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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1758W—continued
Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of trans catheter aortic valves. [255020]
Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for assessing the effectiveness of new procedures and providing guide valve implantation was published by NICE in June 2008. NICE found that the evidence for effectiveness was limited to small numbers of patients who were considered to be at high risk for conventional cardiac surgery. It showed good short-term efficacy for such patients but there was little evidence available on long-term outcomes.
The Department has worked with NICE and the relevant professional bodies to ensure that proper clinical audit of all patients receiving transcatheter aortic valve implantation is carried out so that outcomes can be assessed.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the NHS funded transcatheter aortic valve implants in each region in the last 12 months. [255608]
Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27th January, Official Report, column 403W, on heart disease: medical treatments, which primary care trusts have permitted the funding of transcatheter aortic valve implants. [255671]
Ann Keen:
The Department does not collect this information centrally. The Specialised Services Commissioning Groups, which are responsible for decisions on funding highly specialised services (subject to the funding priorities of their constituent primary care trusts), are in the process of agreeing a framework based on service criteria agreed by the relevant professional
societies which will lead to designation of certain centres for this procedure within each strategic health authority area. Designated centres would then receive funding. It is understood that Yorkshire and Humberside Specialised Commissioning Group has already reached an agreement ahead of finalising the commissioning framework.
Heathrow Airport: Respiratory Diseases
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years have been admitted to hospital with (a) acute asthma, (b) acute emphysema, (c) acute bronchitis and (d) other acute respiratory disorders within (i) one mile, (ii) three miles, (iii) five miles and (iv) 10 miles of Heathrow Airport in each year since 1997. [253850]
Ann Keen: The Department does not hold centrally information on hospital admissions in the format requested, and such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department is currently part-funding the Small Area Health Statistics Unit at Imperial College to study health effects in the vicinity of Heathrow airport associated with air pollution and noise using data on mortality, cancer incidence and hospital admissions. A report is due for publication in 2010.
Hepatitis
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of undiagnosed cases of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement; [255000]
(2) what plans he has to increase public awareness of the modes of transmission of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement. [255001]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department is continuing to run a hepatitis C awareness campaign for health care professionals and the public that uses a range of channels of communication such as press, radio and ambient advertising, leaflets and guidance, a campaign website, and a confidential and free telephone line to provides information about modes of transmission.
The campaign aims to encourage those at risk of infection to seek testing and to assist health care professionals in identifying patients who may be at risk so that they can be referred for specialist care.
In addition, the Department and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) launched a joint harm reduction campaign last year for injecting drug users and those working with them that includes information about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. The campaign supports implementation of the joint departmental and NTA action plan on reducing drug-related harm. A copy of the plan has been placed in the Library.
Hospitals: Admissions
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the five most common causes of admission to hospital for (a) children and (b) adults were in the latest period for which statistics are available. [252154]
Mr. Bradshaw: The five most common reasons for admission to hospital for (a) children and (b) adults, where children are defined as under 16 years of age and adults over 16 years of age, in the latest period for which data are available are shown in the following tables.
| 16 and under (children) | |
| Primary diagnosis( 1) | Number of finished admission episodes( 2) |
|
Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites | |
| Over 16 (adults) | |
| Primary diagnosis( 1) | Number of finished admission episodes( 2) |
| (1 )Primary diagnosis—The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was treated in hospital. (2 )Finished admission episodes—A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (3 )Z38 (Liveborn infants according to place of birth) is used as a diagnosis code for babies who are well and do not require any care. Every episode (including birth episodes) must contain a primary diagnosis so this code is used for ‘well babies’. To account for this, we have provided the top six most common conditions for 16 and under children. (4 )Prior to 2001 general dental practitioners (GDPs) were allowed to give general anaesthetics for dental procedures within their practices. Following their acceptance of the recommendations in the report “A Conscious Decision” Ministers agreed that by 31 December 2001 general anaesthesia for dental treatment should be administered in a hospital setting with critical care facilities. During 2001 regulations were put in place in respect of the administration of general anaesthesia for dental treatment under arrangements to provide general dental services and in the private sector. Thus anyone doing this in the primary care setting for the last year had to be inspected and registered by their local health authority. The large numbers of general anaesthetics undertaken by general dental practitioners (GDPs) and also the Community Dental Service had to be transferred to the hospital setting. Currently a large proportion of those general anaesthetics for treatment of dental caries are provided by the Salaried Dental Services, but out of acute hospital Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery departments under a services level agreement. They are usually out-patient in nature but because general anaesthetic has been given are counted as elective procedures. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Data year 2006-07. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. | |
Kidney Patients
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for reducing levels of late diagnosis of chronic renal failure. [253575]
Ann Keen: The quality requirements of National Service Framework for renal services aim to minimise the impact of chronic kidney disease in its early stages.
Since 2006 the Quality and Outcomes Framework has encouraged general practitioners to identify people in the earlier stages of chronic kidney disease. This can help to postpone or prevent the onset of end stage renal
failure, a serious condition which can lead to death if untreated. Treatment of end stage renal failure can include transplantation or dialysis (renal replacement therapy or RRT).
In addition, the vascular checks programme will put in place an integrated, systematic, population-wide vascular risk assessment and management programme for those between the ages of 40 and 74. This national programme will assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease and offer individually tailored prevention. Phased implementation will begin from April 2009-10. This programme has the potential to detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier, allowing individuals to be better managed and improving their quality of life.
Medicine: Internet
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle the online purchase of counterfeit medicines. [254540]
Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for tackling the availability of counterfeit medicines in the United Kingdom.
A strategy to combat counterfeit medicine was published by the MHRA in November 2007. This strategy includes steps to combat the availability of counterfeit medicines through the internet. A copy has been placed in the Library and it can also be found at:
Part of the strategy focuses on providing the public with sufficient information to make an informed choice on how to obtain their medicines safely. This includes raising awareness through national advertising campaigns with industry and patient groups, and media articles.
MHRA routinely monitor and investigate rogue websites offering medicines for sale on the internet. The agency can take enforcement action against wrong-doing based in the UK. MHRA work closely with the European Union and other international regulatory authorities to ensure that, wherever possible, offending websites based in those countries are amended to reflect the law and to request any appropriate enforcement action is taken by the authorities in those countries.
In addition the MHRA is active in monitoring the internet and co-ordinating international action, including enforcement activity focused against those sites either operating, or fulfilling orders from within the UK. MHRA have brought 14 successful prosecutions, for illegal activity over the internet, in the UK over the last five years, including the supply of counterfeit medicines.
Mental Health Services: Expenditure
Mr. Swire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) child and
adolescent mental health services and (b) adult mental health services in each of the last 10 years. [253998]
Phil Hope: Data on additional funding given to the national health service and local authorities between 1999-2000 and 2007-08 for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are in the following table. This funding is additional to expenditure from NHS and local authority baseline budgets. The annual CAMHS Mapping, which started in 2003-04, has reported the total expenditure by the NHS and local authorities on CAMHS as follows: 2003-04—£322 million; 2004-05—£431million; 2005-06—£461 million; 2006-07—£523 million.
| Department of Health CAMHS funding 1999-2000 to 2007-08 | |
| £ million | |
| Notes: 1. Allocations in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2007-08 included NHS capital funding. In 2007-08 this was specifically used to increase the number of in-patient beds for children and young people. Since 2006-07, CAMHS NHS revenue funding has been included in baseline allocations. 2. Data on adult mental health services spending over 10 years are not available. Information provided is for working age adults over the last seven years. | |
| Total expenditure on adult mental health services from 2001-02 to 2007-08 at 2007-08 pay and price levels | |
| Total investment (£ billion) | |
| Note: The data report on planned investment on working age adults only. Source: Mental Health Strategies | |
Mental Health Services: Nurses
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered mental health nurses there were in Devon in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [253943]
Phil Hope: The information is not held in the format requested.
The number of qualified mental health nurses in the South West strategic health authority area and the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, as at 30 September for each specified year, are given in the following table.
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