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3 May 2006 : Column 1708W—continued
Stroke
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that patients admitted to hospital following a stroke have their higher cognitive function checked. [66951]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 2 May 2006]: The Royal College of Physicians' national clinical guidelines for stroke recommend that all stroke patients should be screened for the presence of cognitive impairments as soon as is practicable.
The Department has commenced work on an 18-month programme to develop a national stroke strategy. The work to develop the strategy will look at the measures that need to be put in place to ensure that patients receive high quality care when they are admitted to hospital.
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Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that all healthcare staff are aware of (a) the risk of vascular dementia in stroke patients and (b) the action which should be taken if dementia is suspected. [66952]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The complex nature of dementia once it is diagnosed requires a whole systems approach across a range of health and social care providers. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently working on dementia guidelines. The first consultation on this guideline is expected in May 2006. This is in addition to the ongoing work of the older people's mental health programme which includes guidance on the provision of services.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking (a) to develop effective systems of identifying people at high risk of having a stroke and (b) to put in place ways to reduce that risk. [66953]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 2 May 2006]: The quality and outcomes framework (QAF) of the general practitioner contract includes points for setting up and maintaining a register of people who have had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke, a key indicator that there is a high risk of a full, or more serious, stroke. The QAF also includes a range of points for managing that risk including for recording and managing of hypertension and cholesterol in patients who have had a stroke or TIA. In addition, the QAF includes points for managing other key risk factors such as treatment and care for atrial fibrillation, management of diabetes, recording smoking status and giving advice on smoking cessation, and setting up and maintaining an obesity register.
The Department has commenced work on an 18-month programme to develop a national strategy for stroke. One of the six key areas will focus on the improvement of primary and secondary stroke risk prevention, and raising public awareness, particularly the symptoms of stroke and the associated risk factors.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat research she has commissioned on the best ways of improving the management of patients who have had a (a) transient ischemic attack and (b) minor stroke. [66954]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. Through the service delivery and organisation and health technology assessment programmes, the Department has funded a number of projects related to improving the management of patients who have had a transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke. These include:
a multi-centre randomised trial evaluating feeding policies in patients admitted to hospital with a recent stroke;
a systematic review and economic evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of clopidogrel and modified-release dipyridamole in the secondary prevention of occlusive vascular events;
a systematic review of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and barriers to implementation of thrombolytic and neuroprotective therapy for acute ischaemic stroke in the NHS;
a multi-centre randomised trial to assess whether hypertension or hypotension immediately post-stroke can be therapeutically treated, and can improve post-stroke prognosis.
a randomised trial and health economic evaluation to assess the effectiveness of communication therapy in the North West of England;
a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and resource utilisation study to evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin in the treatment of upper limb spasticity due to stroke;
partnership and complexity in continuity of care: a study of vertical and horizontal integration across organisational and professional boundaries (relationships between organisations);
a study to determine what pattern of service delivery will best meet the needs of people who have a transient ischaemic attack.
The NHS national research programme projects listed above, either completed over the last three years or are currently under way, have been funded at a cost of £5.1 million. The Department has also invested £20 million over five years to set up a new stroke research network.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow much money was distributed to voluntary organisations through section 64 General Scheme of Grants in each year since 1997; and if she will list the organisations which received such funding in 2005–06. [67610]
Mr. Byrne: The table sets out the amount of grants to voluntary and community organisations from the section 64 General Scheme of Grants for each year from 1997 to 2005. Organisations that received a grant in 2005–06 are listed on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/section64
Financial year | Total value of approved grants (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 21 |
| 1997–98 | 21.4 |
| 1998–99 | 20.6 |
| 1999–2000 | 22.3 |
| 2000–01 | 22.7 |
| 2001–02 | 21.5 |
| 2002–03 | 22.1 |
| 2003–04 | 21.4 |
| 2004–05 | 17.8 |
| 2005–06 | 17.9 |
Note:
In 2004–05, £4.2 million was transferred to the Department for Education and Skills projects relating to children's social care policy following re-organisation of departmental responsibilities for children's social services.
Waiting Lists/Times
Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department holds on the waiting times for (a) different categories of operations and (b) rehabilitation for stroke patients in South Hampshire. [67152]
Mr. Byrne:
The operation for stroke patients is the endarterectomy of the carotid artery and (patch repair of carotid—The median waiting time for patients with a primary diagnosis of stroke and a main operation of
3 May 2006 : Column 1711W
endarterectomy of the carotid artery and patch repair of the carotid artery covering the following primary care trusts:
This information is based on elective finished admission episodes. Information about rehabilitation waiting times is not held centrally.
Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one Healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, for example time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
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