| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment they have made of the strength of the arguments of the German government in relation to the conformity of the Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship Bill with the Technical Standards Directive and whether significant amendments will need to be made to the Bill.[HL5619]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The German Government have delivered a detailed opinion on the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill under the procedure in Article 9(2) of Directive 98/34/EC as amended (the Technical Standards Directive). The Government are currently considering this opinion.
National Health Service: Overseas Providers
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 23 July (WA 63), what principles will be used to determine which National Health Service bodies will enter into contracts with non-United Kingdom organisations to carry out operations on National Health Service patients in England; and how the nature of the contracts could affect those principles.[HL5621]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health is developing a number of approaches to using overseas providers to treat National Health Service patients in England. Different contractual arrangements are likely to be appropriate in different cases. In deciding which National Health Service bodies should enter into these contracts we will take account of who is best placed to commission and manage the services in a way which secures high clinical standards for patients and good value for money.
NHS: Treatment of Overseas Visitors
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what circumstances a visitor to the United Kingdom who is HIV positive is entitled to remain in the United Kingdom and receive, under the National Health Service, free treatment for the condition; and whether there is any time limit to how long such a person is allowed to remain; and[HL5651]
Whether they take steps to prevent or discourage those who do not hold United Kingdom passports from coming to Britain for treatment for HIV or AIDS.[HL5652]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The National Health Service is first and foremost for people who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. The services provided are free except in specified circumstances. Where a person is not ordinarily resident in the UK the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, require NHS trusts to establish if the person is liable to be charged under those regulations for any NHS treatment they receive and if so to recover such charges. Visitors to the UK are allowed to remain for a maximum of six months and are unlikely to be regarded as ordinarily resident for the purposes of these regulations but may fall under one of the exemptions from charges specified in the regulations.
The regulations provide that certain services are without charge in any circumstances. This includes an initial diagnostic test and any associated counselling for HIV/AIDS. If a person is liable for charges under the regulations then any treatment needed for HIV/AIDS other than the test and counselling will be subject to charges.
Entitlement to free treatment under the National Health Service is primarily based on residence not nationality and the type of passport held is therefore only relevant in relation to certain specified exemptions relating to member states and countries with which there are reciprocal healthcare agreements. The Department of Health has, with the help of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, arranged for publicity material explaining the charging regulations to be placed in British embassies and other diplomatic offices abroad to help bring them to the attention of people applying for admission to the UK.
A copy of the charging regulations has been placed in the Library.
NHS: Suspension of Consultants
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many hospital consultants have been suspended for six months or more in the North West of England in the years, 2000, 2001 and 2002 so far; in what specialities the suspended doctors have been working; and what were the ethnic groups,
- according to the 2001 national census, of the suspended doctors.[HL5680]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The following table shows the number of consultants suspended for six months or more, by speciality. We do not collect this information by ethnic group.
| Year | Speciality | Number |
| 2000 | Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 2 |
| General Surgeon | 3 | |
| Paediatric Anaesthetist | 1 | |
| Total | 6 | |
| 2001 | Ophthalmologist | 1 |
| Trauma & Orthopaedics | 1 | |
| General Surgeon | 2 | |
| Community Paediatrician | 1 | |
| Total | 5 | |
| 2002 | Obstetrics & Gynaecology | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government: What has been the outcome of hospital consultants suspended in 2000–02 for six months or more; and who in the National Health Service strategic health authorities monitors the suspension of hospital consultants.[HL5681]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health collects information on hospital medical staff and community dentists suspended for more than six months. Of the suspensions reported to be resolved, for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2002, the main categories were dismissal, resignation, retirement or reinstatement.
Responsibility for monitoring suspension of hospital and community medical and dental staff remains with the department via the regional directors of public health.
National Service Framework for Mental Health
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the National Service Framework for Mental Health does not include physiotherapy as a core service, despite the evidence of benefit from specialist physiotherapy to outcomes in mental health patients and its designation as a core service in the National Service Framework for Older People.[HL5685]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The NSF for mental health emphasises the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to care and treatment. However, it is not prescriptive about the numbers of different professionals needed. Instead, it emphasises the outcomes to be achieved, and the importance of evidence based practice. We know that people with severe mental illness may be at particular risk of physical ill health and Standard One (mental health promotion) the MHNSF states that "Exercise,
relaxation and stress management have a beneficial effect on mental health.'' The mental health Policy Implementation Guide (2001) also indicates that the evidence base supports the encouragement of regular exercise on a population-wide basis in the context of mental health promotion.Mental Health
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there is increasing use of evidence-based specialist physiotherapy in the management of patients with mental health problems.[HL5686]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health has made no assessment of trends or developments in the use of evidence-based specialist physiotherapy in the management of patients with mental health problems. However, standard one of the mental health National Service Framwork emphasises the benefits of a exercise, relaxation and stress management, and the Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide (2001) indicates that the evidence base supports the encouragement of regular exercise on a population-wide basis in the context of mental health promotion.
Blood and Blood Components: Safety
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of the Hepatitis C liability case A & others v. National Blood Authority & others, Burton J, 26th March 2001:
(a) whether they have full confidence in the safety of transfusion plasma that is currently being provided by the National Blood Service; and whether they will provide reassurance that as per Council of Europe guidelines all patients requiring transfusion plasma in the National Health Service will receive only virus inactivated products; and
(b) whether they will submit all blood and blood derivative products available in the United Kingdom to the Medicines Control Agency for licensing to ensure patient safety; whether legislative changes are needed to allow this, and whether they intend to make these changes; and[HL5669]
Given that fresh frozen plasma and methylene blue-treated fresh frozen plasma supplied by the National Blood Service are exempted from licensing by the Medicines Act and therefore also from control and regulation by the Medicines Control Agency, whether they will apply the obligatory safety monitoring and other patient safeguards, which are standard for licensed pharmaceutical products, to fresh frozen plasma and methylene blue-treated fresh frozen plasma.[HL5704]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The safety of blood and blood components used in the National Health Service is of paramount importance. Every reasonable step has therefore been taken to minimise any risk associated with fresh frozen plasma. However, it is not possible to guarantee that blood and blood components are 100 per cent safe.
We do not believe that the continued use of non-virally inactivated fresh frozen plasma is contrary to Council of Europe guidelines. Indeed, a number of other countries in Europe continue to provide this product to their patients.
There are no plans to submit blood and blood components to the Medicines Control Agency for licensing. We do not believe that doing so would confer any additional public health benefit. The Medicines Control Agency already ensures that the UK Blood Services meet European Good Manufacturing Practice standards. In addition, the new European Blood Directive will, when adopted, require the accreditation of all blood establishments to ensure common standards of safety and quality in blood and blood components across all Member States.
Serious adverse reactions and events associated with fresh frozen plasma, and all other blood components, are already monitored by the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) enquiry. SHOT is a voluntary scheme. However, 92 per cent of hospitals in the United Kingdom already participate in SHOT and recent guidance to the National Health Service on the appropriate use of blood asks all hospitals to do so. SHOT publishes an annual report, and a copy of the most recent (for 2000–01) has been placed in the Library.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page