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21 July 2009 : Column 1614W—continued
The information requested on smoking addiction treatment is not available in the exact format requested.
The costs associated with the NHS Stop Smoking Services in each of the last five years can be found in Table 4.6 on page 43 of 'NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April to March 2008.
This publication has been placed in the Library.
Primary care trusts are responsible for providing local health services, including gambling and alcohol addiction treatments, and together with their strategic health authorities are responsible for deciding which services to plan, commission and develop to meet the health needs of their local communities. Information on this spend is not collected centrally.
Respiratory System
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 479W, on the respiratory system, if he will break down the figures provided by age group. [288418]
Ann Keen: A table containing a break down by age group for patients with diseases of the respiratory system has been placed in Library.
Sexual Dysfunction
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of each type of drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction were dispensed in each of the last five years. [287765]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following table provides the number of prescription items dispensed for drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, as listed in section 7.4.5 of the British National Formulary (BNF), written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England.
| Drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction (BNF section 7.4.5) | |||||
| Number of prescription items (thousand) | |||||
| BNF chemical name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| '-' Indicates no prescription items. '0.0' indicates less than 50 items (1) Includes Invicorp-1 injection solution auto-injector, Invicorp-2 injection solution auto-injector and Invicorp-2 injection solution 1 ml amp. (2) Does not include Revatio as this should only be prescribed to treat pulmonary hypertension (BNF 2.5.1). Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) | |||||
We do not know the intended purpose for which prescription items are prescribed. Some drugs within BNF section 7.4.5 can be used to treat other conditions. There are drugs in other BNF sections which may be prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction.
Smoking: Young People
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of tobacco displays in shops on rates of smoking amongst young people. [288611]
Gillian Merron: The Department of Health has not directly commissioned or evaluated any specific research on the effect of tobacco displays on young people.
The Department has assessed the role of tobacco displays on smoking in young people based on a variety of research and evidence. These are detailed in the impact assessment that accompanies the Health Bill, in the consultation on the future of tobacco control, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, in the presentations made to MPs during the passage of the Bill and in the factsheets sent to peers and MPs.
Swine Flu
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on the National Pandemic Flu line in 2009-10; and how many staff he expects will be employed to answer calls to the line. [284196]
Gillian Merron: The Department has been planning for a flu pandemic for some time and this solution has already been subject to a substantial economic and business case analysis. Any such commitments the Department enters into are still subject to the usual tests for value for money and affordability. While cost estimates have been prepared based on a range of possible pandemic durations and attack rates, these cannot be released as the contract details are commercial in confidence. The number of staff employed to answer calls is subject to finalisation based on the attack rate. Current plans are based around needing an average of 2,000 agent seats per week.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his oral statement of 2 July 2009, Official Report, columns 503-04, on swine flu update, against what criteria primary care trust readiness has been assessed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the assessment made in respect of each primary care trust. [286417]
Gillian Merron: The emergence of swine influenza in April interrupted the strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) self-assessment process.
National health service (NHS) and the Department's resources that would, in normal circumstances, have been allocated to collecting and validating these assessments, are currently being directed towards managing the current outbreak and ensuring that the Department and NHS are fully prepared for any potentially more severe outbreak over the autumn or winter.
There is a full programme of work led by the National Director for NHS Flu Resilience, to ensure NHS Pandemic Influenza Plans fully reflect the current understanding of the swine flu virus. This includes a programme of
testing the plans to be coordinated by the 10 SHAs across England, the results of which will in effect succeed the audit.
This work is already under way and should be completed by early autumn. We will publish summary reports on each of the ten exercises. Once finalised, copies of these reports will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authority resilience and civil contingency planning in relation to the swine influenza outbreak. [286513]
Gillian Merron: The Government make no detailed assessment of preparedness of local authorities-it is for them to decide how to meet their legal obligations to plan for an influenza pandemic under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Local authority compliance with the Civil Contingencies Act duties is assessed by the Audit Commission as part of their comprehensive area assessment process.
As members of Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), local authorities have played a full part in the development of local multi agency pandemic influenza plans. Over the last year, these plans have undergone validation by local responders and Government offices and at least one LRF plan per region has been tested via a table top exercise. Lessons identified will be shared locally.
Plans are available on local LRF websites and can be accessed through the UK Resilience pages of the Cabinet Office website:
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct each mental health and learning disability trust to publish its contingency plans to deal with swine influenza. [288012]
Gillian Merron: National health service organisations that provide mental health and learning disability services have Flu Pandemic Plans that are already in action as part of the local response being led by primary care trusts. It would not be the best use of NHS resources at this time to direct NHS organisations to publish these plans. In addition, these plans are being continuously reviewed and, where necessary, updated informed by the latest expert scientific and medical advice of the current swine flu pandemic. Publication of contingency plans by mental health and learning disability trusts will, therefore, not be requested.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to the public on those groups which are most vulnerable to contracting swine influenza. [288234]
Gillian Merron: We publish a range of guidance on the NHS Choices website that is updated daily at:
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of which groups of workers in the public sector are most vulnerable to contracting swine influenza. [288235]
Gillian Merron: Influenza viruses are transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with the virus, for example by touching a surface contaminated with the virus as a result of a sneeze.
In the early stages of the pandemic, when there were few people infected with the virus, public sector workers delivering frontline health and social care to those patients were potentially at greater risk of becoming infected than the general population. However, this risk could be reduced by effective use of infection control procedures.
With widespread transmission of the virus in the community, it is unlikely that any one population group is more likely than another to be infected by swine influenza.
For those public sector staff working in front-line health and social care with known or suspected influenza patients, personal protective equipment including facemasks and gloves have been provided. There is also guidance for organisations on infection control procedures for staff to implement in their clinical practice.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent assessment is of the ability of primary care trusts to cope with swine influenza outbreaks in their areas. [288236]
Gillian Merron: The emergence of swine influenza in April interrupted the strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) self-assessment process.
The national health service and the Department's resources that would, in normal circumstances, have been allocated to collecting and validating these assessments, are currently being directed towards managing the current outbreak and ensuring that the Department and NHS are fully prepared for any potentially more severe outbreak over the autumn or winter.
There is a full programme of work led by the National Director for NHS Flu Resilience, to ensure NHS pandemic influenza plans fully reflect the current understanding of the swine flu virus. This includes a programme of testing the plans to be coordinated by the 10 SHAs across England, the results of which will in effect succeed the audit.
This work is already under way and should be completed by early autumn. We will publish summary reports on each of the 10 exercises. Once finalised, copies of these reports will be placed in the Library.
The Department has been working closely with PCTs across the country to ensure their plans are robust, and so far the response from PCTs, particularly in areas of sustained transmission, has been very good in challenging circumstances.
Swine Flu: Drugs
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of antivirals have been dispensed for the treatment of swine influenza since 2 July 2009; and how many of these have been given to (a) patients with swine influenza and (b) contacts of patients with swine influenza. [288599]
Gillian Merron: Information on courses of antivirals given to patients is currently being collected. I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and will place a copy in the Library.
Swine Flu: Lancashire
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been given to primary and secondary schools in Lancashire on swine influenza. [288237]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The Department had issued guidance in 2006 to all local authorities on contingency measures for pandemic flu, which we supplemented with guidance on infection control (2007) and remote learning in the event of a school closing for an extended period (2008). The Department sent out reminders to all local authorities in the week commencing 27 April that the guidance is available. We have since updated our questions and answers and Swine Flu messages and have sent these to schools and local authorities on 5 May, 27 May, 11 June and 14 July. Our Teachernet website has also been regularly updated with lines to take and advice for schools, local authorities and parents.
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