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8 Dec 2005 : Column 1568W—continued
Health Services (Uxbridge)
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential and (b) in-patient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places are available in (i) Uxbridge constituency and (ii) each London borough. [29758]
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Jane Kennedy: We do not hold figures for Uxbridge as drug treatment data are collected on a drug action team (DAT) area basis. Data are not collected on treatment places, but collected on the basis of aggregated numbers in treatment in the financial year across all six treatment types, which are:
In 2004–05, the numbers in treatment in Hillingdon, of which Uxbridge is part of, was 504.
The figures for all DATs in London, for numbers in treatment in 2004–05 is shown in the following table.
Health Warnings (Cigarette Packets)
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make representations to the European Commission for the addition of a smoking causes blindness" warning to the list of approved warnings for cigarette packets. [33448]
Caroline Flint:
The European Commission is not currently in a position to change the health warnings on tobacco packs. There are many candidate conditions caused by smoking that might be appropriate as new warnings. As and when the 14 current health warnings
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are reviewed, the United Kingdom will be keen to be involved in ensuring that the revised warnings are as effective as possible.
Hepatitis C
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to increase the proportion of people infected with hepatitis C that are treated. [33584]
Caroline Flint: The Department is running a hepatitis C awareness campaign for healthcare professionals and the public as part of implementation of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for England.
One of the aims of the awareness campaign is increase diagnosis of hepatitis C so that those infected can be referred for specialist assessment and treatment, if indicated. The awareness campaign highlights groups considered to be at risk of hepatitis C infection and who should consider being tested, or who should be offered testing by healthcare professionals.
HIV/AIDS
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to conduct an appraisal of the use of anti-HIV drugs for post-exposure prophylaxis. [26015]
Caroline Flint: Public health guidance on anti-HIV drugs for post-exposure prophylaxis was published on 5 July 1998 by the Health Education Authority and is available on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's website at www.nice.org.uk. It has also been placed in the Library.
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in North Somerset primary care trust were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and how many have been so diagnosed in 2005. [33687]
Caroline Flint: Data on HIV/AIDS diagnoses are not available at primary care trust (PCT) level. Data at strategic health authority (SHA) level which have reported to the end of September 2005 are available on the Health Protection Agency's website at:
The relevant SHA for North Somerset PCT is Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA.
Hospitals
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were admitted to hospital on Christmas day in each year since 1997 in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority, broken down by reason for admittance; [32024]
(2) how many people stayed in hospital overnight on Christmas day in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997. [32025]
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Mr. Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is to NHS hospitals per meal provided by (a) in-house and (b) external caterers. [33135]
Jane Kennedy: The average cost to NHS hospitals per main patient meal for in-house and external caterers is £2.60 and £2.56 respectively.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of patients leaving NHS hospitals after stays of a week or more who are suffering from malnutrition. [33134]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre
Influenza Vaccinations
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those categories of people who are on the Government's priority list to receive avian influenza vaccinations in the event of a UK outbreak. [33728]
Caroline Flint: There has been some confusion between seasonal flu, avian flu and pandemic flu. Avian influenza is a disease which mainly affects birds. Seasonal flu refers to the viruses that circulate in the human population and cause widespread illness each winter. Pandemic flu will only occur after an avian virus has mutated into a strain to which large numbers of the population have not been exposed and which can spread easily between humans.
We are finalising a contract for the purchase of a two to three million doses of vaccine against the H5N1 strain currently circulating in South East Asia and other areas. This vaccine can be used for research and for possible use for healthcare workers in an emergency, and may provide some limited protection against a pandemic emerging from that source. We hope to award this contract shortly and would receive some stocks early next year.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of those eligible for the winter influenza vaccine have been vaccinated in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [29808]
Caroline Flint:
The information requested is shown in the table.
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| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 65.3 |
| 2001–02 | 67.7 |
| 2002–03 | 68.5 |
| 2003–04 | 71.0 |
| 2004–05 | 71.5 |
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average patient waiting time was for a winter influenza vaccine in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [29811]
Caroline Flint: This data are not held centrally.
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