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18 Dec 2007 : Column 1396W—continued
Nurses: Manpower
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses are available to treat patients with long-term conditions; and what plans he has to increase the numbers of specialist nurses treating patients with long-term conditions. [173282]
Ann Keen: The national health service work force census does not separately identify specialist nurses available to treat patients with long-term conditions.
It is for local work force planners to determine their specialist nursing needs in order to meet the long term condition needs of their local population.
The Government recognise the important contribution made by specialist nurses and remain committed to both the continued development of such roles and to ensuring there are enough specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide the high quality services for patients.
Nutrition
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were (a) admitted to and (b) discharged from hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemias and (iii) other nutritional deficiencies in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07; and if he will provide a breakdown of these figures by hospital for 2006-07. [174970]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Obesity
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to increase public awareness of the body mass index as an indicator of health; and if he will make a statement. [174723]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has produced a number of publications that include descriptions of body mass index (BMI) in the context of maintaining a healthy weight, for example, the “Your Weight Your Health” leaflet. The Department’s website also defines BMI in the context of obesity in children and adults.
In addition, the Department commissioned the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce guidance on the “prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children”. Published in December 2006, this guidance includes information on BMI and more importantly advice to the public on achieving and maintaining a healthy BMI.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of parents who will access the online height-weight calculator being developed by his Department. [174749]
Dawn Primarolo: An interim version of the online height weight calculator has been available since July at www.direct.gov.uk/childweight We have been monitoring the use of the calculator since October 2007, and there have been over 4,500 hits. We are currently consulting with parents for their views on the calculator, and following this, will make changes to ensure a permanent tool is parent-friendly and useful. We will continue to monitor the use of the calculator.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish his Department's strategy for tackling obesity; which (a) Government Departments, (b) Government agencies, (c) other organisations and (d) other interested parties are involved in its development; and if he will make a statement. [174766]
Dawn Primarolo: The cross-Government strategy to tackle obesity will be published mid to late January 2008. The development of the strategy has been informed by discussions with several Government Departments, including: Children, Schools and Family, Culture, Media and Sport, Communities and Local Government, Transport, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Office. We have also consulted with the Food Standards Agency and scientific experts from the Foresight Project along with a number of non-governmental organisations. I will be meeting with ministerial colleagues to continue discussions as we move towards publication.
Organs: Donors
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organs of each type were (a) donated and (b) required to treat people in each year since organ donation began. [172899]
Ann Keen: The number of organs donated from deceased and living donors, and the numbers added to the waiting list in each year is shown as follows. Records before 1972 are very sparse and are only properly validated since 1985. As such, these figures can be described as ‘since records began’ but cannot be treated as absolute.
| Organs donated for transplant, United Kingdom, from deceased donors | |||||
| kidney | heart | lung | liver | pancreas | |
| (1) to date | |||||
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