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16 Oct 2006 : Column 1022W—continued
DVT Guidance
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assess the need for guidance on the management of deep vein thrombosis. [89439]
Caroline Flint: The Government response to the Health Select Committee's report on the prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients was presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Health in July 2005. The response included a reference to a letter that the Chief Medical Officer had written to all doctors on this topic, and a commitment to set up an independent expert working group which would make its recommendations by summer 2006. The report and recommendations were submitted to the Chief Medical Officer on 17 July. The Chief Medical Officer is now considering its findings.
Advice on travel-related deep vein thrombosis is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/vte/dvt.
External Consultants
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process was used to appoint external consultants to assess potential savings in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex health economy. [92828]
Caroline Flint: This is a matter for the NHS South East Coast.
Hampton Review
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what input (a) her Department and (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement. [89426]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 280W.
Health Care (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library the financial working papers which support the proposals for savings contained on page 22 of the consultation document “The Future of Healthcare in Gloucestershire: Proposals for Developing Sustainable NHS Services”, published by primary care trusts in Gloucestershire. [89652]
Andy Burnham: The reconfiguration of local services is a matter for local health economies, therefore the requested financial working papers were prepared by the three Gloucestershire primary care trusts, which merged to become Gloucestershire PCT from 1 October. However, the strategic health authority, NHS South West, with the consent of the PCT has provided the papers, which have now been placed in the Library.
Homeopathy
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to prevent homeopathists providing homeopathic treatments for malaria prevention in place of conventional anti-malaria prophylactics; and if she will make a statement. [89265]
Caroline Flint: In July 2005, the Health Protection Agency's Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention in UK Travellers (ACMP) recommended against the use of homeopathic remedies for the prevention of malaria, stating that
“there is no scientific proof that homeopathic remedies are effective for the prevention of malaria”.
The committee advised that anyone travelling to any country where malaria may be caught should visit their general practitioner or travel centre and should follow their advice on which medicines to take, the dose to take, and how long to take the medicines before travelling and after returning home.
The Faculty of Homeopaths supports Government guidance on malaria prevention and worked with the ACMP on its warning against the use of homeopathic remedies for this purpose.
Independent Review Panel
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met the Chair of the Independent Review Panel; and if she will make a statement. [94282]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State last met with the chair and chief executive of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 3 October 2006 to discuss the referral to the panel for advice of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee referrals relating to maternity and paediatric services in North Tees and Hartlepool.
Influenza Pandemic
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006, Official Report, column 664W, on influenza pandemic, what plans she has for the central procurement of a stockpile of face masks for use in the event of an influenza pandemic. [90331]
Ms Rosie Winterton: As stated on 20 July, we have recommended the use of face masks for health care professionals who would be working closely with infected patients. We are currently considering whether we should centrally procure and stockpile face masks and a decision will be reached as soon as possible.
Information (Integration)
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in encouraging pilot projects between local authorities and primary care trusts to develop an integrated approach to information as set out in the “Our Health Our Care Our Say” White Paper; and if she will make a statement. [92286]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is currently developing options for pilot projects between primary care trusts and local authorities and has identified a number of potential partners for these pilots. We are aware of a number of existing models of good practice in integrated information provision which we will evaluate. The development of the pilots will also be informed by the findings of the review of the provision of health and social care information, which is also a White Paper commitment.
Looked After Children
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements she (a) has made and (b) plans to make to healthcare for looked after children. [94189]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government published the green paper “Care matters: transforming the lives of children in care” on 9 October. This document sets out a range of proposals for improving the health of this group of children, including setting out a comprehensive model for good practice in local areas in providing health services for children in care.
Consultation on the green paper will continue until 15 January 2007. After that the existing guidance, “Promoting the health of looked after children”, published in 2003, will be replaced.
McKinsey and Company
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which individuals and organisations have been consulted as part of the review by McKinsey and Company of the health economy of Kent, Surrey and Sussex on behalf of the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority; [92826]
(2) what projects McKinsey and Company management consultants have undertaken for the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority and successor bodies in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07. [92830]
Caroline Flint: These are matters for the National Health Service South East Coast.
Medical Records
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken for the medical records of patients who are discharged from hospital to care facilities to reach the general practitioners linked with the care homes was in the last period for which figures are available. [92368]
Caroline Flint: This information is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of the practitioners concerned to ensure that the appropriate information is transferred in a timely and appropriate fashion on discharge from hospital. In general, medical records are not transferred but as the national health service care records service is rolled out nationally, all practitioners will have access to a shared summary record (subject to confidentiality and privacy safeguards).
MRSA
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have contracted MRSA in NHS hospitals in London in each of the last five years. [91582]
Andy Burnham: Since April 2001, trusts in England have reported all cases of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias (bloodstream infections), to the Health Protection Agency. Data covering the period April 2001 to March 2006 were published on 24 July 2006(1). The data for those trusts in London are summarised in the table.
(1 )Data are subject to change.
| MRSA bacteraemias; London (that is within London Strategic Health Authority: April 2001 to March 2006) | |
| April to March each year: | Number of bacteraemias |
| Source: Health Protection Agency | |
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been treated for MRSA infection in (a) England and (b) each region in each of the last five years. [91586]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally. The most reliable data on methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in England are for MRSA bloodstream infections from April 2001 through the mandatory surveillance scheme. Regional data for each six month period from April 2001 to March 2006 were published on 24 July 2006, and these are available on the Health Protection Agency’s website at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/mandatory_ report_2006.htm
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 1060W, on MRSA, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the differences in the
rates of increase in MRSA-related deaths in each region; and what steps have been taken to reduce MRSA-related deaths in those regions where it is relatively high. [91733]
Andy Burnham: The numbers of deaths provided in the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 1060W, are too small to ascertain whether or not there are differences between regions in the rate of change over time.
However, combating methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other healthcare associated infections is a priority for Government throughout the country. A target, to halve the number of MRSA bloodstream infections by April 2008 is in place and each trust has its own target. This target is supported by a wide ranging programme and includes the “Saving Lives” package of best practice measures all acute trusts have signed up to. In addition, the Department continues to engage those trusts facing the most significant challenges and it will seek to work with trusts most likely to benefit from support tailored to their organisational needs.
The recent publication of “the Health Act 2006—Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Health Care Associated Infections”, will also help drive up standards of hygiene and infection control. The Healthcare Commission will assess compliance with the code as part of its ‘annual Healthcheck’ process from 2007-08 and has a new power to issue an ‘improvement notice’ to a national health service body that in its view is not properly observing the code.
Neuro-rehabilitation
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the neuro-rehabilitation centres in the NHS, broken down by strategic health authority. [92266]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on centres providing neuro-rehabilitation is not collected centrally.
Teenage Smoking
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on campaigns to warn teenagers of the risks of smoking in 2005-06; and if she will make a statement. [93364]
Caroline Flint: In 2005-06, the Department spent £4.32 million on a campaign targeting young adult smokers (including 16 to 18-year-olds) emphasising the negative effects smoking has on them now; that is for young women—their looks, for young men—the risk of impotence.
Communities and Local Government
Agency Staff
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average hourly rate her Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency. [89525]
Mr. Woolas: The Department was created on 5 May 2006, so information is only available from that time.
The Department uses agencies to supply temporary staff to cover short-term needs, and has a framework agreement with three employment agencies.
The average hourly rate paid to each of them was £14.432, £13.843 and £13.05 respectively.
Church Fires
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have died as a result of fires in (a) churches and (b) church halls in the last five years. [93452]
Angela E. Smith: The available information is for fatalities in fires attended by fire and rescue services in England, and covers the years 2000 to 2004.
| Location | Total fatalities |
| Source: Fire and rescue service returns to DCLG (FDR1 return) | |
Correspondence
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 28 July on behalf of Miss Lole, Smethwick. [93039]
Meg Munn: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 13 October.
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will provide a substantive reply to Question 90813, tabled by the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire on 4 September 2006 for named day answer on 11 September 2006. [93711]
Yvette Cooper: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 3 October, printed on 9 October 2006, Official Report, columns 368-69W.
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