| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Mar 2008 : Column 2380W—continued
Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008, Official Report, columns 668-69W, on drug resistant tuberculosis, whether his Department has powers to detain an individual diagnosed with drug resistant tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement. [189625]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not have powers to detain an individual diagnosed with drug resistant tuberculosis.
The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 contains provisions relating to notifiable diseases (which includes tuberculosis) that enable a local authority to apply to a justice of the peace for an order to remove an infected individual to hospital (section 37) and to detain an infected individual in hospital (section 38), where that individual could pose a serious risk of infection to others. Such orders may direct that the period of detention should last for a specific length of time, and a justice of the peace may renew an order where necessary.
In practice, these powers are rarely used, and usually as a last resort when other efforts to encourage an individual with tuberculosis to comply with drug therapy have failed. The Health Protection Agency estimate that there are approximately 10 to 20 orders made under the 1984 Act provisions each year.
Emergency Services: Manpower
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency care practitioners worked in the NHS in each year since 2005. [189230]
Ann Keen: The role of emergency care practitioner came into being in 2005 and was included in the annual national health service census for the first time in 2006. In 2006 438 (431 full time equivalent) emergency care practitioners were recorded.
Food: Advertising
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum is scheduled to (a) next meet and (b) publish codes on the promotion of unhealthy foods to children across non-broadcast media. [189988]
Dawn Primarolo: A date for the next Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum meeting has yet to be set. The advertising industry’s Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) is responsible for the self-regulatory British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotions and Direct Marketing, which contains rules of the content of advertising in non-broadcast media. In July 2007, CAP updated this Code to tighten the rules governing the advertising of food and drink to children in line with new restrictions on broadcast advertising. The Department is working with key external stakeholders to address concerns about other forms of marketing including in store promotions and food packaging.
Food: Labelling
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials have had with representatives of the food industry on the relationship between provision of information on (i) salt, (ii) sugar and (iii) fat content of foods and individuals’ ability to manage diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity and other chronic medical conditions; what recent representations he has received about this issue; what discussions on the matter he has had with colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if he will make a statement. [186401]
Dawn Primarolo: Officials in the Department of Health have regular discussions with the food industry and other Government Departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, about the provision of information to consumers that enables them to make healthier food choices. People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and stroke should seek advice from their general practitioner or other health care professional about their particular dietary needs.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials are in regular dialogue with food industry representatives on this issue as part of discussions on the development and review of front of pack nutrition signpost labelling. The Department is encouraging the industry to provide traffic light colour coded front of pack labels for these nutrients, in line with the FSA’s
recommendations, which were developed to provide individuals with at-a-glance information to help them make healthier choices in line with their particular dietary needs. This is just one of a range of Government initiatives designed to improve diets, and in doing so, contribute to reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease and some cancers.
Food: Salt
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with Consensus Action on Salt and Health on salt intake in diet and health. [190217]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department is aware of the work of the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) and I spoke at an event organised by CASH during their annual National Salt Awareness Week in January this year. Officials have met CASH to discuss the review of the voluntary salt reduction targets, which is currently under way. CASH have also been present at 19 recent stakeholder meetings held by the Food Standards Agency to inform the Review.
Health and Social Services: Discrimination
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many complaints of age discrimination in healthcare were received by his Department in each of the last 12 months; [187679]
(2) how many complaints of age discrimination in social care were received by his Department in each of the last 12 months; [187684]
(3) what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in mental health services; [187685]
(4) what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in social care services; [187686]
(5) what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in health services; [187687]
(6) what steps his Department has taken in the last 12 months to prevent age discrimination in the provision of healthcare. [187690]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Action to address age discrimination in the provisions of health services and social care was a central aspect of the ‘National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People’, published in 2001. Since then there has been steady progress in eliminating age discrimination including an increase in the proportion of older people receiving intensive help to maintain a high quality of life independently at home rather than in residential care. In addition, specialist services for age related needs such as stroke and falls continue to improve and increasing numbers of older people are taking advantage of health promotion opportunities, for example stopping smoking.
Local national health service organisations and social services departments are responsible for the management and investigation of complaints,
including those of age discrimination; as such, this information is not collected centrally by the Department.
We are committed to the principle of mental health services that meet people’s needs regardless of their age. As new policy is developed it is assessed for its potential impact of different age groups, and existing policy and practice is kept under review.
Health Services: Children
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to improve health care services for children. [190034]
Ann Keen: We have initiated a full programme of work across local authorities and primary care trusts to improve services for children with disabilities following the publication of “Aiming High for disabled children”, a copy of which is available in the Library. We have also set up a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service for children with mental health needs as part of the wider child health and wellbeing public service agreement target.
Health Services: Greater London
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s guidance on Supportive Palliative Care has been fully implemented in Leyton and Wanstead. [190617]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including Redbridge and Waltham Forest PCTs, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The NHS has been required to set out action plans to achieve compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on supportive and palliative care. Implementation is being monitored by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
Information on the rate of progress locally can be obtained through the London SHA.
Health Trainers
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health trainers there are in (a) each primary care trust and (b) the NHS. [179130]
Dawn Primarolo: In September 2007 there were 1,282 qualified health trainers (individuals not whole time equivalents) employed, funded, or supported by the national health service in primary care trust (PCT) areas. The following table shows the distribution between PCTs.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |