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12 Oct 2009 : Column 763W—continued


12 Oct 2009 : Column 764W

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on the provision of information on swine flu; and how much further expenditure on such provision he has planned. [291862]

Gillian Merron: Communicating accurate and timely information to the general public and health care professionals during the current swine flu pandemic has
12 Oct 2009 : Column 765W
been recognised as a priority by the Department and by the World Health Organisation.

We have communicated regularly via a range of channels including advertising, online information, technical and professional guidance and media briefing, including by Ministers, senior officials and clinicians.

Because of this, it is not possible to quantify accurately the cost of all this activity in producing information on swine flu, however we are able to give a figure for public advertising activity.

The cost of advertising and publicity activity in England on swine influenza, including the Swine Flu Information Phone Line, is approximately £8.2 million to date.

This may increase over the course of the pandemic. Various scenarios are being considered to allow a flexible response if swine flu escalates to ensure that the public have timely and accurate information about the disease, how to protect against it, and how to access treatment if they catch it.

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to provide vaccinations against swine influenza to homebound patients. [292317]

Ann Keen: The Department has asked primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to work with local national health service stakeholders to develop local plans to ensure that all of those identified in the Chief Medical Officer's list of high priority groups receive their swine flu vaccinations. These plans should include provision for housebound patients.

The Department will be supporting this work by providing core materials about swine flu vaccination for staff training and communications with the public and NHS staff.

Swine Flu: Birmingham

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of swine flu have been reported among residents of Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath constituency to date. [291587]

Gillian Merron: Data on the precise number of swine flu cases in a particular area are not available.

However, the Department does have data on the number of antivirals dispensed through the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS). We do not have figures specifically for the Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency but we do have figures for the two primary care trusts (PCTs) which the constituency crosses. These show that:

These figures relate solely to antivirals collected through the NPFS since its launch on 23 July. Antivirals distributed prior to this time were distributed through normal primary care routes and by the Health Protection Agency; those data are still being collated.


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Syringes: Injuries

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of NHS staff who have contracted (a) HIV/AIDS and (b) hepatitis C through a needlestick injury in each of the last five years; [291584]

(2) how many needlestick injuries have been recorded in each hospital trust in each of the last five years. [291585]

Gillian Merron: Information on the number of needlestick injuries to national health service staff in each hospital trust is not collected centrally.

However, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) collects information on significant occupational exposures to blood-borne viruses in health care workers in the United Kingdom. The HPA's latest report "Eye of the Needle, United Kingdom Surveillance of Significant Occupational Exposures to Blood Borne Viruses in Healthcare Workers, November 2008" has been placed in the Library and is available on the HPA's website at:

This report, which provides data up to the end of 2007, includes information on the number of documented cases of health care workers who have contracted HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C through a needlestick injury in 2004-07, which are summarised in the following table.

Number of documented cases of health care workers who have contracted HIV and hepatitis C through a needlestick injury in the UK, 2004-07
Infection 2004 2005 2006 2007

HIV

0

0

0

0

Hepatitis C

1

2

2

2


Tamiflu

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average shelf-life is of the Tamiflu the Government have in stock; [289237]

(2) what procedures the NHS has in place to ensure the use of the oldest stock of Tamiflu first. [289238]

Gillian Merron: The existing pandemic stockpile of Tamiflu was purchased in instalments between the autumn of 2006 and 2007 (totalling some 15 million treatment courses) and in spring 2009 (eight million treatment courses). This makes determining the average life of the stockpile difficult. All of this stock has a shelf life of five years so is currently well within its expiry date. However, following a decision of the European medicines regulator (the European Medicines Agency, stock produced after June 2009 will have a shelf life of seven years. We are currently discussing with Roche and with the medicines regulator both the implications of this decision and the possible extension of the shelf life of stock we hold.

A small amount of Tamiflu that we are making use of but that was not procured for pandemic flu planning will expire later in 2009. We expect that most of this stock will now have been used.

Stock currently held by the national health service for treatment of swine flu at antiviral collection points (ACPs) is used in accordance with guidance provided on stock rotation.


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All ACPs have pharmaceutical oversight provided by senior primary care trust pharmacists, who ensure there are safe systems and processes in place for the safe management and supply of antiviral medicines.

Stock held in stockpile warehouses is managed by professional inventory and stock managers, and in accordance with standard inventory management practice on a "first in, first out" basis.

Telemedicine

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2009, Official Report, column 550W, on telemedicine, in which (a) local authority and (b) primary care trust areas business has been procured through the Purchasing and Supply Agency Telecare National Framework Agreement. [289637]

Phil Hope: This information is commercially confidential, as releasing it could give a commercial advantage to other organisations outside the framework agreement. The following table gives a high level breakdown of the number of organisations procuring through the framework.

Organisation type Number of organisations

County Council

308

Acute

211

PCT

106

Borough Council

301

Northern Ireland Board

157

City Council

154

Ambulance

55

MHT

3

Housing Association

58

County Borough Council

16

Welsh Local Health Board

6

District Council

78

Housing Consortium

2

Local Council

8

Miscellaneous

4

City and Borough Council

3

Note:
The table shows the number of purchasing points it was set up around a trust having one purchasing point put in practice some may have more than one.
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