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18 Apr 2006 : Column 393W—continued
Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed by Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997. [63802]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of qualified health visiting staff employed by Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust (PCT) as at 30 September in each specified year is shown in the table. Information about the years before 2001 and after 2004 is not held centrally.
| Head count at Milton Keynes PCT | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 49 |
| 2002 | 71 |
| 2003 | 67 |
| 2004 | 54 |
Source:
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.
MRSA
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average cost of a MRSA episode, including additional in-patient time. [63955]
Jane Kennedy: The costs of treating meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus cannot be identified from the information collected centrally.
NHS Beds
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of beds and mattresses that are replaced each year as part of routine replacement programmes; if she will make it her policy to donate NHS hospital beds and mattresses that are routinely replaced to the health services of developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [64184]
Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold a central record of the number of beds and mattresses that are replaced each year.
Many beds replaced within the national health service are done so on a planned rental, lease or managed service basis. Therefore the products being replaced are often the property of the supplier or finance provider, not necessarily the NHS.
Where the equipment is the property of the trust a decision to donate must be taken locally. They must take into consideration indemnity implications and ensure that there is no residual liability on the trust for product failure. Trusts would also need to consider who pays for the freight of such beds and mattresses, and whether they are appropriate resources in the developing country to utilise such equipment.
NHS Expenditure
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the answer of 20 March 2006, Official Report, column 168W, on NHS spending, what NHS expenditure per head in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority area was as a proportion of average NHS expenditure per capita in England in each of the last five years. [63637]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: National health service expenditure per head in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority as a proportion of average NHS expenditure per capita in England in each of the last five years is shown in the table.
| Expenditure (percentage) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 88.3 |
| 2001–02 | 103.4 |
| 2002–03 | 86.3 |
| 2003–04 | 85.2 |
| 2004–05 | 88.1 |
Notes:
1. NHS expenditure is the expenditure by health authorities, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in England.
2. Expenditure on general dental services and pharmaceutical services accounted for by the Dental Practice Board and Prescription Pricing Authority, respectively, are excluded. This expenditure cannot be included within the figures for the individual health bodies as they are not included in commissioner accounts.
Sources:
Audited health authority summarisation forms 2000–01 and 2001–02.
Audited primary care trust summarisation schedules 2000–01 to 2004–05.
Audited strategic health authority summarisation forms 2002–03 to 2004–05.
NHS Finance
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the use of minimum waiting times in NHS organisations as a means of recovering from financial deficit. [60397]
Jane Kennedy: We have set minimum standards for all areas of the national health service that must be delivered, which include maximum waiting times. In addition, we would expect some patients with more urgent clinical needs, such as those with a suspected cancer, to be seen more urgently. There can be no trade-off between meeting these requirements and reducing deficits.
NHS Litigation Authority
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS Litigation Authority deals with legal claims arising from NHS employment matters. [63950]
Jane Kennedy: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) administers the liabilities for third parties scheme and the clinical negligence scheme for trusts. Under these schemes, national health service trusts, primary care trusts and foundation trusts can refer legal claims for employers' liability, personal accident, professional indemnity, directors' and officers' liability, financial loss and pollution liability, and clinical negligence to the NHSLA for handling and settlement.
NovoRapid
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approved NovoRapid for use in young children; and what post-marketing data are available for assessment regarding its suitability for use among this group. [63768]
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Jane Kennedy: NovoRapid was granted an amendment to its existing marketing authorisation allowing its use in children within the age group two to six years in all European Union member states on 30 March 2005, by decision of the Commission of the European Communities. All authorised products are continuously and constantly monitored by the respective national regulatory authorities by periodic safety reviews of the product and by renewals of the marketing authorisation, as appropriate.
Nursing Procedures
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether nurses may administer controlled drugs to patients in minor injuries units; and if she will make a statement. [63775]
Jane Kennedy: Yes. Nurses can administer controlled drugs to patients in minor injuries units under a patient specific direction (PSD). Home Office regulations also allow nurses to administer some of the less potent controlled drugs under a patient group direction (PGD), namely schedule four and schedule five controlled drugs—with the exception of anabolic steroids—plus diamorphine for the treatment of cardiac pain by nurses in accident and emergency departments and in coronary care units in hospitals.
A PSD is a written instruction from either a doctor or nurse independent prescriber for medicines to be supplied or administered to a named patient.
A PGD is a written instruction for the supply or administration of a medicine (or medicines), where the patient may not be individually identified before presenting for treatment.
Obesity
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2637W, on obesity, why the Government decided not to establish the proposed National Partnership for Obesity. [61702]
Caroline Flint: The reply given on 19 December 2005 about the national partnership for obesity was incorrect as a decision not to establish the partnership had not been taken. A letter explaining this error was sent to the hon. Member on 6 February 2006 and a correction has been made in the Official Report.
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.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions have been related to obesity in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [63604]
Caroline Flint: Information on admissions where obesity is a related condition is not recorded. However, information on admissions where the primary diagnosis is obesity is shown in the table.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre.
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