| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1677W—continued
NICE Guidance
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the consequences of a general review of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Clinical Guideline on the management of schizophrenia on the availability of atypical anti-psychotics drugs. [40232]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
No assessment has been made of the review by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on managing schizophrenia with atypical antipsychotic medicines.
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1678W
Obesity (Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Westmorland and Lonsdale aged (a) under 20, (b) 20 to 29, (c) 30 to 39, (d) 40 to 50 and (e) over 50 years are estimated to be clinically obese. [43046]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 17 January 2006]: The information is not available in the format requested. However, national data is shown in the table.
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1679W
Notes:
1. The figures are based on weighted data.
2. The main source of data on the prevalence of obesity is the Health Survey for England (HSE). The sample size of the Health Survey does not allow figures to be produced to the level of parliamentary constituencies. For adults (aged 16 and over) figures are presented for England and Government office regions (GOR). Information is provided for the GOR which covers Westmorland and Lonsdale. For children (aged two to 15) national figures are presented using the national BMI percentile classification.
3. The data presented are the most recent available. The available information is presented in this table, using the results of the HSE for 2002, 2003 and 2004. The method in which overweight and obesity is calculated is different for adults and for children (see background notes 3 and 4 for details).
4. We are not able to identify how many people are estimated to be clinically obese, but are able to supply an estimate of the prevalence of obesity among children aged two to 15 and adults aged 16 and over.
Source:
Health Survey for England 2004: The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups, NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Older Persons (Care Charges)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average percentage change in charges for older persons' care proposed for 2006–07, in each local authority is; and if she will make a statement; [43024]
(2) what the proposed changes in personnel employed in social services departments are for 2006–07, in each local authority; [43047]
(3) what plans she has to discuss (a) increases in care charges and (b) job reductions in social services with local authorities. [43054]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 18 January 2006]: Residential care charges are governed by a statutory system, under the "National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992" and the "Charges for Residential Accommodation Guide". Copies are available in the Library. Charges for non-residential social care are set by local councils, but councils must be guided by "Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care and other non-residential social services-Guidance for Councils with Social Services Responsibilities". A copy is available in the Library.
The level of charges for non-residential care and the numbers of people employed are matters for local determination rather than by central Government. Information on the amount by which charges are increased and information on job reductions in social services departments is not held centrally.
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1680W
Osteoporosis
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how her Department plans to monitor the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinic Excellence guidance on the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures. [19398]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 31 October 2005]: The Department does not monitor implementation of guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinic Excellence (NICE).
NICE will be tracking the implementation of the guidance once it is published and using the information obtained to inform the development of future tools and resources and ensure the guidance achieves positive and sustainable changes.
Outpatient Waiting Lists
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department issues on the compilation of outpatient waiting lists. [41548]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 12 January 2006]: The Department issued Getting patients treated: the Waiting List Action Team Handbooks August 1999, which gives practical guidance on managing and recording waiting lists. It makes clear that clinical priority must be the main determinant of when patients are seen. The handbook is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/05/11/03/04051103.pdf.
Paediatric Continence Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Education and Skills on providing hygienic and well maintained toilets for pupils. [43576]
Caroline Flint: The Department and the Department for Education and Skills meet regularly to discuss matters to do with the health and well-being of schoolchildren such as through the Healthy Schools Programme Board.
The provision of hygienic and well maintained toilets for pupils is a matter for individual heads of schools and local authorities.
Parliamentary Questions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to Questions (a) 23665 and (b) 21605, on independent sector treatment centres. [33622]
Mr. Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave her on 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 404W, and on 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 160W.
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Wakefield on 8 November, reference 27398, on NHS bursaries. [35723]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 8 December 2005]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 173W.
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1681W
Pathology Departments
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of total sample processing time was spent on (a) administrative procedures and (b) chemical analysis in clinical biochemistry and haematology laboratories within pathology departments in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [27982]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect this information. However, we recognise the importance of pathology to patient care and we have asked Lord Carter of Coles to conduct an independent review of pathology services. Its terms of reference are
"to advise Ministers, in the context of current resource constraints, on the timeliness, reliability, capacity and efficiency of current pathology services in England, benchmarked against international standards and the feasibility of and efficiency benefits arising from wide-scale service reconfiguration, innovation and modernisation and involvement of the private sector".
The review will consider the workings of pathology laboratories in all disciplines.
Patient and Public Involvement Resource Centre
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the performance and effectiveness of the patient and public involvement resource centre will be (a) managed and (b) evaluated; and who has operational responsibility for the resource centre. [42136]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 16 January 2006]: The Department is looking for a supplier to design, develop and have operational responsibility for a new centre to support the delivery of patient and public involvement in the health care delivery system. The procurement process is on-going and until it is complete we are unable to name the provider.
The NHS Institute for Improvement and Innovation will be responsible for managing and evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the centre.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the patient and public involvement resource centre cost to set up; and what the budget for the resource centre will be in each of the next three years. [42138]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 16 January 2006]: The Department is currently in the process of procuring a supplier to design, develop and deliver a new centre to support the delivery of patient and public involvement in health care.
As we are in the middle of this procurement process the budget is commercially sensitive.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a policy paper on patient and public involvement in health has been produced by the Having Your Say taskforce chaired by Ed Mayo. [42196]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 16 January 2006]: The "having my say" taskforce has submitted a report on improving public involvement in health and social care. We will set out our plans shortly in a White Paper on a
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1682W
new direction for community health and social care and publish the "having my say" taskforce report on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |