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18 Apr 2006 : Column 248W—continued
Nursing Vacancies
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the nursing vacancy levels were at each prison in each of the last 12 months. [62782]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Obesity
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2637W, on obesity, if she will clarify the action which the Department plans to take on the establishment of the National Partnership for Obesity. [61753]
Caroline Flint: I regret that part of the reply I gave the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldworthy) on 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2637W, was incorrect. The third paragraph of the answer on the national partnership for obesity should read as follows:
Over the coming months the Department will explore with relevant non governmental organisations how it can support the establishment of a national partnership for obesity. The objective will be to promote practical action on the prevention and management of obesity and provide a source of information and evidence of effectiveness."
Ophthalmology
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make eye solution available on prescription for keratoconus patients; [58555]
(2) what financial assistance her Department gives to support groups that provide help to keratoconus patients; [58556]
(3) what recent representations she has received on behalf of keratoconus patients, with particular reference to the provision of eye solution on prescription; [58557]
(4) what steps the NHS is taking to minimise the expense of eye lenses and eye solutions to keratoconus patients. [58558]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The hospital eye service (HES) provides contact lenses to those who require them as a clinical necessity. This will include many patients with keratoconus, but in some cases spectacles can be used to correct their vision.
There is a charge for contact lenses supplied through the HES of £48 per lens. Children, those aged under 19 in full time education, and patients who would be eligible for vouchers for their spectacles are entitled to free contact lenses through the HES scheme. Patients who have a valid HC3 certificate pay up to a maximum of £96 for a pair of lenses.
It is recognised that the provision of solutions to maintain contact lenses is an integral part of the provision of the lenses. When contact lenses have been fitted for a recognised clinical need, hospitals should make arrangements for patients to receive contact lens solutions for which normal prescription charges rules apply. All classes of patients who are exempt from paying prescription charges, or who have a valid pre-payment certificate, should not be charged for their contact lens solutions.
We have received no representations on behalf of keratoconus patients regarding the provision of eye solutions on prescription.
The Department provides financial support via the Section 64 general scheme to a number of organisations that provide advice to individuals with a full range of visual impairment which will include keratoconus. This includes:
£30,000 over three years from 2004–05 to 2006–07 for the national association of local societies for visually impaired people;
£131,698 over three years from 2005–06 to 2007–08 for the Royal National Institute of the Blind, for a volunteer counselling project.
Patient Transfers
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Department of Health Winter Report 2005–06, page 17, how much income is lost by a hospital on average (a) when a patient chooses to be treated elsewhere under the Cancelled Operations Guarantee and (b) when a patient chooses to go to another hospital with lower levels of cancellations; and how much income has been lost by hospitals in total in each of these ways in each year since 2001–02, broken down by NHS trust. [62556]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested in not centrally collected.
PCTs (Greater Manchester)
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of Greater Manchester's primary care trusts met the 48-hour target for access to GPs in the latest period for which figures are available. [62228]
Mr. Byrne:
The information requested is shown in the following table.
18 Apr 2006 : Column 250W
Source:
Primary care and specialist performance collections
Pesticides
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to reduce exposure to pesticide residues in food; and if she will make a statement. [62164]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is committed to minimising pesticide residues in food and has developed a detailed action plan to achieve this. The action plan recognises that many consumers prefer pesticide residues in their food to be kept to a minimum, and reduced further than current safe levels. The FSA's action plan includes the development of crop guides offering a consolidated source of best practice for pesticide residue minimisation on specific crops. Research is also under way to explore the information needs of consumers regarding pesticide residues in food.
I am advised by the FSA that the current levels of pesticides residues in the United Kingdom food supply do not present a significant concern for human health.
PET Scans
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process is used to commission PET scans for patients; and if she will make a statement. [62707]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Commissioning of positron emission tomography scans is for local determination depending on local priorities and circumstances.
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many PET scanners there are in England; and where they are located. [62708]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are currently seven fixed-location scanners routinely available for national health service patients in England. These are located in London and the south-east, with one new scanner now in Birmingham.
There are also three private clinics which offer positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) services and three mobile scanners
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which provide services across the United Kingdom. Additionally, research facilities are available in London, Cambridge and Manchester.
Full details of PET scanners can be found in annex C of The National Framework for the Development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Services in England". This is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/10/30/04121030.pdf.
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are applied when deciding which patients receive PET scans. [62814]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Patients are normally referred for scans by clinicians using locally agreed criteria.
In October 2005, the Department published The National Framework for the Development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Services in England". The framework identifies some of the key indicators that clinicians may use to identify patients for referral for a positron emission tomography scan.
The framework is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/10/30/04121030.pdf.
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