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16 Apr 2007 : Column 362W—continued
Independent Sector
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of NHS expenditure she estimates went to the independent sector from (a) central funds and (b) primary care trust allocations in each of the last five years. [129891]
Andy Burnham: Information on expenditure on the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme from central budgets is shown in the table.
Insulin
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has submitted a request to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to undertake a comparison of the different types of insulin in its future work programme. [129918]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 26 March 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21 March 2007, Official Report, column 1013W.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2007, Official Report, column 546W, on insulin, (1) what adverse effects are associated with the use of (a) animal insulins, (b) synthetic human insulins and (c) analogue insulins; what the incidence is of each effect; and if she will make a statement; [130721]
(2) what the evidential basis is for the assessment that analogue insulins are (a) safe, (b) effective and (c) cost-effective. [130722]
Caroline Flint: Detailed information regarding the adverse effects known or suspected to be associated with a medicine is provided in the summary of product characteristics (the product information for prescribers) and the patient information leaflet.
Generally the side effects observed are broadly similar for all types of insulins with the most commonly observed side effects being hypoglycaemia, visual disturbance and injection site reactions. Tables which summarise the current knowledge of frequencies of adverse reactions with different insulins have been placed in the Library. These provide a breakdown of the types of adverse effects and their frequencies, where known. The tables contain the information relating to animal, human and analogue insulins and are separated by the classification of the medicine into the following four groups: rapid; intermediate; long and biphasic action. It is important to note that a report of an adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that the drug caused it and a number of the adverse reactions reported by patients treated with insulin may be due to the underlying diabetes.
There is less information available on the frequency of side effects for some of the older products. Guidelines for the investigation of the safety and efficacy of new medicinal products have developed over the years and the evidence base available for older products tends to be much less than that available for newer products such as the insulin analogues.
The following aspects of the product are evaluated in detail as the evidential basis for the assessment of safety and efficacy of the analogue insulins:
Manufacturing data, including biological purity, stability and viral removal processes;
Laboratory testing of the product activity such as its binding to the relevant tissues;
Testing on animals for safety and activity;
Clinical trials in healthy volunteers and/or patient volunteers to;
Establish the mechanism of action;
Study distribution of the product within human body;
Evaluate safety in sufficient numbers of volunteers to reflect safety issues that would be usually expected in clinical practice; and
Evaluate efficacy in sufficient number of volunteers to demonstrate that the product in question would be clinically useful as intended.
If it is considered that benefit versus risk profile of the product is positive, on the basis of aforementioned evaluation, a recommendation to license the product would normally be made.
A summary of the available data on safety and effectiveness submitted in support of the licence applications for many of the insulin analogues is made publicly available in the form of a European Public Assessment Report available on the website of the European Medicines Agency (www.emea.europa.eu).
Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a treatment is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The Appraisal Committee of NICE are asked to take account of the overall resources available to the national health service. Decisions on the cost-effectives of a treatment must include judgments on the implications for other patient groups.
Junior Doctors: Career Structure
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for the implementation of the modernising programme for junior doctors. [124718]
Caroline Flint: The four United Kingdom Health Departments are responsible for the overall implementation of modernising medical careers. The Health Departments co-ordinate action through a United Kingdom modernising medical careers strategy group which includes members from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the General Medical Council, the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) and national health service employers. Each country also has a dedicated implementation team.
The Royal Colleges are directly responsible for developing the new competency-based curricula which are approved by PMETB. The Royal Colleges also work closely with postgraduate deans over the development of person specifications for the recruitment process and the postgraduate deans themselves oversee selection into posts.
The number of training opportunities available in 2007 was based on local discussions between local NHS employers, strategic health authorities and postgraduate deans.
Maternity Services
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007, Official Report, column 1291W, on maternity services, what information is available on the number of maternity units in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. [129887]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics show that for 1997 there were 213 hospital trusts providing maternity services and 192 in 2001. Most trusts have one principal hospital site with delivery facilities and the majority of deliveries are reported through that main hospital trust. Any decrease in the number of units is likely to be due to reconfiguration of national health service trusts without any decrease in the number of hospitals, wards and birthing centres offering services.
Maternity Services: Leeds
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment her Department has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on (a) the number and frequency of home visits and (b) the provision of post-natal care; [129135]
(2) what assessment she has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on the distances midwifery staff will have to travel in the course of their duties; and what provision has been made for the effect on costs of such travel; [129136]
(3) what consultation was undertaken on proposed changes to midwifery provision in Leeds with (a) midwifery staff and (b) representatives of the Leeds Primary Care Trust. [129137]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 22 March 2007]: The NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority reports that the proposed changes were formulated in November 2006 and consultation involving the Royal College of Midwives, human resources and local staff side commenced in December 2006. Staff have been invited to raise their concerns at one to one meetings. The head of midwifery works in close collaboration with the primary care commissioners, midwifery educationalists, and the health visiting lead, who are aware of the proposed changes and welcome the modernisation schedule for maternity services taking shape. Focus groups have also been held with women to better understand their expectations of the service.
Midwives will continue to be available to provide home visits where appropriate. The provision of home visits will be based on an assessment of risk and need.
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust may require staff to change their work base for operational reasons. Eligibility for reimbursement of excess travel does not normally apply in these circumstances under the current agenda for change terms and conditions for staff employed in the NHS.
Mental Health Services: Children
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the 2006 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services mapping data to be released. [130272]
Caroline Flint: Data will be available online in April at www.camhsmapping.org.uk. The 2006 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Mapping report is scheduled to be published in July.
Migraine
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has conducted into (a) the causes of and (b) the appropriate treatment for migraine attacks. [102528]
Caroline Flint: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
The MRC is not currently funding research specifically relating to migraine. However, a strategic grant award to Dr. Leone Ridsdale, King’s College, London for a prospective study on diagnostic management referral and one year outcome for patients with headache in primary care has recently been completed. The aim of this study was to provide evidence about the accuracy of diagnosis, the prognosis, reasons for referral, and the economic costs for patients and society.
The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the NHS and through its health technology assessment programme has supported a pragmatic, randomised trial into the use of acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care; and is planning a randomised placebo controlled trial of propranolol and Pizotifen in preventing migraine in children.
Over 75 per cent. of the Department’s total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects, including a number concerned with migraine, are available on the national research register at:
Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust: Taxis
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) Milton Keynes primary care trust and (b) Milton Keynes hospital spent on taxis in each of the last five years. [131208]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for the local health economy to determine how to use its allocated resources.
NHS Budget
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of the NHS budget has been paid to non-NHS providers in each financial year since 1997-98 in (a) cash and (b) real terms. [106124]
Andy Burnham: The information is shown in the table.
Non-NHS bodies include local authorities, other statutory bodies and the independent sector.
| Total cash terms (£ million) | Total real terms (£ million) | As a proportion of NHS expenditure (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures include £15.0 million of spending in 2004-05 and £19.6 million in 2005-06 by NHS foundation trusts. 2. HM Treasury Gross Domestic Product Deflator used to provide the real terms figures with 2005-06 as the base year. 3. Figures for 2005-06 are provisional. Source: Annual financial returns for primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and NHS trusts for 1997-98 to 2005-06. Review and consolidated accounts of NHS foundation trusts 2005-06. | |||
NHS Treatment Centres: Personal Records
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether data obtained in processing NHS treatment at a private sector treatment centre may be used for marketing purposes by the company owning the centre. [131054]
Andy Burnham: Currently wave 1 independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) providers do not market their services to national health service patients or referrers.
Choice is a key part of health reform. Going forward, NHS providers, independent and public sector, should be providing patients with information which enables them to make an informed decision about their health care options. This will include information gathered from the treatment of NHS patients.
The marketing schedule for phase 2 ISTC contracts states that marketing brochures produced by the provider for patients of the facilities must include (among other things) patient and provider statistics consistent with those contained in the NHS choice booklets, to the extent that they are relevant to the ISTC programme. These include details of in-patient waiting times, cancelled operations, out-patient waiting times, methicillin resistant s taphylococcus aureus infection rates and the results of patient satisfaction surveys.
Marketing brochures produced for Referring Health Service Bodies must include all the above, and in addition should cover complication rates and length of stay/day case rates.
The schedule also provides that marketing material should not include information relating to private health care services or products and services offered by the IS provider, or a third party, which do not relate to the services being provided under the ISTC agreement with the authority.
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