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10 Jan 2006 : Column 587W—continued
Health Spending
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected per capita Government spending on health in London is for 2005–06; and if she will make a statement. [39135]
Jane Kennedy: The total spend by national health service organisations in London for 2005–06 will be reported in the 2005–06 final accounts, which will be published in autumn 2006.
The forecasts for 2005–06 recently published on the Department publications website are based on un-audited data. The forecasts are available at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en
The latest year for which audited financial data is available is 2004–05. The following table shows the spend per head for primary care trusts (PCTs) in London for 2004–05.
Source:
Audited primary care trust summarisation schedules 2004–05
2003 based 2004 Office for National Statistics projections
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Hepatitis C
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many hospitals offer treatment for hepatitis C; [38205]
(2) which primary care trusts do not have a hospital in their area which offers treatment for hepatitis C. [38206]
Caroline Flint: This information is not available centrally. In line with Shifting the Balance of Power", decisions about the provision of local services, including for hepatitis C are made by local national health service organisations.
Information at NHS trust level about finished consultant episodes with hepatitis C recorded as a primary diagnosis is usually available. However, this information cannot currently be provided due to disruption to the hospital episodes statistics service following the recent fire at the fuel storage depot in Hemel Hempstead.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the FaCe It campaign on hepatitis C; what the total expenditure on the campaign has been since it was introduced; when funding for the FaCe It campaign will cease; and what steps she intends to take to heighten awareness of hepatitis C following the end of the FaCe It campaign. [39348]
Caroline Flint: Qualitative research of hepatitis C awareness among general practitioners and practice nurses has been carried out this year. This research, which repeats a baseline study carried out in 2001, indicates that awareness of hepatitis C is much improved compared to 2001 and that hepatitis C testing is being offered to those known to be at risk.
The Health Protection Agency has been monitoring the number of reported laboratory diagnoses of hepatitis C, which is a national outcome indicator for implementation of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for England". There has been a noticeable upward trend in
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hepatitis C diagnoses since 2000 from just under 5,000 reports to around 8,000 in 2004. Injecting drug users are the group currently at greatest risk of hepatitis C infection in this country. The unlinked anonymous prevalence monitoring programme's survey of injecting drug users in contact with specialist services 1 showed that 67 per cent. had had a voluntary confidential test for hepatitis C in 2004 compared to 49 per cent. in 2000.
There has also been qualitative research this year into format and design of the hepatitis C Face Your Past" leaflet, which is being widely distributed as the hepatitis C awareness photography exhibition tours regional cities. This research suggested that the design, content and tone were effective at gaining attention and giving a clear message without causing panic.
Research into public awareness of hepatitis C will be carried out in 2006. This will repeat a survey of awareness among the general public and groups at increased risk of infection in 2003.
Total expenditure on the FaCe It" campaign to date has been £1.55 million. We will review the position on the future of the campaign at the end of the current financial year.
1
HIV/AIDS
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what means the Department uses to raise awareness of HIV testing; and if she will make a statement. [38283]
Caroline Flint: The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV (2001) included a goal to reduce the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection. Action to achieve this includes the following measures:
The Government has set a national standard that all genito urinary medicine (GUM) services should offer an HIV test to clinic attendees on their first screening for sexually transmitted infections. Uptake of voluntary confidential testing (VCT) for HIV at GUM clinics among gay men has increased from 64 per cent. in 2003 to 79 per cent. in 2004. In heterosexuals, VCT uptake increased from 54 per cent. in 2003 to at least 75 per cent. in 2004.
The Department continues to support comprehensive programmes of targeted HIV prevention and health promotion work for gay men and Africans through contracts with the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network. The Department has funded the Terrence Higgins Trust to undertake pilots in a number of locations to offer HIV testing in community settings.
Targets to reduce vertical, mother to child, transmission of HIV were announced in 1999. The success of offering and recommending an HIV test to every pregnant woman has resulted in a dramatic fall in the number of women giving birth to HIV positive babies.
Hospital Cleanliness
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many different organisations are able to inspect hospitals for cleanliness. [39341]
Jane Kennedy:
A number of statutory organisations may undertake cleanliness inspections across the national health service, which may include every NHS site, a sample of sites or individual named sites as required. They are:
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Patient environment action teams (PEAT) also carry out annual assessments for the Department.
Medical Staff (West Suffolk)
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in the constituency of West Suffolk in (i) 1997 and (ii) the last year for which figures are available. [38873]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
(49) Excludes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and Hospital Medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
(50) Data as at 30 September each year except GP and Practice Nurse data as at 1 October 1997.
(51) Includes GP practice nurses.
(52) Not applicable. PCTs were not established until 2000.
1997 SHA figures are based on the 2002 organisational structure
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census
Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Statistics
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