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5 Dec 2007 : Column 1314W—continued
Hospitals: Infectious Diseases
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of pseudomonas infection were acquired in hospitals in each health trust in England in each year from 2002 to 2006; and if he will make a statement. [168201]
Ann Keen: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) receives reports from microbiology laboratories of cases of blood stream infections caused by pseudomonas in its voluntary reporting scheme. These bacteria can cause a range of infections from mild skin infections to urinary tract infections. They can also cause a variety of bloodstream infections, particularly in patients with serious burns and those who are severely immunosuppressed such as cancer and AIDS patients. Most infection cases are reported from intensive care, burns, spinal injuries or cancer units.
Information about whether the infection was acquired in hospital is not collected routinely.
Information is not available by acute national health service trust.
| Total patient episodes( 1) of Pseudomonas spp.( 2) blood stream infections (bacteraemia) in England | |
| Total patient episode | |
| (1) A patient episode comprises all isolates testing positive to the organism within two weeks of original isolate date. (2) spp refers to a range of pseudomonas micro-organisms. Source: HPA—LabBase 2 (provisional data 21 November 2007) | |
The increased rate of reporting of cases of pseudomonas is comparable to the increase seen for all blood poisoning via the HPA's voluntary surveillance scheme. The increase is partly due to better reporting, surveillance and testing and may also reflect a changing hospital population, with more patients who are vulnerable to infection through conditions which compromise their immune systems being treated.
Macular Degeneration: Research
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government has allocated to research into macular disease since 1997. [170094]
Dawn Primarolo: Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual NHS supported research projects including a large number concerned with macular degeneration are available on the national research register at:
The Department’s expenditure on relevant national research programme projects during this time has been:
| £000 | |
Implementation of the Department’s research strategy Best Research for Best Health has led to an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for health research. In particular, the Moorfields Eye Hospital/University College London Institute of
Ophthalmology Biomedical Research Centre, formed this year, is undertaking a research theme on age-related macular degeneration with a total budget of £2.6 million over the five years 2007-12.
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.
Since 1997, MRC expenditure on research directly relevant to macular degeneration has been:
| £000 | |
The MRC’s total vision research portfolio amounts to around £6 million a year and in addition to the funding shown above is supporting a major programme on human retinal degenerations at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Cleaning Services
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which (a) items and (b) buildings will be deep cleaned at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals Trust; [162763]
(2) what the expected (a) start and (b) end date of the deep clean at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals Trusts are; and what other interim deadlines there are for the deep clean programme there; [162764]
(3) from which heading of the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority budget the money for the deep clean at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals Trust will be taken. [162765]
Ann Keen: 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.
Deep cleaning is already in progress within Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The programme began on 1 November 2007 and is scheduled to be completed by 31 March 2008.
The funding for deep cleaning at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is coming from primary care trust lodgements held at the South East Coast SHA for strategic purposes.
The items which are being deep cleaned at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust are as follows:
floors;
skirtings;
walls;
tiled walls;
sills, ledges;
doors;
shelving;
sanitary-ware;
glassware;
stainless steel;
cupboards;
grilles/vents;
light switches and fittings;
wall protectors;
nurses stations;
trolleys;
soft furnishings, curtains;
patient equipment—drip stands, commodes, wheelchairs, trolleys, hoists, beds, bedside cabinets and any other associated medical equipment.
The buildings that are being deep cleaned at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust are as follows:
Maidstone Hospital;
Kent and Sussex Hospitals;
Pembury Hospital.
Maidstone and West Kent NHS Trust: Clostridium
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will change the structure of the Maidstone and West Kent NHS Trust to take account of issues arising following the two clostridium difficile outbreaks there. [168633]
Ann Keen [holding answer 27 November 2007]: The Health Care Commission (HCC) made no recommendations for structural changes to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust following their investigation into the outbreaks of clostridium difficile. The HCC recommended a review of the leadership of the trust which is currently being undertaken urgently.
Maidstone Hospital: Clostridium
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the strategic health authority (SHA) was first informed of the (a) first and (b) second outbreak of clostridium difficile at Maidstone hospital; and what steps were taken by the SHA. [168636]
Ann Keen [holding answer 27 November 2007]: The Health Care Commission (HCC) report states that the former Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority (SHA) was informed of the second outbreak on 12 April 2006.
South East Coast SHA has advised officials that its Director of Public Health then held an outbreak meeting on 13 April 2006 and the acting SHA Chief Executive was informed at this point.
During May 2006 outbreak continued to be managed by the trust and Kent health protection unit (HPU), keeping the SHA informed. The HCC report states that the SHA did not take any direct action to follow up the
outbreak as the HPU, where the specialist knowledge resided, agreed to keep the SHA fully informed.
At the end of June 2006 the HPU produced a report to the South East Coast SHA and in July 2006 the SHA asked the HCC to conduct an investigation.
Malnutrition
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007, Official Report, column 829W, on malnutrition, if he will break down the figures for 2005-06 by NHS trust. [168070]
Ann Keen [holding answer 28 November 2007]: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The tables show the total number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where the primary diagnoses are listed as per the tabled question; the total number of FCEs with the listed primary diagnosis and a secondary diagnosis, which mentions either malnutrition or nutritional anaemia and the proportion that this represents.
Due to there being several low numbers in the tables, low number suppression has been used. Furthermore, due to the use of low number suppression the table for depression contains no readable numbers for cases of the listed primary diagnosis with mentions of the malnutrition secondary diagnosis. This should not be taken as representative of the diagnosis as a whole.
A diagnosis of nutritional anaemia includes but is not limited to anaemias that are caused by an insufficient or poorly balanced diet. Furthermore, nutritional deficiencies without the mention of anaemia such as copper, molybdenum and zinc deficiency have not been included in our analysis.
Mental Health and Employment: Meeting The Challenge
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his written statement of 27 November 2007, Official Report, columns 29-30WS, on mental health and employment: meeting the challenge, if he will make a statement on his Department's work on expanding the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. [170316]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: On 10 October 2007, the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) announced additional investment to fund stepped improvements in access to psychological therapies over the next three years. The additional investment will be £173 million by 2010-11. In return for these resources, the national health service is committed to treating 900,000 more people for depression and anxiety disorders who would not otherwise have received a service. Over this period we will also train 3,600 new psychological therapists providing evidence-based treatment.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme will focus chiefly on supporting the NHS to deliver this policy in line with these commitments. It will also further develop the policy framework in order to improve access to psychological therapies for all sections of the population.
Methadone
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were receiving methadone in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS trust. [166378]
Dawn Primarolo: Data are collected on the basis of those in receipt of substitute prescribing but are not broken down to the level of the type of medication that is being prescribed. Therefore, we are unable to provide any data on the numbers being specifically prescribed methadone.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Yorkshire and Humberside
Mr. Graham Stuart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people contracted MRSA in
Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years, broken down by hospital; and if he will make a statement. [169009]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the requested format. The available information is from the mandatory surveillance scheme of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections in acute national health service trusts in England. Data are reported by the trust whose laboratory processes the specimen, but may not necessarily reflect where the infection was acquired
Data for acute NHS Trusts in the Yorkshire and Humber region are provided in the following table.
This information and any further information on Health Protection Agency data for NHS Acute Trusts is also available at:
| Number of reported MRSA bloodstream infections (bacteraemias) for NHS trusts in the Yorkshire and Humber Region (England) | |||||
| Number | |||||
| April to March each year | |||||
| Trust | 2002-03 | 2003 - 04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Source: Health Protection Agency | |||||
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