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13 Nov 2007 : Column 191W—continued
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust: Industrial Disputes
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will inquire into the reasons for the maintenance craft workers at Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust taking strike action on 5 November. [162272]
Ann Keen [holding answer 12 November 2007]: The resolution of local disputes is a matter for the NHS organisation concerned.
Eyesight: Testing
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Huddersfield have had free eye tests since 1 April 1999. [162165]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on persons aged 60 and over will be available at primary care trust level in the publication “General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales: April 2007-September 2007”. This will be published by March 2008.
The total number of national health service sight tests paid for in England for persons aged 60 and over for the years ending 31 March 2005-07 are included in the following table. These are taken from reports published by the Information Centre for health and social care (IC) and are counts of patients who cited their age as being 60 or over as the reason for being entitled to a free eye test. Information for the year ending 31 March 2005 is the earliest data published by the IC.
| Total number of NHS sight tests paid for in England for persons aged 60 and over in the specified years ending 31 March | |
| Number | |
| Source: The Information Centre for health and social care | |
The 2007 report “General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales year ending 31 March 2006” is available in the Library. The 2005 and 2006 reports, “General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales October 2004—March 2005 and year ending 31 March 2005”, are available in the Library.
Genetics
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish Dr. Harper’s review of the 2003 Genetics White Paper. [164035]
Ann Keen: Work on the Review of the Genetics White Paper “Our inheritance. Our Future—realising the potential of genetics in the NHS” (2003) is in its final stages. The review process has involved consultation with key stakeholders with an interest in genetics in healthcare, and their views and comments will be reflected in the report of the review when it is published shortly. While the review has been progressing, our continuing commitment to improving genetics services in the national health service has led to the renewal of several contracts, including those with the National Genetics Reference Laboratories and the National Genetics Education and Development Centre as well as continued commitments to the ongoing funding of additional scientific trainer and trainee posts in the NHS.
Health Professions: Huddersfield
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other health service staff were employed in Huddersfield constituency (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the
most recent date for which figures are available. [162545]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the requested format. Staff numbers for the relevant national health service organisations is set out in the following table:
| 30 September 1997 | 30 September 2006 | |||
| Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust | Huddersfield NHS Trust | Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust | Kirklees Primary Care Trust | |
| Note: In 2001 Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust and Huddersfield NHS Trust merged to form the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and hospital and community health service staff in Kirklees PCT. The organisations listed are those covering the Huddersfield area in the specified years. Due to restructuring in the NHS, it is not possible to say categorically that these figures are directly comparable. There were 262 general practitioners and 179 practice nurses recorded as working for Kirklees PCT in 2006. In 1997 these staff would have been recorded in Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority, and it is not possible to break down their data to identify Kirklees alone. Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census and The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. | ||||
Heart Diseases: Health Services
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct the Myocardial Infarction Audit Project to investigate the impact of centralising services for heart attack treatment on patient outcomes. [162807]
Ann Keen: The Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP) database is linked to the Office of National Statistics data on mortality and is therefore able to provide analyses of patient outcomes as and when required.
A more comprehensive assessment of the impact of centralising services for heart attack treatment will be provided by the results of a feasibility study which the Department is conducting jointly with the British Cardiac Vascular Society into extending the provision of specialist primary angioplasty services for treatment of heart attack. A report on interim findings from the study is due shortly and a final report during 2008.
Hospital Beds: West Midlands
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to increase the availability of hospital beds in the West Midlands since 1997. [162788]
Dawn Primarolo: It is for the national health service locally to make decisions on bed numbers and occupancy rates. The Department expects NHS trusts to ensure that there are sufficient beds available to react to changing local circumstances, such as local demand and staff availability and thereby ensure the delivery of a safe and flexible service.
Hospitals: Milk
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospitals store mother’s milk to feed children other than those of the donors; what the cost of such collection and storage is; upon whose authority in each case the decision whether or not to form a storage bank is made; and if he will make a statement. [162399]
Ann Keen [holding answer 12 November 2007]: The following NHS hospitals store mother’s milk.
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital
Addenbrooke’s NHS Trust
Princess Royal University Hospital
Medway Maritime Hospital
Birmingham Women’s Health Care NHS Trust
King’s College Hospital
John Radcliffe Hospital
Princess Anne Hospital
Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospital NHS Trust
St. George’s Hospital
Kingston Hospital
Countess of Chester Hospital
Clatterbridge Hospital
Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Information on the cost of storage and collection is not collected centrally. Decisions on whether or not to form a storage bank are made locally. The United Kingdom (UK) Association of Milk Banks (UKAMB) has produced “Guidelines for the establishment and operation of Human Milk Banks” in the UK which should be taken into account in any discussions. The UKAMB exists to provide a forum for the exchange of information about milk banking. It also recommends standards for the practice of milk banking.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Clostridium
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into outbreaks of clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust between April 2004 and September 2006. [163594]
Ann Keen [holding answer 12 November 2007]: We take the findings of the Healthcare Commission's investigation into the outbreaks of clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust very seriously. The Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) made a statement to the House on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 49-50WS, about C difficile and, specifically, the Healthcare Commission report.
The trust, working with its primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, have been focussing on improving their performance on healthcare associated infection (HCAI). The Healthcare Commission is working with the trust to put in place an action plan to address the recommendations in the report. We expect the new management of the trust to implement all of the measures which have been put into place to tackle HCAI and to meet the new public service agreement target to reduce clostridium difficile infections by 30 per cent. by March 2011.
The National Health Service Chief Executive wrote to every NHS trust with a copy of the report, to ensure that all NHS organisations take account of the Healthcare Commission's findings in their local plans and to reconfirm that the drive to improve infection control is a top priority for the NHS.
We have made it clear through the code of practice for the prevention and control of HCAIs, introduced in October 2006, that we expect the NHS to implement effective infection control policy and procedures. In addition, Secretary of State set out our response to the five national recommendations in the statement on 15 October.
Mental Health Services: Huddersfield
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health workers were employed to deal with people with mental health problems in Huddersfield (a) in 1997 and (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available. [162544]
Ann Keen: The information is not collected in the requested format. In 2002, mental health services from Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and Wakefield and Pontefract Community Health NHS Trust merged to form the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust. It is not possible to provide the specific numbers of staff in each unit who left to form the new organisation.
As of 30 September 2006, the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust employed 1,672 staff to deal with people with mental health problems, of whom 1,105 were professionally qualified clinical staff and 567 were support for clinical staff.
Methyl Methacrylate: Health Hazards
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been received by the Health Protection Agency of ill-effects from the use of methyl methacrylate in nail bars in each of the last three years to (a) consumers and (b) employees. [161936]
Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency has no record of any complaints received of ill effects from the use of methyl methacrylate in nail bars in any of the last three years to consumers and employees.
Milton Keynes Hospital: Cleaning Services
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Milton Keynes Hospital is expected to receive its deep clean. [162781]
Ann Keen [holding answer 12 November 2007]: As the Prime Minister made clear, deep cleaning will occur in all hospitals, starting this winter, with resources allocated through the strategic health authorities (SHAs). All trusts will submit costed deep clean plans to their lead commissioners who will monitor performance against this plan, as per normal performance management arrangements, and SHAs will take an overview as to progress across their area by the end of the financial year.
Information on plans of individual trusts is therefore not routinely collected centrally by the Department.
MRSA
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to minimise the spread of the PVL strain of MRSA at NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [162068]
Ann Keen: Good infection control practice is important for control of Panton-Valentine Leukocidine (PVL) producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus.
In addition, specific interim guidance on diagnosis and management of PVL-associated Staphylococcal infections in the United Kingdom developed was published on the Department’s website in April 2006. This is available at:
www/dh/gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/ChiefMedicalOfficer/Features/DH_4133761
We have asked the Health Protection Agency to review and update this and a revised version will be available shortly.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of (a) the incidence of those carrying MRSA, (b) the number of those infected following operations, (c) the incidence of MRSA septicaemia and (d) deaths attributable to MRSA within the private hospital system. [162364]
Ann Keen: These data are not collected centrally and we do not produce estimates of infections in private hospital.
The Office for National Statistics produces annual reports into deaths involving methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The last report as published
in HSQ 33 in February 2007 and included data for 2005. The reports include information on ‘place of death’. The place an individual dies may not be the same place as where an infection was first contracted.
In England and Wales, between 2001 and 2005, 17 death certificates from persons who died in non-national health service general hospitals mentioned MRSA.
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