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11 July 2007 : Column 1548W—continued
| Abortions by number of previous live or still births and gestation 18 weeks and over( 1) , residents, England and Wales, 2006. | ||||||||
| Gestation | ||||||||
| Number of previous live births or stillbirths (over 24 weeks) | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24+ | Total |
| (1) Totals are grouped where there are less than 10 (0 - 9) cases, or where a presented value would reveal a total less than 10 (0-9) when used with data already published. | ||||||||
| Abortions by number of previous abortions and gestation 18 weeks and over( 1) , residents, England and Wales, 2006. | ||||||||
| Gestation | ||||||||
| Number of previous abortions | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24+ | Total |
| (1) Totals are grouped where there are less than 10 (0 - 9) cases, or where a presented value would reveal a total less than 10 (0-9) when used with data already published. | ||||||||
| Abortions by purchaser and gestation 18 weeks and over( 1) , residents, England and Wales, 2006. | |||||||
| Percentage | |||||||
| Gestation | |||||||
| Abortions by purchaser | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24+ |
| Note: Percentages are rounded and may not add up to 100 | |||||||
Abortion: Access
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to ensure equality of access to NHS abortion services; [148371]
(2) how many women in England waited (a) less than a week, (b) between one and two weeks, (c) over two weeks but less than four weeks and (d) over four weeks between the date they first requested an NHS abortion and the date of the abortion in each of the last five years. [148372]
Dawn Primarolo: We are working to ensure that women have access to abortion services as soon as possible as evidence shows that the risk of complications increases the later the gestation. We have invested £8 million to improve early access and set a standard of a maximum waiting time of three weeks. Primary care trusts’ performance in this area is being measured as part of the Healthcare Commission’s annual healthcheck.
Waiting times for abortion are not available but we consider that gestation at procedure is a good indicator of waiting times. The latest data for 2006 show that progress is being made to increase early access: 65 per cent. of national health service funded abortions took place at under 10 weeks compared with 51 per cent. in 2002.
Equality of access and more rapid access to abortion services has improved since the introduction of the Sexual Health and HIV Strategy. In 2006, 87 per cent. of abortions were NHS funded, compared with 78 per cent. in 2002. In addition, since 2002 we have collected patients self-reported ethnicity data to monitor access to services by all groups.
Abortion: Counselling
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what counselling is offered to women (a) contemplating, (b) during and (c) after an abortion. [148373]
Dawn Primarolo: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) evidence-based guideline “The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2004)” gives recommendations to commissioners and service providers on the information to be given to women contemplating an abortion, following an abortion and on women’s counselling needs.
The guideline states that professionals involved in abortion services should be equipped to provide women with the information they need, including accurate knowledge about possible complications and sequelae of abortion, in order to give genuinely informed consent. Clinicians caring for women requesting abortion should try to identify those patients who require more support in decision making than can be provided in the routine clinic setting. Facilities for additional support, including access to social services, should be available. Appropriate information and support should be available for those who consider, but do not proceed to, abortion. The guideline also recommends that referral for further counselling should be available for the small minority of women who experience long-term post abortion distress.
A number of organisations produce patient leaflets on this issue including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Family Planning Association.
Abortion: Finance
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources have been committed to the improvement of abortion services in 2007-08. [148370]
Dawn Primarolo: Sexual health services are funded through revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs). It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services, including abortion services, to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.
Contracts: Cirencester Hospital
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the second wave independent sector treatment centre contract for Cirencester hospital to be signed. [148412]
Mr. Bradshaw: It is currently anticipated that financial close will be reached on the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Phase 2 independent sector treatment centre scheme, which includes service delivery from Cirencester hospital, in late summer 2007.
Departments: DVDs
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the titles of all DVDs produced by his Department in the last 12 months; what the cost to the public purse was of developing each; how many were produced of each; and what the overall cost to the public purse was of each, inclusive of all development, production and distribution costs. [147561]
Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to list the titles of all DVDs produced by the Department in the last 12 months, as this information is not held centrally. To attempt to gather this information would incur disproportionate costs.
Departments: Equality
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what cost to the public purse his Department is sponsoring a float in the Pride London parade on 30 June 2007 as stated in his Department's ‘Single Equality Scheme 2007-2010’, published on 8 June 2007. [147572]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department provided £3,500 towards the costs of the health professionals float at the London Pride 2007 parade.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what cost to the public purse his Department's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Advisory Group commissioned the taking of (a) lesbian, gay and bisexual images and (b) transgender images as referred to in his Department's Single Equality Scheme 2007 to 2010, published on 8 June 2007; how he defines (i) lesbian, gay and bisexual images and (ii) transgender images; how many (A) lesbian, gay and bisexual images and (B) transgender images are in the NHS photo library; and if he will make a statement. [147583]
Dawn Primarolo: As part of the work to ensure the national health service photo library includes images representative of the entire community, the Department has added 47 images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at a cost of £950.00. The images are of individuals who identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and who have consented to their images being used by health and social care organisations health promotion leaflets and campaigns.
Departments: Freedom of Information
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the requests made to his Department under the (a) Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 and (b) Environmental Information regulations in the last six months; and what the (i) FOI case reference number, (ii) request summary, (iii) request outcome and (iv) reason for exemption, where appropriate, was in each case. [148144]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Departments: Manpower
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in his Department are classified as without posts, broken down by directorate in which they are employed. [147570]
Dawn Primarolo: Current position in the Department is:
| Directorate | Number |
|
Health Protection, International Health and Scientific Development | |
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