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10 Mar 2008 : Column 79W—continued
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged (a) under 14, (b) 14 to 16 and (c) 16 to 18 years were treated as out-patients in accident and emergency wards in Lancashire as a result of binge drinking in each of the last three years. [193166]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged (a) under 14, (b) 14 to 16 and (c) 16 to 18 years were admitted to hospitals in Lancashire as a result of binge drinking in each of the last three years. [193167]
Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.
Antibiotics: Health Education
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department is spending on (a) fees for the design of marketing materials, (b) other fees to consultants, (c) printing costs, (d) distribution costs,
(e) staff costs and (f) any other costs for the campaign on the unnecessary use of antibiotics to be launched in February 2008. [179126]
Ann Keen: Final costs are not yet available, however the following costs were estimated on 14 January 2008 and are subject to change:
| Estimated costs (£) | |
|
Net media costs of campaign including the cost of research and costs of staff at the central office of information |
Basildon and Thurrock Hospital: Medical Treatments
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of stroke victims from within Thurrock admitted to Basildon and Thurrock Hospital received a brain scan within 24 hours of admission to hospital in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [190633]
Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the chief executive of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who might be able to provide this information.
The new “National Stroke Strategy”, announced in December 2007, will modernise services and deliver the newest treatments for stroke across England. The strategy emphasises the need to improve access to scans and stipulates that brain imaging should be performed in the next scan slot, or within 60 minutes of request out of hours. We are asking all local stroke networks to ensure that any patient who could benefit from urgent care is transferred to an acute stroke centre that provides 24-hour access to scans and other specialist stroke care.
We have fully costed the proposals in the strategy, and this will be reflected in the allocation that goes to primary care trusts for next year. In addition, we have committed new central funds totalling £105 million over the next three years. Some of that new funding will be used to develop demonstration sites for acute services that will enable us not only to show a step change in service provision in those areas, but also to provide lessons that can be shared. The £105 million is central funding—on top of money going into the national health service to support this change.
Cancer
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 990W, on cancer, what the host NHS organisation is for each cancer network. [184466]
Ann Keen: The following table lists each cancer network and its host national health service organisation:
| Cancer network | Host NHS organisation |
Cancer: Waiting Lists
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was between referral and treatment for NHS cancer patients in (a) Torbay constituency, (b) Devon and (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [192262]
Ann Keen: Statistics on average waiting times between urgent referral and treatment for cancer are not collected centrally. The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 62 days from urgent referral for suspected cancer to first cancer treatment was introduced for all patients from December 2005. Statistics showing overall performance are published on a quarterly basis on the Department’s website at:
Performance against this standard for the last period for which figures are available (October, November and December 2007) show the following performance levels for health care organisations in Devon.
| Organisation | Performance ( Percentage ) |
For the same period the England performance was 97.1 per cent.
Care Homes: Elderly
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the extent of (a) changes to the provision of local authority social care for the elderly and (b) changes in eligibility criteria for such care in the last 24 months; [191644]
(2) what the full terms of reference are of the Commission for Social Care Inspection’s review of the eligibility tests for social care for the elderly. [191675]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has made no estimate of the extent of changes to the provision of local authority social care for older people or the changes in eligibility criteria for such care in the last 24 months. This is why we have asked the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to carry out a review of eligibility criteria and report back to the Government later this year. Until the review is completed, we will be unable to estimate the extent of changes to the provision of local authority social care.
The terms of reference for the CSCI review of eligibility tests for social care for older people are:
In the context of the government’s vision for adult social care, “Putting People First”, to undertake a review of the criteria for fair access to care services, their application by councils with social services responsibilities and their impact on people;
To make recommendations to me on the findings from the review; and
To engage the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Local Government Association and other relevant stakeholders in the process of the review.
Departmental Equality
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty. [190677]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department of Health published a Single Equality Scheme on 4 December 2006. This scheme set out how the Department intended to meet its general equality duties under the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. In addition, it outlined the action it would take towards equality in relation to age, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
In June 2007, the Department published a revised Single Equality Scheme. The Department is currently
working towards a further revised scheme. This scheme will include a report on progress so far against the existing scheme, and a plan for further action.
Genetics: Insurance
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the concordat and moratorium of genetics and insurance. [190500]
Dawn Primarolo: The concordat and moratorium on genetics and insurance was announced in a written ministerial statement given by the former Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (John Reid), on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 5WS. It is a high level agreement between the Government and the Association of British Insurers on the use of predictive genetic test results for insurance purposes.
The moratorium on insurers' use of predictive genetic test dating from 1 November 2001 was extended by five years until 1 November 2011.
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