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Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last discussed the issue of abortion with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church; what reply she gave; whether a note of the meeting was kept; whether she has further plans for such a meeting; and if she will make a statement. [80163]
Caroline Flint: My hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health, met with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church on 21 June. It was a private meeting so no note was kept. However, a statement was issued after the meeting saying:
“The Cardinal raised several issues with the Secretary of State including the 24-week time limit on abortion. The Secretary of State reiterated the Government's position that it has long been the parliamentary convention that proposals for changes in the law on abortion have come from backbench members and that decisions are made on the basis of free votes. The Government believe this should still be the case and it has no plans to change the law on abortion.”
The Secretary of State has no further plans for such a meeting.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1794W, on abortion, if she will ensure that the publication ‘Abortion Statistics, England and Wales 2005’ is made available on her Department’s website on 4 July at 9.30 am; and if she will make a statement. [81164]
Caroline Flint: The 2005 abortion statistics were published on the Department’s website at 9.30 am on 4 July 2006.
Agenda for Change
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether adjustments need to be made to the calculation that was made of the costs of bank holidays in the Agenda for Change process. [76385]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The estimates of the cost of implementing agenda for change were based on a wide range of assumptions covering all the pay and conditions of service of staff. After taking into account the scope for management action, it was decided to adjust reference prices over and above the planned increase in agenda for change investment in 2006-07 to take fuller account of assimilation costs.
Alzheimer's Disease
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) meetings were held and (b) correspondence was exchanged between (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in her Department and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) regarding the NICE appraisal of Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [81667]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 3 July 2006]: Ministers received a brief oral update on this appraisal from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) officials on 7 June 2006. The progress of this appraisal also has been discussed with Ministers within the context of NICE's wider work programme at meetings on 2 March 2005 with NICE's chief executive and on 9 June 2005 with NICE's chief executive and chair.
Departmental officials have had no meetings with NICE specifically to discuss this appraisal, but the progress of the appraisal has been discussed as part of the regular communications between NICE and the Department.
The Department responded in writing to NICE's two consultation documents as part of this appraisal. Copies of the Department's responses are available in the Library.
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 is available 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 which 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.
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