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18 July 2007 : Column 455W

Health Professions Council

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors he took into account in deciding that the Health Professions Council should have an appointed membership. [150014]

Mr. Bradshaw: Chapter 1 of the White Paper ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’ sets out a series of measures to ensure the independence of the national professional regulators. In order to exercise their functions effectively and command the confidence of patients, the public and the professions, they need to be seen to be independent and impartial in their actions. To ensure that this is the case, the White Paper proposes that:

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-registrants with the Health Professions Council were found to be in breach of the regulations on protected titles in the latest period for which figures are available. [150015]

Mr. Bradshaw: From the figures that we received from the Health Professions Council (HPC), 288 non-registrants of the HPC were issued with a warning letter on protected titles in 2006-07.

Health Services: Greater London

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer of 11 July 2007, what the source was for the Prime Minister's
18 July 2007 : Column 456W
statement that proposals for the future of health care in London will include the creation of 150 polyclinics. [150030]

Mr. Bradshaw: The technical report which details the analytical work undertaken to support ‘Healthcare for London—A Framework for Action’ gives an estimated figure of 150 polyclinics across London. The technical report was published alongside ‘A Framework for Action’ on 11 July 2007.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children (a) under the age of (i) one and (ii) five and (b) over five years old died from a hospital acquired infection in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS trust. [148477]

Ann Keen: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual reports on statistics of deaths with meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias or Clostridium difficile infection recorded on the death certificate. The latest reports into deaths involving MRSA and Clostridium difficile infection were published in Health Statistics Quarterly 33 in February 2007. Data on the number of deaths involving Clostridium difficile are not available for the year 2000.

The tables show the total number of deaths with either of these organisms mentioned on the death certificate in children (persons under 16) in England and Wales, by age group, and the number which occurred in national health service hospitals.

It is not possible to assume from this that any infection affecting the deceased was contracted in the hospital where the death occurred. Patients may be transferred between hospitals, nursing homes and other establishments or may have acquired their infections before admission to the hospital in which they died. Data are not provided by individual NHS trust because of the risk of deductive disclosure.

Number of death certificates mentioning MRSA( 1) in England and Wales among children (ages 0 to 15), 2000-05( 2)
Age 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

All places of death

Under one

0

1

0

2

1

6

One to four

0

0

1

0

0

0

Five to 15

1

0

0

0

0

0

Deaths in NHS hospitals( 3)

Under one

0

1

0

1

1

6

One to four

0

0

1

0

0

0

Five to 15

1

0

0

0

0

0

(1) Identified using the methodology outlined in annual ONS reports on deaths involving MRSA.
(2) Deaths occurring in 2000-05.
(3) Place of death records where the death occurred. This information does not imply anything about where any infection was acquired.


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Number of death certificates mentioning Clostridium difficile( 1) in England and Wales among children (ages 0 to 15), 2000-05( 2)
Age 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

All places of death

Under one

0

0

0

0

0

One to four

0

0

1

0

1

Five to 15

0

0

0

1

0

Deaths in NHS hospitals( 3)

Under one

0

0

0

0

0

One to four

0

0

1

0

0

Five to 15

0

0

0

1

0

(1) Identified using the methodology outlined in annual ONS reports on deaths involving Clostridium difficile.
(2) Deaths occurring in 2001-05. Data for 2000 is not available as deaths in this year were coded to the Ninth International Classification of Disease (ICD-9) which does not have a specific code for Clostridium difficile.
(3) Place of death records where the death occurred. This information does not imply anything about where any infection was acquired.

Hospitals: Locums

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts are taking steps to appoint three month locums to hospital posts. [150384]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. We are aware that there are locum appointments to training being advertised during the round two period. Although locum appointments to training are Deanery approved training posts, it is for local trusts to determine their duration. They can be for any period but are usually from three to six months.

Hospitals: Ministers of Religion

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made to hospital chaplains in the national health service; what the total expenditure upon chaplains was in each of the last five years; and what the budget is for chaplains in 2007-08. [147478]

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on national health service hospital chaplaincy.

The Department is committed to the principle of ensuring that patients and staff in the NHS have access to spiritual care, whatever faith or belief system they follow.

NHS trusts are responsible for delivering religious and spiritual care in a way that meets the diverse needs of their patients. How they do so is a matter for local determination. Budgetary control has been devolved to NHS trusts to allow them to make decisions about how best to use the resources available locally.

Hospitals: Parking

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to hospitals on the need to provide car parking spaces for patients. [150370]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department issued Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 07-01 ‘Transport management and car parking’ in 2006. A copy is available in the Library. Section 8 of the document provides detailed guidance on determining levels of car parking provision at hospital sites. It reflects the differing parking needs of patients attending hospital, such as those who are day patients or have appointments at outpatient clinics.

Hyperactivity: Drugs

Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific evidence is available to support the existence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for which Ritalin and psychiatric drugs are prescribed. [148011]

Ann Keen: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neuro developmental disorder characterised by core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that are outside the range of normal for the developmental stage of the person and cause impairment in functioning and was first described in 1902. Diagnosis is based on recognising these behavioural traits and making a judgment as to whether they are outside the range of normal. The traits are present in people without ADHD, and lie along a continuum. There is no diagnostic test as yet.

ADHD is similar to other conditions where there is not yet a biological marker and symptoms are on a continuum, such as blood pressure and height. There is evidence of genetic and environmental components to the aetiology of ADHD and it is highly heritable but the inheritance is complex and likely to be due to a combination of genes acting together. Molecular genetics shows the relationship between various markers of ADHD and neurotransmitter receptor and transporter genes.

Junior Doctors: Location

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances NHS trusts are required to provide relocation assistance to junior doctors transferring substantial distances for specialty training. [147936]

Ann Keen: Relocation assistance to junior doctors is a matter for the local national health service trusts to decide.

Junior Doctors: Training

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 257W, on junior doctors: training, who the members of the project board were. [148941]

Ann Keen: The Medical Training Application Service project board comprised representatives of the Department, NHS Employers, the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans, the Committee of General Practice Education Directors, National Association of Medical Personnel Specialties, Postgraduate Deanery Business Managers, the devolved Administrations and Methods Consulting.


18 July 2007 : Column 459W

Kidney Patients: Medical Treatments

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the type and rate of complications for each type of dialysis access in each year since 2000. [148845]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the mean distance from patients' homes to dialysis treatment centres; [148846]

(2) how many patients received treatment for anaemia prior to undergoing renal replacement therapy in the last period for which figures are available; and what the average duration of treatment was. [148877]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average time taken for patients to be referred to renal teams before starting dialysis in the most recent period for which figures are available. [149542]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. Part one of the national service framework for renal services sets standards to be met locally over a ten-year period from 2004. This includes timely and appropriate preparation for renal replacement therapy, preferably a year before dialysis is expected to be needed, and timely and appropriate access to surgery for vascular or peritoneal access (ideally six months before starting haemodialysis, four weeks before starting peritoneal dialysis).

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what transport is provided to patients receiving dialysis from their homes to treatment centres. [149543]

Ann Keen: The national service framework (NSF) for renal services makes clear that patients should have access to efficient patient transport services. It is up to local national health service trusts to determine exactly how to implement the NSF by providing efficient transport services to patients based on their individual circumstances.


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