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25 Jun 2007 : Column 226W—continued



25 Jun 2007 : Column 227W

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on patient safety of temporary nursing in the NHS. [145470]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is the responsibility of national health service trusts to assess the effect on patient safety of temporary nursing in the NHS. Staff provided by NHS Professionals, are subject to the same stringent checks as any other substantive employee and as set out in the NHS Employers' document "Safer Recruitment—A Guide for NHS Employers”. In addition, nursing agencies, on the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency Framework Agreements, are audited on an annual basis.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to help NHS trusts (a) plan and (b) manage their demand for temporary nursing staff. [145471]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is the responsibility of national health service trusts to plan and manage their demand for temporary nursing staff in the context of local business and workforce planning. NHS Professionals can play a significant role in assisting trusts manage their demand whilst maintaining quality and achieving value for money.

Ambulance Services

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the Ambulance Trust performance data for 2006-07. [145639]

Andy Burnham: The information requested was published by the Information Centre for health and social care on 21 June 2007 and can be accessed at:

The Information Centre for health and social care will produce printed copies of “Ambulance Services, England 2006-2007” shortly and copies will be placed in the Library once they are available.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether emergency medical technicians are able to deliver the same level of care as paramedics in the case of callouts to patients with epilepsy and cerebral palsy. [145666]


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Andy Burnham: The treatment administered to a patient with cerebral palsy would depend on the primary illness, symptoms or injury that they presented with rather than necessarily the underlying condition. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 June 2007, Official Report, column 559W, in which I provided information on the types of care that can be provided by an ambulance paramedic and an emergency medical technician (EMTs). In relation specifically to the treatment of patients with epilepsy, paramedics can supply and administer rectal diazepam, whilst EMTs can only administer the drug if it was already in the possession of the patient.

Ambulance Services: Protective Clothing

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS ambulance trusts issue their paramedics with stab proof vest protection; what discussion she has held on stab proof vest protection for paramedics; what assessment she has made of the merits of providing stab proof vest protection for paramedics; and if she will make a statement. [145430]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In April 2003, the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the management of security related matters in the national health service, including tackling violence against NHS staff.

However, information on the NHS ambulance trusts which issue their paramedics with stab proof vest protection is not held centrally. Each trust will make their own decision based on local risk assessments.

The Safer Hospitals Project has looked at the use of stab proof vests in the ambulance service. The results will be made available in due course.

Ambulance Services: Sussex

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many 999 calls for Sussex ambulances have been received in each of the last five years; [145826]

(2) how many category A incidents have been attended by Sussex ambulances in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority district. [145827]

Andy Burnham: Information on number of emergency calls and number of category A incidents is provided in the following table.


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Emergency calls and emergency incidents (calls resulting in response arriving at the scene of the incident) by specified ambulance service( 1) , 2002-03 to 2006-07
2006
2002 2003 2004 2005 Q1 Q2-4 Q1-4

Emergency calls

South East Coast Ambulance Trust

403,267

436,142

460,323

493,022

116,882

377,484

494,366

Kent Ambulance NHS Trust

144,764

158,121

166,732

182,320

39,343

n/a

n/a

Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust

99,145

105,007

112,886

121,794

30,794

n/a

n/a

Sussex Ambulance NHS Trust

159,358

173,014

180,705

188,908

46,745

n/a

n/a

Category A incidents

South East Coast Ambulance Trust

89,243

96,149

95,736

117,438

31,221

111,155

142,376

Kent Ambulance NHS Trust

39,258

42,257

39,932

44,185

11,414

n/a

n/a

Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust

25,384

24,922

26,226

33,348

8,445

n/a

n/a

Sussex Ambulance NHS Trust

24,601

28,970

29,578

39,905

11,362

n/a

n/a

n/a = not applicable.
(1) On 1 July 2006, Sussex ambulance service merged with Surrey ambulance service and Kent ambulance service to become South East Coast Ambulance Service Trust. Data is only available for ambulance trusts, it is not available for the location of the incident.
Source:
Form KA34
Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Benzodiazepines

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of (a) benzodiazepine drugs and (b) antidepressants were dispensed in the community in England in 2006. [145414]

Caroline Flint: In 2006, 10.769 million prescription items were dispensed for benzodiazepines in the community in England. Benzodiazepines are defined in section 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the British National Formulary (BNF). Benzodiazepines defined in section 4.8.1 of the BNF for the treatment of epilepsy are not included.

In the same period, 31.038 million prescription items were dispensed for antidepressants in the community in England, as defined in section 4.3 of the BNF.

Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the Business Services Authority.

Blood: Contamination

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, column 988W, on blood: contamination, what correspondence her Department has had with (a) the UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors’ Organisation and (b) clinicians on the inquiry chaired by Lord Archer into contaminated blood and blood products; and if she will make a statement. [145480]

Caroline Flint: The Department has not had any formal correspondence with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors’ Organisation or with clinicians about the Lord Archer inquiry.

Blood: Imports

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2007, Official Report, columns 279-80W, on blood: imports, (1) how much was spent on commercially imported AHG concentrate/factor VIII blood products by health authorities under arrangements centrally negotiated by her Department in each year from 1977 to 1990; and if she will make a statement; [145528]

(2) what records her Department holds on centrally negotiated arrangements for the purchase of commercially imported AHG concentrate/factor VIII blood products for health authorities in the 1970s and 1980s; and if she will make a statement; [145529]

(3) how many blood donations were used to prepare AHG concentrate/factor VIII blood products in the UK in each year from 1977 to 1985; and if she will make a statement. [145540]

Caroline Flint: This information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Blood: Safety

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2007, Official Report, column 1381W, on blood: safety, on what date her Department plans to release the next batch of documents identified in the Review of Documentation relating to the safety of Blood Products 1970 to 1985; and if she will make a statement. [145479]

Caroline Flint: The first batch of papers were sent to the inquiry team on 15 June. Arrangements are in hand to place these papers on the Department's website. As indicated previously we will be sending papers to the inquiry team at monthly intervals.

Broadband: Health Hazards

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the potential effects on the health of (a) adults and (b) children of radio waves from home wireless broadband systems; and if she will make a statement. [145008]

Caroline Flint: The independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) undertook a comprehensive assessment of radio waves and health in 2003. Its report, entitled “Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields”, was published by the then National Radiological Protection Board (now the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency (HPA)). Copies are available in the Library and on the HPA website:


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All devices that emit radio waves (such as wireless internet) should be used in compliance with the exposure guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) as specified in the European Recommendation on limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields (EC/519/1999).

Information about wireless devices and health is available on the Department's website at:

The Government acknowledges further advice provided by the HPA at:

This states:

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of (a) existing NHS deficits on the take up of treatment approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for use in lymphatic cancer and (b) (i) payment by results and (ii) practice based commissioning on the availability of these treatments. [143304]

Andy Burnham: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local national health service trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services.

PCTs are under a legal requirement to fund the provision of treatments within three months of a positive National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal being finalised. PCTs should use their best endeavours to ensure that any new treatments recommended by NICE are available as soon as possible after publication of final guidance. If it is possible for PCTs to make the necessary arrangements without using the full three month period then they should do so.

Where treatments and services fall under payment by results, this activity is paid for at the national tariff price. Funding for services outside the scope of payment by results is agreed locally between commissioners and providers. Under payment by results any cost implications of NICE guidance for the NHS are taken account of in two main ways:


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Practice based commissioning (PBC) gives practices and primary care professionals the freedom to develop innovative, high-quality services for their patients. It enables them, working across boundaries with secondary care clinicians and others, to redesign services that better meet the needs of their patients. By giving practices the ability to develop new services for patients within a framework of accountability and support, PBC will improve access, extend patient choice and help restore financial balance.


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