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6 Nov 2006 : Column 766W—continued
(3) 2005-06 quality and outcomes framework data published by the information centre for health and social care.
| All diagnoses count of finished consultant episodes for diabetes NHS hospitals, England, 2000-01 to 2004-05 | ||||
| Adults (18+) | Children (<18) | Unknown | Total | |
| Source: Hospital episode statistics, the information centre for health and social care | ||||
Disability Discrimination Act
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of NHS buildings comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005; and if she will make a statement. [94104]
Andy Burnham: Individual national health service organisations are responsible for making all the necessary arrangements to ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
No information on the compliance of NHS buildings with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 is collected centrally.
Fluoridation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she has put in place to ensure accuracy in the information provided by the national fluoride information service. [97608]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national fluoride information centre is an academically independent unit that provides objective information on all aspects of fluorides and fluoridation. It does not lobby in favour of or against water fluoridation. Based at the university of Manchester, all information it provides is derived from scientific literature and has been reviewed by independent scientific experts before being placed on its website. We are therefore confident of the accuracy of the information provided.
The centre also has an independent advisory board that reviews the NFIC’s activity. This board includes officers from the Department.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider a further study to update the data gained from the York study on fluoridation. [97609]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We do not consider that a further study is necessary to update the data gained from the York study on fluoridation. In the light of the findings of the York report, the Department commissioned the Medical Research Council to consider what further research was required to improve knowledge about fluoridation and health.
In 2002, the MRC published the report of its working group and since then a number of its research recommendations either have been completed or are currently being undertaken. In addition, the NFIC, in association with the oral health unit for England, is developing scientific protocols to monitor all aspects of water fluoridation through research following the York review guidelines.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) strategic health authorities, (b) primary care trusts and (c) other health bodies have contacted the Department giving notice that they are investigating the advantages of fluoridating their water supply; and if she will name each such body. [97610]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We are aware that North West strategic health authority and South Central SHA are currently exploring the feasibility of fluoridating water supplies in their areas in consultation with their local water undertakers.
Greater Manchester primary care trust and Southampton PCT have asked their respective SHAs to investigate the feasibility of fluoridating their water supplies.
General Dental Council
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to the General Dental Council on the conduct of consultation exercises; and what assessment she has made of the conduct of their consultation exercise on registration draft rules. [97486]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The GDC is independent of Government. The conduct of their consultation exercises is a matter for them, and not the Government.
General Healthcare Group
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total value is of contracts her Department has held with General Healthcare Group Limited in each of the last five years. [94467]
Andy Burnham: The Department held a contract for orthopaedic procedures with BMI, a subsidiary of General Healthcare Group Limited, which ran from July 2005 to March 2006. The value of the contract was approximately £22 million.
Glucose Intolerance
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that rosiglitazone is freely available on the NHS to those who suffer from impaired glucose tolerance. [97303]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Rosiglitazone is licensed for the treatment of type two diabetes mellitus. It is not licensed for impaired glucose tolerance or for the prevention of diabetes.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published recommendations in 2003 on the use of glitazones for the treatment of type two diabetes. NICE is currently reviewing this guidance as part of a review of all of its type two diabetes guidance which is due to be published in February 2008.
Goats' Milk
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds the decision to prohibit the sale of goats’ milk infant formula was taken; and why the implementation of the prohibition was delayed until March 2007. [99367]
Caroline Flint: European Union and United Kingdom legislation does not allow goats’ milk proteins to be used in infant formula. We are working with businesses to ensure that products on the UK market comply with EU and UK legislation to an appropriate time scale.
GP Budgets
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether under general practitioner practice-based commissioning, GPs will be able to retain savings made against their budgets to be put towards patient services. [94001]
Andy Burnham: All practices will receive an indicative budget from the primary care trust, covering an agreed scope of health care services as partof the implementation plan for practice-based commissioning. Practices that under spend against their indicative budget will have access to the resources freed up. For 2006-07 we have recommended that individual practices should be entitled to access and redirect at least 70 per cent. of any freed-up resource.
Health Expenditure
Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure per head of population was in the constituency of Hastings and Rye in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 2006-07. [92758]
Andy Burnham: Expenditure data are not normally available at constituency level as this rarely coincides with the boundaries of individual health bodies. Data at individual health body level are retained for seven years and therefore data for 1996-97 are not now available. Expenditure per head is derived from historical audited accounts, therefore, data are not available for 2006-07.
The figures for 1997-98 and 2004-05 for Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority are shown in the table.
| Expenditure per head in Surrey and Sussex SHA area (£) | |
Health Protection Agency
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Health Protection Agency on (a) the use of air cleaning technology and (b) other measures to reduce hospital acquired infections. [95412]
Andy Burnham: The rapid review panel was convened by the HPA at the request of the Department of Health. The panel provides assessment of new and novel equipment, materials and other products or protocols that may be of value to the national health service in improving hospital infection control and reducing health care associated infections (HCAIs). This includes air decontamination products.
To date the panel has published 170 reports on its website at hwww.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rapid_review/new_reports.htm 24 of these are on air decontamination products. However, there is little evidence to show that air plays a significant role in the transmission of most HCAIs.
The Department works closely with the HPA through not just the RRP, and the HPA is actively involved in our comprehensive programme to combat HCAIs.
Health Statistics (Hartlepool/Tees Valley)
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of eligible women in (a) Hartlepool constituency and (b) the Tees Valley sub-region had (i) breast cancer and (ii) cervical cancer screening procedures in each of the last 10 years; [95361]
(2) how many women from the top decile of deprived wards in (a) Hartlepool constituency and (b) the Tees Valley sub-region did not take up the offer of screening
for (i) breast cancer and (ii) cervical cancer in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [95366]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The available information requested is in the table:
| Percentage | ||||
| Hartlepool primary care trust | County Durham and Tees Valley strategic health authority( 1) | |||
| Breast screening coverage( 2) | Cervical screening coverage( 3) | Breast screening coverage | Cervical screening coverage | |
| (1 )Tees Health Authority from 1995-96 to 2000-01. (2) Breast screening coverage is the proportion of women resident who have had a test result at least once in the previous three years. (3) Cervical screening coverage is the percentage of women in a population eligible for screening at a given point in time whose last test producing an adequate result was less than five years ago. Source: Statistical Bulletin: Cervical Screening Programme, England: 1995-96 to 2004-05 and Statistical Bulletin: Breast Screening Programme, England: 1995-96 to 2004-05 | ||||
Statistics on how many women from the top decile of deprived wards in Hartlepool and the Tees Valley who undertook breast and cervical screening are not held centrally.
Healthcare-related Infections
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of (a) MRSA and (b) clostridium difficile rates per 1,000 bed days in NHS hospitals (i) in England and (ii) broken down by NHS trust. [94986]
Andy Burnham: The latest data were published by the Health Protection Agency in July 2006(1). The overall rate of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias in England for October 2005 to March 2006 was 0.17 per 1,000 bed days, and was unchanged from the rate for April to September 2005(1).
The data for each acute NHS trust in England for each six-month period from April 2001 to March 2006 are also published(2).
Rates of Clostridium difficile associated disease in people aged over 65 years were also published in July(1) and the overall rate for England in 2005 was 0.22 per 1,000 bed days.
The rates for each acute NHS trust in England were also published(3).
Sources:
(1) Mandatory surveillance of health care associated infections report 2006:
www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/mandatory_report_2006.htm
(2) MRSA bacteraemia six-monthly data April 2001 to March 2006:
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