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29 Oct 2007 : Column 988W—continued

Ambulance Services: South West Region

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the merger of the former Avon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ambulance trusts on (a) the use of resources and (b) quality of services provided. [161263]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has not made an assessment of the effects of the merger.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the lowest number of ambulances available for emergency response in Shropshire is likely to be on a single day in 2007-08; whether there is a minimum number of on-call units set for safe coverage; and if he will make a statement; [160426]

(2) how many ambulances were available for emergency response in Shropshire (a) in each month from December 2006 and (b) on each day in October 2007. [160600]

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member should contact his ambulance trust for this information.

Anti-psychotic Drugs

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, columns 408-9W, on anti-psychotic drugs, how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card system for (a) all anti-psychotic drugs, (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs since 31 December 2006; how many prescriptions there were for each type of drug for those aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 74 and (iii) 75 years and over in that period; and if he will make a statement; [160840]

(2) how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card reporting system for (a) all anti-psychotic drugs, (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07, broken down by those aged (A) 50 to 64, (B) 65 to 74 and (C) 75 years and over; and how many prescriptions were issued for each type of drug in each year; [160872]

(3) how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card reporting system for (a) all anti-psychotic drugs, (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs in 2006; and how many prescriptions there were for each type of drug for those aged (i) 50 to 64, (ii) 65 to 74 and (iii) 75 years and over. [160873]

Dawn Primarolo: Anti-psychotic drugs are used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic
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illnesses, and as with all marketed drugs their safety is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM). The British National Formulary lists antipsychotic medicines in sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2.

The numbers of anti-psychotic prescription items from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) database are shown in the following table.

Numbers of prescriptions showing numbers of anti-psychotic prescription items between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2007
Financial year All anti-psychotics Atypical anti-psychotics Traditional anti-psychotics

2004-05

5,666,765

3,314,862

2,351,903

2005-06

5,970,940

3,721,212

2,249,728

2006-07

6,308,226

4,175,920

2,132,306


The necessary information is not available to break these figures down into the age groups in the first part of the question.

Reports of “suspected” adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and CHM through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the yellow card scheme.

The following tables show the number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA in the specified time periods where an anti-psychotic drug was listed by the reporter as being suspect. The total ADR reports for all anti-psychotics is not equal to the sum of both atypical and traditional anti-psychotics since an individual ADR report may provide more than one drug as suspect.

Suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 31 December 2006 and 21 October 2007
Number

All anti-psychotics

1,865

Atypical anti-psychotics

1,752

Traditional anti-psychotics

137


Number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2007, broken down by financial year and into age groups of 50-64 years, 65-74 years and 75 or over years
All anti - psychotics Age group
Financial y ear 50-64 65-74 75+ Total all age groups

2004-05

379

96

84

2,216

2005-06

371

97

73

2,495

2006-07

392

94

72

2,218


Atypical anti-psychotics Age group
Financial year 50-64 65-74 75+ Total all age groups

2004-05

362

78

78

2,111

2005-06

345

85

57

2,315

2006-07

352

81

56

2,034



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Traditional anti-psychotics Age group
Financial year 50-64 65-74 75+ Total all age groups

2004-05

17

17

7

113

2005-06

30

13

18

204

2006-07

41

11

21

199


Suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006
Number

All anti-psychotics

2,127

Atypical anti-psychotics

1,920

Traditional anti-psychotics

226


It is important to note that the submission of a suspected ADR report does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease.

Anti-psychotic Drugs: Elderly

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the age of 60 years were prescribed anti-psychotic drug treatments on the NHS in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007; and if he will make a statement. [160871]

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of anti-psychotic drug prescription items dispensed in the community in England and in each of the strategic health authorities to people over the age of 60 years are in the following table.

Thousand
Strategic health authority Estimated number of prescription items 2006 Estimated number of prescription items January-August 2007

East Midlands

195

139

East of England

256

182

London

299

217

North East

153

109

North West

417

313

South Central

189

137

South East Coast

215

153

South West

243

176

West Midlands

267

188

Yorkshire and the Humber

274

194

England

2,507

1,808

Source:
Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

Blood: Donors

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the compliance with human rights legislation of his Department’s policy that gay and bisexual men may not donate blood to the National Blood Service. [154768]


29 Oct 2007 : Column 991W

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department considers that the donor selection criterion is compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998. The aim of donor selection criteria is to protect the health of the population and has proven to be an essential element in reducing transfusion-transmitted infections. Donor selection criteria, including this one, are set by the Joint UK Blood Transfusion Services and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control Professional Advisory Committee, and kept under review by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs for Transplantation.

Blood: Prisoners

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what records are kept relating to blood donations made by prisoners in secure accommodation for the manufacture of UK blood products since 1979; and if he will make a statement; [160754]

(2) when the National Blood Service stopped accepting donations from prisoners held in secure accommodation in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales as a source of blood products for the manufacture of blood products; and if he will make a statement. [161328]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 25 October 2007]: Prior to 1993, the blood services were managed on a regional basis. We have established that Regional Transfusion Directors in England started to phase out blood collections from prisons from 1980. We do not hold information for Scotland and Wales.

The Department does not hold information relating to individual blood donations made by prisoners. However, the Department is in the process of releasing all the documents which were considered in the “Review of Documentation Relating to the Safety of Blood Products 1970-1985 (Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis)”. Numerous documents are already in the public domain, including some documentation which relates to the use of blood from prisons, although not on individual donations. These papers are available on the Department’s website at:

Bolingbroke Hospital: Out-patients

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make a decision on the transfer of out-patient services from Bolingbroke hospital to St. John’s Therapy Centre referred by Wandsworth council. [155826]

Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has requested the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to undertake an assessment to determine the suitability of the case from Wandsworth Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) for full IRP review and it has provided its advice.

My right hon. Friend has accepted in full the recommendations of the IRP. This means that the proposals relating to the transfer of the majority of services in the short term from Bolingbroke hospital to St. John’s Therapy Centre and to close, but not dispose
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of, the site until consultation on the long term future of health services in Battersea and North Wandsworth is complete should be implemented. The Secretary of State has written to the HOSC council, the local national health service and all local hon. Members informing them of the decision.

Breasts: Health Services

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement the Government commitment that everyone with breast problems should see a specialist within two weeks of a referral by their GP. [161468]

Ann Keen: In September, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced proposals for cancer services including a guaranteed appointment with a specialist within two weeks of referral for all patients with breast problems, not just those with suspected cancer.

We aim to publish the Cancer Reform Strategy, which will set out the future direction of cancer services in England, by the end of the year. Details on the implementation of the proposals already announced will be issued in due course.


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