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Infertility Treatments

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the availability of (a) infertility treatment and (b) IVF treatment on the NHS in South Staffordshire. [57876]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information about the number of patients receiving national health service infertility treatment is not collected centrally. The primary responsibility for the provision of these services rests with the NHS at local level. The consideration that primary care trusts give to this is part of the range of factors that they take into account, in liaison with local health bodies and patient groups, in deciding their policy on the provision of treatment services for their locality. This policy should reflect local health needs and priorities.
 
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Macular Degeneration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost to the NHS was in 2004–05 of treating individuals with age-related macular degeneration; and if she will make a statement on recent advances in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration; [52404]

(2) if she will make a statement on the introduction of photo dynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration on the NHS. [52406]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued its guidance on photodynamic therapy on 24 September 2003. Implementation of the NICE guidance was co-ordinated by local specialist commissioning groups and all primary care trusts are funding photodynamic therapy treatment for patients with both the wholly classic and predominantly classic forms of age-related macular degeneration.

We do not hold data on the cost to the national health service of treating individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2004–05.

Several new drugs are in the process of being licensed for the treatment of AMD. Pegaptanib and anecortave acetate were referred to NICE as part of its 10th wave. Guidance is expected in August 2007.

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat representations she has received on Mal de Debarquement Syndrome; what research she has commissioned on the syndrome; and if she will make a statement. [59748]

Mr. Byrne: I am not aware of receiving any representations on this rare condition, other than questions from Members earlier in this year on 16 January 2006, Official Report, column 1066W and on 30 January 2006, Official Report, column 172W.

The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.

National Radiotherapy Advisory Group

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the national radiotherapy advisory group to report. [58954]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 16 March 2006]: We expect the national radiotherapy advisory group to report to Ministers later this year.

PCT Finances

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much will be taken from next year's budgets of primary care trusts (PCTs) in Birmingham and the black country to cover deficits in other PCTs in the West Midlands. [58501]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The amount of reserve to be banked and the terms of the agreement will be agreed by national health service organisations with their strategic health authority (SHA). SHAs are responsible for the financial management of the organisations within their area and for delivering financial planning targets agreed with the Department.

Prostate Cancer

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the research budget for prostate cancer is for 2006–07; and when she next expects to review funding for such research; [59148]

(2) what discussions she has had on hosting a global summit in the UK on prostate cancer testing; [59149]

(3) what recent research she has evaluated on new screening tests for prostate cancer. [59155]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 16 March 2006]: The NHS Prostate Cancer Programme confirmed the NHS Plan commitment to increase the Department's funding for directly commissioned prostate cancer to £4.2 million by 2003–04. The Department's expenditure on directly commissioned prostate cancer research was £4.3 million in 2003–04, and £4.4 million in 2004–05. Expenditure in future years will depend on the quality of research proposals received.

The Government are committed to introducing a national population screening programme for prostate cancer if and when screening and treatment techniques are sufficiently well developed for such a programme to be introduced.

The Department is supporting the development of screening technology for prostate cancer by having a comprehensive research strategy into all aspects of prostate cancer. We are jointly with other National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) members funding two NCRI prostate cancer research collaboratives and the Department is funding half of the total £7.4 million cost.

The research undertaken by the collaboratives covers all aspects of prostate cancer and has already generated the groundbreaking discovery of the overactive E2F3 gene in prostate cancer tumours. This discovery provides the potential not only to identify those at risk of developing the disease, but for the first time allows theprediction of how aggressive the cancer will be. Research is under way to turn this into a diagnostic test so that we can identify those patients whose prostate cancers are aggressive and urgently need treatment.

It is important to note that in order for a screening technology to contribute to saving lives it is essential for there to be effective treatments for the disease detected. That is why the Department is funding a £20 million trial of treatments for prostate specific antigen (PSA) screen-detected early prostate cancer (the ProtecT trial).

Phase one of the trial showed that such a trial was feasible in the United Kingdom and that the majority of men recruited agreed to take part in a three-arm trial, comparing active monitoring, surgery or radiotherapy as treatment options. The primary end-point for phase two is survival to 10 years, with secondary end-points
 
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including disease progression, morbidity, quality of life impact, sensitivity/specificity of diagnostic tests and associated basic science research.

Since 2004, the ProtecT trial has been extended to evaluate the impact of screening using the PSA test by establishing a control arm to the study. Half of the men in the control study will be PSA tested and the other half not. All men in the study will be flagged with the national health service central registry and cancer registries to ensure notification of death and cancer.

On behalf of the prostate cancer advisory group, discussions are ongoing with the NCRI and the prostate cancer research collaboratives with a view to hosting in the UK a global summit on prostate cancer testing.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to promote research to find a new diagnostic test for prostate cancer. [59949]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2120W.

Reconstructive Breast Surgery

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of patients offered reconstructive breast surgery after a mastectomy; and if she will make a statement. [59219]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of the number of patients offered reconstructive breast surgery after a mastectomy.

However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) guidance on 'Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer' (August 2002), recommends that surgeons should discuss breast reconstruction with all patients.

Implementation of NICE guidance is a developmental standard as set out in 'National Standards, Local Action' published by the Department in July 2004. The Healthcare Commission is responsible for assessing progress of health care organisations towards achieving developmental standards. The Healthcare Commission is currently consulting on its proposals for assessing these standards.

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