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16 Jun 2009 : Column 221W—continued
Fractures
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to increase levels of understanding of bone health. [279634]
Ann Keen: The NHS Choices website provides advice on bone health, suitable for the general public and those newly diagnosed with osteoporosis, at:
More detailed information, suitable for health professionals, is available on the NHS Evidence website at:
Health Services
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that patients who have been seen initially within the 18-week target and who need follow-up treatment receive it within a similar timescale. [279888]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: All patients should be treated without unnecessary delay according to their clinical need. It is for doctors to determine a patient's clinical priority and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their treatment pathway. It is important, therefore, that services match their capacity with demand so that no patient waits unnecessarily to be seen whether for their first appointments or for follow up appointments.
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the conclusions of the review of care services; and what further consultation he proposes to have before so doing. [279935]
Phil Hope: The Government announced in the pre-Budget report 2007 that they would publish a Green Paper on reform of the Care and Support System, led by the Department. The Government subsequently confirmed in the Budget report in April this year that they intend to publish the Green Paper in June 2009. An exact date for publication has yet to be announced.
The Government ran a six-month public engagement on the future of Care and Support from May until November 2008. Findings from this have helped to inform the Green Paper, and a report of the findings will be published alongside the Green Paper.
There will be a formal consultation on the Green Paper after its publication, which will last for at least 16 weeks, concluding at the end of October 2009.
Health Services: Diabetes
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to improve co-operation between hospitals and primary care trusts on specialist care for the management and prevention of diabetic foot disease. [279729]
Ann Keen:
It is important that people with diabetes have access to a multidisciplinary team that includes podiatry services. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s guidelines on the prevention and management of foot problems in people with diabetes
advise that foot examinations should be carried out by trained personnel as part of the annual review process.
We continue to work with NHS Diabetes to support the national health service in the provision and delivery of diabetes services.
However, it is for local NHS organisations to commission a comprehensive service for people with diabetes that includes podiatry services.
Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much in healthcare costs has been reclaimed through the European Health Insurance card in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of that sum was attributable to expenditure on (a) pharmaceutical products, (b) emergency care and (c) surgery in each such year. [279219]
Gillian Merron: The following table shows the amounts claimed and estimates of claims yet to be submitted by the United Kingdom against other European economic area (EEA) member states for each of the last seven calendar claim years. Comparable information prior to 2002 is not available. The amounts are combined claims for temporary visitors (via European health insurance cards), posted workers (via E106 forms) and referrals for treatment in other EEA countries (via E112 forms). Due to the nature of the claims system between member states, it is not possible to disagreggrate these data by either type of claim or type of treatment. The figures in the following table reflect the fact that EEA medical costs are typically submitted by EEA member states (including the UK) one to three, and sometimes more, years in arrears.
| UK claims against member states (£000) | |
| Note: Totals are based on estimates of the costs of EEA health care claims made annually for the purposes of provisions made in the Department of Health accounts in accordance with Treasury resource accounting rules. Source: Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) exercise | |
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have paid to other EU member states under the European Health Insurance Card scheme in each of the last 10 years. [279265]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 January 2009, Official Report, columns 228-30W.
Hearing Impaired: Sight Impaired
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance he plans to give local authorities in implementing his Department's deafblind guidance. [279854]
Phil Hope: Revised guidance for deafblind people is due to be published this summer following consultation with key stakeholders. This will replace the previous guidance.
The Department's Innovation, Excellence and Service Development Fund is providing funding to Deafblind UK to help promote greater independence for deafblind people. The project will deliver services focused around individual social and health care and support to enable deafblind people to live with greater independence and aims to meet needs in a manner that respects individual dignity and personal choice and offers the opportunity to break the isolation that is prevalent with this disability.
Heart Diseases: Suffolk
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will meet the volunteers who run the Suffolk Air Ambulance to discuss their role in proposed arrangements for dealing with cardiac emergencies in East Suffolk; [278164]
(2) when he expects the East of England Strategic Health Committee to start its public consultation on proposed changes to the treatment of cardiac emergencies in East Suffolk. [278165]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I respectfully decline the request to meet the volunteers at the moment.
We would encourage the volunteers who ran Suffolk Air Ambulance to discuss directly with Suffolk Primary care Trust their role in proposed arrangements for dealing with cardiac emergencies in East Suffolk.
We have been advised that the East of England Strategic health Authority (SHA) did consult on the proposals for heart attack services, as part of ‘Towards the best, Together’. This consultation took place from 12 May to 4 August 2008 and directly involved more than 7,000 people across the region. It included a structured public opinion survey of 2,500 people, 86 local meetings, a structure sample survey of 1,000 staff and 77 detailed submissions form stakeholder groups.
In addition, a half-day meeting on the acute care proposals took place with the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 July 2008.
East of England SHA has asked Professor Roger Boyle CBE, National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke, and a team of experts to review the plans for the introduction of a new Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention service in Suffolk.
If, after this process is complete, representatives of the volunteers still wish to meet me then I will see them.
Home Care Services: Consultants
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on funding domiciliary visits by consultants in the last 10 years. [279199]
Ann Keen: No specific guidance has been issued to primary care trusts on the funding of domiciliary visits by consultants in the last ten years. Funding to cover the costs of domiciliary visits is included in primary care trust allocations; these then flow from primary care trusts to service providers.
Principles governing the receipt of additional fees by consultants, including domiciliary visits, form part of the ‘Terms and Conditions of Service—Consultants (England) 2003’. A copy has been placed in the Library. Guidance on the payment of additional fees to consultants, including domiciliary visits, was issued to employers to support the implementation of the 2003 consultant contract. A copy has been placed in the Library. It is expected that domiciliary visits will normally be scheduled as part of a consultant's programmed activities and, therefore, not attract any additional payment.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many domiciliary visits were made by consultants in each (a) specialism and (b) primary care trust area in the last 10 years. [279200]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.
Home Care Services: Elderly
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there was in the proportion of older people being supported to live in their own home during 2007. [279480]
Phil Hope: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects information on the number of people aged 65 and over receiving community-based services from councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs).
The numbers of people aged 65 and over, per 1,000 of the population aged 65 and over, helped to live at home by CASSRs are shown in the following table.
| Numbers of older people per 1,000 of the population aged 65 and over being helped to live independently (receiving any community-based service) in England | |
| As at 31 March | Number |
| Source: NHS Information Centre referrals, assessments and packages of care return, table P2s and Office for National Statistics mid year population estimates | |
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average treatment waiting times are for (a) Chorley Hospital, (b) Lancashire Primary Care Trust and (c) England. [280288]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department collects referral to treatment (RTT) data at trust level and not for individual hospitals where these form part of a larger trust. Chorley hospital forms part of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust for which data has been provided.
Average (median) RTT waiting times for March 2009 (latest published data) are as follows:
| Median waiting times (weeks) | |
Lorazepam: Diamorphine
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of stocks of (a) lorazepam and (b) diamorphine. [279970]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Stock of lorazepam and diamorphine is fully available in the supply chain.
Lung Cancer: Health Services
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has issued recent recommendations to acute hospital trusts on the proportion of lung cancer patients to receive active treatment. [280050]
Ann Keen: The Department has not issued any recent recommendations to acute trusts on the proportion of lung cancer patients to receive active treatment.
In 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer patients. This guideline offers best practice advice on the care of adults who are suspected of having, or are diagnosed with, lung cancer.
Lung Cancer: Surgery
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to (a) increase the number of thoracic surgeons and (b) increase the rates of surgical resection for lung cancer patients. [279896]
Ann Keen: It is for local service providers to determine the work force required to deliver the health service needs of their population, and to ensure that care is delivered in a manner that meets national standards.
In 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer patients. NICE recommends surgical resection for suitable lung cancer patients.
Maternity Services
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of midwives required to maintain the standard of healthcare for pregnant women in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [279919]
Ann Keen: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a package of measures in February 2008 to support strategic health authority plans to recruit an extra 1,000 midwives by 2009, rising to around 4,000 by 2012, dependent on the birth rate continuing to rise.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing levels of neonatal nurses in (a) Lancashire Primary Care Trust and (b) England; [280397]
(2) what criteria will be used to measure the effectiveness of the Operating Framework for the NHS in England in 2008-09 in ensuring the provision of an adequate number of neonatal nurses. [280400]
Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with local authorities, strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, and to commission services accordingly.
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