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2 Dec 2009 : Column 741W—continued
Ambulance Services: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of blue light emergency cases in the London Borough of Bexley were taken to (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich and (c) Darenth Valley Hospital, Dartford, in the last three years for which figures are available. [302592]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We do not hold reliable information in the form requested. We have some experimental data but they are poor in quality and unreliable.
Brain Cancer
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the standard of treatment of acoustic neuromas; what steps his Department is taking to raise the level of public awareness of that condition; and if he will make a statement. [303043]
Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the standard of treatment of acoustic neuromas. The NHS Choices website at:
contains detailed information suitable for health professionals and the general public on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this rare neurological condition.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the (a) number and (b) percentage of mammogram scans which are reviewed by (i) one and (ii) two clinicians; and if he will make a statement. [302653]
Ann Keen: Information collected for 2007-08 by the Cancer Screening Evaluation Unit showed that over 95 per cent. of mammogram screens were read by two qualified readers. This is the latest period for which information is available. There were 1.7 million women were screened in this period.
Cancer: Health Services
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the level of availability of (a) dialysis and (b) cancer services for residents of the London Borough of Bexley. [302103]
Ann Keen: Information on the local availability of dialysis and cancer services is not collected centrally.
Chlamydia: Screening
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of young (a) males under 24 years old and (b) other people participating in Chlamydia screening. [302404]
Gillian Merron: In July 2009 the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) published "Involving young men in Chlamydia screening; a practical guide" aimed at improving access to high quality Chlamydia screening services for young men. The NCSP does monitor and publish on a quarterly basis the number of young male screened in the community.
On 30 November 2009, the Department and the Department for Children Schools and Families, together with the NCSP launched a new public information campaign to tackle the ongoing need to increase knowledge around sexual health, including Chlamydia screening, amongst young men and women.
In January 2010 the Department will be introducing a Chlamydia specific strand to this campaign to raise awareness of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme and to encourage people to accept a test when offered.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent press officers (a) are employed by and (b) work for his Department. [303600]
Phil Hope: As of 1 April 2009 the media centre employed 33 full-time and two part-time press officers, making a total of 34.2 full-time equivalent press officers. This figure includes four full-time members of staff who joined the media centre from NHS Connecting for Health following the merger of the media relations functions of the two organisations in April 2009.
Departmental Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he last travelled by (a) bus and (b) taxi in the course of his official duties. [302721]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not held by the Department.
Doctors: Working Hours
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the Royal College of Surgeons on the European Working Time Directive. [303054]
Ann Keen: We are in monthly contact with the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges meetings, the National European Working Time Directive Reference Group and the Medical Education England Programme Board of which RCS is a member. There are also other meetings. The RCS recently published their college policy document.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he took of representations from the Royal College of Surgeons on the European Working Time Directive before the implementation of that Directive; and if he will make a statement. [303055]
Ann Keen:
Before 1 August 2009 we had been in regular contact with Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), the Academy of Royal Colleges and the National European Working Time Directive (EWTD) Reference Group of
which RCS is a member. There have also been meetings between RCS and the Departments National Clinical Advisor for EWTD and other officials.
Heart Diseases: Children
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the report of the National Specialised Commissioning Group on children's cardiac surgery services in England; what considerations he is taking into account in respect of proposed reconfiguration of these services; and what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the level of specialisation required for children's heart surgery in the last three years. [302953]
Ann Keen: The National Specialised Commissioning Group (NSCG) will publish recommendations on children's cardiac surgery services in England in September 2010. The considerations that will be taken into account by the NSCG are for children's heart surgery services and critical inter-dependent services to be high quality, safe, sustainable and accessible, with as many of the non-interventional elements of care being provided locally as is safe and sustainable.
The Department has not commissioned or evaluated research on the level of specialisation required for children's heart surgery but the NSCG will publish the evidence on which recommendations for reconfiguration are based in September 2010.
Herbal Medicine: Regulation
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to introduce statutory regulation of herbal medicine and herbal medicine practitioners. [302646]
Ann Keen: The Department has recently undertaken a consultation exercise on whether acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners should be regulated and if so how. Due to the overwhelming number of responses received it is likely to be the spring before the analysis is complete and a decision can be made on the way forward.
The regulation of herbal medicinal products is covered by provisions of European and United Kingdom legislation.
Internet: Health Hazards
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent studies his Department has carried out on the effect of wi-fi on the health of (a) people who are electro-sensitive and (b) others. [303441]
Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) advises the Government in relation to the protection of communities from radiation hazards, including those associated with exposure to non-ionising radiation such as the radio waves from wireless communication systems. The HPA has concluded that there is no consistent evidence to date that exposure to radio waves from wireless networks adversely affects the health of the general population and that there is no reason why schools and others should not use wi-fi equipment. The HPA also keeps the situation under review.
The HPA has reviewed technical standards and wireless equipment used in United Kingdom schools, and performed laboratory measurements with examples of typical equipment. The results are consistent with the position that exposures to the radio waves from Wi-Fi equipment are not expected to exceed internationally-accepted guidelines and that they are less than from mobile telephones. Further measurements in school classrooms are planned, as are computer modelling studies. Information about these studies is available on the HPA website at:
The Department of Health has not commissioned or undertaken any studies specifically on the effect of wi-fi on the health of people who are reportedly electrosensitive. The independently managed Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme, jointly funded by Government and industry, has investigated whether electrical hypersensitivity symptoms result from exposure to radiofrequency fields emitted by mobile telephones. In its 2007 report the MTHR Programme Management Committee concluded that the MTHR research results, taken together with earlier evidence, offered no support for this hypothesis. The MTHR report is available at:
Maternity Services: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of maternity services for residents in the London Borough of Bexley; and if he will make a statement. [302588]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the local national health service.
Mentally Ill: Children
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the incidence of mental illness amongst children in each of the last 12 years; and what recent assessment he has made of (a) trends in that incidence and (b) contributing factors to mental illness in children. [300666]
Phil Hope: This Department has not made its own estimates of the level of mental illness among children in each of the last 12 years. It commissioned the Office of National Statistics to carry out surveys in 1999 and 2004 on the mental health of children and young people in Great Britain. The 2004 survey found that nearly one in 10 children aged five to 16 had a clinically diagnosable mental disorder. The 1999 survey, which covered children aged five to 15, produced a similar result. Earlier surveys have shown that the proportion of young people with hyperactive or emotional problems increased significantly between 1974 and 1999 but this increase may not reflect and increase in incidence, but rather greater awareness of conditions. No recent assessments have been carried out on trends because of the difficulty in identifying the extent to which other factors, such as greater awareness of conditions, have contributed to changes in incidence.
A three-year study by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), commissioned by the Department and the Scottish Executive, "Three Years On: A survey of the emotional development and wellbeing of children and young people" published in October 2008 tracked the emotional wellbeing
of a sample of children and young people between 2004 and 2007 and reviewed the factors likely to be associated with the onset or persistence of mental disorders. The report is downloadable from the ONS website.
An independent CAMHS Review, commissioned by Ministers, reported in November 2008 setting out 20 recommendations to improve children and young people's mental health and psychological wellbeing. The full Government response to the CAMHS Review is to be published soon.
Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the oral answer of 13 October 2009, Official Report, column 135W, on Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, and pursuant to the oral answer of 24 November 2009, Official Report, columns 386-87, on parking charges (offsetting), what steps he plans to take to ensure that the programme to bring Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust back into surplus is not undertaken at the expense of staff, with particular reference to the level of car parking charges paid by staff of that trust. [302388]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for Mid Essex Hospitals Services NHS Trust. We are advised that the trust is forecasting a surplus for the 2009-10 financial year and it is working to phase out car parking charges for in-patients.
The Department's existing guidance will be reissued to ensure that all organisations providing services to national health service patients are clear about the expectations. Early next year, we will issue revised concession guidance and examples of best practice.
The Department works through the strategic health authorities to ensure that all the organisations forecasting an operating deficit are developing recovery plans to return to financial balance while maintaining and improving services to patients. All trusts must ensure that any profit generated from car parking is used to improve health services in the NHS trust.
MRSA: Screening
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress has been made towards meeting his Department's 2011 deadline for the screening of non-elective patients for MRSA; [302675]
(2) how many primary care trusts have started to screen non-elective patients for MRSA in advance of his Department's 2011 deadline for such screening. [302676]
Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of primary care trust commissioners of national health service services to put in place processes for assuring themselves that trusts are meeting this commitment.
NHS: Finance
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to NHS hospital trusts on budget deficits and safeguarding services. [302589]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has made it clear in its guidance to the national health service that proposed changes to NHS services will always be to the benefit of patients and be locally led by clinicians and based on the best available clinical evidence.
In addition, the local NHS will involve patients, carers, the public and other key partners. Those affected by proposed changes will have the chance to have their say and offer their contribution. NHS organisations will work openly and collaboratively.
The Department works through the strategic health authorities to ensure that all the organisations forecasting an operating deficit are developing recovery plans to return to financial balance while maintaining and improving services to patients.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts had a (a) budget surplus, (b) budget deficit and (c) balanced budget in each of the last three years. [303582]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Figures taken from the published NHS (England) Summarised Accounts for 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2006-07 show the following distribution of financial performance.
| Number of primary care trusts (PCTs) in surplus | Number of PCTs in deficit | Number of PCTs with break-even position | |
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