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28 Mar 2006 : Column 952W—continued
Cancer
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to extend the age range of bowel cancer screening following the implementation of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. [61048]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 27 March 2006]: The risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80 per cent. of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over. Men and women aged over 70 will be able to self-refer for screening every two years.
When we have rolled out the programme to the whole country, we will make an assessment on whether to expand it to other age groups.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) planned into possible enhanced risks of cancer through genetic variations interacting with environmental contaminants; and if she will make a statement. [62166]
Caroline Flint: The committee on carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment carried out a review of the role of genotype in chemical induced cancers in 2002. It concluded that so far the available data had failed to show any consistent or strong association between the genotype of an individual and chemical induced cancer. However, the committee could not discount the possibility that important interactions might be discovered in the future. Both technical and lay statements are available on the Department's website at www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/coc/geneenv.htm.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the possible link between cancer and organochlorines in infants and young adults; and if she will make a statement. [62167]
Caroline Flint: The Department has not carried out a general review of the possible link between cancer and organochlorines in infants and young adults. The committee on carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment reviewed thecarcinogenicity of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in 2001. It concluded that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin should be regarded as a probable human carcinogen but commented that any increased risk of cancer at background levels of exposure is likely to be extremely small and not detectable by current epidemiological methods. The committee also recently reviewed the overall evidence for chemical causes of childhood cancer, particularly for those cancers that are increasing in incidence. It concluded that there is little evidence for chemical causation of these cancers. The committee's reviews is available on its website at www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/coc/index.htm or in its annual reports.
Chlamydia
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care trusts is participating in the chlamydia screening programme. [61147]
Caroline Flint: We have rolled out the programme successfully to 25 per cent. of primary care trusts (PCTs). We expect the remaining PCTs to start to come on board as of April 2006. The Health Protection Agency is now leading the roll out of the programme.
The White Paper, Choosing Health: Making Healthier choices easier", a copy of which is available at the Library, announced an accelerated timetable to achieve national roll out of the national chlamydia screening programme by 2007. We are well on track to meet this target.
Choose and Book System
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons psychiatric patients are excluded from patient choice under the choose and book system. [57791]
Mr. Byrne: Mental health services are not currently included in patient choice at referral under the choose and book service. The national choice consultation in autumn 2003 highlighted the choices which mental health service users feel would most enhance their user experience, these focused on choice of treatment rather than choice of service provider. These findings informed the detailed work carried out to formulate the Government's choice at referral policy and led to the decision to exclude mental health services from choice at referral In the light of the national choice consultation's findings, the Department commissioned the choice in mental health programme, which is being run by the National Institute of Mental Health in England. This programme aims to extend the scope, range and equity of treatment choices available across service user pathways.
Chronic Hepatitis B
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance she has issued on the treatment of chronic hepatitis B; [60233]
(2) what assessment she has made of the economic costs of chronic hepatitis B. [60234]
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Caroline Flint: In February 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on adefovir dipivoxil and peginterferon alpha-2a for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.
We have not made an assessment of the economic costs of chronic hepatitis B. NICE has estimated the national cost of implementing the above-mentioned guidance.
This NICE guidance and supplementary information is available on NICE's website at www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=293071.
Clinical Negligence
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the legally aided clinical negligence cases that were closed in the last 12 months with payment of compensation were settled for reasons of the health service defendant seeking to avoid or limit irrecoverable legal costs. [59977]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 20 March 2006]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Clinical Trials
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the operation of the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004; [60846]
(2) if she will make a statement on the operation of the EU directive on clinical trials. [60931]
Jane Kennedy: The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 came into force in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2004. They regulate the conduct of clinical trials in the UK and implement the provisions of the EU directive on clinical trials (directive 2001/20/EC). Clinical trials are a fundamental part of the development process for new drugs or for establishing new uses for existing drugs. The overall aim of the clinical trials regulatory system is to ensure that the rights, safety and well-being of those participating in clinical trials are protected. Those conducting clinical trials are responsible for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials according to internationally recognised principles of good clinical practice. The information collected from the clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of the drug supports the application for a marketing authorisation for the drug. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for authorising all clinical trials that take place in the UK.
Communications Research
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's total expenditure on communications research has been in each month since July 2004; how much of this cost was accounted for by producing (a) reports on the public perceptions of the NHS, (b) reports from plain English workshops, (c) stakeholder surveys, (d) national media evaluations, (e) regional media evaluations and (f) other communications research; and what assessment she has made of the research. [58551]
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Mr. Byrne: The Department's communications directorate's total market research spend since July 2004 has been:
Note:
Campaign expenditure is not calculated on a monthly basis but rather on a project basis.
This research provides a useful check on public sentiment and patient experience and complements the much larger Healthcare Commission patient surveys. The communications directorate uses its analysis to:
Local national health service communications teams, who use it to benchmark the effectiveness of their own activities and
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