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20 July 2009 : Column 979W—continued


Health: Children

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received on the usefulness of his Department's guidance on the maximum recommended amount of time infants aged up to six months should spend in (a) pushchairs and (b) car seats of categories 0 and 0+; [281704]

(2) what guidance (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the NHS issue on the maximum safe length of time for an infant aged up to six months to spend in a car seat. [285820]

Ann Keen: No guidance has been issued by this Department on the length of time an infant aged up to six months should spend in either a pushchair or car seat.

Our publication the "Pregnancy Book" provides general advice on the use of pushchairs and car seats. We advise that pushchairs are only suitable for babies if they have fully reclining seats which allow the baby to lie flat. In a car, a safety restraint must be used. It is dangerous and illegal for a baby to be carried in their parents' arms in a car. Similar advice is given in "Birth to Five"; guidance on parenthood and the first five years of life.

Copies of the relevant chapters have been placed in the Library.


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Heart Diseases

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people each primary care trust had registered as having (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (b) asthma, (c) tuberculosis and (d) lung cancer on the latest date for which figures are available. [286913]

Ann Keen: Figures for the number of people, in England, registered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma can be found in the 2007-08 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), a copy has already been placed in the Library.

The table in question, PCT level QOF tables 2007-08-prevalence.xls, can be viewed on the following link:

A copy of the table has been placed in the Library.

We do not hold figures for the number of people registered with tuberculosis or lung cancer.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 511WA, on hospital wards, what local improvements and changes (a) were planned to be implemented and (b) were implemented by the end of June 2009; and how much was spent on each improvement and change which has been implemented. [288570]

Ann Keen: Strategic health authority (SHA) plans for the £100 million Privacy and Dignity Fund have already been placed in the Library, detailing the planned improvements and changes.

The latest information from the SHAs confirms almost 50 per cent. of the schemes were completed by the end of June. Examples of the work undertaken include new and refurbished bathrooms and toilets, curtains and partitions to improve the privacy of patients and a number of communication initiatives to raise awareness with staff, the patients and the public. Regular monitoring of progress against SHA plans continues.

Information is not available to confirm the funding for each individual project.

Hospitals: Admissions

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners were admitted to hospital due to (a) drug misuse, (b) alcohol misuse and (c) self-harm in each of the last five years. [287372]

Phil Hope: The Department does not centrally collect data on the number of prisoners admitted to hospital due to alcohol or drug misuse.

The number of prisoners (both male and female) admitted to hospital due to self harm in each of the last five years is as follows.


20 July 2009 : Column 981W
Self harm incidents-England and Wales (male and female) admitted as in-patient to hospital

Number

2004

134

2005

153

2006

159

2007

122

2008

135


Incontinence

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made for (a) pre- and (b) post-registration education and training for nurses on the provision of continence services. [288028]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Work force planning, including training, in the national health service is managed and led at a local level by the strategic health authorities taking into account the national policy direction.

Local NHS organisations are best placed determine the levels of service and resource required to meet the health needs of the local population.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government intends continence care to be part of its Carers Dignity and Respect agenda. [285586]

Phil Hope: Incontinence is a challenge to dignity and through the Dignity in Care campaign we are equipping local people with the information, advice and support necessary to drive up standards of care with respect to dignity for the individual.

Insect Bites

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital admissions and (b) bed days with a primary or secondary cause of insect bites were recorded in each of the last five years. [286983]

Gillian Merron: The data requested are not available in precisely the form requested.

From 2003-04 to 2007-08 the activity in English national health service hospitals, and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for the number of admissions and bed days in hospital due to the patient being bitten or stung by a non-venomous insect or other non-venomous arthropod (e.g. spider or tick), recorded in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) as cause code W57, is shown in the following table:


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Finished admission episodes Total bed days during the year

2003-04

1,719

3,790

2004-05

1,988

3,929

2005-06

2,161

4,179

2006-07

2,738

4,655

2007-08

2,614

4,548

Notes:
1. Finished admission episodes-A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
2. Total bed days during the year-Bed days of finished episodes only include days of bed occupancy from episode start date or 1 April (whichever is later) to episode end date or 31 March (whichever is earlier). These do not include unfinished episodes which end in the subsequent year.
3. Cause code W57-Bitten or stung by non-venomous insect and other non-venomous arthropods. The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. The field within HES counts only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode.
4. Ungrossed data-Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Kidneys: Health Education

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2009, Official Report, column 868W, on kidneys: health education, (1) what plans he has to consult (a) patients and (b) clinicians prior to the publication of his Department's information leaflet on identifying unhealthy kidneys; and what plans he has to ensure the wide availability and distribution of the leaflet; [288462]

(2) when he plans to publish the patient information leaflet on identifying unhealthy kidneys; and what plans he has to publicise its launch. [288463]

Ann Keen: The patient information leaflet on proteinuria is being developed in partnership with clinicians and patients. This is to be part of a pack of information on proteinuria testing already published on the Department's website for general practitioners and laboratories.

This can be found at:

We are in the process of determining how best to promote the leaflet widely before publication by early autumn.

Medic Alert: Organs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to promote MedicAlert as a sole central register for those with organ donation wishes and advanced decision wishes; and if he will make a statement; [287412]

(2) if he will take steps to ensure that, on commencement of their roles, all emergency services personnel receive training in the life-saving services provided by the MedicAlert Foundation. [287429]

Ann Keen: It is important that people wishing to be organ donors have flexibility in making that wish known, for example they can carry a donor card, register on the national organ donor register, make their wishes known to another organisation or simply tell family and friends. The important thing is that the information is readily available at the appropriate time.

The Government do not see a single national database or central register for advance decisions as the best way forward. The intention has always been to allow as much flexibility as possible for those making advance decisions.


20 July 2009 : Column 983W

Ambulance trusts are responsible for providing appropriate training for staff, and information on whether this includes training on MedicAlert is not available centrally.

Mental Health Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide treatment for (a) psychotic and ( b) bipolar depressive conditions. [287499]

Phil Hope: We have made very substantial resources available to the national health service from which to provide mental health care treatments and services. However, the responsibility for providing all NHS services, including provision of treatments for bi-polar depressive conditions and psychosis, now rests with primary care trusts.

Since 2001-02, real terms investment in adult mental health services increased by 44 per cent. (or £1.7 billion) putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. The NHS spent £5.53 billion on these services in 2007-08 (£3.844 billion in 2001-02).

There are 67 per cent. more consultant psychiatrists, 79 per cent. more clinical psychologists and at least 23 per cent. more mental health nurses than we had in 1997, providing better care and support for people with mental health problems.

More than 740 new community mental health teams offer home treatment, early intervention, or intensive support for people who might otherwise have been admitted to hospital.

Mental Health Services: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve mental health provision for young people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency. [287838]

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to plan, develop and improve local health services according to the needs of the local population. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the North Lancashire primary care trust and the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust for information relevant to the Morecambe and Lunesdale area.

Mentally Incapacitated: Children

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what locations in Bournemouth severely mentally impaired children may be treated; and what choice parents have about the location at which treatment is provided. [287885]

Phil Hope: The South West strategic health authority has advised that there is a range of outreach support and choice to young people who have a mental illness, learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, and their families, in a variety of local settings including the individuals' own home, schools and general practitioner surgeries. These services are backed up by specialist intensive outreach and in-patient provision, and provide support for young people across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.


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The service is aimed at being sensitive to the rights and needs of parents and carers, and involves them in the intervention process where appropriate. It also adheres to the Heath Advisory Service requirements, the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and the National Service Frameworks for mental health and children and young people, and offers confidentiality in the context of safeguarding children.

Midwives: Recruitment

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to increase the numbers of midwives employed by the NHS. [288013]

Ann Keen: The Secretary of State announced a package of measures in February 2008 to recruit an extra 1,000 midwives by 2009, rising to around 4,000 by 2012, dependent on the birth rate continuing to rise.

Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust: Doctors

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were employed by the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust (a) in 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [289118]

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The information as is available is shown in the following table.

Number of doctors employed by the Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, 2002-08

Number (headcount) Full-time equivalent

2002

580

544

2003

572

543

2004

626

597

2005

665

641

2006

678

654

2007

705

686

2008

705

686

Notes:
1. The structure of national health service trusts in the Wakefield area has changed over the period the data is requested for. In April 2002, the Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust was formed from the partial-merger of the Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals NHS Trust and the Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust. Data is shown for the Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, from 2002 onwards.
2. Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens, any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.
Source:
NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

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