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14 Dec 2005 : Column 2141W—continued
Departmental Estate
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2107W, on the departmental estate, how much rent has been paid by the Department on the properties to which the answer refers since they ceased to be used as Community Health Council buildings. [35820]
Jane Kennedy: The following rent has been paid since December 2003 on the properties referred to; having established that there was no national health service interest they have been actively marketed:
22–24 High Road, Willesden—£58,750.
128 The Grove, Stratford—£48,000.
42 Fulham Palace Road, Fulham—£56,000.
45–47 Praed Street, Paddington—£260,000.
Departmental Running Costs
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual running costs of the Department of Health were in each year since 1999. [35309]
Jane Kennedy: Detailed information on administration costs for the Department back to 1999–2000—and with projections to 2007–08—is set out in Figure 8.1 of the 2005 Departmental Report (CM 6524) which is available in the Library.
ECG Machines
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent since 1997 on buying ECG machines in hospitals. [26472]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is unable to provide an exact figure as this information is not collected centrally. However, following the launch of the national service framework for coronary heart disease (CHD) in March 2000, as part of a one-off central initiative, the Treasury Capital Modernisation Fund made £25 million available for a range of CHD equipment including electrocardiogram machines where these were a local priority.
Electronic Magnifiers
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide electronic magnifiers for the visually impaired through the NHS. [33611]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 1 December 2005]: The national health service hospital eye service provides optical devices and loans low vision aids, such as high-powered reading lenses, hand-held and stand magnifiers and telescopes, to people with visual impairment. In addition, some primary care trusts have local arrangements for the provision of low vision aids through community based opticians.
Electronic magnifiers are classed as aids to daily living and as such providing them is the responsibility of local authority social services departments. Social service departments assess individuals' needs and arrange services to meet those needs. This can include the provision of closed circuit television. However, hand-held, stand and spectacle-mounted magnifiers are generally easier to use, more widely available and more accessible.
In keeping with the principle of flexibility in meeting local needs, NHS hospital trusts, primary care trusts and social service departments are being encouraged to work more closely together, including the possibility of establishing joint budgets for equipment which could allow for the provision of a wider range of services and equipment than has hitherto been available.
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Epilepsy
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people in each strategic health authority have been diagnosed with epilepsy since 1997, broken down by age group; [35428]
(2) how many patients diagnosed with epilepsy since 1994 have been reported as having suffered an adverse reaction after failing to take their anti-epilepsy drugs as prescribed; and what types of adverse reaction these were. [35357]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the number of people diagnosed each year with epilepsy is not collected.
Adverse reactions can sometimes occur when patients are taking prescribed drugs. If epilepsy patients are not taking their anti-epilepsy medication then it is likely their symptoms associated with epilepsy will return. We do not collect information on the number of these cases.
Fertility Treatment
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many women who underwent (a) in vitro fertilisation and (b) ovulation induction in England and Wales were hospitalised due to (i) serious and (ii) minor complications in each of the last five years for which information is available; [34760]
(2) how many women who underwent (a) in vitro fertilisation and (b) ovulation induction in England and Wales suffered (i) a miscarriage, (ii) bleeding, (iii) ectopic pregnancy and (iv) ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in each of the last five years for which information is available; [34761]
(3) what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, (b) the British Medical Association and (c) the Royal College of Nursing about the complications of in vitro fertilisation; and if she will make a statement. [34762]
Caroline Flint:
Data on incidences of complications following in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and ovulation induction, including hospital admission for complications of these treatments, are not collected
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centrally by the Department nor routinely recorded by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
The Department has not met the professional bodies recently to discuss complications of treatment. However, the HFEA, in its role as the national regulator, regularly meets professional bodies to discuss a range of issues relating to the provision of IVF, including complications of the treatment.
Fibromyalgia
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to make the general public aware of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. [34492]
Mr. Byrne: We have no specific plans to raise public awareness of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
NHS Direct, NHS Direct On-line and NHS Direct Interactive have been established to provide advice and information on health and self-care. Through these services, people have access to information on a range of conditions and illnesses, including fibromyalgia.
Free School Milk
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Education and Skills about the provision of free milk in schools for those aged between seven and 11 years. [35491]
Caroline Flint: No recent meetings have taken place between the Department and the Department of Education and Skills to discuss specifically the provision of free milk in schools for those aged between seven and eleven years. However, both departments meet regularly to discuss a range of issues across the school food agenda.
Good Hope Hospital (Waiting Times)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long a patient has had to wait on average for a (a) heart bypass, (b) breast cancer treatment, (c) hip replacement, (d) cataract treatment and (e) kidney transplant at Good Hope hospital in Sutton Coldfield in each year since 1997. [29382]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
(46)No operations in that year.
Notes:
1.There were no kidney transplant operations carried out in the years shown.
2.Ungrossed data—Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data, that is, the data is ungrossed.
3.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, for example, time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
4.Time waited (days)—Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
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