Lung Diseases
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he gave to the draft National Strategy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma in England prior to his Department’s publication of (a) his Department’s White Paper on Liberating the NHS and (b) Transparency in Outcomes framework; and if he will make a statement. [29739]
Mr Simon Burns: We will shortly publish our response to the recent consultations on the “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” White Paper and on the Transparency in Outcomes Framework. The objective of the proposed reforms set out in both documents is to improve care quality, and therefore outcomes for all patients in England, including those with long-term conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
Memory Clinics
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the average waiting time from referral to consultation at a memory clinic in (a) England and (b) a (i) rural and (ii) urban area. [30345]
Paul Burstow: The Government believe that early diagnosis of dementia through established or new memory services for diagnosing dementia ensure that those with dementia receive the right care and that they and their carers are given access to other avenues of post diagnostic support and help. Clinicians have an important part to play and are responsible for referring those showing early signs of dementia to these services in the early stages of the disease so that they can gain maximum benefit.
The Department does not collect the information requested and we are unable therefore to estimate the average waiting time from referral to consultation at a memory clinic in England and rural and urban areas.
Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen
Mr Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is being made in the NHS for the mental health needs of former military personnel recently returned from active duty. [30050]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Government are committed to providing effective, through-life, mental health services for our service and ex-service personnel.
The Prime Minister asked my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) to conduct an independent study into the provision of Ministry of Defence and national health service support and services to the armed forces and ex-service personnel and to make recommendations for improvement, particularly in the area of mental health.
His report, “Fighting Fit”, has been welcomed by the Government and his recommendations regarding veterans are being taken forward by the Department.
These include an additional 30 full-time NHS staff to work with veterans, access to an online counselling service, improved training for general practitioners and better information to veterans themselves about how they can obtain help.
Progress on these and other measures will be assessed in autumn 2011.
Muscular Dystrophy: Physiotherapy
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on improving the provision of specialist neuromuscular physiotherapy for people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions; and if he will make a statement. [29737]
Paul Burstow: Physiotherapy can help manage the physical deterioration associated with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions.
Physiotherapists have a key role to play in reducing waiting times, improving access and choice, providing more personalised services closer to home, improving the quality of life of their patients. It is for local national health service organisations to decide how best to use the funds allocated to them to meet health needs.
National Spinal Cord Injury Strategy Board
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made on establishing the National Spinal Cord Injury Strategy Board. [29666]
Paul Burstow: The National Spinal Cord Injury Strategy Board (NSCISB) was established in March 2010 and has met four times. Membership includes the eight specialised spinal cord injury centres in England, the 10 specialised commissioning groups, service users and other stakeholders.
Information about the NSCISB can be found at:
www.secscg.nhs.uk/home/national-spinal-cord-injury-strategy-board
NHS Litigation Authority
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases the National Health Service Litigation Authority ended by settlement after (a) the case was set down for trial and (b) a defence denying liability was served in each of the last three years; [28776]
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(2) how many cases the National Health Service Litigation Authority has (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully defended at full trial in each of the last three years. [28777]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not made an estimate because the information is not available centrally and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
NHS: Negligence
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to amend the present system of claims for lower-value clinical negligence cases. [29413]
Mr Simon Burns: Following the publication of Lord Young of Graffham's report, ‘Common Sense Common Safety’ (Cabinet Office, October 2010), the Department is exploring with the Ministry of Justice how the Road Traffic Accident Scheme can be extended to cover low value clinical negligence claims.
NHS: Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid to officials in each (a) primary care trust and (b) strategic health authority in bonuses in each of the last five years. [27491]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department holds some information on performance related pay for very senior managers (chief executives, executive directors and other senior managers with board level responsibility) that are employed by strategic health authorities (SHAs) on the pay framework for very senior managers, which was introduced in 2006. A copy of the framework has been placed in the Library.
The Department does not hold information on performance related pay for very senior managers employed in primary care trusts (PCTs), other groups of national health service staff not covered by the pay framework, or NHS staff employed on local arrangements which were in place before the introduction of the pay framework.
The performance related pay scheme which applied to SHA very senior managers in the period from 2007-08 (to recognise performance in 2006-07) to 2010-11 (to recognise performance in 2009-10) was in the form of non-consolidated, non-pensionable one off payments. As explained in the pay framework, payments are authorised subject to the approval of the ‘grandparent’ organisation. For very senior managers in SHAs this is the Department of Health.
The value of the performance related pay pot is subject to affordability and an absolute ceiling that the total cost of performance related pay must not exceed 5% of the reckonable pay bill for all very senior managers within the relevant bonus pool. For the 2006-07 performance year, the Department operated a national performance related pay pool, whereby the combined total of performance related pay for all very senior managers in SHAs was not allowed to be in excess of the 5% ceiling of total SHA very senior manager pay bill. In subsequent years, the pool was at an individual organisational level, rather than national.
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Where an organisation fails to meet its financial control target, all of its very senior managers will be treated as ‘Category D—not satisfactory’ performers and will not receive an annual uplift or performance related pay.
The table shows the total amount of performance related pay paid to the very senior managers employed on the pay framework in each SHA, and the value of the performance related pay as a percentage of each
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SHA’s total very senior manager pay bill. We understand that some very senior managers may have chosen not to receive performance related pay.
The table also shows the value of the total amount of performance related pay paid to all SHA very senior managers in each year, and the value of the total performance related pay as a percentage of the total SHA very senior manager pay bill.
| SHA | 2006-07 (in recognition of performance in 2005-06) | 2007-08 (in recognition of performance in 2006-07) | 2008-09 (in recognition of performance in 2007-08) | 2009-10 (in recognition of performance in 2008-09) | 2010-11 (in recognition of performance in 2009-10) |
NHS: Private Sector
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of expansion in NHS activities that will be contracted to the private sector by 2015. [29481]
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Mr Simon Burns: We have not made any estimate on the proportion of expansion in national health service activities that will be contracted to the private sector by 2015.
Nutrition
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many open meetings he has held to discuss nutrition policy since his Department assumed responsibility for the nutrition functions of the Food Standards Agency. [29794]
Anne Milton: Since the Department assumed responsibility for the nutrition functions of the Food Standards Agency, nutrition policy has been discussed with stakeholders in relation to the Government's Responsibility Deal. Discussions have taken place within the Responsibility Deal's Food network and three meetings have been held to date.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent of any (a) duplication of functions, (b) policy overlap and (c) additional regulation in respect of nutrition policy since his Department assumed responsibility for the nutrition functions of the Food Standards Agency. [29795]
Anne Milton: The transfer of nutrition policy in the Department has delivered the key benefit of bringing together public health issues for England into one Department, as an early step towards the implementation of a new public health system in England. No assessment has been made regarding duplication of functions, policy overlap and additional regulation in respect of nutrition policy since the Department assumed responsibility for the nutrition functions of the Food Standards Agency.
Organs: Donors
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the merits of an opt-out organ donation system; and if he will make a statement. [30136]
Anne Milton: The Independent Organ Donation Taskforce recommended against presumed consent in 2008, concluding that although such a system might have the potential to deliver benefits it would also present significant difficulties, which might not bring about the desired increase in donation rates. Instead, the Taskforce recommended that efforts should concentrate on implementing the recommendations in their first report which they believe should lead to an increase of at least 50% in donation rates by 2013. Currently donation rates are around 20% higher than the baseline year of 2007-08 and around 1 million more people have signed up to the organ donation register.
The Welsh Assembly Government have proposed in their legislative programme, a Legislative Competence Order (LCO) to introduce an opt out system of organ donation in Wales. Officials from the Wales Office and the Welsh Assembly Government are working closely with the Department as these proposals are considered. Government ministers will comment as the process develops.
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Pain: Health Services
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on patients of the reductions in NHS pain management sessions. [29935]
Paul Burstow: National health service commissioners are responsible for achieving the best possible outcomes for their patients within the resources available. We recognise that specialist pain management clinics can be a very successful model for helping people with chronic pain, but it is for local commissioners working together with clinicians and patients to determine the precise arrangements best suited to meet local needs.
We have made no such assessment.
Skin Cancer
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of and mortality rates from malignant melanoma. [29544]
Paul Burstow: Malignant melanoma is caused by long-term exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) light in sunlight. To reduce incidence and mortality rates of the disease, we are supporting SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign run by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) on behalf of the UK health departments. SunSmart raises awareness among the public and health care professions about the causes of skin cancer, how to prevent it, and the importance of early detection, presentation and treatment. In 2010-11, the Department is funding a further year of the CRUK SunSmart campaign for England on skin cancer prevention.
We are also introducing legislation to protect young people from the UV light that sunbeds provide. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 comes into force on 8 April 2011, and will serve to prevent people under the age of 18 from using sunbeds on commercial premises, by making it an offence for sunbed operators to allow people under the age of 18 to access sunbeds on their premises.
Skin Diseases
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to draw up a National Quality Standard on inflammatory skin diseases; [30334]
(2) what plans his Department has to draw up a National Quality Standard on (a) psoriasis and (b) eczema. [30335]
Mr Simon Burns: The case for developing a Quality Standard on inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis and eczema, will be considered as part of work to commission a comprehensive library of such Standards from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, in line with plans set out in the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS”.
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Skipton Fund
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many widows of haemophiliacs have received the first stage payment from the Skipton Fund to date. [28102]
Anne Milton: The Skipton Fund reports that approximately 30 first stage payments have been made to the estates of applicants with haemophilia who would have been eligible for this payment had they not died (after 29 August 2003). Figures are not available on whether the main beneficiary of the estate was the widow.
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many widows of haemophiliacs are in receipt of regular payments from the public purse as a result of their husbands' death attributable to contaminated blood products provided by the NHS. [28103]
Anne Milton: The Macfarlane Trust reports that it makes regular payments to between 50 and 60 widows of haemophiliacs whose husbands' death was attributable to contaminated blood products provided by the national health service.
Slaughterhouses
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many slaughterhouses were closed in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and for what reason in each case. [29803]
Anne Milton:
In 2000 there were 509 approved slaughterhouses in Great Britain submitting throughput information to the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). In the
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following 10 years, the number of approved slaughterhouses submitting throughput information fell in accordance with the following table.
| Year (1) | Number in operation | Reduction from previous year |
| (1) From January to December in each year. (2) Figure as at 7 December 2010. | ||
On 1 April 2010 the MHS merged with the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
While reasons for closure of an approved slaughterhouse may be known at a local level this information is not available from the FSA central database.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many slaughterhouses are registered in each county; and how many were so registered in (a) 1980, (b) 1983, (c) 1987, (d) 1992, (e) 1997, (f) 2001, (g) 2005 and (h) 2008. [29838]
Anne Milton: The Meat Hygiene Service was established on 1 April 1995 therefore data are only available from that year.
The following tables set out the number of approved slaughterhouses in Great Britain (GB), broken down by country and county, for the years 1997, 2001, 2005, 2008 and 2010.
| England | |||||
| County | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2008 | 2010 (1) |
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| Scotland | |||||
| County | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2008 | 2010 (1) |
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| Wales | |||||
| County | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2008 | 2010 (1) |
| Year (2) | GB totals |
| (1) Figures as at 9 December 2010. (2) From January to December in each year. | |
Spinal Injuries
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the capability of the NHS to treat people with spinal cord injuries. [29668]
Paul Burstow: In 2005, the Department published the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions, a 10-year plan to raise the standard of treatment, care and support for people with long-term neurological conditions, including those living with spinal cord injury, across local health and social care services. It is the responsibility of local health bodies to ensure they commission local, and specialised, spinal injury services to meet the need of those living with spinal injuries.
We have made no assessment of the capability of the national health service to treat people with spinal cord injuries.
Spinal Injuries: Bassetlaw
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS medical facilities there are for the treatment of spinal cord injuries for residents of Bassetlaw. [29667]
Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally. This information may be available directly from Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust.
Strokes: East Midlands
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has received representations from non-executive directors of (a) Bassetlaw primary care trust, (b) Doncaster primary care trust and (c) Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on stroke treatment in the last 12 months. [29745]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has received no representations on stroke treatment from non-executive directors of these national health service organisations in the last 12 months.
Surgery
Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the NHS of (a) an elective and (b) a non-elective surgical episode (i) in England and (ii) in each primary care trust was in the latest year for which figures are available. [29926]
Mr Simon Burns: Average unit cost data for a wide range of procedures are submitted to the Department by providers of national health service services (acute trusts and primary care trust (PCT) provider arms) through the annual reference cost collection. 2008-09 is the most recent year for which reference cost data have been published.
It is not possible to separately identify average unit cost data for “surgical episodes”.
2008-09 average unit cost data for elective and non-elective in-patient procedures reported by acute trusts and PCT provider arms are shown in the following table.
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| £ | ||
|
|
Unit cost (elective in-patient) | Unit cost (non-elective in-patient) |
| Source: Figures calculated from schedule 4 (NHS trusts and PCTs combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial year 2008-09 published at: www.dh.gov.uk/nhscosting | ||
2008-09 average unit cost data for elective and non-elective in-patient procedures reported by individual PCT provider arms are shown in the following table.
| £ | ||
| Organisation name | Unit cost (elective in-patient) | Unit cost (non-elective in-patient) |
| Note: The above table lists just those PCT provider arms for which activity and cost data were reported. Source: Figures calculated from schedule 4 (NHS Trusts and PCTs combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial year 2008-09 published at: www.dh.gov.uk/nhscosting | ||
Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding (a) the Medical Research Council and (b) the National Institute for Health Research has provided for surgical research in each year since 2000; [29927]
(2) how many surgical trials have been funded by (a) the Medical Research Council and (b) the National Institute for Health Research in each year since 2000. [29928]
Mr Simon Burns: Available Medical Research Council (MRC) spend figures on surgical research are as follows:
|
|
£ million |
It should be noted that these figures comprise research on the development and evaluation of surgical treatments/therapeutic interventions as defined by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration only, and do not include more underpinning research that is relevant to surgery. Earlier comparable figures are not available.
The MRC is funding three surgical trials through the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme. In addition, the MRC funds the Eagle trial—effectiveness of lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle closure glaucoma. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) was established in April 2006. The total value of awards
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made by NIHR for research relating to surgery, and the number of NIHR-funded surgical trials that commenced in each calendar year are shown in the table.
|
|
Total awarded (£ million) | Number of trials commenced (1) |
| (1) These figures include projects/programmes with a trial component | ||
In addition, the NIHR clinical research network provides national health service research infrastructure support to a wide range of trials and other clinical studies in surgery.
Teenage Pregnancy: Brighton
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnancies among those aged under 19 years were recorded in Brighton and Hove in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009. [30654]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated December 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many pregnancies among those aged under 19 years were recorded in Brighton and Hove in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009. [30654]
The Office for National Statistics produces statistics on conceptions which are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions. The table below provides the number of conceptions to women aged under 19 in Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority in 2007 and 2008, the most recent years for which figures are available.
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| Table 1: Conceptions to women aged under 19 (1) in Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority (2) in 2007 and 2008 | ||
|
|
2007 | 2008 |
| (1) Under 19 years at estimated date of conception. (2) Based on boundaries as of August 2010. | ||
Further information about conception statistics is published on the Office for National Statistics website:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=15055
Tobacco: Retail Trade
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the implementation of regulations requiring (a) tobacco to be removed from display in shops and (b) the ending of sale of tobacco from vending machines. [29738]
Anne Milton: The Government are looking at options around the display of tobacco in shops, recognising the need to take action both to reduce tobacco consumption and to reduce burdens on businesses. No decisions have yet been made.
Legislation prohibiting the sale of tobacco from vending machines will come into effect on 1 October 2011. On 1 December, the court handed down judgment dismissing the judicial review claims by Sinclair Collis (wholly owned by Imperial Tobacco) against this legislation.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to question 26376, on funding of disabled children's services, tabled on 22 November 2010 for ordinary written answer. [29611]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave her on 1 December 2010, Official Report, column 894W.