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12 Nov 2009 : Column 731W—continued
Princess Diana Hospital Grimsby: Manpower
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed at the Princess Diana Hospital in Grimsby (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [299627]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The number of national health service staff in the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as at 30 September each year is shown in the following table.
| National health service hospital and community health services | ||
| Headcount | ||
| 1997 | 2008 | |
| Notes: 1. In 2002, North East Lincolnshire NHS Trust and Scunthorpe and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust merged to form Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust. Figures for 1997 are an aggregate of these two predecessor organisations. 2. Data are not available at an individual hospital level on the work force census. The Princess Diana Hospital in Grimsby is part of the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 3. Data Quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts 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. Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. | ||
Rheumatology: East Midlands
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average waiting times were for rheumatoid arthritis patients for follow-up consultations with a rheumatology specialist in (a) North West Leicestershire constituency and (b) the East Midlands in each year since 2001. [299868]
Ann Keen: The Department does not collect waiting times data for follow-up consultations at specialty level.
Data published by the Department, Department of Health Monthly Activity Return (MAR) and Quarterly Activity Return (QAR), looking on an all-speciality basis show that the ratio of subsequent attendance (follow-up) to first out-patient appointment has remained broadly stable over the last three years at around two (subsequent attendances) to one (first out-patient appointment).
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access of rheumatoid arthritis patients to specialist multi-disciplinary teams in (a) North West Leicestershire and (b) the East Midlands; [299870]
(2) what recent assessment has been made of the quality and consistency of (a) ongoing care and (b) specialist care for rheumatoid arthritis patients in (i) North West Leicestershire constituency and (ii) the East Midlands. [299871]
Ann Keen: The Department has not made any specific assessment of access to or quality of care services for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
It is the responsibility of primary care trusts as commissioners of healthcare services to ensure that their populations have access to the services that they require.
The Department has published a good practice commissioning pathway for inflammatory arthritis. All 18 weeks commissioning pathways provide information to illustrate what services should be commissioned and provided in different levels of care.
Skin Piercing
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of banning ear and body piercing for under 16 year olds without parental consent; and if he will make a statement. [299851]
Gillian Merron: Ear and body piercing for cosmetic purposes are lawful and there is no statutory minimum age of consent. Minors are able to give valid consent if they are capable of understanding the nature of the act to be done.
There are no current plans to introduce legislation to make body piercing of minors a criminal offence, as introducing a minimum age of consent might result in children piercing themselves or each other in an unhygienic or unsafe manner or going to disreputable businesses.
Guidance on issues relating to the age of consent for cosmetic piercing is contained in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Local Authority Circular (LAC) 76/2:
"Enforcement of Skin Piercing Activities." This guidance recommends that businesses are advised to adopt reasonable age restrictions and involve parents where appropriate. The guidance is available on the HSE website at:
A copy has been placed in the Library.
Smoking: Death
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of smoking-related deaths. [298809]
Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to reducing the number of smoking-related deaths. Our comprehensive tobacco control strategy introduced in 1998. In England there are around 2.4 million fewer smokers, with smoking prevalence down from 28 per cent. in 1998 to 21 per cent. in 2007.
The existing six-strand tobacco strategy tackles smoking and the effects of smoke on other people. Our achievements over the past decade include:
comprehensively banning advertising of tobacco in print, on billboard and on the internet in 2003; introducing Smokefree legislation that made all enclosed public places and workplaces smokefree from 1 July 2007 to protect people from the harm caused by exposure to second-hand smoke; raising the age of sale of tobacco from 16 to 18-years-old in October 2008; introducing hard-hitting pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets in 2008; providing free NHS Stop Smoking Services in all areas across the country for the last 10 years, resulting in over four million quit dates being set and 70,000 lives being saved over the 10-year period.
In addition the Health Bill, which has just completed its stages in both Houses, includes provisions to remove tobacco displays from shops and prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines, primarily to reduce uptake of smoking by young people.
Smoking still kills more than 80,000 people in England each year, which is why we are to developing a new tobacco control strategy. The new strategy follows on from a successful public consultation-'Consultation on the Future of Tobacco control', which received nearly 100,000 responses. The new strategy will be published by the end of this year.
Smoking: Health Services
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the NHS Stop Smoking Service records people who after stopping smoking through use of the service subsequently start smoking again and are referred back to the service; [299571]
(2) what records are kept by the NHS Stop Smoking Service of the proportion of those recorded as giving up smoking who (a) remain non-smokers and (b) start smoking again; [299572]
(3) what checks his Department carries out on the accuracy of statistical records kept by the NHS Stop Smoking Service. [299573]
Gillian Merron: The information requested is not available centrally.
The provision of free national health service stop smoking services across England for the last 10 years has resulted in over 4 million quit dates being set and 70,000 lives being saved over the 10 year period.
Records of quit attempts are collected and managed at local level by the NHS Stop Smoking Service. "NHS Stop Smoking Services: Service and monitoring Guidance 2009-10" gives advice on client relationships and how best to draw on experiences from previous quit attempts. The guidance also contains clear recommendations regarding biochemical validation (carbon monoxide monitoring) of clients who report having stopped smoking at the four week point.
A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library.
Swine Flu: Vaccination
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has taken to assess whether the target groups for swine influenza vaccine received the vaccine; [299747]
(2) what instructions have been given by his Department to primary care trusts on the distribution of swine influenza vaccine. [299748]
Gillian Merron: The director of NHS Flu Resilience wrote to primary care trust (PCT) chief executives on 16 September, 15 October and 3 November 2009 setting out the planning and delivery expectations for local delivery of the swine flu vaccination programme. In addition, the Chief Medical Officer wrote to the NHS on 15 October 2009 giving more detail around how the vaccination programme would roll out. The letters have been placed in the Library.
PCT progress in leading the local delivery of the vaccination programme is closely overseen by strategic health authority (SHA) pandemic-flu leads. These SHA leads meet on a regular basis with departmental officials to review and resolve any issues that have arisen. Data are being collected about uptake of vaccination in the priority high risk groups and NHS staff.
Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for what reasons the administration of the swine influenza vaccination to priority groups was delayed; [299807]
(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all general practitioner surgeries use the same list of priority groups to be offered the swine influenza vaccine; [299808]
(3) for what reasons non-frontline medical staff are being offered the swine influenza vaccine ahead of stated priority groups; [299809]
(4) for what reasons a three-week period must elapse between the delivery of each batch of the swine influenza vaccine to a general practitioner surgery. [299810]
Gillian Merron: There has been no delay to the swine flu vaccination programme. The speed of distribution of vaccine to the national health service has been governed by the rate of deliveries of licensed vaccine from the manufacturer.
Initial supplies of vaccine reached NHS trusts on 21 October and primary care trusts on 26 October, in order to vaccinate frontline health care workers and in-patients in the priority at risk groups.
Distribution of vaccine to general practitioner practices has been carried out over a three week period. This has been governed by the rate at which we have received deliveries from the vaccine manufacturers.
The priority groups for vaccination, including frontline health and social care workers, were identified in the letter from the chief medical officer dated 13 August a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, and this has been reiterated in subsequent communications to NHS staff. The implementation of this work is the responsibility of local NHS organisations.
Local decisions about which staff are providing frontline healthcare are being made on a pragmatic basis to ensure that staff are able to effectively protect themselves, their patients and their colleagues.
Tobacco: Advertising
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect on retailers of the prohibitions on tobacco advertising. [300074]
Gillian Merron: The Department is in close contact with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the subject of tobacco advertising; paying particular attention to any impact which regulation may have on retailers and others.
The reduction in the prevalence of tobacco advertising has contributed to the declining prevalence of smoking and to the protection of young people from campaigns aimed at recruiting new smokers. This progress has been achieved without any significant adverse impact on retailers.
Tobacco: Young People
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the merits of making it an offence for a young person aged under 18 years to attempt to buy cigarettes and tobacco for the purposes of preventing such behaviour; and if he will make a statement. [298657]
Gillian Merron: Protecting young people from smoking was a key theme of the 2008 Consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control and will be one of the overarching goals of the new tobacco control strategy that will be published by the end of this year.
The Government believe that reducing the availability of tobacco through the enforcement of existing legislation, while using supportive means to prevent young people taking up smoking, is preferable to introducing new legislation which would criminalise youth. In addition to the existing legislation, the Health Bill which has just completed its stages in both Houses, introduces provisions to remove tobacco displays from shops and prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines, primarily to reduce uptake of smoking by young people.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many departmental trade union side officers are employed by his Department; and how many full-time equivalent staff members exclusively undertake union activities. [299295]
Phil Hope: The Department formally recognises three trade unions:
Public and Commercial Services union (PCS);
FDA; and
Prospect.
Four union officials (3.2 whole-time equivalents) are employed exclusively on union duties in the Department.
Currently there are three full-time elected roles for the PCS, each exclusively undertaking union activities, but totalling 2.6 whole time equivalents. Prospect has one official working part-time (0.6 whole time equivalent) working exclusively on union activities. The FDA official does not work exclusively on union duties and is employed by one of the Department's policy directorates.
The unions also collectively elect two posts in the Departmental Trade Union Side team (1.6 whole-time equivalents).
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's departmental trade union side officers agreement. [299296]
Phil Hope: A copy of the Department's Facility Agreement with our three recognised unions has been placed in the Library.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes from his policy meeting with the Trades Union Congress and Unite of 10 September 2009. [299687]
Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health met with trade union representatives on 10 September 2009 for a discussion under Chatham House rules, and as such will be unable to release the minutes of the meeting.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has met trade union representatives since June 2009. [299688]
Ann Keen: Our records show that the Secretary of State for Health has met with trade union representatives seven times since June 2009.
Transplant Surgery: Bedfordshire
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from Mid Bedfordshire constituency have had transplant surgery in the UK since (a) January 2009 and (b) August 2009. [299080]
Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
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