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11 Mar 2010 : Column 468W—continued
HIV Infection and Hepatitis
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are working on policy on (a) HIV, (b) hepatitis B and (c) hepatitis C. [321149]
Gillian Merron: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Infectious disease | Whole - time equivalent (WTE) |
In addition, the Offender Health team provides 0.2 WTE for work on HIV and other blood borne viruses in the prison setting.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what epidemiology and surveillance studies commissioned by his Department are being undertaken into (a) HIV, (b) hepatitis B and (c) hepatitis C; [321150]
(2) how much was spent on surveillance and epidemiology of (a) HIV, (b) hepatitis B and (c) hepatitis C in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. [321151]
Gillian Merron: Information on epidemiology and surveillance studies commissioned by the Department is shown by financial year in the following table.
Influenza: Health Services
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that the findings from his assessment of the swine influenza pandemic campaign will inform planning for the NHS response to seasonal influenza. [321088]
Gillian Merron: We have already learned many lessons from the swine flu pandemic, which we are currently consolidating. The national response to the swine flu pandemic will be subject to rigorous scrutiny to assess its appropriateness, effectiveness and value for money, alongside local and regional reviews of the national health service response. The timetable for this work has not yet been finalised. The Department always evaluates its public communications campaigns and uses the results to inform planning for future activity. This information is also shared with those involved in communications in the NHS.
The Department is currently planning for the 2010-11 seasonal influenza vaccination programme. These and future plans will be informed by the experience from previous seasonal flu vaccination programmes, as well as the experience from the swine flu vaccination programme.
Mentally Ill: Community Care
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients subject to community treatment orders were referred to a doctor for a second opinion within 28 days of being released from hospital in each quarter since November 2008; how many doctors were available to provide second opinions for community treatment orders; and if he will make a statement. [321343]
Phil Hope: The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is responsible for the appointment of second opinion appointed doctors (SOADs) in accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983.
The first table shows, by quarter, the number of requests received by CQC for SOAD opinions in respect
of patients on community treatment orders (CTOs) between 3 November 2008 and 8 March 2010 and the proportion of such requests which were received within 28 days of start of the CTO. The table shows that, overall, 60 per cent. of requests were received within the 28 day period. To improve this position and to help ensure that all requests are received and allocated within the first 28 days, CQC has written to mental health
providers to ask that requests be submitted within 48 hours of the start of a CTO.
The second table gives information on the number of doctors on CQC's panel of doctors who are available to be appointed to give SOAD opinions in individual cases (the SOADs panel).
| Table: Requests for SOAD opinions for CTO patients by quarter, showing number and proportion received within first 28 days of the CTO | |||
| Quarter | Total requests received | Number of requests received with first 28 days | Proportion of total)(%) |
| (1) Information for the third quarter of 2008-2009 covers only the period from 3 November, when CTOs were first introduced, to 31 December. (2) Information for the current quarter is complete to 8 March 2010. S ource: Care Quality Commission. | |||
| Table: Number of doctors on CQC SOADs panel, by date. | |
| Number of SOADs | |
| Note: Doctors on the panel may not have been available to give SOAD opinions at all times during each period. Source: Care Quality Commission. | |
Methadone: Young Offenders
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 July 2009, Official Report, column 589W, on methadone: young offenders, if he will take steps to record information on the treatment of young offenders with methadone and subutex; and whether his Department has undertaken an evaluation of (a) the value for money and (b) effectiveness of the use of (i) methadone and (ii) subutex for the treatment of drug misuse amongst young offenders in custodial settings. [321632]
Phil Hope: As stated in the answer of 6 July 2009, information on the treatment of young offenders with methadone and subutex is not currently available.
A joint Home Office, National Treatment Agency and Department of Health project has redesigned the Drug Information Record (DIR) and Prison Activity Form which came into use on 1 April 2009. There are some changes to the DIR but most of the changes are to the Activity Form. The new Activity Form will be used for all new significant events (treatment starts and types of treatment, such as detoxification and maintenance prescription) for new clients and existing caseload clients.
The DIR form is used for data collection for all adults including those aged 18 to 20. As data quality improves, we hope to have accurate baseline data next year for this age group for 2010-11.
Clinical interventions (including methadone and subutex) for drug treatment, whether for detoxification or maintenance purposes, are delivered as part of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) and in line with the latest clinical guidelines.
Two providers are evaluating the impact of the implementation of the IDTS in prison and its effect on offenders, some of whom will be aged 18 to 20 years. Reports from the evaluation will be available in 2012.
Alongside the IDTS evaluation, Professor Lord Kamlesh Patel is chairing the Prison Drug Treatment Strategy Review Group. The group is specifically considering:
the key outcomes needed to reduce substance misuse, both in prison and on release into the community;
a set of national minimum standards for drug treatment in prison;
opportunities for achieving efficiency savings to invest in prison and community drug treatment services;
examining the case for prioritising the treatment needs for some drug dependent groups, both in prison and on release;
the commissioning models and funding streams at national, regional and local level in order to target services more effectively; and
systems for improved information sharing to support better quality performance management and case management.
This is a two-year work programme running from April 2009 to March 2011.
NHS: ICT
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of user minutes on the Lorenzo software system at each of the NHS sites at which it is installed in the most recent month for which information is available. [320916]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information necessary to derive such an estimate is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Respite Care: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the amount of funding received by Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust as a result of the additional funding for respite care announced on 10 March 2008 in each month to date; and under what budgetary heading such funding has been spent. [321604]
Phil Hope: The data are not held centrally.
£150 million is being given to primary care trusts (PCTs) within their baseline allocations to provide breaks for carers. The Department does not break down PCT revenue allocations by policies at either a national or a local level and there is no weighted capitation formula specific to carers that would allow needs to be accurately identified at the local level. It is therefore for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally, taking into account their local circumstances and priorities set out in the NHS Operating Framework.
Justice
Blackmail
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people convicted of the offence of blackmail since 1990 were sentenced to a period of imprisonment of seven years or more. [321277]
Claire Ward: The available information is provided in the table as follows:
| Custodial sentences of at least seven years for blackmail( 1) , 1993-2008 | |
| Total | |
| (1) S.21 Theft Act 1968. Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 2. The data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. The data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. | |
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