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9 Jan 2006 : Column 173W—continued

Suicide Chat Rooms

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with internet service providers about suicide chat rooms. [36590]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 12 December 2005]: I will be having discussions with internet service providers, through the Internet Service Providers Association, in the new year to discuss the issue of websites and chat rooms that make information available about suicide.

Taxis

Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by her Department on
 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 174W
 
taxi travel in the 2005–06 financial year; and what proportion of such travel was undertaken in each nation and region of the UK, including London. [37486]

Jane Kennedy: The Department has spent £335,709.59 on its central contract for taxis up to the end of November 2005.

Other taxi fares may be claimed through staff expenses but the information cannot be made available without disproportionate cost.

The proportion of taxi travel undertaken in each nation and region of the United Kingdom cannot be made available without disproportionate cost.

Tuberculosis

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new tuberculosis cases have been recorded in the UK in each year since 1990. [36048]

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.

Number of tuberculosis case notifications for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 1990 to 2004.

	Number of notifications
1990	5,898
1991	6,078
1992	6,442
1993	6,565
1994	6,230
1995	6,176
1996	6,238
1997	6,367
1998	6,605
1999	6,701
2000	7,033
2001	7,113
2002	7,214
2003	6,922
2004	7,180

Sources:
Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections: Statutory Notifications of Infectious Diseases (NOIDs).
Health Protection Scotland: Data from 1990–1999 from Statutory Notifications of Infectious Diseases (NOIDs). Data from 2000–04 from Enhanced Surveillance of Mycobacterial Infection Scheme.
Notifications of Infectious Diseases (NOIDS) 1990–2004 Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland.




 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 175W
 

Turnaround Teams

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts will be subject to visits from turnaround teams. [38579]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 19 December 2005]: The Secretary of State announced on 1 December 2005 that teams of financial and management experts are to be sent to support the strategic health authorities (SHAs), national health service trusts and primary care trusts that have the biggest delivery problems.

An initial assessment is under way to ensure that the organisations that are forecasting the most significant deficits, expected to number 63, have financial control and there are an agreed set of actions to restore financial balance.

Following the initial assessment, the SHA, the Department and the organisation will agree on a tailored package of turnaround support. The chief executives of the most challenged organisations will then be supported in delivering turnaround by turnaround teams.

The turnaround teams will support the NHS in identifying opportunities to deliver services with greater cost-effectiveness and to make financial savings. They will help the local NHS ensure that the NHS delivers both its key targets and financial balance.

Underactive Thyroid

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make funding available for regular blood tests for those with an underactive thyroid. [39240]

Mr. Byrne: Funding is already available for regular blood tests for those diagnosed with an under-active thyroid.

Waiting Lists/Times

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether outpatient waiting lists in England include referrals other than general practitioner letter referrals. [39266]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 20 December 2005]: The current outpatient waiting time target only applies to patients waiting for their first outpatient appointment with a consultant following a general practitioner or
 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 176W
 
dental practitioner referral. It does not include follow-up appointments, consultant to consultant referrals or appointments with non-consultants.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for an appointment to see a general practitioner was in (a) England, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in the last period for which figures are available. [31603]

Mr. Byrne: The requested data are not collected or held centrally. Since 2001, data has been collected each month from primary care trusts and general practitioners (GPs) on the availability of access to a general practitioner. This data shows whether access is or is not available in line with The NHS Plan" target that patients should be able to be seen within 48 hours but do not provide information on actual waiting times. Overwhelmingly patients are able to see a GP within 48 hours if they wish.

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were from general practitioner referral to receipt of counselling services in (a) Blackpool, (b) Lancashire and (c) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [37657]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on waiting times for counselling services is not routinely captured by the Department. The Department collects such information for consultant-led services only.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2300W, on waiting times, if she will break the figures down into (a) those admitted, (b) those transferred and (c) those discharged within four hours of arrival in an accident and emergency department since 2002–03. [37950]

Mr. Byrne: Information is not collected on waiting times in accident and emergency (A&E) departments broken down by the reason for leaving A&E. We only collect total time spent in A&E from arrival to departure.

Winter Excess Deaths

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many winter excess deaths there have been in each of the last 25 years (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the elderly population, broken down by region; and what recent measures the Government have taken to reduce the number of winter excess deaths. [18657]

Mr. Byrne: Excess winter deaths are available by the Government Office Regions since 1991–92, and are shown in the table. They represent the excess deaths which occurred in the four months December to March, compared with the number expected if the average rate of the four months either side of the winter months applied.
 
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Government Office Regions in England	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Under 85
North East	1,700	990	1,180	800	1,420	1,550	1,000
North West	3,500	2,580	1,890	2,600	3,690	3,840	1,760
Yorkshire and Humber	2,660	1,410	1,980	1,670	2,510	2,750	1,550
East Midlands	2,050	1,390	1,490	1,670	1,780	2,000	1,190
West Midlands	2,310	1,760	1,460	1,550	2,710	2,800	1,560
East	1,890	1,430	1,730	1,910	2,040	2,670	1,510
London	2,710	2,090	1,910	2,280	2,980	3,540	1,400
South East	2,810	2,360	1,960	2,240	3,480	4,060	1,810
South West	1,930	1,190	1,450	1,750	2,260	2,730	1,220
85 plus
North East	560	420	440	420	650	680	550
North West	1,480	1,320	1,080	1,190	1,940	2,520	1,010
Yorkshire and Humber	1,320	1,060	1,120	1,100	1,530	1,800	910
East Midlands	1,090	790	980	660	1,140	1,540	820
West Midlands	1,060	830	950	760	1,460	1,740	900
East	1,240	940	1,220	1,090	1,830	2,320	1,030
London	1,540	1,260	1,240	1,230	1,840	2,390	1,120
South East	1,760	1,400	1,780	1,750	2,670	3,600	1,410
South West	1,420	990	1,150	1,100	1,880	2,320	1,020

Government Office Regions in England	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Under 85
North East	1,450	1,790	1,020	830	940	900
North West	4,460	3,570	2,110	2,450	1,810	2,300
Yorkshire and Humber	2,870	2,720	1,510	1,530	1,220	1,600
East Midlands	2,420	2,210	1,230	1,220	1,030	1,100
West Midlands	2,950	3,200	1,620	1,580	1,430	1,500
East	2,360	2,800	1,240	1,420	1,280	1,300
London	2,780	3,450	1,390	1,430	1,460	1,100
South East	3,450	4,150	1,530	1,740	1,800	1,800
South West	2,030	2,510	1,050	1,360	1,140	1,200
85 plus
North East	920	880	530	690	330	400
North West	2,880	2,520	1,620	1,590	1,370	1,300
Yorkshire and Humber	1,890	1,900	1,060	1,300	1,010	1,100
East Midlands	1,680	1,620	980	1,080	1,020	800
West Midlands	1,920	2,090	970	1,100	1,170	1,100
East	2,440	2,070	1,190	1,360	1,210	1,000
London	2,160	2,430	1,380	1,310	1,350	1,000
South East	3,260	3,530	1,620	2,390	1,870	1,600
South West	2,100	2,220	1,220	1,370	1,210	1,100

Excess winter mortality as percentage of population as at January 1

Regions in England	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Under 85
North East	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
North West	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
Yorkshire and Humber	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
East Midlands	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
West Midlands	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
East	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
London	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
South East	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
South West	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
85 plus
North East	1.7	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.7	1.7	1.4
North West	1.5	1.3	1.0	1.1	1.7	2.2	0.9
Yorkshire and Humber	1.8	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.8	2.1	1.0
East Midlands	1.9	1.3	1.6	1.0	1.7	2.3	1.2
West Midlands	1.6	1.2	1.3	1.0	1.8	2.1	1.1
East	1.6	1.2	1.5	1.3	2.0	2.5	1.1
London	1.6	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.7	2.1	1.0
South East	1.3	1.0	1.2	1.2	1.7	2.3	0.9
South West	1.6	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.8	2.1	0.9

 
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Regions in England	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Under 85
North East	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
North West	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Yorkshire and Humber	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
East Midlands	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
West Midlands	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
East	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
London	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
South East	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
South West	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
85 plus
North East	2.3	2.1	1.2	1.6	0.8	0.9
North West	2.4	2.1	1.3	1.3	1.1	1.1
Yorkshire and Humber	2.1	2.1	1.1	1.4	1.1	1.2
East Midlands	2.3	2.2	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.0
West Midlands	2.2	2.3	1.0	1.2	1.2	1.2
East	2.5	2.0	1.1	1.3	1.1	0.9
London	1.9	2.1	1.2	1.1	1.2	0.9
South East	2.0	2.1	0.9	1.4	1.1	0.9
South West	1.8	1.9	1.0	1.1	1.0	0.9

A wide range of measures has been taken, including:

Flu and pneumococcal immunisation programmes. The United Kingdom has the highest uptake of flu immunisation among eligible groups of any in Europe.

The Keep Warm Keep Well Campaign, launched this year with the flu immunisation campaign, comprising leaflet and helpline based advice on what simple measures older people can take to preserve their health in winter time.

Direct encouragement to the national health service to increase further the many fuel poverty reduction partnerships between the NHS, local authorities (LAs) and, for example, EAGA. These lead to primary care staff being trained and supported, simplified referral routes and rapid response from Warm Front and others. A large proportion of referrals to Warm Front originate from the NHS.

Funding the evaluation of an important collaboration between the NHS and the Met Office, testing the value of health forecasting in the management and self-management of those with chronic chest disease, many of whom are older people.

Helping to set up the health, housing and fuel poverty forum in March 2005 to raise the profile of cold, damp homes, and to mainstream the many innovative activities the NHS is engaged in to address this issue.

Establishing the £60 million partnerships for older people projects fund, against which LAs and their partners have been bidding this year. The focus of these projects is on improving outcomes for older people through preventive interventions. Fuel poverty reduction forms a part of several of the short listed bids.

Close collaboration between the Department and the Energy Retail Association in developing a national home heat advice line, about to be launched.

Assisting with the production of the popular fuel poverty and health toolkit, produced in 2003 by the National Heart Forum, EAGA, the Faculty of Public Health, Help the Aged, and the Met Office.

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