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4 July 2006 : Column 976W—continued
Audiology
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reduce the waiting times for NHS hearing aid patients. [81154]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: A national action plan is being developed to improve adult hearing services. The intention is to develop the way forward in partnership with stakeholders.
In addition, several initiatives have been introduced through the modernising hearing aid services programme to increase capacity to deliver audiology services in England. These are the national framework contract (public-private partnership) to bring in additional independent sector capacity, the development of a new degree to help to address the shortage of audiologists and the introduction of Hearing Direct which provides follow-up care and advice for some hearing aid users.
From April 2005, the 164 national health service audiology departments have been able to routinely assess for and fit digital hearing aids. It is for primary care trusts to ensure their local population benefits from the modernised services.
Breast Milk Substitutes
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of proposals put forward by the European Commission on the marketing of breast milk substitutes; and if she will make a statement. [81529]
Caroline Flint: The content of the recast European Union (EU) directive on infant formula and follow-on formula is still to be finalised by member states.
The Government will continue to press for changes to the advertising of infant formula and follow-on formula through the recast EU directive and intends to review United Kingdom legislation in this area.
Choose and Book System
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2006, Official Report, column 935W, on the choose and book system, what discussions she had with GP representative bodies prior to the decision to introduce the new system; and what representations she received from (a) representative bodies, (b) GP practices and (c) other organisations; [73289]
(2) pursuant to her answer of 16 May 2006, Official Report, column 935W, what assessment she has made of the response of (a) general practitioner practices, (b) general practitioner representative bodies and (c) other relevant organisations in respect of the introduction of the new system. [74252]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The choice and booking direct enhanced service (DES) was agreed with the general practitioners' committee of the British Medical Association, as part of negotiations for the general medical service contract to take effect from 1 April 2006-07.
An exhaustive list of representations since received by the Department in response to the introduction of the DES could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A brief search has identified over 300 letters and e-mails received on the subject matter relating to choose and book during the period 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2006.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for cognitive behavioural therapy in each primary care trust in the north-west in the latest period for which figures are available. [81867]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 3 July 2006]: The Department does not routinely collect information on waiting times for appointments for treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy. Data are collected only for consultant-led services, but not when services have been provided by other mental health practitioners.
Information for estimated average waiting times from general practitioner written referral to first out-patient appointment with a psychiatric consultant in each mental health provider trust in each of the last five years is available in the Library. The data are broken down into categories of provider trust, strategic health authority and Government office region where possible.
Departmental Websites
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many websites there are within her responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available. [79069]
Caroline Flint: To determine the number and identify the costs associated with each of the websites which fall within the Secretary of State for Health's responsibilities would incur disproportionate costs.
The Department is currently undertaking an audit of all its websites, as part of a review in accordance with the transformational Government strategy and its own overall communications strategy. This work is due to complete before the end of the year.
Information about the Department's corporate website, externally facing websites managed and maintained by departmental staff, and the Department's executive agencies’ websites is as follows:
For the Department, the combined cost of the websites listed below for the year 2005-06 was £1,079,222. These figures include website and search engine hosting and maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs (using agreed civil service staff costs including salaries, common services etc.).
www.dh.gov.uk
www.performance.doh.gov.uk
www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk
www.info.doh.gov.uk
www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk
www.carers.gov.uk
www.carestandardstribunal.gov.uk
www.londonshealth.gov.uk
www.minorityhealth.gov.uk
www.rlcinquiry.org.uk
www.royal-commission-elderly.gov.uk.
For the NHS in England, the cost of the NHS in England website (www.nhs.uk) for the year 2005-06 was £1,550,716. This figure includes hosting and maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs.
For the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA), the cost of maintenance of the NHS PASA websites (www.pasa.doh.gov.uk and nww.pasa.doh.gov.uk) for the year 2005-06 was £86,000. This cost includes dedicated staff salaries.
For the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the cost of the MHRA websites (www.mhra.gov.uk and www.gprd.com) for the year 2005-06 was £560,000. This includes editorial content, technical support, hosting and software maintenance. It also includes depreciation of software and build costs.
Diabetes
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with diabetes were offered retinal screening in Warrington Primary Care Trust in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of people with diabetes in the area this represented. [81868]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 3 July 2006]: 6,975 people were offered retinopathy screening in Warrington Primary Care Trust in the last 12 months to March 2006. This represents a proportion of 95 per cent. of people with diabetes.
District Community Nursing
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district community nurses are employed by the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority. [81460]
Caroline Flint: The number of community district nurses employed in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority area is 627 as at 30 September 2005. The number of community district nurses employed by primary care trusts (PCTs) and acute trusts in the SHA area is shown in the table.
| Surrey and Sussex SHA | Headcount |
| Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, non-medical workforce census 2005. | |
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of district community nursing. [81480]
Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 3 July 2006]: District nurses and their teams will play a key role in the future, especially to meet the needs of an ageing population, to support people with long-term conditions and care for people who choose to die at home. There will be a need for nurses with specialist skills and knowledge to lead and provide care for patients in the community. Their role will develop in response to the transfer of
care to the community, new technologies, new roles such as community matrons, and patient choice. These changes will require nurses in the community to develop new skills, work in new ways and be part of integrated teams across hospital and community, general practice and social care.
Doctors
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants are available to treat patients in the Bournemouth primary care trust area. [80962]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is not available centrally.
Drug Rehabilitation
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effect of NHS Trust deficits on the provision of drug rehabilitation programmes. [80259]
Caroline Flint: The 2005-06 provisional outturn position shows the national health service as a whole to be forecasting a net year-end deficit of around £512 million, which is less than 1 per cent. of total net NHS expenditure.
A minority of NHS organisations are in deficit. The majority of NHS organisations are in financial balance or surplus and are delivering improvements to access and the quality of patient care.
We have set NHS organisations the requirement to deliver better standards of care and quicker access than ever before. There can be no trade-off between meeting these requirements and delivering financial balance.
The Department, supported by £22 million of funding from the Home Office, will provide drug action teams (DATs) with £394.6 million for drug treatment in 2006-07 which is an increase of over 30 per cent. from last year. This funding is additional to NHS primary care trusts' own investment and will be used for personnel, day-to-day running of services, and building and refurbishment of premises. For every £1 spent on drug treatment, at least £9.50 is saved in crime and health costs.
Elderly Care (Staff Protocol)
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the use of first names by nursing staff when addressing elderly patients; and whether any instructions have been issued on this matter. [81972]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have set up a dignity in care initiative to ensure all older people are treated with dignity when using health and social care services. In 2003, we published the Essence of Care benchmarking tool, which contains guidance on respecting a patient's personal boundaries, including agreeing the name by which the patient wishes to be addressed.
Food Safety Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the operation of the Food Safety Act 1990; what recent representations she has received about the operation of this Act; and whether she has plans to amend this Act. [80198]
Caroline Flint: The Food Safety Act 1990 is the main statute on food safety and standards in Great Britain. It was, however, substantially amended in 2004 to take account of Regulation (EC) 178/2002, which lays down some general principles and requirements of food law within the European Union.
A code of practice produced under section 40 of the Act lays down enforcement procedures and was revised this year along with the accompanying guidance.
The Food Standards Agency has received no recent representations about the operation of the Act and there are no plans to amend it further.
Food Supplements
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many dossiers have been received by the Food Standards Agency from manufacturers seeking to gain derogation until 2009 from the provisions of the food supplements directive; in how many cases such derogations were (a) given and (b) not given; for which substances derogation has not been given; and for what reasons derogation was denied in each case; [77047]
(2) when officials of which other European Union member states officials of the Food Standards Agency have recently met to discuss the interpretation and implementation of the food supplements directive; on what date such meetings were held; and what the outcome was of the discussions; [77051]
(3) when officials of (a) her Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency last met the Better Regulation Task Force to discuss the economic impact of the food supplements directive; what actions were agreed at that meeting; and if she will make a statement; [77052]
(4) whether officials of her Department have produced an analysis of the scientific papers upon which the German Government based their negotiating position when the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health recently considered the proposal to add boron to the list of nutrients permitted for use under the food supplements directive and the directive on foods for particular nutritional purposes; what steps she intends to take prior to the next discussions on this issue by the Standing Committee; and if she will make a statement; [77053]
(5) whether officials of (a) her Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency have obtained a copy of the report on the safety of vitamins and minerals on which the German Government are basing their negotiating position in relation to the food supplements directive; whether the Government will produce a response to that document; and if she will make a statement; [77054]
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