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14 Mar 2006 : Column 2187W—continued
Contraception
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much North Devon primary care trust has spent on training pharmacists in the use of the morning-after pill in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how much they plan to spend in each of the next three years. [57594]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for North Devon primary care trust to decide how much to spend on training pharmacists in the use of the morning-after pill, as local national health service organisations in conjunction with their strategic health authorities are responsible for planning services for local people.
Dentistry
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates (a) she has and (b) her officials have met the (i) British Dental Association, (ii) the Dental Practitioners Association and (iii) dentists to discuss the new General Dental Services contract; and what matters were raised. [51633]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Over the past six months, I met with the British Dental Association (BDA) on 6 July, 1 December 2005 and 14 February 2006. I met with the Dental Practitioners Association (DPA) on 15 March 2005.
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Over the last year, the acting Chief Dental Officer has met with the BDA on the following dates: 21 February, 6 April, 13 July, 6 and 28 October and 30 November 2005. A further 12 informal meetings have also been held on 9 and 29 March, 26 May, 8 June, 6 and 29 July, 3 August, 12 September, 5 October 2005, 6 January and 3 February 2006.
The acting Chief Dental Officer met with the DPA on 23 February, 15 March and 21 October 2005.
In the last six months, the acting Chief Dental Officer has attended 31 meetings with dentists across England.
The meetings have covered a wide range of issues, including the draft regulations governing the new general dental services contracts and personal dental services agreement, the regulations governing the new system of patient charges, the proposed transitional provisions and the calculation of units of dental activity.
Diabetes
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the capacity of Wockhardt to meet demand from diabetes patients for natural animal insulins when it becomes the only supplier of animal insulin in the UK; [56920]
(2) what assessment she has made of the likely effects on UK supplies of animal insulin of the level of imports to the EU and US for personal use; [56923]
(3) what steps she is taking to ensure there is no disruption to the (a) supply and (b) production of animal insulins in the UK; [56924]
(4) what steps she is taking to guarantee the supply and availability of animal insulins; and whether these supplies can be guaranteed until 2010: [56917]
Jane Kennedy: The Department is in regular contact with Wockhardt UK. The company has assured the Department of its commitment to continue the supply of its animal insulins in the United Kingdom. It has also given assurance that it will be able to meet any increased demand when NovoNordisk's products are no longer available. Demand from other European Union countries and the United States for personal use is insignificant compared to UK requirements, but will be taken into consideration as part of Wockhardt's forward planning. It is building up stocks to cover increased demand and any unforeseen short term manufacturing issues that might arise.
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the cost-effectiveness of the new long-acting insulin, placed on the market after the initial National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance published in 2002; and whether the forthcoming NICE review will include such an assessment. [56922]
Jane Kennedy:
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has proposed that detemir insulin should be appraised separately through its new single technology appraisal process.
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Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the initial National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the use of long-acting insulin analogues published in November 2002 is under review; and if she will make a statement. [56941]
Jane Kennedy: I understand that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is reviewing technology appraisal guideline issued in December 2002 on long-acting insulin analogues in the context of developing a clinical guideline on type two diabetes and updating its clinical guideline on type one diabetes.
E.coli 0157
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outbreaks of E.coli 0157 occurred in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005. [56073]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
All outbreaks | Foodborne outbreaks | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5 | 1 |
| 2004 | 11 | 1 |
| 2005(42) | 7 | 2 |
(42) 2005 data are provisional.
Source:
Health Protection Agency
Elective Treatment
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an estimate was made by her Department of the cost to the NHS of locally provided independent sector elective treatment as part of its analysis of the NHS budget overspend for 2005–06. [53631]
Jane Kennedy: [holding answer 27 February 2006]: No such estimate was made.
Information collected centrally on expenditure on purchase of healthcare from non national health service bodies includes spend on NHS services in the independent sector. However, as this information is not broken down by type of service, it is not possible to identify costs of locally procured independent sector elective treatment from other services such as mental health and nursing care.
Eye Tests
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to encourage take-up of free eye tests amongst (a) groups with an increased genetic risk of developing glaucoma and (b) people with diabetes. [53764]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
[holding answer 27 February 2006]: The arrangements for providing help with national health service optical services and other health costs are publicised in leaflet HC11 Are you entitled to help with health costs?" Posters are also available for display in optical practices and hospital out-patient departments.
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Glaucoma was referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in November 2005. NICE will prepare a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of raised intraocular pressure and ocular hypertension.
Screening for diabetic retinopathy is a priority for primary care trusts with a target in the priorities and planning framework 2003–06 and the diabetes national service framework delivery strategy for 80 per cent. of people to be offered screening for the early detection (and treatment if needed) of diabetic retinopathy by the end of March 2006 rising to 100 per cent. by the end of 2007.
Foster Review
David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government expect to publish the outcome of the Foster Review of non-medical healthcare regulation. [58171]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) on Monday 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1765W.
General Practitioners' Premises
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners' premises in each primary care trust area in London were above minimum standards on the last date for which figures are available. [52308]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 27 February 2006]: Primary care trusts (PCTs) and predecessor organisations, have responsibility for managing delivery of services provided by general practitioners (GPs); including the adequacy of their practice premises from which to provide.
Data are not collected in the format requested. The data shown in the table are of PCT assessments of GP premises below minimum standards as at 31 March 2005. The data are also expressed as a percentage.
The 2005 snapshot by PCTs shows that collectively they have judged many GP premises across London as being below minimum standards. This needs to be set in context in that judgements for some of those standards are subjective which by their very nature may lead to some PCTs reporting higher levels of premises that do not meet minimum standards than other PCTs with similar premises.
In addition, failure is not about buildings being in a dangerous state of repair. Rather, that the premises may not have for example, adequate access to and within premises and WC facilities for disabled patients and staff.
This is not because of a lack of intent by GPs practices and their PCTs to provide these facilities but because for example, the building is too small to incorporate them; with a general lack of suitable, alternative locations to develop. These are historic problems for London and other inner city PCTs that prevents investment in smaller business buildings including the development of modern GP and wider primary care premises.
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Nevertheless, the NHS plan set targets to substantially improve or replace up to 3,000 general practitioner premises and provide 500 one-stop primary care centres by 2004. These national targets were achieved with 462 premises improvements and 45 one-stop primary care centres produced or being developed across London. These resulted in improved patient-work environments/made additional services available to patients.
For the longer term, across the London area all PCTs apart from Kensington and Chelsea PCT, and Westminster PCT are part of NHS LIFT. This, in its initial phase, has delivered to date 14 new buildings open to patients with another 18 under construction. These are not like-for-like replacements but modern super-surgeries that co-locate a range of primary, community and social care services with others normally provided in hospital settings.
Examples include Newham PCT, who are through City and East London LIFT delivering a wider range of services to patients. The Centre, Manor Park houses three GP practices, health visitors, dentists, pharmacy, cardiology clinic, x-ray facilities, pathology services, optometry services and a healthy living cafe together in a single, one-stop centre.
Another is Hounslow PCT, who are through Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow LIFT, developing the Thelma Golding Centre that will open to patients in early 2007. This will relocate three GP practices (11 GPs) alongside community and PCT services, such as smoking cessation, speech and language therapy, alongside London borough of Hounslow Social Services child and adult mental teams.
As LIFT establishes a long-term partnership between the public and private sectors it will support the continued development of a health and social care estate that is fit for purpose to deliver 21st century services.
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