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30 Jan 2006 : Column 169W—continued
Home Oxygen Therapy
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average delivery time was for emergency oxygen deliveries to out-patients in the most recent year for which figures are available. [45382]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 24 January 2006]: These figures are not available centrally.
The new home oxygen service, which starts on 1 February 2006, specifically includes the provision of oxygen to patients at home on an emergency basis. Under the new arrangements, where clinical staff order this service, the supplier will deliver oxygen to the patient's home within four hours. The new service contract also includes arrangements for monitoring response times.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the changed arrangements for home oxygen therapy on (a) waiting times for service and (b) patient safety; and if she will make a statement. [45383]
30 Jan 2006 : Column 170W
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 24 January 2006]: The new arrangements offer patients a wider range of modern equipment that will support them in the better management of their symptoms at home and help avoid the need for emergency admission to hospital, wherever possible. The new service contract also sets out specific delivery times for home oxygen, including where ordered on an emergency basis and where ordered to support a patient's discharge from hospital.
The new arrangements will continue to ensure that patients receive a safe and efficient home oxygen service. A detailed service specification emphasises the importance of arrangements to assess risks to patients using equipment and the contract makes provision for potential risks to supply. The new service is available on a 24 hours, seven days a week basis. A free phone service allows clinical staff to order the required service and seek advice at any time. Patients also have access to this service to provide support on any problems in using equipment or disruption to supply.
Hospital Admissions (Drug Misuse)
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions with primary diagnoses of mental and behavioural disorders relating to drug misuse took place in each of the last five years. [44119]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Hospital admissions under mental illness specialties with a primary diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder and relating to drug misuse, in England between 2000–01 and 2004–05, are shown in the following table.
(48) The figures for 2003–04 and 2004–05 have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data and/or clinical error and are ungrossed, and all figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Hospital Beds (North-East)
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the occupancy rates were for each hospital trust in the North East in the last three years for which figures are available. [44596]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the tables:
Notes:
Revised 7 December 2005 following refresh of dataset in line with Department of Health revision policy.
Source:
Department of Health form KH03
30 Jan 2006 : Column 171W
Notes:
Revised 7 December 2005 following refresh of dataset in line with Department of Health revisions policy.
Source:
Department of Health form KH03
Influenza Vaccinations
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those aged over 65 years are expected to receive influenza vaccinations by the end of winter 2005–06. [34106]
Caroline Flint: Under the new inspection systems national targets are no longer set. Targets are now a local decision. In the Chief Medical Officer letter to health professionals dated 25 July 2005, he said that continued improvement of uptake rates across all groups should be encouraged.
Mal de Debarquement Syndrome
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of mal de debarquement syndrome; [46387]
(2) how many patients in England were diagnosed as having mal de debarquement syndrome in each of the last three years; [46388]
(3) what treatments for mal de debarquement syndrome are available on the NHS. [46389]
Mr. Byrne: We have no plans to increase awareness of this very rare condition.
Information on the number of patients with mal de debarquement is not collected.
We are not aware of any effective treatment for mal de debarquement.
30 Jan 2006 : Column 172W
Maternity Services
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many midwife-led birth centres there are in England; [44934]
(2) what steps she is taking to promote caseload working in maternity services. [44935]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 January 2006]: It is a matter for local services to determine how they use their midwifery resources and how far they are able to introduce caseload working in maternity services. Not all midwives are able to undertake this form of working as it requires a great deal of flexibility in terms of their working day. Trusts that have been successful in attracting and retaining their midwifery workforce have in place a variety of care models.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives there were in the national health service in England, expressed as (a) a headcount and (b) whole-time equivalents, in each of the last 10 years. [44936]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 January 2006]: The information requested is shown in the table.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census
30 Jan 2006 : Column 173W
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to offer women choice over which midwife provides one-to-one continuing care during pregnancy and birth. [44937]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 25 January 2006]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 1064W.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many three-month vacancies for midwives there are in the national health service in England. [44938]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 January 2006]: The last survey showed that there were 348 three-month vacancies for midwives in the national health service in England at March 2005. The vacancy rate has fallen from 3.3 per cent. in March 2004 to 1.8 per cent. in March 2005, which is shown in the following table.
| Vacancy rate (percentage) | Number of vacancies | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.1 | 400 |
| 2000 | 2.8 | 510 |
| 2001 | 2.6 | 470 |
| 2002 | 2.8 | 530 |
| 2003 | 3.1 | 572 |
| 2004 | 3.3 | 619 |
| 2005 | 1.8 | 348 |
Notes:
1. Vacancy rates rounded to one decimal place.
2. Number of vacancies rounded to the nearest 10.
3. Three-month vacancies are posts that have been vacant for three months or more as at 30 March that trusts are actively trying to fill.
4. Three-month vacancy rates are three-month vacancies as a percentage of vacancies plus staff in post.
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