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5 Dec 2007 : Column 1308W—continued
In addition, a national research and development programme on asthma management ran from 1996 to early 2004 and supported a total of 33 projects throughout the United Kingdom at a total cost of £4.9 million.
The Department funds personal award schemes to support the training of promising researchers. Since 1997 some nine awards have been made to individuals working in areas focused on, or related to, asthma at a total cost of £3.2 million.
Implementation of the Department's research strategy Best Research for Best Health has resulted in an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for health research. The Guy’s and St. Thomas’/Kings College London Biomedical Research Centre, formed this year, will for example undertake research on asthma and allergy and has been allocated a budget of £4.75 million over five years for that purpose. The Research for Patient Benefit programme meanwhile will fund four new projects on asthma at a cost of £0.5 million.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body that receives its grant in aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Available MRC spend figures for research on asthma are as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1). Expenditure data were not collected centrally from NHS research active organisations prior to 2002. (2.) Research active NHS organisations' annual research and development reports identify expenditure in some 16 national priority areas, including respiratory disease. Those reports do not include separate details of expenditure on asthma research. Note: Earlier comparable figures are not available. | |
Bridlington Hospital: Cleaning Services
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects Bridlington hospital to receive its deep clean. [165098]
Ann Keen [holding answer 20 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. Trusts are aiming to complete all deep cleans by the end of March 2008. SHAs will be expected to report on implementation across their regions to the Department.
Childbirth
Anne Milton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency transfers there were from
(a) midwife-led maternity units and (b) home births to consultant-led units in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [165446]
Alan Keen: This information is not collected. The Department has commissioned the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit to undertake a study entitled ‘Birthplace’. This study will include data on the intended place of birth at the onset of labour and the actual place of birth. This will provide data on the number of women transferring during labour. Results of this study are expected towards the end of 2009.
Community Hospitals
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which community hospitals closed in 2007; how many are planned to close in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [171175]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 4 December 2007]: Figures are not collected centrally. Decisions about the organisation of local health care services are taken at a local level. Primary care trusts are best placed to make decisions about the make-up of local hospital, community and primary care facilities. In 2006 the Government announced £750 million capital programme for new community hospitals and other community sources.
Deep Clean
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Eastbourne district general hospital will receive its deep clean. [165336]
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often Queen's hospital, Romford, will be subject to a deep clean; and when the first such clean will take place. [167286]
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects (a) Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich, (c) Darenth Valley hospital, Dartford and (d) Princess Royal hospital, Farnborough to receive deep cleans. [167478]
Ann Keen: 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. Trusts are aiming to complete all deep cleans by the end of March 2008. SHAs will be expected to report on implementation across their regions to the Department.
Dementia
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to assist the families of people with dementia since 1997. [170975]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 4 December 2007]: Policy on older people's mental health, which includes dementia, has been developing since 1997. The publication of the “National Service Framework for Older People” in 2001, which contained a service model for dementia care, marked the first key milestone in policy development on older people's mental health. This was followed in 2005, by the publication of our service development guide, “Everybody's Business”, the launch of the Let's Respect campaign in 2006, and also, in 2006, the Quality and Outcomes framework incentive which rewards general practitioner practices for maintaining a register of patients diagnosed with dementia.
The Government announced, on 6 August, the development of a new national dementia strategy, which will help to improve services for people with dementia and their families. The strategy will focus on three key themes, which are improving awareness, early diagnosis and intervention as well as improving the quality of care for people with dementia.
The first product of the Strategy work programme, “Strengthening the Involvement of People with Dementia: a resource for implementation” was published on 27 November. This toolkit is designed to support practitioners and commissioners to positively engage with people who have dementia, as well as helping people who have dementia, and their carers, to understand how they can become more involved in the planning and delivery of their care.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s 2007 Annual Report, “The State of the Drug Problems in Europe”; and if he will make a statement. [168646]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government welcomed the publication of the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Annual Report on 22 November 2007.
They also welcome the report as an excellent example of what can be gained by European countries working in partnership in tackling the harms associated with drug misuse.
The report reflects the United Kingdom’s success in increasing the numbers of people in drug treatment, with the associated benefits that follow for individuals, their families and the wider community.
In looking forward the report highlights the need for continued vigilance in particular areas, including the transmission of infectious diseases among drug users. This is an issue on which the UK is already undertaking specific programmes of work to improve the position and we are pleased that more recent data than that within the EMCDDA Report, published by the Health Protection Agency in October this year shows progress, particularly in the proportion of injecting drug users contracting HIV.
The report also refers to the outcome studies being undertaken in the UK to ensure that treatment is being delivered on the foundation of an established evidence base so that it can be as effective as possible.
Health Services: Foreigners
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many EU nationals were treated by the NHS in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [170655]
Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Successive Governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of foreign nationals, including those from European Union member states, seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended.
Health Services: Regulation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to take account of the views of the public and patients in the enhancing confidence in professional health care regulation process. [171366]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 4 December 2007]: We are proposing an event specifically for patient and public representatives in new year 2008 once all of the working groups have met. The purpose of the event will be to present the programme as a whole to representatives and to seek their feedback. This is in addition to the continuing involvement of patient and public representatives in the working groups and the National Advisory Group meeting. We are also planning to increase the number of public and patient representatives at the next National Advisory Group meeting.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual budget will be for the new health and social care regulator in its first year of operation. [171668]
Mr. Bradshaw: Subject to parliamentary approval of the Health and Social Care Bill, the exact budget for the new health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, in its first year of operation will be confirmed next year, but will be in the region of £155 million-£160 million.
Healthcare Commission: Commission for Social Care Inspection
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected (a) cost and (b) timescale is for carrying out the merger of the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. [171669]
Mr. Bradshaw: Subject to parliamentary approval of the Health and Social Care Bill, the new Care Quality Commission will be established in October 2008. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), the Healthcare Commission (HC), and the Mental Health Act Commission will continue to carry out their functions until April 2009 when the new Commission will become operational and replace them.
The Impact Assessment for the Bill includes an estimate of £7 million for the additional cost of running the Care Quality Commission to 2009-10. As the explanatory notes to the Bill make clear there will
be more substantial transition costs relating to the cost and activity reduction programme for CSCI and HC, which have been estimated to total up to £140 million and will save £60 million per annum from 2008-09.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) redundancies and (b) early retirements have been made as a result of the merger of the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection; and how many are planned. [171670]
Mr. Bradshaw: We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that there have been no such redundancies or early retirements. We understand that the Commission for Social Care Inspection has not had any such redundancies or early retirements either. It will not be known how many, if any, reductions in staff will be required at either Commission until the new Commission decides on its staffing requirements.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which parts of the inspection process will be merged as a result of the merger of the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection; and what the intended benefits are for patients. [171671]
Mr. Bradshaw: The detail of how the new Care Quality Commission will operate will be a matter for the new Commission when it is established, subject to passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament. Nevertheless, through legislation it is our intention to set a single and coherent set of registration requirements.
There will be a coherent approach to assessment, inspection and registration of health and adult social care services to assure people that no matter where they choose to receive the service they need, that service will meet national requirements for safety and quality.
The new Commission will take a proportionate and flexible approach to regulating different services, concentrating more of its resources on services that present the biggest risk or where patients and users are most vulnerable.
The new Commission will also carry out performance reviews of registered providers and publish the results.
Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has assessed the cost effectiveness of existing technologies and approaches for treatment of end-stage heart failure in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [168316]
Ann Keen: The National Health Service Research and Development Health Technology Assessment Programme has published two independent cost-effectiveness assessments of ventricular assist devices in end-stage heart failure. “The clinical and cost effectiveness of left ventricular device assist devices for end-stage heart failure (2005)” and “The Evaluation of the Ventricular Assist Device Programme in the United Kingdom (2006)”. Such devices are in use in the national heart transplant service in England.
Heart Diseases: Transplant Surgery
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures his Department holds on international 30-day mortality rates following heart transplants; and if he will make a statement. [168315]
Ann Keen: The Department does not hold information on international 30-day mortality rates following heart transplants. The International Registry for Heart and Lung Transplantation reports international survival data. These are available on the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation website at:
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has recommended an upper limit for donor organ allowable ischaemic time to provide a safe time limit prospect for heart transplantation; and if he will make a statement; [168318]
(2) after what period of ischaemic time his Department recommends that a heart is rejected by surgeons for transplantation; and if he will make a statement. [168319]
Ann Keen: The Department has not issued guidance in this area. In all instances, the decision to proceed with transplantation is a clinical one and represents a careful evaluation of the risks versus the potential benefits of the procedure. Although there is no official ‘safe’ length of ischaemia time for donor hearts, it is generally accepted that ischaemia times should be kept under four hours wherever possible. All transplant teams are aware that longer ischaemic times can increase the risk to transplantation. For adult deceased heartbeating donor hearts offered for transplant 1 April 2004-31 March 2007, 70 per cent. of ischaemia times were four hours or less.
Hillingdon Hospital: Cleaning Services
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often Hillingdon Hospital is expected to receive a deep clean; and when the first such clean will take place. [169692]
Ann Keen: 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. Trusts are aiming to complete all deep cleans by the end of March 2008. SHAs will be expected to report on implementation across their regions to the Department.
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