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29 Jun 2009 : Column 82W—continued
Carers: Advisory Services
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls to the Carers Direct helpline have (a) resulted in the allocation to a social worker of a new case and (b) required an urgent case assessment by a social worker since the helpline was established. [282465]
Phil Hope: This information is not held centrally.
Drugs: Misuse
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his policy is on the use of naloxone in the treatment of opiate addicts; and if he will make a statement; [282170]
(2) what his policy is on the provision of naloxone to carers of opiate addicts to administer in cases of overdose. [282172]
Gillian Merron: Advice on the use of naloxone in the treatment of drug addiction is set out in “Drug Misuse and Dependence: Guidelines on Clinical Management” (2007)
www.nta.nhs.uk/publications/documents/clinical_ guidelines_2007.pdf
All drug treatment services are expected to work within these guidelines. The guidance notes that all services working with drug misusers should have an emergency protocol in place to cover the management of drug overdoses. This should include, as well as other measures, protocols for the emergency administration of naloxone.
The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse is running pilots in take-home naloxone in 16 sites in England. The pilot projects will make naloxone available to family members and carers, and train them in its use and other life saving measures. They will also encourage drug users to think about reducing risk-taking.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with NHS bodies on the supply of and demand for naloxone; and if he will make a statement. [282171]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Naloxone injection of different strengths is available in ampoules and pre-filled syringes. The national health service has alerted NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) that there are problems affecting the supply of one presentation of naloxone hydrochloride injection in pre-filled syringes. Stocks are limited and supply is being carefully managed by the company. These syringes are available only from one source and so it is not possible to obtain alternative supplies of this presentation.
NHS PASA routinely monitors the availability of naloxone injection and is not aware of any other supply problems with this product.
East of England: Health Services
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Suffolk Primary Care Trust was informed of the intention of the East Anglian Strategic Health Authority to cease the current procedures of pre-hospital thrombolysis; [282130]
(2) what reasons no public consultation took place on the decision of the East of England Health Authority to withdraw emergency heart services from Ipswich Hospital. [282134]
Phil Hope: This is a matter for the East of England Strategic Health Authority. We understand that the proposal to create heart attack centres in the east of England were subject to public consultation on as part of Towards the best, together from 6 May 2008 to 4 August 2008. These proposals in Towards the best, together were put forward by clinicians working in the national health service in the east of England region, and involved eight clinical work-streams involving around 200 clinicians (with representatives from every NHS organisation in the region), stakeholders, and patients in drawing up the proposals. The proposals were the result of taking the best clinical evidence and applying it to provide the best health service for the people of the east of England.
The consultation directly engaged more than 6,000 people and the public gave 90 per cent. approval to create four specialist heart attack centres. Staff saw them as the one of the most important changes to acute services in the vision, second only to a guaranteed future for all acute trusts, including Ipswich.
The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) for the east of England scrutinised the proposals made as part of Towards the best, together consultation. Following Towards the best, together consultation, the NHS discussed with the OSCs the plans for implementing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI)
across the region and it was agreed that further consultation was not required as the changes were in line with those already consulted on in Towards the best, together.
The decision on the four specialist centres to deliver PPCI in the east of England was made by the East of England Specialised Commissioning Group. The East of England Specialised Commissioning Group is a committee comprising representatives of all of the 14 primary care trusts (PCTs) in the east of England, including Suffolk PCT, and is a sub-committee of their Boards.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the East of England Strategic Health Authority has been informed of the requirements on them to assess the carbon impact of their service decisions; what mechanism there is to monitor the authority's compliance with those requirements; and if he will make a statement; [282133]
(2) what estimate has been made of the effect on carbon dioxide emissions of changes in (a) the number of ambulance journeys, (b) the number of journeys undertaken by friends and relatives of patients and (c) arrangements for patients' post-operative care arising from the decision by the East of England Strategic Health Authority to withdraw emergency cardiac provision in Ipswich hospital. [282137]
Phil Hope: The Department has issued advice about transport management (Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 07-03) which sets out carbon impacts of travel, Climate Change requirements and the necessity to take these aspects into account in developing Transport Plans and Strategies. A copy of HTM 07-03 has been placed in the Library.
The Department's Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2009-10 - high quality care for all is the second in a three year planning cycle established by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review to provide a solid platform for improving the quality of care and focusing on the priorities that matter most to patients, staff and public. Within the section on Local Priorities, it states: paragraph 8, page 42
“The NHS can make significant contributions to reducing its carbon impact. Every NHS organisation should ensure that it measures and progressively reduces its own carbon footprint. This will save resources now, improve health today and set an important example to deliver high quality and sustainable services for the future.”
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what socio-economic impact assessment was made by the East of England Strategic Health Authority of its proposal to withdraw emergency cardiac provision in Ipswich Hospital. [282138]
Phil Hope: This is a matter for the local national health service and it is the responsibility of primary care trusts in conjunction with local stakeholders to ensure that the services they commission meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
Food Standards Agency: Public Appointments
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stage has been reached in the process of appointing a new Chair of the Food Standards Agency; and when he expects the successful candidate to take up the post. [282888]
Gillian Merron: The position of Chair of the Food Standards Agency is appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Health and Health Ministers in the devolved Administrations. The role was advertised in March 2009 for a period of four weeks. The application window closed on 14 April. The selection panel shortlisted the applications in May and interviewed candidates in June. Ministers considered the panel's recommendations and agreed the noble Lord Rooker as the preferred candidate.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has invited the House of Commons Health Select Committee to scrutinise the preferred candidate prior to appointment.
The process, run by the Appointments Commission, is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and has been conducted in accordance with Commissioner's Code of Practice for Public Appointments, involving an independent assessor at all stages including shortlisting and interview panel.
Health Services: Technology
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of older people who are supported to live in their own homes by telecare or other assistive technologies; and if he will make a statement. [281486]
Phil Hope: ‘Building Telecare in England’ (Department of Health July 2005), a copy of which has been placed in the Library, identified that there were 1.4 million users of telecare. Since that time it is estimated that investments made with the £80 million preventative technology grant and other funding sources have seen the number of new telecare and telehealth users increase by over 200,000.
Hospitals: Admissions
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many hospital admissions there have been for (a) male and (b) female patients with diagnosis code (i) F30, (ii) F31, (iii) F32, (iv) F33, (v) F34, (vi) F35, (vii) F36, (viii) F37, (ix) F38 and (x) F39 (A) under 14, (B) aged 14 to 17 and (C) aged 18 years and over in each (X) region and (Y) primary care trust in each of the last five years; and what the mean waiting time for admission was in each case; [281147]
(2) how many hospital admissions there have been for (a) male and (b) female patients with diagnosis code (i) F20, (ii) F21, (iii) F22, (iv) F23, (v) F24, (vi) F25, (vii) F26, (viii) F27, (ix) F28 and (x) F29 (A) under 14, (B) aged 14 to 17 and (C) aged 18 years and over in (X) each region and (Y) each primary care trust in each of the last five years; and what the mean waiting time for admission was in each case. [281150]
Phil Hope: This information has been placed in the Library.
It should be noted that the number of admissions does not represent the number of patients as one patient may have been admitted more than once.
Norman Lamb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for (a) male and (b) female patients aged (i) under 14,
(ii) 14 to 17 and (iii) 18 or more years old with diagnosis code (A) K70.0, (B) K70.1, (C) K70.2, (D) K70.3, (E) K70.4, (F) K70.5, (G) K 70.6, (H) K70.7, (I) K70.8 and (J) K70.9 in (1) each region and (2) each primary care trust in each of the last five years. [281301]
Gillian Merron: A copy of the requested information has been placed in the Library.
On advice from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care (Information Centre) data by primary care trust (PCT) have not been given, instead data have been given by strategic health authority (SHA). This is because the small number of patients at PCT level requires that all of the data for the 14 to 17 age group and the majority of the 18 and over age group would have to be suppressed, to prevent any identification of individuals, which means that the data which could be supplied would be meaningless.
Additionally, the Information Centre has advised that SHA data be used instead of Government office region (GOR) data. SHAs have very similar boundaries to GOR, with the exception of South East Coast SHA and South Central SHA, which are together aggregated to South East GOR.
It should be noted that after 2005-06 the SHA configurations changed, with the 28 SHAs merging to form 10 larger SHAs. No data have been given for K70.5, K70.6, K70.7 and K70.8 as these diagnosis codes are not used. Additionally, the number of admissions does not represent the number of patients as one patient may have been admitted more than once.
Hospitals: Emergencies
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to NHS trusts on the staff-to-patient ratio required to evacuate a hospital in an emergency. [281446]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department’s guidance on staff to patient ratios required to evacuate a hospital in an emergency is contained in “Firecode: Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 05-02 Guidance in support of functional provisions for healthcare premises”, published in April 2007, which has been placed in the Library.
Responsibility for ensuring adequate numbers of suitably trained personnel rests with the management of the local organisation. The guidance states that for any department or management unit, there should be a minimum of two staff present at all times. Where the number of patients exceeds thirty, the number of staff should be increased by one for every 10 (or up to 10) patients.
Prior to April 2007, the same information was contained in “Firecode: Health Technical Memorandum 81, published in 1987”.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of hospital waiting times in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) nationally. [282262]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect referral to treatment waiting times data at constituency level or at county level. However, the following table shows the average referral to treatment times for primary care trusts serving Ribble Valley constituency, North West strategic health authority (SHA) and England in April 2009 (latest published data):
| Median referral to treatment times | ||
| Weeks | ||
| Admitted pathways | Non-admitted pathways | |
| Source: Department of Health Referral to Treatment data. | ||
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of average waiting times for hospital treatment in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London Borough of Bexley and (c) Greater London. [282474]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department collects referral to treatment (RTT) data at trust and primary care trust level. Average (median) RTT waiting times for April 2009 (latest published data) are as follows:
| Median RTT times | ||
| Weeks | ||
| Admitted pathways | Non-admitted pathways | |
Influenza
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent assessment is of the adequacy of the influenza pandemic response strategy in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) nationally. [282261]
Gillian Merron: National health service organisations in the North West have been preparing their pandemic response for the last five years. All 63 NHS organisations in the North West region have provided assurance to the NHS North West strategic health authority (SHA) that they have robust plans in place to respond to an influenza pandemic.
The NHS Operating Framework stated that all NHS organisations should have robust pandemic flu plans in place by December 2009. Self-assessment of plans have been completed against the requirements set out in the “National framework for responding to an influenza pandemic”. (A copy of this has already been placed in the Library).
Following the outbreak of swine flu in April, SHAs have revisited and reviewed primary care trust plans, in particular to ensure resilience of antiviral collection points (ACPs).
Lancashire has several ACPs which will be open to the general public plus others which are located in prisons and hospitals for prisoners and in-patients. Of the ACPs in Lancashire, several can be operational within 48 hours, and the remaining within 96 hours or a week.
The Ribble Valley is a more rural area and has its main ACP, for public access, located at Clitheroe hospital which is a community hospital. The population of the Ribble Valley can also access several other ACPs in the area.
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