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	Strategic health authority (SHA) of residence description
	All other SHA of residence	Scotland
2004-05
Total episodes	13,699,500	7,928
Total patients	7,620,172	5,314
2005-06
Total episodes	14,416,891	8,368
Total patients	7,882,214	5,406
Notes: 1. Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) 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. 2. Finished consultant episode (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. 3. Patient counts Patient counts are based on the unique patient identifier HESID. This identifier is derived based on patient’s date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and NHS number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID might erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell. 4. Health authority (HA) of residence This derived field contains the code for the HA in which the patient lived immediately before admission. Resident SHA (Re-SHA) is derived from the patient's postcode in the field home address. (This may not be the area where treatment took place). If home address is not recognised, Re-SHA may be derived from the health authority of residence notified by the hospital. 5. Primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) data quality PCT and SHA data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner practice and SHA of general practitioner practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Impaired Hearing

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were registered as (a) partially deaf and (b) deaf in (i) 1985, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1995, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2007 in (1) South Tyneside, (2) the North East and (3) England. [163159]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The following tables show the number of people registered as deaf or hard of hearing for the years available from 1986 to 2007 in England, the North East and South Tyneside, published by The Information Centre (IC) for health and social care.

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Number of people registered as deaf from 1986 to 2007 England, as at 31 March
Councils with Social Services Responsibilities	1986	1989	1992	1995	19982	2001	2004	2007
England(1)	34,100	37,900	41,800	45,500	50,100	50,300	55,000	54,500
North East(1)	2,250	2,350	2,850	2,600	2,550	(3)4.450	2,850	2,850
South Tyneside	65	45	35	115	100	85	90	90
(1) The England and Regional totals are estimates based on SSDA910 returns from councils with social services responsibilities. (2) In April 1996 the local authority structure within the North East region changed and Unitary Authorities were introduced, this does not affect the North East Region totals. (3) The large rise in the 2001 North East figure is explained by evidence provided by Durham local authority that the number of people registered as hard of hearing were also recorded as deaf in this year, this was corrected for the following collection but revised data was not provided. Source: IC triennial return SSDA910

Number of people registered as hard of hearing from 1986 to 2007 England, as at 31 March
Councils with Social Services Responsibilities	1986	1989	1992	1995	( 2) 1998	2001	2004	2007
England(1)	63,400	70,300	95,300	125,900	139,500	144,600	158,900	164,600
North East(1)	5,150	7,100	11,450	13550	(3)13,200	13,600	15,150	14,750
South Tyneside	125	90	135	225	180	155	120	90
(1) The England and Regional totals are estimates based on SSDA910 returns from councils with social services responsibilities. (2) In April 1996 the local authority structure within the North East region changed and Unitary Authorities were introduced, this does not affect the North East Region totals. (3) Redcar and Cleveland were unable to provide data for 1998. Therefore the figure for the North East Region is the sum of the raw data and has not been estimated. Source: IC triennial return SSDA910

Hospitals: Telephones

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the children’s wards on which charges are made for the use of telephones; and what the (a) peak and (b) off-peak rates for calls made are in each such ward. [162233]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not party to the contracts which exist between the bedside televisions and telephones service providers and the individual national health service trusts.

However, the Department understands that generally, where a bedside telephone is available, the charge to the outgoing caller is 10p per minute (20p minimum, in some cases).

The charge to the incoming caller varies according to the service provider providing the service but in most cases it is 39p per minute off peak rate and 49p minute peak rate.

Access to free televisions in day rooms and hospital payphones still exists as an alternative.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority: Public Appointments

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness with which the former Chief Executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority carried out his functions; and if he will make a statement. [165194]

Dawn Primarolo: Chief executives of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) are employees of, and appointed by, the authority itself. Over a number of years, the HFEA has established a highly respected reputation in the United Kingdom and internationally as a world-leading regulator in the field of embryology and assisted fertilisation.

Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date and for what reason the decision was taken to remove the requirement that one third of the members of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel be citizen and patient representatives; [162198]

(2) what form the annual review of the effectiveness and operation of his Department’s Independent Reconfiguration Panel takes; [162246]

(3) how many staff are employed in the press office of his Department’s Independent Reconfiguration Panel; broken down by payband; [162247]

(4) whether he or his predecessors have ever acted against the advice of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel. [162248]

Ann Keen: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) is the independent expert on NHS service change. The panel was established in 2003 to give advice to the Secretary of State on contested proposals for health service changes in England.

The Secretary of State makes the final decision on any disputed proposal after reviewing a final report containing the IRP’s recommendations in full, which are submitted to him before publication.

The panel membership since it was set up has comprised of an equal balance of clinical, managerial and lay representation. There are no plans to change this. When the IRP considers it necessary, additional expert advice is also sought to inform the panel’s work.

The IRP holds an annual review meeting with senior representatives from the Department and publishes an annual review of its business. Business reviews for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are available on the IRP website at www/irpanel.org.uk. A review of business for 2006-07 will be made available shortly.

Media work on behalf of the IRP is contracted to the Central Office of Information (COI).

The Secretary of State, as a matter of course, requests advice from the IRP on contested closures referred to him by local OSCs. To date the advice of the IRP has been accepted in full. Copies of all IRP reports are available at:

www.irpanel.org.uk

Influenza

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he plans to publish the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic. [166415]

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Dawn Primarolo: The national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic is due to be published shortly.

Lung Cancer: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement a National Lung Cancer Screening programme. [166376]

Ann Keen: The national health service cancer plan states that the Government will introduce new screening programmes where it is clear that screening would reduce mortality.

There is no clear evidence that screening for lung cancer would save lives but the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) keeps lung cancer screening closely under review.

There is an increasing weight of evidence in support of introducing a trial for the screening of lung cancer. The Department is leading work on behalf of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) to commission research on the feasibility of a United Kingdom trial of computerised tomography screening for lung cancer.

The National Institute for Health Research health technology assessment programme has issued a commissioning brief, taking full account of the trials already under way in the United States and Europe, with a view to funding feasibility studies as soon as possible. If there is progression to an exploratory trial and then a full randomised controlled trial, these will take a number of years to complete.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Negligence

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of professional malpractice concerning employees of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust were reported to (a) the General Medical Council, (b) the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (c) the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, (d) the Health Professions Council and (e) other professional regulators by (i) NHS trusts, (ii) ambulance services, (iii) mental health organisations, (iv) primary care trusts and (v) members of the public in the period between April 2004 and September 2006. [163469]

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect information on incidents of professional malpractice centrally, and is not directly involved in the disciplining of individual health care professionals.

Information on incidents of professional malpractice concerning employees of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust could be sought from the individual regulatory bodies.

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust Community Services teams' psychiatric emergency and assessment unit has opened. [163068]

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Ann Keen: The North West Strategic Health Authority reports that the psychiatric emergency and assessment unit (unit) is partly open and currently accommodates the accident and emergency mental health liaison and bed management teams. Staff are currently being recruited to provide the full range of services for the people of Manchester including facilities to support patients for up to 12 hours while assessment and community support is put in place. It is expected that the full range of services will be available by the end of January 2008.

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust: Mental Health Services

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust Community Service Team's psychiatric emergency assessment referral and liaison unit is expected to assess. [165460]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are informed that the planned capacity of the psychiatric emergency assessment review and liaison unit at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust is about 400 patients a year, but there is sufficient flexibility to manage up to 500 patients if needed.

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