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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
 
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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
19905,898
19916,078
19926,442
19936,565
19946,230
19956,176
19966,238
19976,367
19986,605
19996,701
20007,033
20017,113
20027,214
20036,922
20047,180




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.




 
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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
 
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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 England1991–921992–931993–941994–951995–961996–971997–98
Under 85
North East1,7009901,1808001,4201,5501,000
North West3,5002,5801,8902,6003,6903,8401,760
Yorkshire and Humber2,6601,4101,9801,6702,5102,7501,550
East Midlands2,0501,3901,4901,6701,7802,0001,190
West Midlands2,3101,7601,4601,5502,7102,8001,560
East1,8901,4301,7301,9102,0402,6701,510
London2,7102,0901,9102,2802,9803,5401,400
South East2,8102,3601,9602,2403,4804,0601,810
South West1,9301,1901,4501,7502,2602,7301,220
85 plus
North East560420440420650680550
North West1,4801,3201,0801,1901,9402,5201,010
Yorkshire and Humber1,3201,0601,1201,1001,5301,800910
East Midlands1,0907909806601,1401,540820
West Midlands1,0608309507601,4601,740900
East1,2409401,2201,0901,8302,3201,030
London1,5401,2601,2401,2301,8402,3901,120
South East1,7601,4001,7801,7502,6703,6001,410
South West1,4209901,1501,1001,8802,3201,020

Government Office Regions in England1998–991999–20002000–012001–022002–032003–04
Under 85
North East1,4501,7901,020830940900
North West4,4603,5702,1102,4501,8102,300
Yorkshire and Humber2,8702,7201,5101,5301,2201,600
East Midlands2,4202,2101,2301,2201,0301,100
West Midlands2,9503,2001,6201,5801,4301,500
East2,3602,8001,2401,4201,2801,300
London2,7803,4501,3901,4301,4601,100
South East3,4504,1501,5301,7401,8001,800
South West2,0302,5101,0501,3601,1401,200
85 plus
North East920880530690330400
North West2,8802,5201,6201,5901,3701,300
Yorkshire and Humber1,8901,9001,0601,3001,0101,100
East Midlands1,6801,6209801,0801,020800
West Midlands1,9202,0909701,1001,1701,100
East2,4402,0701,1901,3601,2101,000
London2,1602,4301,3801,3101,3501,000
South East3,2603,5301,6202,3901,8701,600
South West2,1002,2201,2201,3701,2101,100

Excess winter mortality as percentage of population as at January 1

Regions in England1991–921992–931993–941994–951995–961996–971997–98
Under 85
North East0.10.00.00.00.10.10.0
North West0.10.00.00.00.10.10.0
Yorkshire and Humber0.10.00.00.00.10.10.0
East Midlands0.10.00.00.00.00.00.0
West Midlands0.00.00.00.00.10.10.0
East0.00.00.00.00.00.10.0
London0.00.00.00.00.00.10.0
South East0.00.00.00.00.00.10.0
South West0.00.00.00.00.00.10.0
85 plus
North East1.71.21.21.11.71.71.4
North West1.51.31.01.11.72.20.9
Yorkshire and Humber1.81.41.41.31.82.11.0
East Midlands1.91.31.61.01.72.31.2
West Midlands1.61.21.31.01.82.11.1
East1.61.21.51.32.02.51.1
London1.61.31.21.21.72.11.0
South East1.31.01.21.21.72.30.9
South West1.61.11.21.11.82.10.9









 
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Regions in England1998–991999–20002000–012001–022002–032003–04
Under 85
North East0.10.10.00.00.00.0
North West0.10.10.00.00.00.0
Yorkshire and Humber0.10.10.00.00.00.0
East Midlands0.10.10.00.00.00.0
West Midlands0.10.10.00.00.00.0
East0.00.10.00.00.00.0
London0.00.00.00.00.00.0
South East0.00.10.00.00.00.0
South West0.00.10.00.00.00.0
85 plus
North East2.32.11.21.60.80.9
North West2.42.11.31.31.11.1
Yorkshire and Humber2.12.11.11.41.11.2
East Midlands2.32.21.31.41.31.0
West Midlands2.22.31.01.21.21.2
East2.52.01.11.31.10.9
London1.92.11.21.11.20.9
South East2.02.10.91.41.10.9
South West1.81.91.01.11.00.9

A wide range of measures has been taken, including:


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