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16 July 2009 : Column 664W—continued
Volume 2 of the file contains copies of the daily House of Lords and House of Commons official reports published in 1990 and 1992, editions as shown in the table, plus three copies of the Abortion Regulations 1991:
| Registered File INW 14/30/12, HF&E Bill 1990, Hansard, VOL 2 | |||
| Lords/Commons | Date | Volume n umber | Edition n umber |
These publications are available from the Library.
HIV Infection and Hepatitis C
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average (a) annual and (b) total lifetime cost to the NHS of a person with (i) HIV and (ii) hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement. [285738]
Gillian Merron: The estimated average annual cost to the national health service for a person with HIV is £14,000-£15,000. These costs will vary according to immune status. The average lifetime treatment costs for HIV is estimated to be between £135,000-£181,000 although this may increase as life expectancy continues to increase.
For hepatitis C, the cost of drug therapy is estimated to be between £6,000-£15,000, depending on the duration of treatment, which is currently 24 or 48 weeks.
Influenza
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009, Official Report, column 650, on influenza pandemic, what the interim service is that could be launched within a week; [282767]
(2) what tests of the flu line service have been undertaken; when they were undertaken; what was tested in each case; and what the outcome of each such test was. [282768]
Gillian Merron: The interim National Pandemic Flu Service will consist of a phone service that the public can access through a single 0800 number, and a supporting website application. This will mean that people can have their symptoms assessed either over the phone or online. Those symptoms will be checked against an algorithm-a list of the key symptoms and factors that determine whether the patient in question has been exposed to the infection. If it is established that they have developed swine flu, they will if appropriate, be issued with an authorisation number that they will then need to access antivirals. Their go-between-their flu friend-will then take that authorisation number to their nearest collection point to obtain the antivirals.
The following tests have been conducted on the full National Pandemic Flu Service:
April to June 12: Unit and Module testing of the Public Web, Call Centre, National Pandemic Flu Service Professional (i.e. the facility for a limited number of Healthcare professionals to authorise an antiviral). This is to test that each part of the system functions as required, as it is developed. These tests were conducted and demonstrated that the system was functioning as expected. The testing approach and results were also independently reviewed.
15 to 22 June: Functional Acceptance tests. This is to test the entire system, end to end, to ensure all of its components function together as required. These tests were conducted independently of the supplier and demonstrated that the system was functioning as expected.
Further testing will be undertaken as the National Pandemic Flu Service is made ready to go live between now and the autumn. This will include a full user acceptance testing process.
Influenza: Business
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which public bodies are responsible for (a) informing and (b) assisting businesses in planning and handling of an influenza pandemic. [286676]
Gillian Merron: Government Departments are responsible for ensuring that their sponsored sectors are aware of the challenges posed by pandemic influenza. They do this through regular exchanges with, for example, representative bodies and the dissemination of relevant information to assist with planning. As part of this two-way process, they also identify emerging policy issues that need to be addressed.
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, local authorities are required to provide advice and assistance to businesses within their area on business continuity planning. In addition, many operators of critical national infrastructure are designated as category 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and are therefore closely engaged in resilience planning at various levels within the United Kingdom.
In response to the swine flu outbreak, the Government have established a Business Advisory Network for Flu to help co-ordinate advice to employers. Additional guidance and information is available through the Business Link website.
Influenza: Health Services
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with pharmaceutical wholesalers on preparations for an influenza pandemic in the last 12 months. [284986]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has a range of discussions with pharmaceutical wholesalers about matters of joint interest. This has included preparations for an influenza pandemic.
Legislation: Documents
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what files his Department holds on (a) the draft Tissues and Embryos Bill, (b) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [ Lords] and (c) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008; and if he will make a statement. [285486]
Gillian Merron: The files held by the Department on the Human Tissues and Embryos draft Bill, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [ Lords] and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, are set out in the following table:
| File number | File name |
Mental Health Services: Finance
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the statement of 10 October 2007, Official Report, columns 297-300, on health and social care, how much of the funding of £170 million for a psychological therapy service has been allocated to each health trust; and if he will make a statement. [287124]
Phil Hope: Annual funding for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) will rise to £173 million in its third year (2010-11) and funding is allocated to strategic health authorities on the basis of a weighted capitation formula.
Under this formula, primary care trusts are allocated funding based on their share of the total population in England, weighted to account for an individual PCT's population's healthcare needs relative to other PCTs.
Allocations to PCTs are made by regional programme boards to those services that meet IAPT programme quality standards. These relate to: clinical leadership; a third of the staff being appropriately qualified to supervise and support the trainees; suitable accommodation for the services to operate from; training provided in line with the programme's national curricula; data systems that can collect outcome information effectively for at least 90 per cent. of patients; and recruitment and work force planning.
Mentally Ill: Suicide
John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides there have been of individuals in the care of each mental health trust in each year from 2000 to 2008. [287118]
Phil Hope: The Department does not collect these figures centrally. However, the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide (NCISH) by people with mental illness collects certain figures around this issue and the following table shows numbers of people by calendar year who were in contact with mental health (MH) services in England in the year prior to their death. This includes those who were under the care of services as out-patients and the table also includes the number and percentage of those in contact with services who were in-patients at the time of their death.
It should be noted that the inquiry sample includes both suicide and open verdicts at coroners' inquest. Open verdicts are often thought to be suicides and are conventionally used in suicide rate estimation in the
United Kingdom. Neither the Department nor the NCISH collect information on attempted suicides.
We are unable to release information relating to specific mental health trusts without the permission of those trusts.
| Suicides in contact with mental health services in the year prior to death (England only) | ||
| Suicides in contact with MH services N=8,565 | In-patients N=1,153 (%) | |
Reciprocal Health Services: Elderly
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on the health of elderly people of the termination of the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man; and if he will make a statement. [286704]
Gillian Merron: The Department has not yet given formal notice on the bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man but it has informed the Isle of Man of the intention to do so. As the termination of the agreement has not yet been formalised, neither the UK nor the Isle of Man has confirmed which treatments will be chargeable to tourists after the termination of the agreement. However, the Department will recommend private travel insurance for tourists, as it does for all travel outside the UK. Given the wide availability of travel insurance, termination of the agreement is not expected to have a significant adverse effect on any group of the population, including the elderly.
Sunbeds: Young People
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate he has made of the percentage of 11 to 17 year olds who use sun beds in (a) urban and (b) rural areas in England and Wales; [286603]
(2) with reference to his Department's report on the cancer reform strategy, "Maintaining Momentum", published on 1 December 2008, when he expects to publish further information on sun bed use by young people; [286604]
(3) if he will commission research on the reasons for which those aged under 18 years old use sun beds; [286605]
(4) what recent reports he has received of the annual incidence of deaths arising from sun bed use. [286606]
Gillian Merron: The recent report of the committee on medical aspects of radiation in the environment (COMARE) summarises evidence on sunbed use amongst young people and also refers to estimates of the number of deaths accounted for by sunbed use. The report can be accessed at:
The Department has commissioned further research from Cancer Research UK which is expected to cover what factors motivate young people to use sunbeds in a particular setting. We will consider making these data available in due course.
Swine Flu
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the statement of 12 June 2009, Official Report, columns 1052-63, on swine flu update, what plans are in place to ensure that critical care capacity is in place where it is needed; and what recent assessment he has made of the level of critical care capacity required to meet those needs; [283907]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure the operation surveillance and testing for swine flu of people in hospital with respiratory illnesses; [283911]
(3) what percentage of those diagnosed with swine flu have required intensive care treatment to date. [283931]
Gillian Merron: It is not possible to estimate the number of critical care beds required in a flu pandemic because this will depend upon a range of factors such as the clinical attack rate, the most 'at risk' population and the number of flu victims requiring intensive care. The percentage of those diagnosed with swine flu that have required intensive care treatment is less than 1 per cent.
In the 'Managing Demand and Capacity in Health Care Organisations (Surge)' guidance, it is advised that, within their local flu contingency plans, acute hospitals will aim to double the number of critical care beds available. A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library. Managing demand will also be achieved by cancelling elective work and redeploying clinical staff from services such as theatres to help provide a level of critical care across this increased demand. The guidance also includes measures to relieve pressure such as increased use of agency and retired staff.
In June 2009, the Chief Medical Officer issued advice to national health service staff about the measures they should take to ensure adequate surveillance and testing of hospital patients for swine flu. A copy of that advice has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 12 June 2009, Official Report, columns 1052-63, on swine flu update, from which locations in each primary care trust area patients who require antiviral medication are being asked to collect that medication; what the reasons are for the time taken to designate such collection points; and when he expects all arrangements for such collection points to be in place. [283908]
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