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15 Jun 2007 : Column 1384W—continued
Care Homes: Greater London
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people lived in a care home for elderly people in each London borough in each of the last five years. [142780]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Information Centre for health and social care collects data on the number of care home residents whose care is funded, wholly or in part, by local councils, but not on the number of those funding their own care.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as part of its regulation work, collects and publishes data on the numbers of registered care and nursing homes and places in England, but not on occupancy levels or numbers of residents. This information is available at:
CJD
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to inform those who received blood known to be at risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) contamination that they could be at risk of contracting vCJD; and if she will make a statement. [142680]
Caroline Flint: The Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) incidents panel advises on the assessment and management of risk to patients who may potentially have been exposed to CJD following medical interventions. In December 2003, following the first suspected case of variant Creutzfeld-Jakob Diseases (vCJD) transmission through whole blood transfusion, the first patient notification exercise was undertaken to notify recipients of blood components donated by people who later developed vCJD. There are currently around 24 people in this group who are still alive.
Since then, three other notification exercises have been implemented in respect of recipients of certain plasma products. There are approximately 5,000 people in this group, which includes patients with haemophilia A and B and Von Willebrand’s Disease to whom it was indicated that they had received United Kingdom sourced plasma derived vCJD implicated products during the period 1980-2001, and would therefore be considered at risk of vCJD for public health purposes. Additionally notification has been given to about 100 blood donors to patients who later developed vCJD.
All the information documents used for these notification exercises are available on the Health Protection Agency website at:
Conal Timoney
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role Conal Timoney had in her Department at the time of the publication of the contract notice (a) 2006/S 114-121806 and (b) 2006/S 135-145353; whether he performed that role as a civil servant or consultant; and what role he currently has. [142040]
Andy Burnham: At the time of the publication of the contract notices 2006/S 114-121806 and 2006/S 135-145353 Conal Timoney’s role within the Department’s Commercial Directorate was Director of Communications. This role was performed on a contractual basis. Conal Timoney is currently the Commercial Directorate’s Director of Strategy.
Departments: Contracts
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition is of (a) service category No. 25 at section II.2 of the contract notice 2006/S 114-121806 and (b) service category No. 27 at section II.2 of the contract notice 2006/S 135-145353. [142042]
Andy Burnham: Service categories are listed within Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. Service Category No. 25 is defined as health and social services. Service Category No. 27 is defined as other services.
Departments: E-mail
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) divisions and (b) individuals have access to e-mails coming to the csf@dh.gsi.gov.uk account. [142041]
Andy Burnham: The csf@dh.gsi.gov.uk mail-box is managed by the Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners project team within the Commercial Directorate of the Department.
Departments: Press
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which subject areas were covered by each of her Department's press officers (a) in May 2005 and (b) in the most recent period for which the information is available. [124939]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The most recent list of the subject areas covered by the Department's press office has not changed since May 2005. Information on how these subjects were broken down between individual press officers in May 2005 is not available. The available information has been placed in the Library.
Departments: Public Expenditure
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date she last met the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the forward budget for her Department. [140014]
Andy Burnham: The Secretary of State and Departmental officials hold regular discussions with their counterparts at HM Treasury on the forward budget for the Department of Health, the national health service and social care as part of preparations for the 2007 comprehensive spending review.
Doctors: Registration
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to ensure that doctors employed by the national health service are registered with the General Medical Council; what procedures are followed if a doctor is found to be unregistered; and if she will make a statement. [140630]
Andy Burnham: Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) to practise medicine in the United Kingdom.
It is the responsibility of individual employers to carry out pre and post-appointment registration checks on employees. Processes are in place to prevent unsuitable people from gaining employment in the national health service. Employers should undertake a variety of checks before someone is offered an NHS post including verification of identity, confirmation with professional regulatory bodies and criminal
records bureau checks on staff who have access to patients in the normal course of their work.
Elderly: Care
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to ensure privacy and dignity in toilet use for the elderly in hospitals and care homes; and if she will make a statement. [141451]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Regulation 12 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 states that:
(4) The registered person shall make suitable arrangements to ensure that the care home is conducted-
(a) in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of service users;
Standard 10 of the National Minimum Standards for Care homes for Older People includes the following requirements.
10.1 The arrangements for health and personal care ensure that service user's privacy and dignity are respected at all times, and with particular regard to:
personal care-giving, including nursing, bathing, washing, using the toilet or commode;
consultation with, and examination by, health and social care professionals;
consultation with legal and financial advisors;
maintaining social contacts with relatives and friends;
entering bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms;
following death.
The Healthcare Commission assesses the performance of the national health service against the standards set out in “Standards for Better Health”, published by the Department in 2004.
In carrying out its assessments, the Commission looks at the setting in which care is provided to ensure that, among other aspects, patients enjoy as much privacy as possible and are treated with dignity and respect.
Harwich Hospital: Maternity Services
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are plans to change provision of maternity services at Harwich hospital; and if she will make a statement. [141595]
Andy Burnham: This is a local matter. It is for primary care trusts to commission services to meet the needs of the communities that they serve. I am advised that Essex Rivers healthcare national health service trust has announced a temporary change to the maternity unit it runs at the Fryatt hospital in Harwich.
This means that from 1 June, midwives will be based at the unit from 7.30 am-9 pm, seven-days-a-week, rather than the current round-the-clock basis.
Outside of those times, women will still be able to deliver at the unit by contacting the on-call midwife. This is a common maternity service model used by the trust at its other sites such as Halstead hospital.
Hay Fever
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action her Department is taking to reduce levels of hay fever; [139932]
(2) what action her Department is taking (a) to mitigate the risks of high pollen levels and (b) to reduce the projected number of hay fever cases in the summer months; [139931]
(3) what assessment she has made of the potential links between global warming, environmental change and the levels of hay fever in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [139921]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are taking no specific action to reduce the levels of hay fever, or mitigate the risks of high pollen levels. However, NHS Direct, NHS Direct on line and NHS Direct interactive have been established to provide advice and information on health and self-care. Through these services, people suffering from hay fever have access to information to help them manage their condition and minimise their exposure to pollen. Over the counter and prescription medicines are also available to alleviate the associated symptoms of this condition.
We have not assessed the potential links between global warming, environmental change and levels of hay fever in the United Kingdom.
Health Insurance
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were covered by private health insurance in each year since 1997. [142689]
Andy Burnham: We do not routinely collect these data centrally. However, Laing and Buisson Healthcare Market Review (2006-07), the industry standard, has recently published the following United Kingdom figures.
| Private medical insurance | |
| Persons covered, 31 December (T housand) | |
| Source: Data are from Laing and Buisson survey aggregates for all insurers. | |
Health Services: Urgent Care
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish her urgent care strategy. [142046]
Andy Burnham: Officials are continuing to develop the strategy, which is being informed by responses to the “Direction of Travel for Urgent Care: a discussion document” and other work with stakeholders, including service users and carers. A new strategy on urgent and emergency care will be published in due course.
Health Services: Access
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in England restricted access to health care by instructing health care practitioners not to refer patients for named health care interventions at the end of the 2006-07 financial year; and whether the practice is continuing. [138614]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.
Hospitals: Parking
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons hospital staff are not exempt from hospital parking fees; and if she will make a statement. [141213]
Andy Burnham: Arrangements and charges for car parking on healthcare premises are a matter for individual national health service bodies, taking account of all the relevant local factors. This includes what, if any, concessions or exemptions to offer hospital staff.
NHS bodies have income generation powers which allow them to raise additional income by marketing any spare capacity resulting from a non-core function, or by exploiting intellectual property rights. Certain rules must be followed, including the fact that profits raised must be used to improve health services. Charging for car parking is a common example of an income generation scheme.
Latex: Allergies
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines her Department issues on the use of latex gloves in the healthcare sector; and if she will make a statement. [140072]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not now issue guidelines on this subject. The NHS National Patient Safety Agency (NHS NPSA) on 26 May 2005 advised all national health service organisations in England and Wales to take better steps to protect patients with latex allergy. Guidance was entitled ‘Protecting People With Allergy Associated with Latex’ and has been placed in the Library.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust: Waiting Lists
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was in Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust for patients requiring cognitive behavioural therapy in the latest period for which figures are available. [143130]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
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