caroline Flint: The Department asked the Health Development Agency (HDA) to review the evidence of prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. In 2003, HDA concluded that there is supporting evidence for the need to improve the role of health professionals especially general practitioners in the primary care setting in the management of obesity and overweight.
In addition, the Department has commissioned the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to prepare a definitive guidance on the prevention, identification, management and treatment of obesity, which will be published after full consultation in 2007. Meanwhile, to support local monitoring of obesity among children, the Department plans to issue guidance to primary care trusts on measurement of height and weight in primary school age children. This guidance will provide advice to primary care trusts on how to measure height and weight of children between five to 11 years.
7 Dec 2005 : Column 1423W
Oesophageal Cancer
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the MCM5 test being trialled at the Freeman hospital in Newcastle; and when it will be brought into regular use in the NHS. [32272]
Mr. Byrne: The Department meets the service costs of research commissioned by its research partners that takes place in the national health service. The funding allocated for this purpose supports a substantial body of health research, including Cancer Research UK's trial of the MCM5 test for bladder and prostate cancer.
The trial at the Freeman hospital in Newcastle is expected to involve 3,000 patients and is not due to finish until 2006. At this stage it is not possible to speculate on when the test might be introduced on a regular basis into the NHS as the results from the trial will require in depth analysis.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will answer questions (a) 26323, (b) 26321 and (c) 26322 tabled by the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon on 3 November. [33013]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2116W, and on 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 254W, and to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State with responsibility for Care Services, on 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 497W.
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