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18 Jan 2010 : Column 117W—continued

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for out-patient operations in each year since 1997. [310463]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The median waiting times for in-patient admissions and out-patient appointments is shown in the table.

Information on the average waiting time for out-patient operations is not collected centrally. While some procedures might take place in out-patients, when an operation is required this will most likely be in an in-patient setting either as a day case or overnight admission.

The in-patient/out-patient waiting times data do not indicate what treatment the patient received.

18 Jan 2010 : Column 118W

Median waiting time (weeks)
	Patients still waiting at period end		Patients seen during the quarter
Period ending:	In-patient	Out-patient	Out-patient
March 1997	13.2	n/a	n/a
June 1997	13.6	n/a	6.3
March 1998	14.9	n/a	6.4
March 1999	12.9	n/a	7.0
March 2000	12.9	n/a	7.7
March 2001	12.6	n/a	7.5
March 2002	12.7	n/a	7.6
March 2003	11.9	n/a	7.4
March 2004	10.2	n/a	7.1
March 2005	8.5	4.8	7.0
March 2006	7.3	3.7	6.1
March 2007	6.2	3.2	5.2
March 2008	4.5	2.6	n/a
March 2009	4.0	2.4	n/a
November 2009	4.2	2.8	n/a
Notes: 1. Out-patient waiting times are measured from referral by the general practitioner to first out-patient appointment to the consultant. 2. In-patient waiting times are measured from decision to admit to admission. 3. Out-patient commissioner data only available from June 1997. 4. Full out-patient waiting list only available from 2004-05, hence no median available on this basis before then. 5. Out-patient waiting times on a 'seen' basis ceased in September 2007. 6. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the average wait. Source: Department of Health QM08R, QFO1 and monthly monitoring collections

Influenza: Milton Keynes

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were administered (a) swine influenza vaccines and (b) seasonal influenza vaccines by the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust in 2008-09. [311097]

Gillian Merron: The total numbers of doses of swine and seasonal influenza vaccines administered by the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the 2008-09 seasonal influenza immunisation programme and up to 30 November 2009 in the 2009-10 seasonal and swine influenza immunisation programmes are given in the following table.

For seasonal influenza, a single dose of vaccine is given therefore, the figures equate to the number of people vaccinated. For swine influenza vaccine, most, but not all, people are given a single dose of vaccine (some are given two doses of vaccine). Therefore, the total number of people vaccinated will be a little less than the number of doses given (data on the number of people vaccinated are not yet available).

	2008-09( 1)	2009-10( 2)
Seasonal influenza vaccine	(3)30,011	(4,5)29,000
Swine influenza vaccine	-	(4,5)5,500
(1) Figures up to the end of the immunisation programme (31 January 2009). (2) Provisional figures collected part-way through the immunisation programmes (data available up to 30 November 2009). (3) Excludes vaccination of health care workers (HCWs) in Milton Keynes PCT for which there are no data. (4) Includes vaccination of HCWs in Milton Keynes PCT. (5) Approximate

Mental Health Services: Prisoners

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether steps have been taken to implement the new minimum target for the national health service of 14 days to transfer a prisoner with acute, severe mental illness to an appropriate health care facility. [311221]

18 Jan 2010 : Column 119W

Phil Hope: The cross-government delivery plan "Improving Health, Supporting Justice" published in November 2009, sets out the intention to introduce a 14-day transfer process for prisoners with acute, severe mental disorder under section 47 and section 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The Department has set up a prison transfer project to lead on the implementation of 14-day transfers. A national expert advisory group has been established to support the work of the project. This group comprises key stakeholders from the Her Majesty's Prison Service, the national health service, The Royal College of Nursing, the Care Quality Commission, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Mentally Ill: Young Offenders

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the recommendation of Lord Bradley's review of people with mental health problems or disabilities in the criminal justice system for a review to examine the potential for early intervention and diversion for children and young people with mental health problems or learning difficulties who have offended or who are at risk of offending. [310994]

Phil Hope: "Healthy Children, Safer Communities-A strategy to promote the health and well-being of children and young people in contact with the youth justice system" was published on 8 December 2009.

While this cross-government strategy sets out a wide vision for improving the health and well-being of children and young people in contact with the Youth Justice System (YJS), it also addresses the three recommendations about children in Lord Bradley's review of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system.

In relation to Lord Bradley's third recommendation for children, work is under way (under the Offender Health children and young people programme in the Department) to examine the potential for early intervention and diversion. This work will continue and will be overseen by the Healthy Children, Safer Communities Programme Board.

It includes evaluation of the Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion pilots and development of guidance arising from this strategy. In addition, a detailed paper about the health needs of children in contact with the YJS will be placed on the Department's website alongside the strategy in the first quarter of this year, followed at a later date by a paper on the evidence base for effective interventions. This paper will be linked to the guidance mentioned above.

A copy of the "Healthy Children, Safer Communities" strategy has already been placed in the House Library.

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust: Hospital Wards

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) mixed-sex and (b) single-sex wards there are in Mid Essex NHS Trust hospitals. [310738]

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.

18 Jan 2010 : Column 120W

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the operation of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. [311278]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: No. An independent inquiry chaired by Robert Francis QC is currently examining evidence relating to the operation of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced its establishment to the House on 21 July 2009, Official Report, columns 123-25W. The inquiry is due to report its findings to us by the end of this month.

Midwives: South East

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent midwives were in post at each hospital providing maternity services in the South East in each of the last five years. [310434]

Ann Keen: The information requested is shown in the following table.

18 Jan 2010 : Column 121W

National health service hospital and community health services: number of full-time equivalent midwives in each specified strategic health authority area by organisation as at 30 September each year
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area	1,312	1,320	1,325	1,382	1,413
Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust	77	84	80	88	90
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust	154	155	157	159	163
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust	73	73	65	76	85
East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust	175	178	183	191	201
East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust	143	144	148	148	138
Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	106	116	121	127	127
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust	146	143	145	140	142
Medway NHS Trust	121	116	116	117	115
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	1	1	-	-	-
Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust	79	72	76	76	82
Royal West Sussex NHS Trust	66	61	66	72	78
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	102	106	89	112	116
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust	70	71	79	77	77
South Central Strategic Health Authority area	1,248	1,187	1,145	1,255	1,301
Isle of Wight Healthcare Primary Care Trust (PCT)	44	46	46	46	44
Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust	101	104	116	121	132
Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust	88	42	3	76	91
Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust	162	142	134	152	145
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust	179	179	154	164	160
Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust	122	119	129	138	143
Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust	71	70	75	80	87
North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust	65	62	61	62	70
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust	251	254	255	253	264
Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust	166	168	172	164	163
Notes: 1. Some individual trusts' figures may in some years be subject to data quality issues. All figures are validated and signed off by trusts prior to publication. 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. '-' zero. 4. Data Quality. Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs 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. Source: The NHS information centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

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