| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Feb 2009 : Column 2176W—continued
Doctors: Working Hours
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projections his Department has made of the number of doctors at each grade that will be needed to enable compliance with the European Working Time Directive in each of the next 10 years. [255600]
Ann Keen: Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce they need.
It is for local NHS organisations to analyse their local workforce needs and develop plans, in liaison with commissioners, providers and service users, to deliver high quality, safe services and take action to secure the appropriate staff and skills to deliver these services.
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners have (a) been treated and (b) successfully completed a course for drug addiction using subutex in each of the last five years. [253993]
Phil Hope: Specific information on the use of buprenorphine in prison and prisoners who have successfully completed a course for drug addiction using subutex in each of the last five years is not collected centrally.
Head Lice: Schools
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in the incidence of cases of nits in primary school children in the last five years. [256763]
Ann Keen: Information on the incidence of head louse infestation is not collected centrally. Our policy, which is shared by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, is to encourage a ‘whole school approach’. This entails encouraging parents to check their children and other family members for head lice as need arises and arranging treatment where necessary, with advice and support from the local primary health care team. We have no plans to reintroduce regular inspections in schools.
The Department has produced a leaflet containing guidance on the prevention and treatment of head lice. The leaflet is widely available from locations that include schools and general practitioner surgeries and on the Department’s website at:
A copy of the leaflet has been placed in the Library.
Health Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has (a) taken steps to meet the and (b) issued guidance to NHS trusts on meeting needs of adult patients who are in the (i) highest and (ii) lowest decile of body height; and if he will make a statement. [256604]
Phil Hope: The Department has not taken specific steps regarding patients who are in the highest or lowest decile of body height. On 30 June 2008, my noble Friend Lord Darzi, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, launched “High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review final report”, which makes clear that the NHS must meet the needs of all patients and to pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population. A copy of the report has already been placed in the Library.
Health Services: Learning Disability
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to prevent discrimination in the NHS against patients with learning difficulties. [254897]
Phil Hope: On 19 January 2009, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health published “Valuing People Now”—a new three-year cross-government strategy for people with learning disabilities. A copy has already been placed in the Library. It encompasses the Department’s response to the key recommendations of “Healthcare for All”—the report of the Independent Inquiry chaired by Sir Jonathan Michael (DH, 2008)—and affirms that access to high quality health care is a right, and is essential in enabling people to lead healthy, active and fulfilling lives that are free from discrimination.
We will be establishing a time-limited Confidential Inquiry (CI) to investigate premature deaths of people with learning disabilities. This will help improve the clinical evidence-base that should underpin commissioning of local services. We are developing a specification for the CI and we expect to invite proposals from potential organisations in the coming months.
We will also establish a public health observatory to provide essential information at national and local level. This responds to the call for improved data, so that the national health service can target action to support people to have better health. It will support primary care trusts in assessing the needs of people with learning disabilities in their local population, assessing how these needs are being met and to understand comparative health outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
The Government accept the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry. We are now taking action that will lead to people with learning disabilities getting the equal access to health care that they deserve. The NHS is already improving the health of people with learning disabilities, for example, through establishing health checks and improving training.
“Valuing People Now” is supported by existing legislation. The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) places a legal responsibility on all health and social care organisations not to discriminate against disabled people or provide them with a poorer quality of service.
Health Services: Sexual Offences
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the provision of health services to victims of sexual crime in the West Midlands. [255357]
Ann Keen: The Department is working with the Home Office to deliver the Response to Sexual Violence Programme. The aim is to set up more sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) in line with the Home Secretary's commitment to increasing provision to one per police force area. SARCs are intended to provide a holistic service for the victims of sexual assaults, including meeting the victim's clinical needs as well as a forensic examination, counselling and the opportunity to give evidence anonymously.
Within the West Midlands area, there is already a SARC in Walsall. A second facility has also been approved, which will be located in Birmingham.
Hospital Beds: Elderly
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of beds in hospital for elderly patients in North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [255832]
Phil Hope: No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the supply of beds in hospital for elderly patients in North Yorkshire. It is the responsibility of the national health service locally to ensure that there are appropriate resources to enable all patients to be cared for in an appropriate clinical environment.
The Department's “National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People” published in 2001 sets out a 10-year strategy to improve services for older people, in all settings including hospital. A copy of the framework has already been placed in the Library.
One of the key aims of the NSF is to ensure that older people are never unfairly discriminated against in accessing NHS or social care. The NHS makes it clear that NHS services should be provided, regardless of age, on the basis of clinical need alone.
In addition, the NHS constitution makes it clear that people will have the right not to be unlawfully discriminated against on the grounds of age once the Equality Bill comes into force.
Hospitals: Food
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to the NHS on protected meal times for patients. [256261]
Ann Keen: The Department has not issued any guidance to the NHS on protected meal times for patients.
The protected mealtimes initiative (PMI) was introduced by NHS Estates in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing in 2004, as part of the Better Hospital Food programme. When NHS Estates closed in September 2005, lead responsibility for the protected mealtimes initiative passed to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).
The NPSA has been working with key stakeholders in the development of a toolkit to assist NHS organisations in the implementation of the ‘10 Key Characteristics of Good Nutritional Care’. A factsheet relating to protected mealtimes was developed and launched in April 2008 and the NPSA will be launching the complete toolkit later this year.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid to the Chair of the Better Hospital Food Panel in each year since 2001. [256263]
Ann Keen: The chairman of the Better Hospital Food panel received no remuneration. There were no recruitment costs incurred in the appointment.
Hospitals: Hygiene
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were dismissed from NHS hospitals in 2008 for failing to follow hygiene procedures. [255967]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.
Learning Disability: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) the North East, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency have learning difficulties; and what special measures are in place to address this. [255043]
Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.
Local authorities hold information relating to people with learning disabilities in their area who are assessed for support or receiving services. General practitioner practices are also encouraged to register people with learning disabilities and provide them with annual health checks.
It is the responsibility of local authorities in partnership with primary care trusts to ensure support and services are in place to meet the assessed needs of people with learning disabilities.
Medical Records
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements are in place for ensuring that a patient's medical records are accurate; and who is responsible for ensuring such accuracy; [254218]
(2) what his policy is on the frequency with which audits of patient data collections should be undertaken; what his most recent assessment is of the (a) security and (b) accuracy of patient data; how much was spent on auditing data collections in the last year for which figures are available; and what plans he has to review (i) procedures for and (ii) expenditure on audit of data collections; [254281]
(3) which (a) organisations and (b) staff are responsible for auditing medical records in order to ensure that they are (i) secure and (ii) accurate. [254282]
Mr. Bradshaw: As independent statutory bodies, each national health service organisation is responsible for ensuring that the information recorded in a patient's medical record is accurate, up to date and secure. All individuals who work in the NHS are responsible for any records which they create or use in the performance of their duties. This is in line with data protection legislation and guidance provided by the Department and professional bodies. David Nicholson the NHS Chief Executive has also written to all NHS Chief Executives to remind them of their responsibility for assessing risk to information and ensuring it is secure.
It is the responsibility of the management of each organisation to establish and implement procedures which ensure the accuracy and security of records. These procedures may include both internal and external audits of records. It is down to each individual NHS organisation to decide upon the frequency of such audits. There are also independent bodies who have powers to inspect and audit NHS records, and it is a matter for these independent bodies to determine the frequency of these inspections to whom they apply.
The Department does not collect information on the costs involved in auditing all data collections that occur within the NHS.
Mental Health Services: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government has taken to improve the provision of mental health services in Coventry. [255355]
Phil Hope: The “National Service Framework for Mental Health” (NSF), published in September 1999, established a 10-year programme of reform, to improve provision of mental health services in England, including Coventry. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.
The NSF was followed in 2000 by the NHS Plan. This identified mental health as one of the clinical priorities of the national health service and set precise and challenging targets for mental health services nationally.
The Mental Health Act 2007 makes a range of important changes to existing legislation to modernise and improve it in line with developments in practice. For example, the ability to provide intensive support in the community
through the specialist community teams to strengthen patient safeguards and to remedy incompatibilities with the European Convention on Human Rights. The majority of its changes came into force on 3 November 2008.
Mental Health Services: Young People
Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to improve services for young people who require (a) mental health support, (b) bereavement counselling and (c) individual counselling in the North East; [255311]
(2) what the average waiting time for young people to obtain (a) mental health support services, (b) bereavement counselling and (c) individual counselling services was in the North East in the latest period for which information is available. [255312]
Phil Hope: Data on average waiting times for young people to obtain mental health support services, bereavement counselling and individual counselling services in the North East are not collected centrally.
Counselling is one of the modalities of psychological intervention approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for treating depression and anxiety disorders. Other NICE approved psychological therapies include guided self-help, computerised cognitive behavioural therapy, behavioural activation and exercise. The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme aims to help primary care trusts (PCTs) to implement NICE guidelines and improve access to psychological therapies in England for people with depression or anxiety disorders. This is supported by a significant national investment rising to £173 million by 2010-11. Its aim is to train 3,600 more therapists who will help to provide 900,000 more people with access to psychological therapies by 2010-11.
In addition, 11 pathfinder PCTs are now examining the needs of specific groups, including children and young people, new mothers, older people, black and minority ethnic groups, offenders, people with long-term conditions and those with medically unexplained symptoms, to see how access to a range of therapies for these groups could be further improved.
For more general information on the Government's plans to improve services for young people who require mental health support, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 683W, for details of the Government's response to the recently published independent Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Review.
Mesothelioma
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the findings of the (a) MS101 trial, (b) MALCS study, (c) MARS study and (d) VATS study for treatment of mesothelioma; and if he will make a statement. [255479]
Ann Keen: The results of all trials relating to mesothelioma will be discussed, when available, by the Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma Advisory Group, chaired by the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |