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16 Feb 2006 : Column 2309W—continued

Foster Review

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library before the February Adjournment a copy of the Foster Review of Regulatory Bodies. [52331]

Jane Kennedy: May I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) on 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1765W.

General Osteopathic Council

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the work of the General Osteopathic Council. [52332]

Jane Kennedy: The role of all regulatory bodies including the General Osteopathic Council have been considered in the context of the review of non-medical regulation.

Health White Paper

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Swift campaign referred to in paragraph 2.42, of the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, was introduced; what resources have been committed to support the campaign in each year since its introduction; whether she has assessed the effectiveness of the campaign; and if she will make a statement. [49529]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Shift is a five year initiative, running from 2004 to 2009, as part of the National Institute for Mental Health in England's work tackling the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues. Shift is funded by the Department and it received £900,000 in 2003–04 and £1 million in 2004–05.

Shift's work is steered by a board of advisors comprising people from the voluntary sector, the Department and from the National Institute for Mental Health in England, and its work programme is overseen by the Department and a cross government network focusing on mental health issues.

Further information about Shift is available from its website at www.shift.org.uk.

Hearing Aids

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what date in 2008 patients waiting for audiology aids and testing will be covered by the proposed 18-week maximum waiting time from the date of initial referral to fitting of a device; and if she will make a statement. [50418]

 
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Jane Kennedy: The Department is currently reviewing the principles and definitions for the 18-week patient pathway, in light of the listening exercise conducted at the end of 2005. The final principles and definitions will be published in the spring of 2006.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce a waiting list target for digital hearing aids; and if she will make a statement. [45229]

Jane Kennedy: The Department is considering the results of a recent listening exercise on the principles and definitions to govern the 18-week pathway. In the light of comments received, we will publish conclusions in the spring. To go further on audiology at this stage would pre-empt those conclusions.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that the waiting time for an NHS analogue or digital hearing aid is reduced to 18 weeks. [50714]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 13 February 2006]: The Department is considering the results of a recent listening exercise on the principles and definitions to govern the 18-week pathway. In the light of comments received, we will publish conclusions in the spring. To go further on audiology at this stage would pre-empt those conclusions.

Hemel Hempstead Hospital

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reassess her decision to close the (a) intensive treatment unit, (b) cardiac unit, (c) stroke unit and (d) acute accident and emergency services at the Hemel Hempstead Hospital in the light of the Buncefield oil depot fire and subsequent explosion in Hemel Hempstead; and if she will make a statement. [47620]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The decision to change what services are provided by the West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust is the responsibility of the trust in partnership with the primary care trusts who commission services from the trust and with the strategic health authority who is responsible for ensuring services meet the needs of the populations that they serve.

Herceptin

Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible women with metastatic breast cancer are treated with Herceptin in the Northern Cancer Network. [47418]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible women with metastatic breast cancer in England were treated with Herceptin in the latest period for which figures are available. [47421]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

High Security Mental Hospitals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have escaped from high security mental hospitals in each of the last five years. [48064]

Ms Rosie Winterton: No patients have escaped from within the secure area of the high security hospitals in the last five years. During the same period, five patients absconded while on leave of absence. All five patients were returned to their hospitals within a short period of time without any offences being committed.

Home Oxygen Services

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the new arrangements for delivering home oxygen services. [51801]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 14 February 2006]: Healthcare professionals, patients' representatives and others helped develop the new arrangements and welcome this opportunity to provide a modernised service offering patients the latest oxygen equipment to improve their quality of life. Plans are to manage the change to the new arrangements over a six-month programme from 1 February 2006 to support continuity in patient services. However, in the first few days, huge volumes of orders—many for delivery of oxygen supplies at a future date—disrupted this programme. Prompt action has put these plans back on course and we continue to monitor these closely to ensure patients are receiving a reliable service.

Hospital Pharmacies

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out-patient pharmacies there are in hospitals; and in how many cash is the only available means of payment. [50447]

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not collect information on the number of out-patient pharmacies in hospitals.

Neither is information collected about the arrangements which hospitals have in place to collect prescription charges. This is a matter for local decision.

Hospital Trusts (Thefts)

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many NHS hospital trusts have reported losing diagnostic equipment worth at least £10,000 from thefts in the last 12 months; [52633]

(2) what advice the NHS Security Management Service has issued to NHS hospital trusts in the last 12 months on how to protect drugs and equipment from organised criminals. [52634]

Ms Rosie Winterton: 11 national health service trusts have reported thefts of diagnostic equipment worth over £10,000 in the past 12 months to the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS).
 
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The NHS SMS issues alerts to all NHS health bodies indicating where risks to the security of drugs and equipment have been identified. For example, an alert regarding the protection of endoscopy equipment was issued on 7 December 2005, containing 10 key pieces of advice for health bodies to assist them in both preventing and detecting such thefts.

The NHS SMS manual, launched on 17 March 2005, contains guidance on the better protection of NHS drugs and equipment. NHS health bodies' nominated security management directors and accredited local security management specialists are directed to have regard to this manual in the discharge of their security management function.

NHS SMS is also actively exploring the options for making use of new technology to track and trace high value pieces of NHS equipment. This electronic tagging may be used in the future as both a preventative measure and to monitor the whereabouts of key pieces of medical equipment.

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