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Diabetes

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls received by NHS Direct were on diabetes-related issues in each of the last three years. [59069]

Mr. Byrne: This information is not centrally held. It may be available from NHS Direct Special Health Authority and the hon. Member may wish to contact the Chairman of NHS Direct for details.

Grievance Procedures

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many grievance procedures have been initiated in the Department in each of the last three years. [63537]

Mr. Byrne: The Department has records of eight grievances in 2005. For reasons of confidentiality, the number of cases has been suppressed for 2006. None was initiated in 2004.

Harassment Complaints

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints of (a) bullying and (b) sexual harassment have been investigated in the Department in each of the last three years; and how many complaints have been upheld. [63538]

 
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Mr. Byrne: The information requested on complaints of bullying is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality. There have been no complaints of sexual harassment.

Health Services (North Northamptonshire)

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the growth areas directorate in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister concerning additional provision of NHS health care in North Northamptonshire. [64726]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has had no direct discussions with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister concerning additional provision of national health service health care in North Northamptonshire. However, the Department has regular six-monthly meetings with the growth area team at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Health Treatment Centres

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the expansion of independent sector treatment centres. [61715]

Mr. Byrne: There are 15 contracts currently under way for the provision of 30 independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) facilities, with the remainder being fully operational during 2006 and 2007. A second phase of procurement was launched in March 2005 and this additional capacity will be provided through a variety of facilities, such as existing ISTCs, newbuild centres, refurbishments and existing national health service facilities over the next five years.

Hearing Aids

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the 18 week waiting target will apply to those applying for a digital hearing aid who currently have an analogue one. [63574]

Mr. Byrne: The Department is considering the results of a recent listening exercise on the principles and definitions to govern the 18-week pathway. In the light of comments received, we will publish conclusions shortly.

Infant Formula

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on trials of infant formula with particular reference to the Patch test; what guidance she has issued to hospitals on their role in recruiting mothers for such trials; and if she will make a statement. [51668]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 14 February 2006]: While the Department does not issue guidance to hospitals on their role in recruiting mothers for such trials, the dignity, rights, safety and wellbeing of participants must be the primary concern in any research study.

The Department is legally required to ensure that independent research ethics committees are in place to approve research proposals, which involve national
 
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health service patients, their organs, tissues or data, to ensure that the studies comply with recognised national and international ethical standards.

Malnutrition

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what responsibility (a) GPs, (b) district nurses and (c) care workers have in (i) monitoring older patients for malnutrition and (ii) introducing measures to combat malnutrition; [64285]

(2) which health and social care workers have responsibility for identifying and implementing action to combat malnutrition in people over the age of 65 (a) in primary care, (b) in care homes, (c) who are hospital in-patients and (d) who are hospital out-patients; and what action she is taking to implement this policy. [64286]

Mr. Byrne: The primary responsibility for monitoring the health of individuals, including their nutritional status, rests with clinicians.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1523W, which stated that, it is the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory bodies that set standards for health and social care education and training to determine how much knowledge registrants require of specific health and social care issues such as nutrition and malnutrition.

The General Medical Council for example, requires that all pre-registration house officers must demonstrate competence across a range of factors, including nutrition in considering treatment options they discuss with patients. The Nursing and Midwifery Council also stress the need for specialist community public health nurses to understand, among other things, the importance of nutrition.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care published a clinical guideline on 21 February 2006 to help the national health service identify patients, who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

Mary Seacole Award

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding (a) NHS Employers and (b) the Department of Health has provided for the Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards since their inception; what the aims of the awards are; and whether similar leadership and development opportunities are available to non-black and minority ethnic NHS staff. [61271]

Mr. Byrne: Since their inception in 1994–95, the Department has provided funding of £25,000 annually for the Mary Seacole Leadership Awards. From 2006–07, these awards will become the Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards, with additional funding of £25,000 being provided by NHS Employers.

The awards are focused on nurses, midwives and health visitors in clinical and professional practice in the national health service in England. They contribute to positive action that the Department and partner NHS organisations take in order to help black and minority
 
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ethnic NHS staff develop their careers in the NHS. The context for this is the difficulties that some black and minority ethnic staff experience in this regard and which do not apply in the same way to other groups.

Maternal and Child Health

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the findings of the confidential enquiry into maternal and child health to be published; and if she will make a statement. [64370]

Mr. Byrne: The confidential enquiry into maternal and child health runs a series of programmes which report at different times. It plans to publish its annual perinatal mortality monitoring report for 2005 by the end of 2006.

Medical Students (Jobs)

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of (a) the number of medical students without jobs allocated from August 2006 and the reasons for delay in allocations, (b) the effectiveness of the Multi-Deanery Appointment process and (c) the number of 2006 medical graduates that will not have jobs as junior doctors by 1 August 2006. [54503]

Mr. Byrne: Recruitment to foundation programmes in August 2006 is a two stage process—to date only stage one has been completed.

In the first round of applications, over 5,000 candidates were matched to posts. A small number of applicants, including about 465 United Kingdom applicants, will need to go through a second stage of the recruitment process. There are about 490 vacancies available in the second round.

The multi-deanery appointment process is a computer system designed to handle the many applications received by postgraduate deans. For the 2006 recruitment round it was adopted by eight out of 14 deaneries in England. It is not intended to make decisions on, or score, applicants. This is done by senior doctors.

We are confident that there are enough Foundation places for all UK graduates in good standing.

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