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Ministerial Speech

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place on her Department's website a copy of her speech to the annual dinner of Royal Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on 25 November 2005; and if she will make a statement. [34529]

Mr. Byrne: The Secretary of State gave some informal comments to the annual dinner of Royal Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. No formal record was kept of her remarks.

National Health Research Strategy

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 25 January 2006, Official Report, column 57WS, on the national health research strategy, what the estimated cost is of a national expert advice line providing advice (a) 24-hours a day and (b) during normal office hours to researchers on interpreting the law relating to medical research. [51911]

Jane Kennedy: The national health research strategy does not include plans to establish a national expert advice line providing advice 24 hours a day. The national advice service is to operate through e-mail and a telephone helpline, backed up by an electronic interface that links it to national regulatory experts. At this stage, subject to further scoping and piloting, it is estimated that the cost of delivering the advice service during normal office hours will be not more than 50,000 a year. Most of it will be found by organising existing resources better.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 10 January 2006, Official Report, column 595W, on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), when she expects the review of the process for selecting topics for NICE's programme to be completed; and when she expects the consultation document to be published. [52484]

Jane Kennedy: The Department will be undertaking a three month public consultation shortly on the proposed changes to the process for selecting topics for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's future work programmes.

National Programme for Information Technology

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether local service provider deployment activity as part of the National Programme for Information Technology is being rescheduled, with particular reference to the software supplier iSoft; and if she will make a statement. [51897]

 
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Mr. Byrne: In the Eastern, North East, and North West and West Midlands cluster areas, where iSoft solutions are being deployed, some 900 sites have had iSoft solutions installed, and these are being used by more than 25,000 users. Some local service provider (LSP) local system deployment activity is being re-scheduled as a result of LSPs and their subcontractors, including iSoft, taking longer than originally anticipated to deliver software solutions.

However, there is no single new deadline. The national programme for information technology is a hugely complex ten-year programme which will see many thousands of further deployments and associated deadlines. Because contracts under the programme are structured so that financing and completion risk rests with the LSPs and their subcontractors, those who deliver get paid; the corollary also applies.

Needlestick Injuries

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much compensation has been paid to health care workers arising from needlestick injuries in each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement; [33798]

(2) what recent assessment she has made of the risk to health care workers of needlestick injuries; and if she will make a statement; [33799]

(3) what assessment she has made of the cost of fitting safety devices to needles to reduce the number of injuries suffered by health care workers; and if she will make a statement; [33800]

(4) what recent discussions she has had regarding needlestick injuries suffered by health care workers; [33801]

(5) how many needlestick injuries were suffered by health care workers in each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement. [33802]

Mr. Byrne [holding answers 30 November 2005]: Details of compensation payments and the number of needlestick injuries to health care workers are not collected centrally but held by individual employers.

The NHS Pensions Agency administers the NHS injury benefit scheme on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. The injury benefit scheme is a no-blame income protection scheme designed to provide benefits for national health service employees who suffer loss of earnings or earning ability as a result of an injury, disease or condition caused wholly or mainly by the duties of their NHS employment. The NHS Pensions Agency does not hold statistics on the amount of compensation paid to health care workers for needlestick injuries.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) carries out surveillance of needlestick injuries and occupational exposure to blood-borne viruses. The most recent report
 
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was published in January 2005 and is available on the HPA's website at: www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/bbv/s_report.htm

All NHS employers are required to carry out risk assessments, including the risk of needlestick injuries, as part of their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1977 (as amended by the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992).

No assessment has been made of the cost of fitting safety devices to needles in the NHS in England. The industry has made great progress over the last two years resulting in no significant difference in unit cost. This allows employers to introduce the safer devices in areas where risk assessment indicates it would be beneficial for the safety of staff and patients. Details of products available in this country can be found on the NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency website at: www.pasa.nhs.uk/medicalconsumables/sharps/

There has been no recent discussions involving Health Ministers regarding needlestick injuries to health care workers. NHS employers has the remit to share good practice and advise NHS employers on this and similar health and safety issues.

NHS (Private Providers)

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether private providers who carry out NHS work will be subject to the NHS complaints procedure. [54261]

Jane Kennedy: National health service patients who are referred for treatment in independent sector treatment centres have the same right to complain as patients who are treated by NHS providers. Where an NHS trust or primary care trust (PCT) makes arrangements for the provision of services with an independent provider, it must ensure that the independent provider has in place arrangements for the handling and consideration of complaints about any matter connected with its provision of services as if the NHS (Complaints) Regulations 2004 applied to it. The responsibility for handling complaints regarding commissioning rests with the appropriate PCT.

NHS Budget

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS budget was paid to non-NHS providers in 2004–05. [51641]

Jane Kennedy: 5.3 per cent. of the national health service budget was paid to non-NHS providers in 2004–05 for a wide range of services mostly non-elective, which includes expenditure of £78.8 million on centrally procured elective treatment.

NHS Direct

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people accessed NHS Direct (a) by telephone and (b) online in each year since its inception. [43020]

Mr. Byrne: Information from 1998–99 onwards on the number of calls received nationally and the number of visits to NHS Direct Online are available in the
 
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statistical supplement to the chief executive's report to the national health service, which is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of calls to NHS Direct resulted in the referral of a patient to (a) a doctor and (b) another part of the national health service in each of the last three years. [45907]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 26 January 2006]: This information is not centrally held. It may be available from NHS Direct special health authority and you may wish to contact the chairman of NHS Direct for details.

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