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18 Oct 2006 : Column 1328W—continued
Alzheimer's Drugs
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners will continue to be able to prescribe Alzheimer’s drugs based upon their professional clinical judgment. [94592]
Andy Burnham: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s final appraisal determination (FAD) states that only specialists in the care of people with dementia (that is, psychiatrists including those specialising in learning disability, neurologists, and physicians specialising in the care of the elderly) should initiate treatment.
The prescribing of Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl as set out in NICE’S FAD is consistent with NICE’S earlier guidance of 2001.
Best Practice
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms the NHS has for communicating (a) problems and (b) incidents at a hospital so that lessons can be learned by all NHS hospitals. [91759]
Andy Burnham: In relation to patient safety, the national health service has a number of mechanisms to identify problems and incidents at a hospital and then to communicate the lessons learned widely to healthcare organisations, including NHS hospitals. Mechanisms used to identify and communicate problems and incidents, and also to communicate the lessons learned, include:
local internal arrangements and procedures for reporting patient safety incidents and system failures, which will then be
reported nationally to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) via the national reporting and learning system (NRLS);
the feedback provided to the NHS by the NPSA so that lessons can be learned. The NPSA publishes (i) analysis of the reports of patient safety incidents that have been collected on the NRLS, (ii) patient safety alerts and safer practice notices, and it provides (iii) an extranet facility which allows trusts to view their own reporting rates and benchmark these against similar organisations;
reporting serious patient safety incidents either to the strategic health authority, the primary care trust, or Monitor in respect of foundation trusts, and to the NPSA;
a report of any investigation undertaken by the Healthcare Commission; and
alerts issued to the NHS or to healthcare professionals using the safety alert and broadcast system or the public health link system.
Blood Centres
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consultations she has had with (a) Amicus and (b) other NHS trade unions on the future of blood centres in England; [94317]
(2) how many blood centres there are in England; and if she will make a statement on their future. [94318]
Caroline Flint: National health service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), of which the National Blood Service (NBS) is an operating division, is currently developing a strategic plan to address how NHSBT must adapt to the challenges it faces in a rapidly changing health service and to continue to deliver the high quality services that patients need.
Over the last year, NHSBT has been communicating with unions and staff about these challenges. There have been many contacts with staff representatives, including Amicus during this period. The national joint staff consultative committee has met a number of times this year and there have also been meetings at national level, involving staff representatives and senior NHSBT executives and the chairman.
As part of NHSBTs commitment to keep staff and staff representatives informed, the NBS indicated last month that its current view was to rationalise processing and testing into three main centres. These draft proposals will not impact upon the service to hospitals and there are no proposals to close any blood donation sessions. The NBS will continue to provide critical services to hospitals (such as continuing to have a network of local blood banks to meet orders for blood) and is looking to broaden the choice of places where people can donate.
The NBS currently has 15 centres from where it distributes blood to hospitals, and reconfiguration of these will be considered in the strategic proposals. The NBS will continue to maintain a network of centres, hold stocks and issue blood to hospitals from near to or in most of its current locations. These proposals will be presented to the NHSBT board later this year and build on a series of communications to staff and staff representatives about the future of the NBS.
In July, the NHSBT chairman and chief executive briefed the full time staff side officers on the challenges facing NHSBT this was subsequently communicated to
other staff representatives and staff. This briefing included that the NBS expected to work towards a network of fewer, larger processing sites.
NHSBT continues to meet and discus these plans with staff representatives, including Amicus. In addition, there will be a programme of discussions with staff representatives as detailed plans are developed over the three year period of the strategic plan.
NHSBT also contacted those hon. Members who have a blood centre in their constituency, on 7 July 2006.
NHSBT remains committed to keeping all those with an interest, including hon. Members informed of developments.
Care Homes
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research she has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on the ability of care homes to meet the national minimum standards on medication and the care of the elderly; and if she will make a statement. [92369]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) published a report on medication standards in care, “Handled with care?”, in February 2006. Copies have been placed in the Library. The report shows that 88 per cent. of care homes for older people meet or almost meet the national minimum standards on medication management. The Department is pleased that so many care homes either meet or almost meet the medication standards. However, work still needs to be done.
“Handled with care?” makes a number of recommendations on issues such as staff training and the development and monitoring of patients—to safeguard patients from abuse through medication mismanagement and to maximise their wellbeing. CSCI is working collaboratively and supportively with providers to improve care home performance.
Child Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child care places are (a) provided on NHS premises and (b) subsidised by the NHS. [94188]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 16 October 2006]: This information is no longer collected centrally.
Responsibility for child care has been devolved to the national health service because local employers are best placed to target resources on child care needs of their local work force.
Coventry Primary Care Trust
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions her Department has had with Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust on its recent redundancy announcements; [94237]
(2) what discussions her Department has had with Coventry Primary Care Trust’s (a) financial recovery plan and (b) plans for a 15 per cent. management cost saving by 2007-08. [94238]
Andy Burnham: The Department has had no such discussions.
Flu Inoculations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners were inoculated against influenza in each year since their introduction in each (a) local health authority area and (b) constituency. [93861]
Caroline Flint: The information is not available in the format requested Data on influenza vaccination uptake is collected for each Primary Care Trust. This has been placed in the Library and is available on the internet at: www.immunisation.nhs.uk/article.php?id=448.
Health Visitors/Community Nurses
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) community nursing posts and (b) health visitor posts in each health authority are frozen. [94299]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
Hospital Staff (Parking Charges)
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospitals and (b) trusts charge their staff for car parking; what the average cost is to a member of staff per year; and if she will make a statement. [92202]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information is not collected centrally on how many hospitals or trusts charge their staff for car parking, nor the average costs to members of staff.
In-patient Stays
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean length of stay was for patients admitted to hospital in each year since 1990; and what the mean length of stay was for patients admitted to hospital in 2004-05, broken down by NHS trust. [91640]
Andy Burnham: The information has been placed in the Library.
Local Authority Overview and Security Panels
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the reconfiguration of health service proposals which have been referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels; [94185]
(2) which cases referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels she has referred to the independent reconfiguration panels; [94186]
(3) which reconfiguration of health service proposals referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels she has (a) upheld and (b) rejected. [94187]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is as follows:
To date there have been 17 referrals by Overview and Scrutiny Committees to the Secretary of State. There was also a referral from East Kent CHC in 2003 under the old CHC Regulations.
East Kent CHC : Proposals for changes to/transfer of services between sites within the East Kent Hospitals Trust
Referred: April 2002
Ministers sought advice from Independent Reconfiguration Panel
Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS
1. Wiltshire OSC: Closure of maternity services at 2 community hospitals
Referred: October 2004
Outcome: Proposals withdrawn by PCT in favour of wide-ranging review of community services
2. Hampshire OSC: Configuration of Health Services in South-East Hampshire
Referred: January 2005
Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
3. Merton OSC: The choice of location for a new critical care hospital
Referred: March 2005
Outcome: Ministerial decision for new hospital site at St Helier (not Sutton as local NHS proposed). SofS decision subsequently withdrawn at request of London SHA who are undertaking a review of the proposals
4. South Gloucestershire Council: Future location of acute hospital
Referred: July 2005
Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
5. Wirral OSC: Closure of 2 wards at Victoria Central Hospital, Wirral
Referred: July 2005
Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
6. Lincolnshire OSC: Lincolnshire NHS Recovery Plan
Referred: July 2005
Outcome: Ministerial decision to refer case back to local NHS for it to reach local agreement with OSC
7. Surrey OSC: Proposed changes to the provision of services provided by Guildford and Waverley PCT
Referred: October 2005
Outcome: Ministers requested Independent Reconfiguration Panel involvement to help broker agreement between OSC and local NHS although case was not formerly referred to the IRP
8. Cambridgeshire OSC; proposed variation in Mental Health Services in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire
Referred: February 2006
Outcome: Support the local NHS without referral to the IRP
9. Suffolk OSC: Decision of Suffolk East PCT to close community hospitals, reduce the number of inpatient step down beds, and introduce an intermediate model of care
Referred: March 2006
Outcome: Support the local NHS with the exception of proposals for Hartismere Hospital where SofS requested local NHS develop further the proposals.
10. Gloucestershire OSC: Decision by Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust to close inpatient facilities at Fairford Community Hospital and Tetbury Community Hospital
Referred: March 2006
Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to the IRP
11. Calderdale and Kirklees Joint OSC: Proposed changes to maternity services in Calderdale and Huddersfield
Referred: April 2006
Outcome: Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel for advice. Ministerial decision to accept IRP's advice and support the local NHS
12. Hertfordshire Health Scrutiny Committee: Proposals for Mental Health and Learning Disability Savings by the Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts
Referred: May 2006
Outcome: Support the local NHS (proposal to withdraw Early Intervention Services was withdrawn by local NHS) without referral to the IRP
13. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Health Select Committee: Review of acute services on Teesside
Referred: July 2006
Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 22 September
Outcome: to be confirmed
14. Joint OSC representing Durham County, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire County, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-On-Tees : Review of acute services on Teesside.
Referred: July 2006
Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 22 September.
Outcome: to be confirmed
15. Ealing Council Health, Housing and Adult Social services Scrutiny Panel: Referral of consultation by the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust on the future of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit
Referred: July 20
Outcome: Support the local NHS without referral to the IRP
16. Lambeth and Southwark Joint OSC: Proposals to reconfigure local mental health crisis care
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