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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1780W—continued
Patient Choice Schemes
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of slots on the Choose and Book system were reported to be unavailable when requested by patients in the last 12 weeks for which figures are available. [254155]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on the percentage of slots unavailable for patients to book into.
The Department does collect the number of instances of slot unavailability as reported by The Choose and Book Appointments Line (TAL), expressed as a ratio of all successful direct bookings. This is presented for the last 12 weeks for which figures are available covering the period week ending 9 November 2008 to week ending 25 January 2009 in the following table.
Smoking: Young People
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to help teenagers give up smoking. [254609]
Dawn Primarolo: Reducing smoking among young people is a priority for the Government. Much has already been achieved in this area, including raising the age of sale of tobacco products, legislation to strengthen sanctions available against retailers who persistently sell tobacco to children and young people, and smoking is addressed in the National Curriculum and through the Healthy Schools Programme.
Protecting children and young people from smoking was one of four key aspects of the Department’s “Consultation on the future of tobacco control” published on 31 May 2008. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Responses to the consultation are informing the development of a new strategy on tobacco control, which will include action to continue to tackle the uptake of smoking by young people.
The Government this year are taking forward tobacco control legislation intended to protect and support young people in the Health Bill. The Health Bill includes a prohibition on the display of tobacco products, which will help to eliminate the marketing of tobacco products, to which young people are susceptible. The Bill will also provide powers to restrict or ban the sale of tobacco from vending machines, removing a major source of tobacco for young people.
Local stop smoking services are able to provide a range of support options to anyone wanting to quit smoking, including young people. Resources are also available that can be accessed by smokers direct on smoking cessation, these include the NHS “gosmokefree” website and from the general NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169).
Social Security Benefits: Compensation
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been recovered by the NHS under the provisions of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997 in each year since it entered into force. [252336]
Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Work and Pensions administers recoveries on behalf of the NHS. However those recoveries are not under the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, but the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999, and The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003.
Those recoveries are in the following table:
| NHS Recoveries | |
| £ million | |
| (1) This figure is up to and including December 2008 | |
Spinal Injuries: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the longest time was that a patient had to wait to receive treatment for spinal cord injury in the North East in the last five years. [254908]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the count of finished admission episodes by time waited with a primary diagnosis of spinal cord injury, for hospitals in the north-east of England from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
Thalassaemia
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department’s policy on the treatment of thalassaemia is. [253735]
Ann Keen: The Government support the availability of treatment services for thalassaemia that fit the model outlined in “High Quality Care for All”, that care should be fair, personalised, effective and safe.
Key to this is the development of clinical networks of specialist care and the concept that every patient should have access to optimal specialist management and care, as well as routine care provided conveniently close to home. Clinical networks for Haemoglobinopathy disorders (thalassaemia and sickle cell) have now been established and initial meetings of stakeholders have taken place.
We are also currently undertaking a peer review of service provision and commissioning arrangements for haemoglobinopathies. This will inform a programme of supportive action later in the year, in partnership with the national health service and stakeholders.
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the variation in funding of oral iron chelation drugs for the treatment of thalassaemia patients between primary care trusts. [253740]
Ann Keen: We have made no such assessment.
Thrombosis
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions the Healthcare Commission has had with the Care Quality Commission on including risk assessment for venous thromboembolism as a clinical audit indicator. [254810]
Mr. Bradshaw: Discussions between the Healthcare Commission and the Care Quality Commission are matters to be raised with them directly.
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as an indicator in the 2009-10 Care Quality Commission periodic review of NHS providers. [254811]
Mr. Bradshaw: We expect indicators to be included in periodic reviews of NHS providers to reflect the existing commitments and tier 1 and 2 vital signs that were set out in the 2009-10 operating framework.
John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as a topic for special review by the Care Quality Commission in 2009-10. [254812]
Mr. Bradshaw: In addition to its core statutory functions, the Care Quality Commission also has the power to carry out special reviews into specific or general issues to do with health or adult social care provision.
The Care Quality Commission is currently consulting on the list of topics it is considering for special reviews and studies for 2009-10. This consultation remains open until 12 March 2009 see
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