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19 Jan 2009 : Column 1190W—continued
General Practitioners: Pharmacy
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he decided not to implement proposals for changes to arrangements for GP dispensing. [248225]
Phil Hope: As I announced on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 952, the decision that there would be no change to the current arrangements for dispensing by general practitioners followed the consultation on the Pharmacy White Paper “Building on Strengths Delivering the Future - proposals for legislative change”—which closed on 20 November 2008.
An option contained in the consultation paper was to make no changes to current arrangements. Ultimately, in reaching that decision, we took account of the strength of the responses we received on the various options for amending the criteria for dispensing by doctors, the views of those attending the listening events, and views expressed at meetings with departmental officials.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to (a) increase the role that pharmacists play in patient safety and (b) improve communications between primary care trusts and local pharmacy committees. [248227]
Phil Hope: In the White Paper “Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths - delivering the future”, the Government stated that they consider that chief pharmacists of provider organisations, primary care trusts (PCTs) and other commissioners should have the lead role in ensuring that safe medication practices are embedded in patient care. To support this, and at the request of the Department, the National Patient Safety Agency hosted an event for senior pharmacists. This took place in London on 15 October 2008. The primary outcomes from the event were agreement by senior pharmacists to take on this role and the establishment of a virtual medicines safety forum where best practice can be shared. The White Paper also announced the appointment of two National Clinical Directors in pharmacy. Now in post, the National Clinical Directors will champion safe use of medicines as part of supporting the implementation of the pharmacy White Paper.
Communications between PCTs and local pharmacy committees are typically part of the role of PCT pharmaceutical advisers and chief pharmacists. The pharmacy National Clinical Directors will take opportunities to help improve communications between PCTs and local pharmacy committees where this is necessary. NHS Employers has been commissioned by the Department to convene and lead a working group of pharmacy, medical and public representatives to formulate a series of actions to promote more effective professional relationships. This work is ongoing.
General Practitioners: Telephone Services
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries use 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; and if he will make a statement. [247307]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. However the Department remains clear that it does not expect patients to pay more than the equivalent cost of a local rate call when contacting their general practitioner.
We recently launched a public consultation on the intention to prohibit the use of 084 numbers in the national health service. This will run from 16 December 2008 until 31 March 2009.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of 0844 numbers by GPs’ surgeries; and if he will make a statement. [248435]
Mr. Bradshaw: An information gathering exercise was completed in 2008 on the use of 084 telephone numbers in general practice. The information gathered was the subject of lengthy and detailed analysis before being shared with Ministers.
The Department subsequently launched a public consultation on the intention to prohibit the use of 084 numbers in the national health service. This will run from 16 December 2008 until 31 March 2009.
Health Centres: Christchurch
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made since 21 July 2008 in the disposal of his interest in the former NHS health centre in Saxon Square, Christchurch. [248853]
Mr. Bradshaw: Negotiations are currently in hand with the landlord for a surrender of the lease at the earliest opportunity.
Health Professions: Career Structure
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of proposals for modernising scientific careers proposals on (a) the funding of BSc level qualifications and (b) the number of students opting for a BSc level qualification in healthcare science. [247029]
Ann Keen: We do not believe that the modernising scientific careers proposals will have any effect on the funding of BSc level qualifications which are funded by the United Kingdom Higher Education Funding Councils through their block grant to higher education institutions.
Data are not available to estimate the number of students registered on degree programmes as there is no single degree in healthcare science.
Health Services: Children
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to announce separate indicative funding allocations for disabled children's services and children's palliative care services in the Child Health Strategy. [249162]
Phil Hope: New growth funding is being included in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations up to 2010-11 to enable PCTs to work with local authorities to increase the range of services for children with complex needs. Our approach will be set out as part the Child Health Strategy which will be published soon.
On 19 December 2007, former Health Minister Ivan Lewis wrote a joint letter with Andrew Adonis, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, to every PCT and local authority in the country that sets out the clear framework of aims and accountability now in place to improve the capacity, range and quality of services for children with disabilities and complex health needs.
Health Services: Surveys
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's review of customer experience information in health and social care. [246799]
Phil Hope: The report relating to the Department's review of customer experience information in health and social care will be published, and we plan to do so in spring 2009.
Heart Diseases: Health Services
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the national service framework on levels of coronary heart disease; and if he will make a statement. [247184]
Ann Keen: The latest available data on the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is taken from the ‘Health Survey for England 2006’. The prevalence rate for men in that year had dropped to just over 6 per cent. compared with over 7 per cent. in both 1998 and 2003. Comparable figures for women were just under 3 per cent. in 2006 compared with over 4 per cent. in both 1998 and 2003. The overall trend for both men and women is downwards. A copy of this has been placed in the Library.
Information about the mortality rate from CHD from 1997 to 2007 is shown in the following table:
| Persons England | |
| Notes: 1. Data are based on the original underlying cause of death. 2. Data are based on the latest revisions of Office for National Statistics population estimates for the respective years, current as at 29 September 2008. 3. Indicator: Mortality from coronary heart disease (ICD9 410-414 adjusted, ICD10 120-125): Age Group: All ages Period: 1997-2007 (Annual trends) Scale: Mortality rate per 100,000 European Standard population Sources: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care. Â(c) Crown Copyright. Compendium of Clinical and Health Indicators/Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base (www.nchod.nhs.uk) National Statistics (Extracts may only be reproduced by permission) | |
The rate has dropped steadily over the past 10 years—this is partly as a result of changes in lifestyle factors (such as reductions in the numbers who smoke) and partly as a result of improvement in treatment and services for heart disease, led since 2000 by the programme set out in the National Service Framework (NSF) for CHD.
While it is not possible to make a precise attribution between these two factors, research studies indicate that around approximately half of the reduction in mortality results from changes in lifestyle factors and around half to improvements in treatment and services.
A key target of the NSF is to contribute to the reduction of premature mortality from CHD and other cardiovascular diseases by at least 40 per cent. by 2010. This target was met five years early. The mortality rates fell 40.3 per cent. between 2004-06 over the 1995-97 baseline. This equates to the saving of 31,000 lives when comparing 2006 with 1996.
Hospital Beds
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) cancer networks and (b) primary care trusts have completed local reviews of in-patient bed usage. [247102]
Ann Keen: The electronic Cancer Commissioning Toolkit enables cancer networks and primary care trusts (PCTs) to review current bed utilisation for cancer patients, as set out in the Cancer Reform Strategy. Information on how many networks or PCTs are carrying out such reviews is not collected centrally.
Hospitals
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the location and address of each cleft palate and cleft lip unit is, broken down by health authority. [248001]
Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
Hospitals: Disinfectants
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will discourage NHS trusts from procuring quaternary ammonium-based products for use as disinfectants in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [247541]
Ann Keen: The Department will continue to stress the need to use appropriate disinfectant materials. Choice of disinfectants is a local matter.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what criteria his Department uses to decide whether a product is sporicidal; whether his Department has assessed (a) peracetic acid-based formulas and (b) quaternary ammonium-based formulas to be sporicidal; and if he will make a statement; [247553]
(2) whether disinfectant wipes using peracetic acid-based formulas have been proven to be effective against Clostridium difficile; if his Department will encourage NHS trusts to use such wipes as disinfectants in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [247554]
Ann Keen: Data demonstrating a pass for the British Standard BS EN 13704:2002 test “Quantitative suspension test for the evaluation of sporicidal activity of chemical disinfectants used in food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas” are generally used to establish whether a chemical disinfectant has or does not have sporicidal activity.
The Department has not made any specific assessments regarding the effectiveness of disinfectant wipes using peracetic acid-based formulas or quaternary ammonium-based formulas against spores.
The Department is currently commissioning research into the effectiveness of a number of commercial formulations that claim to be sporicidal which may include chlorine, peracetic acid-based and quaternary ammonium-based formulae.
Existing guidance recommends chlorine based disinfectants that have proven sporicidal activity. The choice of disinfectant products is a local matter. The Department will continue to stress the need to use appropriate disinfectant materials.
Influenza: Vaccination
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to publicise availability of influenza vaccination in (a) England, (b) the north-east and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. [249577]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 682W. The publicity for the seasonal flu campaign carried out by the Department is national, rather than regional.
Injuries: Children
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions resulting from (a) unintentional and (b) deliberate injuries to children there were in 2007; and if he will make a statement. [247007]
Ann Keen: The data for 2006-07 are shown in the following table.
| Cause | Finished admission episodes (age 0-15 inclusive) |
| Source: Hospital Episode Statistics for 2006-07 | |
Learning Disability
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people have been recorded as having a (a) profound and multiple, (b) complex and (c) severe learning disability in each of the last five years; and how many people had a learning disability at the latest date for which figures are available; [245985]
(2) how much the provision of social care packages for those with (a) profound and multiple, (b) complex and (c) severe learning disabilities cost his Department in each of the last five years; [245986]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of people with a learning disability there will be in 2008; and if he will make a statement; [245997]
(4) how many people with a learning disability recorded as living with parents over the ages of (a) 60, (b) 70 and (c) 80 years there were in each of the last 10 years; [245999]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with a learning disability who will be living with parents aged over (a) 60, (b) 70 and (c) 80 years in 2028. [246000]
Phil Hope: The Department does not routinely collect data for:
the number of people who have been recorded as having profound and multiple, complex and severe learning disabilities;
the number of people and cost of provision of social care packages for those with profound and multiple, complex and severe learning disabilities;
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