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21 Apr 2009 : Column 580W—continued


Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical devices that received Government funding for their development were used by the NHS within (a) 12 months and (b) 24 months of funding being approved in the last three years for which information is available. [268852]


21 Apr 2009 : Column 581W

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date his Department was first informed of the conclusions of the Healthcare Commission’s investigation into patient care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. [267702]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Healthcare Commission sent the Department a near final version of the report of its investigation into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust on 20 February 2009. This included the recommendations and the conclusions of the investigation. Less complete versions of the investigation report were shared earlier at official level in line with protocols intended to ensure that Healthcare Commission reports are checked for factual accuracy.

Miscarriage

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many miscarriages attributed to (a) violence against and (b) misuse of (i) alcohol and (ii) drugs by the mother were recorded in each of the last five years; and how many such mothers were aged (A) 18 years and under and (B) over 18 years. [269735]

Dawn Primarolo: This information not collected centrally. However, for alcohol related admissions, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 520W.

National Burn Care Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the National Burn Care Group's last meeting was before its meeting on 24 February 2009. [269310]

Ann Keen: The last meeting of the National Burn Care Group before its meeting on 24 February was on Tuesday 25 November 2008.

NHS: Death Rate

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 900W, on NHS: death rate, for what reasons 43 of the alerts in the first year were not followed up. [269060]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Care Quality Commission, which took over from the Healthcare Commission on 1 April 2009, has informed us that the reasons why 43 of the alerts that the Healthcare Commission considered where not followed up with the trusts concerned are set out in table 2 on page 18 of the Healthcare Commission’s report “Following up mortality ‘outliers’,” which is published at:


21 Apr 2009 : Column 582W

NHS: Drugs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many prescriptions for drugs falling within section 4.3 of the British National Formulary were made out in each of the last five years; [269660]

(2) how many prescription items for anti-depressant drugs there were in each of the last five years. [269708]

Ann Keen: We do not hold information on the number of prescriptions issued, only prescription items dispensed.

The following table shows the number of prescription items for anti-depressant drugs within section 4.3 of the British National Formulary, written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England.

Number of prescription items dispensed in the community, in England, 2003-07

Thousand

2003

27,658.0

2004

28,995.5

2005

29,389.9

2006

31,038.0

2007

33,839.6

Source:
Prescription cost analysis (PCA) system

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims relating to adverse reactions to prescription drugs were paid by the NHS Litigation Authority in each of the last five years; and what the total value of those payments was. [269733]

Ann Keen: The NHS Litigation Authority records this type of information within case notes within each individual claim. The answer could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Industrial Health and Safety

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) RIDDOR and (b) non-RIDDOR incidents were reported in each NHS organisation identified by organisation code in each of the last five years. [265545]

Jonathan Shaw: I have been asked to reply.

It is not possible for the Health and Safety Executive to provide a full reply to the question as non-reportable RIDDOR incidents are inherently not reported to HSE. Additionally HSE does not have the details of NHS organisations identified by organisation code.

However, workplaces coded to SIC 85.1 'Human health activities' excluding subclass 85.11/2, 'Private sector hospital activities' will be a reasonable approximation to the NHS as a whole. The following table shows the numbers of incidents of different types reported to HSE and local authorities from such workplaces under RIDDOR between 2003-04 and 2007-08(1). The data are not coded to individual organisations and cannot therefore be reliably presented at that level.


21 Apr 2009 : Column 583W

Reportable injuries Reportable diseases Reportable dangerous occurrences Reportable gas incidents

2003-04

12 898

121

318

1

2004-05

12 792

115

381

1

2005-06

13 236

95

404

2006-07

13 268

134

422

4

2007-08(1)

12 700

96

400

2

(1) Provisional.
Notes:
1 NHS organisations are identified by Group 85.1, 'Human health activities' (but exclude Subclass 85.11/2, 'Private sector hospital activities'. These are determined according to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). This system is used in UK official statistics for classifying businesses by the main type of economic activity they are engaged in, and is the responsibility of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest version is 'SIC 2003'.
2 The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, under which a requirement is placed on the appropriate 'responsible person' to notify the relevant enforcing authority of a reportable event arising from work activity. The 'responsible person' may be the employer of an injured person, a self-employed person, or someone who is control of premises were work is carried on.
3 The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.
4 Information available under regulation 3(1) of RIDDOR includes three categories of severity of injury to employees and self-employed people (workers): fatal injuries, defined major injuries and other injuries leading to more than three days absence (over-three-day). There are two categories of severity for members of the public: fatal injuries and non-fatal injuries that cause a person to be taken from the site of the accident to hospital. The same regulation includes a list of specified dangerous occurrences; these are events which do not necessarily result in a reportable injury, but have the potential to cause significant harm.
5 Regulation 5 of RIDDOR requires the 'responsible person' to report cases of certain diseases which are linked with specified work activities. In most cases this involves written diagnosis from a registered medical practitioner.
6 Regulation 6(1) of RIDDOR places a requirement on distributors, fillers, importers or suppliers of flammable gas to report any incident in connection with its supply and use which results in a fatality, major injury or condition. An incident can cause more than one fatality or injury. Regulation 6(2) of RIDDOR requires registered installers of gas appliances to provide details of any dangerous gas appliances or fittings to the relevant enforcing authority.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums BT has (a) received and (b) been promised for taking over elements of Fujitsu’s contract under the NHS IT programme. [267883]

Mr. Bradshaw: A payment of £92.8 million, excluding VAT, has been made to BT as working capital to aid with infrastructure, planning and development work in advance of the deployment of systems and services. This is in line with Treasury rules, and in return for a reduction in payments to be earned for future successful delivery. In addition, a further £183,000, excluding VAT, has been paid relating to work previously undertaken by the company with national health service organisations in the south of England as a consequence of termination of the contract with Fujitsu.

Contract Change Notices (CCNs) reflecting the appointment of BT as the preferred supplier to the existing eight live Cerner sites in the South, plus a commitment to additional deployments to four further Cerner acute sites, and 25 RiO Mental Health and Community Health sites, have now been signed with the company. Disclosure of the value of the CCNs at this stage would potentially compromise the Department’s position in any future procurement for further services in the South, and in consequence prejudice the commercial interests of the Department, and of the taxpayer.


21 Apr 2009 : Column 584W

NHS: Manpower

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009, Official Report, column 878W, on NHS manpower, what definition his Department uses of (a) cases involving NHS staff and (b) actions against NHS staff; and if he will make a statement. [267878]

Ann Keen: Some cases involving national health service staff are defended by the Department because they concern the implementation or interpretation of departmental policy in the NHS. However, the Department itself does not instigate legal actions against NHS staff. Where such legal action is instigated it is by the NHS organisation concerned.

NHS: Medical Equipment

Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to increase the uptake of new and innovative medical technology devices across the NHS. [268849]

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS next stage review, high quality care for all, CM7432, published in June 2008, included a commitment to ensure that clinically and cost effective innovation in medical technologies is adopted. This will involve simplifying the pathway by which they pass from development into wider use, and developing ways to benchmark and monitor uptake. Work is under way in collaboration with the medical technology industry to deliver this objective.

NHS: Standards

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the overview and scrutiny functions of local government in relation to the NHS in light of the findings of the Healthcare Commission’s report on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. [268935]

Mr. Bradshaw: There is already in place an existing departmental led review looking at how improvements in health scrutiny may be secured. The review commenced in November 2008 and early feedback from a range of national health service, local government and other stakeholders is currently being reviewed and assessed.

Nurses: Training

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basic NHS bursary rate for (a) degree nurse students and (b) diploma nurse students in real terms has been in each year since 1997. [269302]

Ann Keen: The rates for the basic NHS bursary, at 2008 prices, are set out in the following tables.


21 Apr 2009 : Column 585W
A t 2008 prices, based on CPI( 1) ( £ )
Diploma rates

L iving in London Living elsewhere

2008 (new students)(2)

7,629.00

6,531.00

2008 (existing students)(2)

7,374.00

6,275.00

2007 (new students)(2)

7,663.80

6,561.03

2007 (existing student)(2)

7,407.41

6,303.61

2006

7,437.84

6,330.10

2005

7,402.49

6,299.51

2004

7,362.57

6,265.66

2003

7,271.62

6,188.95

2002

7,205.70

6,133.09

2001

7,133.65

6,072.53

2000

6,538.23

5,565.32

1999

6,414.08

5,456.86

1998

6,354.31

5,406.01

1997

6,294.72

5,355.93

(1) Source: Office for National Statistics. Consumer price index (CPI) taken in April of each year.
(2) In 2007 certain allowances were removed from the scheme to make it compliant with age discrimination legislation. Existing students remained on the previous rules and new rates introduced for new entrants.

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