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26 Apr 2006 : Column 1211W—continued

Diabetes

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the number of people with diabetes for whom the drug Exubera may be clinically appropriate. [65921]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 25 April 2006]: This information is not centrally held.

The choice of insulin prescribed to a patient is a clinical decision made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient and their clinician taking into account all available evidence and the individual's specific clinical needs.

Diet-drug Interactions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will (a) publish the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment working paper on diet-drug interactions and (b) make recommendations for action in relation to drug-diet interactions for (i) babies, (ii) young children, (iii) over 75-year-olds and (iv) people with long-term conditions. [64179]

Caroline Flint: The joint statement of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and the Committee on
 
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Safety of Medicines (CSM) on the joint COT/CSM meeting on diet-drug interactions was published on the Food Standards Agency's website on 2 February 2006. The statement will also be included in the 2005 annual reports of the two committees.

As yet, there is insufficient data to draw conclusions or make recommendations for specific population groups, however appropriate information is supplied with specific pharmaceutical agents where necessary.

Emergency Contraception

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance her Department (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to (i) general practitioners and (ii) pharmacists on the availability of emergency contraception over the counter without prescription from dispensing chemists; [64371]

(2) what follow-up care is available to women prescribed the morning-after pill (a) on prescription and (b) over the counter without prescription from dispensing chemists; and if she will make a statement; [64372]

(3) if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that a woman's medical history is known before she is provided with the morning-after pill (a) on prescription and (b) over the counter without prescription from dispensing chemists; and if she will make a statement. [64373]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 2159–60W.

Fibromyalgia

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) recent discussions she has had and (b) representations she has received on fibromyalgia; [65794]

(2) what progress is being made in improving NHS (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of fibromyalgia. [65795]

Mr. Byrne: I have had no recent discussions about fibromyalgia specifically, and have received no representations other than those from the hon. Member for Jarrow on 14 December 2005, Official Report, column 2143W and on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1300W.

I am advised that the Department has received 25 pieces of correspondence on the subject of fibromyalgia since August 2005.
 
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In August 2003, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) issued a newsletter to all doctors in England, specifically addressing the problem of fibromyalgia information dissemination. The CMO acknowledges the condition and the extent to which it affects the population. He raised awareness of a leaflet about fibromyalgia, which was made available to all general practitioner surgeries in the United Kingdom. The leaflet offers guidance on the main symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia together with a brief summary of the current ideas for the underlying pathogenesis. In addition, NHS Direct, NHS Direct Online and NHS Direct Interactive have been established to give people access to information on a range of conditions and illnesses, including fibromyalgia.

General Practitioners

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner surgeries in Brentford and Isleworth have been (a) newly built and (b) modernised since 1997. [64278]

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health White Paper

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make changes to the primary care contracts to ensure better opening hours as described in paragraph 3.58 of the White Paper, 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say', and if she will make a statement. [49555]

Mr. Byrne: We are continually exploring ways to improve patient access to national health service primary medical care. The revised general practice contract framework for 2006–07 includes incentives to encourage practices to improve access across a broader range of patient experiences. We shall be reviewing that framework again for 2007–08 and later years with the aim of supporting delivery of the commitments set out in the White Paper, including the provision of more flexible opening hours.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis was for the statement in paragraph 3.49 of the White Paper, 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say', that a minority of practices had stopped taking advance bookings; and what evidence suggests that the number of practices which have stopped taking advance bookings is growing. [49557]

Mr. Byrne: Initial evidence that some practices were denying patients the opportunity to book ahead was based on correspondence and other representations from hon. Members and the public. Since the Department started collecting information about this practice and discouraging it, the incidence reported by practices through their primary care trusts has reduced from affecting over 12 per cent. of patients in November 2004 to less than one per cent, in March 2006. We are continuing action to stop this practice.

Late Terminations

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned into the impact of late termination of the foetus; and what effect the result of such research has had on policy. [65971]

 
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Caroline Flint: The Department has commissioned no research into the impact of late termination of the foetus. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has, however, published various advice for professionals on abortion (including late gestation abortions), including its evidence-based clinical guideline on The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion".

It is accepted parliamentary practice that proposals for changes in the law on abortion are made on the basis of free votes. Parliament agreed in 1990 that the legal limit for most abortions should be 24 weeks gestation. The limit remains therefore a matter for Parliament to decide.

Local Improvement Finance Trusts

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the length is of the lease of each local improvement finance trust company. [61871]

Mr. Byrne: Information is not held centrally on the length of leases held by each individual local improvement finance trust (LIFT) company. Departmental guidance allows for the length of lease period for each LIFT to be up to 30 years. Normally 25 years is the period for the lease, although we are aware of instances where it is up to 30 years.

Major Trauma Centres

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency departments are designated as major trauma centres; and if she will make a statement. [62819]

Mr. Byrne: No accident and emergency departments in England are formally designated as major trauma centres.

Medicine Reviews

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to quality assure the conduct of medicine reviews for (a) babies, (b) young children, (c) over 75-year-olds and (d) people with long-term conditions. [64180]

Jane Kennedy: A medicine use review (MUR) service is a nationally specified service within the new contractual framework for community pharmacy, which went live in April 2005 and is underpinned by robust clinical governance arrangements. Where pharmacies choose to provide these services, both the community pharmacist and the premises must be accredited. The purpose of the MUR service is, with the patient's agreement, to improve their knowledge and use of medicines.

Primary care trusts (PCTs) monitor services provided by community pharmacies under the new contractual framework. Directions have been issued to PCTs setting out the requirements for a MUR service.

A leaflet has also been developed by Medicines Partnership, which provides information to patients about what they can expect from a MUR.
 
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