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18 July 2007 : Column 459W—continued
Maternity Units: Infectious Diseases
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) MRSA, (b) C lostridium difficile and (c) other hospital acquired infections there were in each year since 2000 in (i) neonatal and (ii) maternity units, broken down by NHS trust. [148478]
Ann Keen: The specific information requested concerning prevalence in neonatal and maternity units is not collected. The best available data are given as follows but will include both community and health care acquired infections.
Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) collects data on the sex and age of cases of MRSA bloodstream infections through its voluntary surveillance scheme. The scheme does not collect data on where infection was acquired (e.g. neonatal unit, or maternity unit).
The youngest of the standard age groups is under one year.
| MRSA bacteraemia reports from children aged under one year (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) 2000 to 2005 | |
| Total | |
| Note: Figures correct at 5 June 2007. Source: HPA voluntary surveillance scheme | |
The HPA’s voluntary reporting scheme collects data on age and sex of cases. The scheme does not collect data on where infection was acquired (e.g. neonatal unit, or maternity unit). The following table shows the number of cases of Clostridium difficile for children from birth to one in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 2000-06.
| Age | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
The information is likely to be an underestimate as not all laboratories report. Further, testing of children under two years of age may be limited owing to a general belief that the presence of C. difficile is not usually clinically significant in this age group as asymptomatic carriage, including production of toxins A and B, is common in this age group. No other data on healthcare associated infections are available by age group.
Maternity Services: Expenditure
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on neonatal units in each of the last five years in (a) cash and (b) real terms. [148389]
Ann Keen: This information is not available centrally.
Maternity Services: Intensive Care
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many premature babies were transferred away from their local hospital in order to find an intensive care cot in each of the last five years. [148393]
Ann Keen: The information is not collected centrally.
Medicine: Overseas Students
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on the financial effect of the new immigration rules on the international medical students from non-European Economic Area countries who choose to study medicine in the UK. [149277]
Ann Keen: There has been no discussion between the Home Office and the Department on this issue.
We have retained a special provision in the Immigration Rules for non-European Economic Area doctors who have completed their undergraduate medical training in the United Kingdom which will give them the opportunity to complete their basic medical training and, in the process gain registration with the General Medical Council.
Mental Health Services: Greater London
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the numbers of people provided with mental health counselling services by (a) NHS bodies and (b) publicly-supported voluntary groups in each London borough in (i) the last 12 months and (ii) each of the last three years. [150511]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The data requested are not held centrally.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Animals
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the threat to human health of MRSA in (a) live animals and (b) animal meat. [146838]
Ann Keen: The scientific evidence does not indicate that Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in live animals or meat is a significant public health risk. However if the Health Protection Agency receives samples from people who have a link with veterinary work the strains are examined closely to assess whether there may be any animal origin. The Department's expert advisory committee on antimicrobial resistance and health care associated infection will keep this area under review.
Following advice on appropriate cleaning and handling, storage and cooking of meat is important in preparing food safely and preventing/minimising the risk of contamination by micro organisms.
Midwives
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a guaranteed placement scheme for newly qualified midwives in England. [150131]
Mr. Bradshaw:
The Department of Health has consulted with NHS Employers, strategic health authorities and the Social Partnership Forum on maximising employment opportunities for newly qualified health care graduates. The consistent message from these consultations is that solutions need to be flexible, locally driven and founded on partnerships between employers, staff side and the
higher education sector. Any new initiatives also need to be appropriately tested first.
Accordingly, East of England strategic health authority (SHA) have offered to undertake a feasibility study into establishing a local voluntary guaranteed employment scheme. The feasibility study will last for one year and was launched on 15 May by East of England SHA. The outcome of the feasibility study will determine whether employment guarantee schemes are a viable option. If so, the nature and length of these schemes will be defined upon relevant factors established through the study.
NHS Next Stage Review
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 4 July 2007, Official Report, column 970, on the NHS next stage review, on what projects the £750 million community hospital capital funding has been (a) allocated to be spent and (b) already spent; what mechanisms have been used to allocate funding; and how much has been (i) allocated and (ii) spent on each project. [148937]
Mr. Bradshaw: Allocations from the £750 million community hospital and services capital fund will be spread over the five years ending in 2010-11. Fourteen capital schemes have been approved, supporting a range of different types of community facilities:
new primary care centre in Washington in Sunderland;
redevelopment of the Gosport War Memorial hospital;
development of a new community health centre in Yate, Bristol;
establishment of a Healthy Living park in Minehead, West Somerset;
redevelopment of the Barking hospital;
new health and social care centre in Teddington;
new primary care centre in Hastings;
redevelopment of the Royal South Hampshire hospital;
new primary care centre in Ashfield;
redevelopment of the Felixstowe community hospital;
new primary care centre in Rotherham;
new community hospital in Bristol;
new community hospital in Hornsey; and
additional community services in Calderdale and Kirklees.
The total cost of these schemes is £94.56 million. £33.6 million has been allocated to primary care trusts in 2007-08 reflecting spending profiles. We do not monitor actual spend on individual schemes at the centre. That is for primary care trusts and their strategic health authorities.
Proposals are assessed against the ten design principles set out in “Our health, our care, our community: investing in the future of community hospitals and services”.
NHS Treatment Centres: Construction
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS treatment centres were delivered by 2005; and for what the (a) construction costs, (b) scheduled date for start of construction, (c) expected completion date and (d) status at 31 December 2006 is of each treatment centre scheme. [148933]
Mr. Bradshaw: By the end of 2005 the following phase one national health service treatment centres were delivered.
| Contract location name | Construction start date | Expected completion date( 1) | Status at 31 December 2006 |
| (1) Expected completion dates are as at financial close, actual completion dates may vary. | |||
For the phase one independent sector treatment centre schemes that involved the construction of new facilities, forecast costs based on the bidder's financial models were included within the bid price and are commercially sensitive. As the construction cost risk lies with the preferred bidder, the Department are not advised of the actual construction costs.
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