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DXA Scanners
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps her Department is taking to provide revenue support for the introduction of new DXA scanning machines purchased with the fund allocated from the centrally held revenue budget; [85585]
(2) whether the budget allocated for the purchase of new DXA scanners is (a) available for capital expenditure only and (b) a ring-fenced fund; [85586]
(3) which strategic health authorities (a) have received and (b) will receive funding from the fund allocated from the centrally held revenue budget for the purchase of new DXA scanners; [85587]
(4) what proportion of the budget allocated for the purchase of new DXA scanners in 2006-07 and 2007-08 has been spent. [85588]
Andy Burnham: The Department allocated £3 million revenue (£214,000 each), on a non-recurrent basis in 2005-06, to 14 strategic health authorities (SHAs). Analyses by the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) in 2005 identified these SHAs, as listed as follows, as having the least available dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning capacity. The funding was allocated for the purchase of DXA scans, rather than DXA scanning equipment. Scans were mainly to be purchased from independent sector (IS) providers, but also from national health service providers where this represented better value for money. Expenditure against these allocations has not been monitored centrally, but it will be subject to audit.
Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Birmingham and the Black Country
Cheshire and Merseyside
Cumbria and Lancashire
Greater Manchester
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
South West Peninsula
Surrey and Sussex
Thames Valley
West Midlands South
West Yorkshire
Capital funding of £17 million has been made available in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to improve NHS capacity through investment in new DXA scanning equipment. This additional funding was mainly included in the overall strategic capital allocation to SHAs and is not ring-fenced. The Department does not monitor how SHAs’ strategic capital is spent.
Primary care trusts (PCTs) were informed of their revenue allocations up to 2007-08 on 9 February 2005. The 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations represent a £135 billion investment in the NHS, £64 billion to PCTs in 2006-07 and £70 billion in 2007-08. The Department has no plans to make additional recurrent funding available to PCTs to cover the running costs of DXA scanners.
Gender Dysphoria
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 1220W, on gender dysphoria, what the locations are of centres providing gender reassignment surgery that have treated NHS patients. [85227]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In survey of specialised services commissioners conducted in October 2004, the following national health service trusts and private units provided gender dysphoria surgery:
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust (Charing Cross Hospital);
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust;
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust;
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust;
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Leicester General Infirmary);
The Hove Nuffield; and
The Sussex Nuffield;
University College London Hospitals NHS Trust; and
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth.
Health Expenditure
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the amount spent on the NHS (a) in the UK and (b) in Gloucestershire was in each year since 1978. [74166]
Andy Burnham: The table shows total England net expenditure over the time frame requested and also a shorter time series of information for Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority (SHA) area, now part of the South West SHA. Data for 1998-99 to 2004-05, is the earliest and latest years for which information is available.
Information for other countries in the United Kingdom can be obtained from the relevant devolved administrations.
It is not possible to provide data for Gloucestershire as this does not correspond to any current specific health body area. Information in the table relates to revenue expenditure by all relevant health authorities, SHAs and primary care trusts (PCTs) within the current Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA area.
Influenza Pandemic
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 29 June 2006, Official Report, columns 16-17WS, on the informal meeting of EU health ministers, what the content was of the discussion on the development of an EU-wide stockpile of antivirals for use in the event of an influenza pandemic; what size she expects such an EU-wide stockpile to be; whether the UK would be expected to contribute to the EU-wide stockpile from its own stockpile of antivirals; for what purpose an EU-wide stockpile of antivirals would be used; and if she will make a statement. [85830]
Ms
Rosie Winterton: At the informal meeting of European Union
(EU) Health Ministers on 25-26 April, the presidency sought a consensus
from member states
on the principle of whether to establish an EU stockpile of antiviral
drugs. No agreement was reached and the United Kingdom, supported by a
number of other member states, emphasised that there was insufficient
information on practical issues to demonstrate whether a stockpile
could work in practice, and hence be
effective.
The purpose of the proposed stockpile would be to try to slow the spread of a pandemic in Europe. The size of the proposed EU-wide stockpile is three million treatment courses. The UK’s national level stockpile of 14.6 million treatment courses covering 25 per cent. of its population will be complete by September 2006. We currently plan to maintain it at this level.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated of on the efficacy of stockpiling gloves and face masks for use in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza. [84017]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We have recommended the use of face masks for health care professionals who would be working closely with infected patients. This is detailed in the national health service infection control guidance which is available on the Department’s website at www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu This guidance is evidence-based and sets out how protective clothing, including gloves, should be used to minimise the risk of NHS staff acquiring pandemic influenza while caring for symptomatic patients. Gloves are not required for routine care of patients with pandemic flu.
The chief medical officer commissioned the Health Protection Agency to review the scientific evidence for the use of face masks by the public during an influenza pandemic. This review did not find any clear evidence that such a policy would be of benefit. However, as with all policies relating to pandemic influenza, the evidence is regularly reviewed.
Infection control guidance for the workplace is available on the Health and Safety Executive website at www.hse.gov.uk
Low-life Expectancy
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to tackle low life expectancy in areas of deprivation. [87008]
Caroline Flint: Life expectancy is improving across England for all but is currently improving more slowly in the spearhead areas with the worst deprivation. Some spearhead areas are on track to meet the 2010 health inequalities target and we are working to ensure this best practice is spread not only to enable more people to live longer but narrow the health inequalities gap too.
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