Previous Section Index Home Page

24 July 2007 : Column 974W—continued

Epilepsy

23. Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage primary care trusts to improve epilepsy services and in particular promote awareness of the risk of sudden deaths. [151811]


24 July 2007 : Column 975W

Ann Keen: Through the Action Plan on Epilepsy, National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance we have provided local national health service organisations with evidence-based markers of good practice to support service improvements. This includes an emphasis on supporting and empowering patients to manage their condition and mitigate the risk of sudden death.

NHS Finance: Coventry

24. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in funding levels to Coventry NHS trusts since 1992. [151812]

Dawn Primarolo: The Department holds data on the total income of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust (Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust in 1999-2000) for the period 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

However, no assessment of these data have been undertaken by the Department as revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs), not to NHS trusts or individual hospitals. NHS trusts receive most of their income through the commissioning arrangements they have with PCTs.

In addition, strategic health authorities monitor the financial position of NHS trusts to ensure that all NHS organisations within their areas are maintaining financial stability.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address mortality and morbidity caused by peripheral arterial disease in England. [151802]

Dawn Primarolo: There is no specific work programme on peripheral arterial disease but a number of the Department's initiatives are relevant to the prevention or treatment of this condition. For example the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the general practitioner (GP) contract provide incentives for GPs to control key risk factors for peripheral arterial disease, such as smoking and hypertension.

Social Care

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to bring forward proposals on the future funding of social care. [151803]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The comprehensive spending review will be published in the autumn and will set the level of central Government funding for local government for 2008-09 to 2010-11, including for adult social care services.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol related deaths there have been amongst teenagers in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years in (i) Hampshire and (ii) England. [151008]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.


24 July 2007 : Column 976W

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 24 July 2007:

Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , persons aged 13 to 19, Hampshire and England( 2) , 2006 and 2002-06( 3)
Deaths (persons)
2006 2002-06

Hampshire

0

1

England

3

21

(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following box.
(2) Based on local authority boundaries as of 2007.
(3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Box : Alcohol-related causes of death— International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10)
Cause of death ICD-10 code(s)

Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol

F10

Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol

G31.2

Alcoholic polyneuropathy

G62.1

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

I42.6

Alcoholic gastritis

K29.2

Alcoholic liver disease

K70

Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified

K73

Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis)

K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5)

Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis

K86.0

Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol

X45

Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol

X65

Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent

Y15


Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors. [150475]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

We have carried out two Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaigns (the most recent of which included a 10-week operational phase which concluded on 13 July) through which police and trading standards officers have targeted over 3,000 potential problem premises that break the law by selling alcohol to under-18s. These national campaigns make use of tough sanctions available under newly commenced legislation to prosecute the premises licence-holder,
24 July 2007 : Column 977W
where there are persistent sales of alcohol to children. Prior to this, we carried out four national Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns (AMECs) between 2004 and 2006.

As a consequence of these test-purchase campaigns, retailers have strengthened their procedures and training of staff in relation to alcohol sales. Most retailers have now adopted the ‘Challenge 21’ policy, whereby anyone appearing to be under 21 is asked to produce a valid form of identification prior to any sale of alcohol. Test-purchase failure rates have dropped accordingly, indicating that it is increasingly difficult for under-18s to purchase alcohol illegally. During AMEC one in 2004, the overall test-purchase failure rate was 50 per cent. By AMEC four in the summer of 2006, it had reached 29 per cent. and 21 per cent. for the on and off-licence trade respectively, and 18 per cent. for supermarkets. In addition, the Licensing Act 2003 also increased penalties for selling alcohol to children with the maximum fine increasing to £5,000 on conviction, and the possibility for courts to suspend or order forfeit of personal licences on a first offence as opposed to a second conviction, as was previously the case.

Baby Care Units

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies born in England in each of the last five years required neonatal care in a specialist unit. [150276]

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. However, information is in the following table on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCE) where neonatal care was provided in a specialist unit. This is not equivalent to the number of babies requiring care in a specialist unit. A baby may have had more than one FCE of neonatal care in a specialist unit.


24 July 2007 : Column 978W
Count of finished consultant episodes where neonatal care was provided in a specialist unit, 2001-02 to 2005-06 NHS hospitals, England
Special care Level 2 intensive care Level 1 intensive care Total episodes

2005-06

General episode

18,598

3,475

4,394

Birth episode

31,936

4,062

6,196

Total

50,534

7,537

10,590

68,661

2004-05

General episode

17,202

2,854

4,020

Birth episode

31,121

4,069

5,480

Total

48,323

6,923

9,500

64,746

2003-04

General episode

18,259

3,160

4,063

Birth episode

28,946

4,400

5,123

Total

47,205

7,560

9,186

63,951

2002-03

General episode

15,062

2,784

3,516

Birth episode

28,884

4,421

5,063

Total

43,946

7,205

8,579

59,730

2001-02

General episode

19,763

2,956

3,962

Birth episode

28,756

4,305

6,099

Total

48,519

7,261

10,061

65,841

Notes: 1. Definitions of neonatal care provided in specialist units. Special care: care given in a special nursery, transitional care ward or postnatal ward, which provides care and treatment exceeding normal routine care. Some aspects of special care can be undertaken by a mother supervised by qualified nursing staff. Special nursing care includes support for and education of the infants parents. 2. Level 2 intensive care: (high dependency intensive care): care given in an intensive or special care nursery, which provides continuous skilled supervision by qualified and specially trained nursing staff who may care for more babies than in level 1 intensive care. Care includes support for the infant's parents. 3. Level 1 intensive care: (maximal intensive care): care given in an intensive or special care nursery, which provides continuous skilled supervision by qualified and specially trained nursing and medical staff. Care includes support for the infant's parents. 4. Definitions of general and birth episodes General episode: A general episode is any episode which is not covered under other episode types. Other episode types include birth episodes, delivery episodes, patients formally detained under the provisions mental health legislation or long term psychiatric patients, other birth events and other delivery events. 5. Birth episode: A birth episode is the hospital episode that commences at birth. If a baby is transferred from another episode or re-admitted to hospital after discharge this new episode will not be classified as a birth episode, regardless of the age of the baby. 6. FCE An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 7. Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for Health And Social Care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 8. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). Source: HES, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Camping Sites: Sanitation

Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that the use of land in Parliament Square as a campsite complies with Section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936; and if she will make a statement. [143364]

Mr. Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.

The Government have taken no action to ensure the use of land in Parliament square as a campsite complies with section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment within the NHS. [151339]

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 June 2007, Official Report, column 1382W and on 16 July 2007, Official Report, columns 154-55W.

Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospitals provide photodynamic therapy cancer treatments. [151340]


24 July 2007 : Column 979W

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 July 2007, Official Report, columns 154-55W.


Next Section Index Home Page