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3 Dec 2009 : Column 937W—continued

3 Dec 2009 : Column 938W

Health Visitors: Manpower

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed in (a) Chesterfield, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England in each year since 1997. [303972]

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors employed in Derbyshire and England since 1997 are given in the following table.

National health service hospital and community health services: Health visitors in England and the Derbyshire County primary care trust (PCT) area as at 30 September each year
H eadcount
	England	O f which: Derbyshire County PCT
1997	12,410	n/a
1998	12,572	n/a
1999	12,800	n/a
2000	12,827	n/a
2001	13,053	n/a
2002	12,774	175
2003	12,984	176
2004	13,303	179
2005	12,818	183
2006	12,034	173
2007	11,569	177
2008	11,190	172
n/a = Not available. We cannot accurately map figures for this organisation prior to 2002. Note: Derbyshire County PCT was formed in October 2006 from a complete merger of Amber Valley PCT, Chesterfield PCT, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT, Erewash PCT, High Peak and Dales PCT and North Eastern Derbyshire PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. Derbyshire County PCT covers the Chesterfield area. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census.

Homeopathy

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanisms NHS patients may choose homeopathic treatments. [303749]

Gillian Merron: Any patient wishing to receive any form of treatment should consult their general practitioner (GP) who would consider whether it was the best course of treatment for the individual's condition. The GP would need to satisfy themselves as to the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of the treatment and the availability of suitably qualified/regulated practitioners.

Hospice in the Weald: Finance

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the operating cost of the Hospice in the Weald was met from public funds in 2008-09; and if he will take steps to increase it. [303805]

Phil Hope: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide the level of funding they allocate to end of life care services, including local hospices, based on assessments of local needs and priorities.

The Department is making £286 million available over the two years to 2011 to support the implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy. Most of this money
3 Dec 2009 : Column 939W
has been allocated to PCTs. Hospices will be in a prime position to bid for extra funding from the national health service to support the delivery of many of the initiatives recommended in the strategy.

Hospital Beds

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed nights patients who were ready for discharge spent in hospital in each primary care trust in the last 12 months. [302553]

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts use the (a) 2001, (b) 2003 and (c) 2007 cleaning specifications as a basis for contracts with (i) cleaning contractors and (ii) in-house cleaning staff. [303703]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

The "National specifications for cleanliness in the NHS", most recently updated and published by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in April 2007, provide an assurance framework and set out cleaning standards to support trust compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008: "Code of practice for the NHS on the prevention of healthcare associated infection and related guidance".

Local trust managers are accountable for the effectiveness of their cleaning arrangements and it is for them to determine how to demonstrate the ways in which those services meet the requirements of the code of practice. Trusts are free to adopt the framework set out in the national specifications or an equivalent.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with (a) stab wounds and (b) gunshot wounds were admitted to each hospital trust in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in each of the last five years. [302922]

Gillian Merron: Information is not available in the format requested. The number of finished admission episodes for stab wounds and gunshot wounds at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust is shown in the following table.

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A count of finished admission episodes( 1) where the external cause code( 2) was injuries by knife or firearm at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust from 2008-09 to 2004-05( 3, 4)
	Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
	Knife	Gunshot
2008-09	30	*
2007-08	21	*
2006-07	19	*
2005-06	23	*
2004-05	13	*
(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. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) External Cause Codes The ICD-10 Code used to reflect injury by sharp object or firearm are: Knife Wounds W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger X78 Intentional self-harm by sharp object This code identifies self-harm by any sharp object, and therefore includes (but is not limited to) self-harm with a knife. X99-Assault by sharp object This code identifies assault by any sharp object and therefore includes but is not limited to assault with a knife. Gunshot Wounds W32-Handgun discharge W33-Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge W34-Discharge from other and unspecified firearms X72-Intentional self-harm by handgun discharge X73-Intentional self-harm by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X74-Intentional self-harm by other and unspecified firearm discharge X93-Assault by handgun discharge X94-Assault by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X95-Assault by other and unspecified firearm discharge Y22-Handgun discharge, undetermined intent Y23-Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y24-Other and unspecified firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y28-Contact with sharp object, undetermined intent Y35.0-Legal intervention involving firearm discharge Y36.4-War operations involving firearm discharge and other forms of conventional warfare (3) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. (4) Activity in English national health services Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with "*" (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital with knife wounds in (a) the North East and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997. [303104]

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the format requested. The Department does not hold data at constituency level. Information has been provided for the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA), the Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Redcar and Cleveland PCT. As part of the national health service organisation restructure in July 2006-07, Langbaurgh PCT merged with part of Middlesbrough PCT to form Redcar and Cleveland PCT.

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Information has been provided on the number of finished admission episodes for two clinical codes. Code x99 covers assault by a sharp object, and code w26 covers accidental contact knife, sword or dagger. Data for both these clinical codes have been provided for the
3 Dec 2009 : Column 942W
years 1996-97 to 2008-09. The data that are set out in the following table include all activity in NHS hospitals in England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by the NHS in England.

Count of admissions to hospital with knife wounds in the North East SHA, and Middlesbrough PCT and Redcar and Cleveland PCT, 1996-97 to 2008-09
	North East SHA		Middlesbrough PCT		Redcar and Cleveland PCT
	W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger	X99-Assault by sharp object	W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger	X99-Assault by sharp object	W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger	X99-Assault by sharp object
2008-09	348	393	30	25	26	20
2007-08	363	361	14	27	16	20
2006-07	362	359	26	42	11	18
2005-06	392	370	46	44	16	11
2004-05	429	384	39	53	24	15
2003-04	434	334	50	50	21	12
2002-03	370	332	46	60	13	10
2001-02	397	350	49	52	19	15
2000-01	336	287	51	49	15	8
1999-2000	339	293	47	41	9	10
1998-99	292	266	40	31	18	*
1997-98	258	247	29	36	12	*
1996-97	222	293	24	26	12	19
Notes: 1. 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. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. The SHA/PCT of residence contains episodes grouped according to the SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This reflects where the patients lived but does not necessarily reflect where they were treated, as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. As such, patients treated in the NHS in England but resident outside of England will be included. 3. To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with "*" (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. 4. HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. 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 via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 5. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for health and social care.

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