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18 Sep 2006 : Column 2501W—continued
Experimental Treatments
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trust hospitals have rented (a) all and (b) part of their wards to pharmaceutical companies for experimental treatments in the last 12 months. [91226]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trust hospitals have taken part in Phase III trials of pharmaceuticals; which (a) hospitals and (b) pharmaceutical companies were involved; and what income was received by each trust. [91227]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: For the period from September 2004 to September 2006, 260 United Kingdom hospitals have taken part in Phase III clinical trials of medicinal products. A table listing these hospitals has been placed in the Library. The number of pharmaceutical companies sponsoring Phase III clinical trials in the same time period is 215. These include companies based in the UK, other European Union member states and in non-European countries. A table listing these companies has been placed in the Library. Income accruing from the participation of trust hospitals in commercial clinical trials of medicinal products is not held centrally.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what insurance an NHS hospital trust holds for compensation claims incurred by private companies renting NHS wards. [91228]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: National health service hospital trusts do not obtain commercial insurance cover for compensation claims incurred by private companies renting NHS wards. However, it is normal for the NHS to ask private companies in these circumstances to obtain their own indemnity cover.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the NHS was of treating patients at Northwick Park who took part in the experimental testing set up by Parexel. [91280]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.
General Hospitals
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of each county's largest town or city does not have a general hospital. [91201]
Ms Rosie Winterton: All of the largest towns for each county in England, as defined by their urban population, have a general acute hospital locally with the exception of Rutland which has access to one close by in the neighbouring county.
The location of all health care services depends on many factors including population density, service need, value for money, geography and transport links. Any decisions on the location of health care services will be taken locally and will be reviewed over time to ensure they remain optimal.
Health Care Procedures
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of health care procedures in (a) independent sector treatment centres and (b) on the NHS tariff in 2005-06. [79677]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The national tariff is a price indicator to be paid to national health service organisations for health care procedures and not a cost indicator. The national tariff is published on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.
Across the full period of the wave one independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) contracts, the average percentage cost above the NHS equivalent cost of all wave one ISTCs is 11.2 per cent. and compares favourably with the historical cost of the NHS of spot purchasing from the independent sector.
Health Information Campaigns
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on public health information campaigns on (a) sexual health and (b) safe alcohol consumption in each year from 1997 to 2005. [89090]
Caroline Flint: The following table sets out the cost of public health information campaigns and publicity on sexual health, teenage pregnancy and alcohol in each year from 1997 to 2005.
We only have financial information on alcohol expenditure for the last four years, as figures pre- 2002-03 were held on an old financial system, which is no longer accessible.
Home Oxygen Provision
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the provision of home oxygen cylinders in Kent. [91041]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 13 September 2006]: Following difficulties experienced in meeting the demand for home oxygen cylinders, especially standard and lightweight ambulatory cylinders, arrangements have now been made to make more cylinders available. The majority of patients in the two regions in the South East of England serviced by Allied Respiratory have transferred to the new supplier. Remaining patients are continuing to receive their oxygen cylinders through community pharmacies and are expected to transfer to Allied Respiratory over the next few weeks. Strategic health authorities and primary care trusts continue to monitor the situation and work with the supplier and clinicians to ensure patient’s needs are met.
Hospital Meals
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital meals were left untouched in each year since 2001-02; and what this figure represents as a percentage of the total number of patient main meals in each year. [91116]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The total number of patient meals reported untouched in each year since 2001-02 together with the percentage of the total number of patient meals are as follows:
| Untouched meals (Number) | Untouched meals (Percentage of total meals) | |
These data are derived from the estates return information collection returns provided by trusts in England.
The percentage of untouched meals is defined as:
plated meal systems: the number (calculated over the full menu cycle or seven days where no menu cycle is used) of untouched/unserved patient meals remaining at the end of the meals service period expressed as a percentage of the total number of meals provided and available at the commencement of the meal service period; and
bulk systems: an apportionment of remaining meals based on visual inspection expressed as percentage of the total number of meals able to be served.
A patient meal is defined as either a breakfast, midday or evening meal order (or any substitute or alternative for any such meals) received from a patient (wards and departments) or the number of similar meals provided to wards and departments as an estimate of need where order systems are not in use.
The data provided have not been amended centrally and the accuracy of the data is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
Hospitality Expenses
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by her Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [77265]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect this information at present, and has no need to do so. All expenditure by the Department is conducted in accordance with the principles of the Treasury manual “Government Accounting”.
Intravenous Adrenaline
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on supplies to the NHS of intravenous adrenaline; what the content of these representations was; which companies supply intravenous adrenaline to the NHS; and if she will make a statement on the supply of intravenous adrenaline to NHS organisations. [91114]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department and National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency are aware that there have been problems with the supply of adrenaline injection in pre-filled syringes, and have had representations from NHS pharmacists alerting them to the problem.
Adrenaline injection in pre-filled syringes is available from Cardinal Health and UCB Pharma Ltd., and in ampoules from Cardinal Health, Hameln Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Goldshield Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
The shortage of adrenaline in pre-filled syringes arose due to a packaging problem with one of Cardinal’s other products, which had a knock-on effect. The problem has been resolved, and Cardinal say that stocks of adrenaline in pre-filled syringes will be fully replenished within the next two months. Adrenaline in pre-filled syringes is also available from UCB Pharma Ltd. There is no shortage of adrenaline injection in ampoules.
IT Contracts
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value was of each IT contract awarded by her Department in each of the last five years; and who the contractor was in each case. [88988]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information provided does not cover executive agencies, other arm’s length bodies or NHS Connecting for Health.
The names of the contractors and value of each information technology contract awarded by the Department in each of the last five years are:
1. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)—The information management services agreement, outsourced support for the Department’s IT desktop services and infrastructure
| Value (£ million) | |
| (1) Forecast charges | |
Transformation of the infrastructure formed a separate part of the agreement. The outturn cost was a further £12.6 million.
CSC also undertake IT infrastructure project work in support of the integrity, enhancement and resilience of the infrastructure in line with changing technologies. They also administer expenditure for IT services on behalf of the Department, for example British Telecom costs for the wide area network and business ports, and audio conferencing and mobile telephone costs. These project and pass-through costs are listed as follows.
| Value (£ million) | |
| (1) Forecast charges | |
2. Cap Gemini—Finance system agreement
2004-05: £5.6 million.
3. IBM—Corporate software agreement
2004-05: A three year contract with three annual payments totalling £1.4 million.
4. Xansa—Web content management and hosting service
2006-07: The value of this contract over the next five years is £6 million.
5. BT—External applications hosting
This annually renewable contract is for an application hosting provision designed to be scaleable to meet the requirements of the Department. The charges represent the fluctuation in these requirements. The annual charges were:
| Value (£ million) | |
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