| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Mar 2007 : Column 43W—continued
Macular Degeneration
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision is available in the Province for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration; and whether pegaptanib sodium injections may be used within the NHS in Northern Ireland for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration. [119148]
Paul Goggins: Specialised treatments are available for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration, including photodynamic therapy, which is provided by ophthalmologists at the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast.
It is for health and social services boards, as commissioners of services, to prioritise how funding is used, taking into account local circumstances, the strategic objectives established for the HPSS and demands and pressures generally for access to a wide range of new effective drug therapies. None of the boards currently funds the use of pegaptanib sodium injections.
In determining the priorities for funding, we would expect boards to take account of the available evidence of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of any treatment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of pegaptanib, and the Institute’s final guidance is expected in October 2007.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety provides funding to treat wet age-related macular degeneration sufferers with a licensed anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, when such treatment is recommended by an ophthalmologist, from now until the publication of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines later in 2007. [126318]
Paul Goggins: The Department has allocated an additional £24 million to health and social services boards in 2006-07 and 2007-08 for specialist hospital drugs. It is for the health and social services boards, as commissioners of services, to prioritise how funding is used, taking into account local circumstances, the strategic objectives established for the HPSS and demands and pressures generally for access to a wide range of new effective drug therapies.
In determining their priorities for funding, we would expect boards to take account of the available evidence of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of any treatment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently assessing the clinical and cost effectiveness of pegaptanib and ranibizumab, and the Institute's final guidance is expected in September 2007.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans are in place to treat those with wet age-related macular degeneration in Northern Ireland with new treatments which have recently become available. [126319]
Paul Goggins: It is for the health and social services boards to plan and commission services for the people in their areas. Specialised treatments are available for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration, including photodynamic therapy, which is provided by ophthalmologists at the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast.
Two treatments for wet AMD, pegaptanib and ranibizumab, are currently being appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Institute is expected to publish its guidance in September 2007. When the appraisal guidance is published, the Department will consider the applicability of the NICE guidance to the health and personal social services.
Mental Health Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to restructure acute mental health beds within the Eastern Health and Social Services Board area. [119310]
Paul Goggins:
The Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability recommended that acute in-patient services should be provided as part of an integrated model of crisis services with locally accessible units, utilising where possible the facilities of
general hospitals. The Eastern Health and Social Services Board is in the process of finalising plans to restructure acute mental health beds in the Eastern Board area. These plans will be subject to full public consultation.
NHS: Negligence
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many clinical negligence cases are pending in each health trust in the Province; how many negligence cases have been made against each health trust in the Province in each of the last 10 years; how many were upheld; and what the total estimated cost incurred as a result of clinical negligence in the Province was in each of the last 10 years, broken down by health trust. [119149]
Paul Goggins: Information for the last five years (from 2001-02 to 2005-06) has already been placed in the Library. Information is not available prior to 2001-02 and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
The information regarding the total estimated cost incurred as a result of clinical negligence in the Province in each of the last 10 years broken down by health trust, is not currently held centrally in that format and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and place a copy in the Library.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the funding required to cover clinical negligence costs in the Province in 2007-08. [119150]
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Catholicism
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the 30 per cent. target for Roman Catholic representation in the Police Service of Northern Ireland envisaged under the Patten recommendations to be achieved. [117955]
Paul Goggins: Annex B of the St. Andrews Agreement makes it clear that the 50:50 provisions will lapse when the target for Catholic officers has been achieved. The Government’s target is to increase Catholic representation in the PSNI regulars to 30 per cent. by 2010-11.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers are serving in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, broken down by ethnic origin. [119312]
Paul Goggins: I am advised that as at 1 February 2007 there are 7,557 regular officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Their ethnic background can be broken down as follows:
| Number | |
The PSNI have a number of positive outreach campaigns aimed at recruiting people from ethnic minorities, including the translation of advertisement and literature into four different languages.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian staff working for the Police Service of Northern Ireland are wholly employed on work connected with inquiries established by (i) the Government and (ii) the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [125661]
Paul Goggins: Crime Support Department has a number of staff wholly employed undertaking work related to public inquiries set up by Government.
The number of PSNI officers and civilian staff in these areas are as follows:
| Number | |
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland does not establish inquiries. However, PSNI’s Historic Enquiries Team is conducting investigations into issues raised by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in their recent Operation Ballast report. No HET staff are wholly employed on work relating to investigations carried out by the police ombudsman.
Respite Care
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase respite care provision in Northern Ireland. [126958]
Paul Goggins: In 2007-08 the Government will invest an additional £11.5 million in community care services designed to help vulnerable people to live independent lives. Respite care is an important and integral component of these services and I expect to see substantial improvements in terms of access and quality.
Thalidomide
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to assist thalidomide victims in the Province. [119155]
Paul Goggins: There is no specific Programme of Care for thalidomide victims. Anyone leaving acute care as a result of thalidomide is treated under the Physical Disability Programme of Care in their respective boards and trusts.
Tomography
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in each health trust area received (a) an ultrasound scan, (b) an X-ray and (c) a CT scan in each of the last five years; and how many patients are waiting to have (i) an ultrasound scan, (ii) an X-ray and (iii) a CT scan performed in each health trust in the Province. [119151]
Paul Goggins: The number of patients in each health trust area who received (a) an ultrasound scan, (b) an X-ray scan and (c) a CT scan in each of the last five years are detailed in the following tables.
| (a) Ultrasound scans | |||||
| Financial year | |||||
| HSS Trust | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| (1) South Tyrone hospital started to use the CRIS system in June 2004. The NIRADS system was used prior to June 2004. Therefore, the data detailed above for 2004-05 are not a full financial year and the data for years 2001-02 to 2003-04 do not include South Tyrone or Armagh community hospitals. Source: HPSS Trusts | |||||
| (b) X-rays | |||||
| Financial year | |||||
| HSS Trust | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| (1) South Tyrone hospital started to use the CRIS system in June 2004. The NIRADS system was used prior to June 2004. Therefore, the data detailed above for 2004-05 are not a full financial year and the data shown for the years 2001-02 to 2003-04 do not include South Tyrone or Armagh community hospitals. Source: HPSS Trusts | |||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |