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3 Feb 2009 : Column 1105W—continued
Health Services: Foreigners
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the sale of donated organs to non-UK citizens who have transplant operations in NHS hospitals. [252554]
Dawn Primarolo: Section 32 of the Human Tissue Act 2004 makes it illegal to deal commercially in human material for transplantation.
Heart Diseases
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to replace the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; and if he will make a statement. [252577]
Ann Keen: Although the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (CHD NSF), launched in March 2000, was a 10-year plan of action, heart services must continue to develop after March 2010. The Department is currently considering how it might best support the national health service to build on the considerable success of the CHD NSF.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the targets set under the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease have not yet been met. [252586]
Ann Keen:
The National Service Framework (NSF) for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, does not contain
any specific targets but it does recommend 12 Standards of care for CHD. The national health service (NHS) has made good progress in all areas but further improvements are needed in the management of heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation. NHS Improvement is taking forward national priority projects in these areas to support the NHS.
The publication of the NSF CHD led to this public service agreement target—to improve the health of the population by substantially reducing the mortality rates by 2010, (from the Our Healthier Nation baseline 1995-97) from heart disease and stroke related diseases by at least 40 per cent. in people under 75.
This target was met five years ahead of schedule. Death rates from cardiovascular disease for people under age 75 are down by 44 per cent. from 1995-97 baseline, saving nearly 33,000 lives in 2007, compared to 1996.
Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 402-3W, on heart diseases: medical treatments, at which hospitals the treatment is available. [253489]
Ann Keen [holding answer 2 February 2009]: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
We are aware of hospitals in England that have provided this treatment but we do not hold a definitive list. Hospitals include King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, London Chest Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds General Infirmary (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust), University Hospitals of Leicester, South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust).
Hospital Beds
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available for (a) men and (b) women in (i) maximum security health services and (ii) medium secure mental health facilities; what proportion are occupied; and what the average occupancy in each category was in each of the last three years. [252573]
Phil Hope: Data on bed availability in medium secure units are not collected centrally.
The number of beds currently available in high secure services for men and women are shown in the following table:
| Beds currently available | |
| Number | |
Data are not held centrally on average occupancy of beds rates in each category for each of the last three years. Data available are contained in the following tables:
| Current occupancy rates at 30 September 2008 | |
| Percentage | |
| Note: This excludes patients on trial leave i.e. patients who are staying in medium security as part of their progression plan. | |
| Beds | Occupancy rates (percentage | |
Measles
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of confirmed cases of measles in children aged under 18 years in (a) London and (b) England since 1997. [252938]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department consider that the rise in the number of confirmed cases of measles in children under 18 years of age in both London and the rest of England is a result of a decade of relatively low measles, mumps and rubella vaccination uptake. The potential exposure of a large number of unprotected children to the measles virus means that there is a real risk of a large measles epidemic.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to reduce differences between the regions in the number of confirmed cases of measles recorded each year; [252939]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cases of measles in those under 18. [252940]
Dawn Primarolo: The way to reduce the number of confirmed cases of measles recorded each year is to increase the number of children vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Childhood immunisation is a ‘tier 2 Vital Sign' which means it is a NHS priority. As such, primary care trusts (PCTs) must set targets to improve vaccination uptake and agree these with their strategic health authorities (SHAs). The SHAs, with the help of the Department, monitor the PCTs against these targets.
In addition to the routine MMR vaccination programme, on 6 August the Department launched a MMR vaccine catchup campaign. The aim of the campaign is to immunise all children between one and 18 years of age who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated with MMR vaccine. The Department has secured additional MMR vaccine that is supplied free of charge to all PCTs. Over £5 million has been transferred to PCTs to help support this programme.
Recently the Department sent all general practitioners (GPs) surgeries new measles leaflets and posters and updated its immunisation website to launch the MMR campaign with a new measles landing page including press lines and questions and answers for PCTs to use.
PCTs have also received multiple alerts through various Departmental communications including the PCT Chief Executives bulletin ‘the week', ‘GP bulletin', ‘Vaccine Update' newsletter and the Chief Medical Officer's Winter Update newsletter.
A public relations campaign is planned to start in late February to support the MMR vaccination.
We also underlined our commitment to immunisation by stating that immunisation is a ‘right’ in the NHS constitution.
Medical Treatments Abroad
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of how many overseas organisations with contracts to provide services to NHS patients his Department has been informed that they have been indicted for defrauding taxpayers, patients or clinicians in their own country. [253795]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not aware of any overseas organisations that have contracts to provide services to national health service patients which have been indicted for defrauding taxpayers, patients or clinicians in their own country. This is because the Department does not centrally collect details of arrangements entered into by local NHS organisations with overseas organisations.
In terms of central procurements, while the Department’s commercial directorate has contracted with the United Kingdom subsidiaries of a number of overseas health care organisations, it is not aware of any instances where these UK suppliers have been indicted for fraud.
In purchasing goods and services for the NHS, the Department is subject to all European Union (EU) public procurement regulations. The regulations require that as part of due diligence, all participating organisations must complete a pre-qualification questionnaire to ensure that they are suitable to play a role in the NHS. Under the EU procurement guidelines, public bodies are required to exclude a company that has been convicted of a criminal offence or grave professional misconduct in relation to the conduct of their business. The various offences leading to mandatory exclusion are listed in regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006. The mandatory exclusion does not relate to parent companies.
MMR Vaccine
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information campaigns have been undertaken by his Department to encourage uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in each of the last five years; what expenditure his Department has incurred on such campaigns in each year; and what targets he has set for the uptake of the vaccine in the next 12 months. [252949]
Dawn Primarolo: As with all vaccines, clear factual information on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is available from our information resources, such as leaflets, factsheets and the immunisation website, and through health professions working in primary care.
In 2004 the Department collaborated with NHS London on their ‘MMR capital catch-up' campaign. In August
2008 the Department issued guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) on what actions should be taken to improve MMR uptake in their area. This initiative was supported by an information leaflet and surgery poster and on-line with a question and answer, ‘Big facts' sheet and a measles infection timeline. The Department's cost for the provision of information materials was £10,000 and £8,000 respectively.
Childhood immunisation is a ‘tier 2 Vital Sign' which means it is an NHS priority. As such, PCTs must set targets to improve vaccination uptake and agree these with their strategic health authorities (SHAs). The SHAs, with the help of the Department, monitor the PCTs against these targets.
NHS Direct
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average (a) cost and (b) duration of a call to NHS Direct was in the most recent period for which figures are available. [253721]
Mr. Bradshaw: The average cost of a call to NHS Direct’s 0845 46 47 line was £25.53 for 2007-08. This does not include other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners, e.g. calls to the appointments line (formerly the choose and book appointments line) and locally commissioned services.
The average duration of a call to NHS Direct is 528 seconds (8 minutes 48 seconds) for the calendar year January-December 2008. This includes all calls to the 0845 46 47 line and other calls to services provided to national and local commissioners, including calls to the appointments line and locally commissioned services. The time quoted is the duration of time that a frontline staff member speaks to a patient for each call and this includes:
calls warm transferred directly from a health adviser to a nurse;
calls placed on a queue for a nurse or health information advisor (although time spent on the queue is not included);
calls answered and completed by a nurse; and
calls fully handled by a health adviser.
R. Channing Wheeler
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Mr. R. Channing Wheeler (a) commenced and (b) finished working in his Department. [253793]
Mr. Bradshaw: Mr. Chan Wheeler joined the Department on 18 June 2007 and left its employ on 15 July 2008.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid to Mr. R. Channing Wheeler in remuneration and expenses for his work in his Department. [253794]
Mr. Bradshaw: The remuneration package for Mr. Chan Wheeler for the financial year 2007-08 is recorded in the Department’s Remuneration Report, part of the resource accounts 2007-08 which was laid before Parliament (HC 1042) and is available in the Library.
The remuneration for Mr. Wheeler for his period of employment with the Department which falls in the financial year 2008-09 will be recorded similarly in the resource accounts 2008-09 which will be laid before Parliament later this year.
Watford Hospital
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the proposed private finance initiative redevelopment of Watford General Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [253905]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. However, further details can be obtained from the East of England Strategic Health Authority.
Since May 1997, 132 hospital schemes worth over £17.3 billion have been approved to proceed—121 via the private finance initiative and 11 through public capital. 49 of those hospitals are already built and operational with a further 19 which have reached financial close and are now under construction.
The target of 100 new hospital schemes by 2010 as detailed in the NHS Plan is on course to be achieved.
Wheelchairs: Waiting Lists
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average wheelchair users wait to obtain a chair with different specifications in (a) West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust, (b) Hemel Hempstead and (c) Hertfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [252935]
Phil Hope: Information about waiting times for wheelchair users is not held centrally. The collation of wheelchair information that may assist commissioning decisions is for local determination.
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