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Back Pain
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the resources available for the treatment of back pain; and if he will make a statement. [23940]
Mr. Boateng: The Government recognise that back pain is a serious health problem and its treatment involves a wide range of services within the National Health Service. Health Authorities are given general allocations for hospital and community health services to commission health care services for their resident population. General practitioners provide general medical services. It is currently for individual health authorities to decide the level and type of services commissioned in partnership with GPs locally and through consultation with other agencies and local people, taking account of local circumstances and national policies.
Drug Addicts
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available for drug addict patients in the Northumberland Health Authority area. [24025]
Ms Jowell: None. Northumberland Health Authority has a contract with Newcastle City Health National Health Service Trust for access to a range of services, including in-patient admissions at the Regional Addictions Service at Plummer Court.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug addict patients were treated for detoxification in Blyth Valley (a) in 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996 and (d) 1997; and how many returned for detoxification again. [24024]
Ms Jowell:
Information in the form requested is not collated by Northumberland Health Authority or the Community Substance Misuse Team.
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 598
Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly mental illness beds Northumberland Health Authority provides. [23987]
Mr. Boateng:
Northumberland Health Authority directly (or indirectly through a Total Fund managed by general practitioners in Tynedale) purchases in-patient mental health care for elderly people from the Northumberland Mental Health National Health Service Trust in the following locations.
| Location | Number of beds | Type of service |
|---|---|---|
| Tynedale Social Services | 20 | Assessment, respite and continuing care |
| Berwick Infirmary | 6 | Assessment, respite and continuing care |
| Blyth Social Services | 8 | Assessment, respite care |
| Blyth Community Hospital | 14 | Continuing care |
| St. George's Hospital | 20 | Assessment, respite care |
| St. George's Hospital | 46 | Continuing care and respite care |
| St. George's Hospital | 20 | Assessment/treatment of elderly functionally ill |
Source:
Northumberland Health Authority, January 1998.
Methadone
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in Blyth Valley are injecting Methadone. [24021]
Ms Jowell: We do not hold the information requested centrally, although the Department of Health's Statistical Bulletin "Drug Misuse Statistics" for the six month period ending 31 March 1996 includes some related data for Northumberland and copies have been placed in the Library.
Northumberland Health Authority report that since the introduction of the Blyth Pilot Supervised Methadone Administration scheme in November 1996 the leakage of methadone onto the illegal market has been reduced, if not eliminated, and the police have not recovered any methadone in Blyth.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are being prescribed Methadone under supervision in Blyth Valley through the Methadone clinic, substance misuse team and family doctors. [24023]
Mr. Milburn:
The Northumberland Health Authority has reported that at the end of November 1997 a total of 69 individuals were supported within the Blyth Pilot Supervised Methadone Administration Scheme.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data he has collated on medical surveys in the United Kingdom linking dust from opencast mining with high levels of illness among those living close to the workings. [24035]
Ms Jowell:
The Department of Health, jointly with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, is currently funding a project designed to look
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 599
at the effects of opencast mining on health. This project, which started in August 1996, is being undertaken at Newcastle University and is due to be completed this year. The research will improve our understanding of this issue substantially.
The Department is also aware of a recently published study of air pollution and lung function which was undertaken in West Wales and this is currently being considered. A view on the implications, if any, of opencast mining on the health of the local community arising from this study will be issued later in the year.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to fund research into the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. [24042]
Mr. Boateng:
Department of Health officials, including professionals, are keeping the available research into the therapeutic use and risks of cannabis under review. Since 1996, expenditure on this activity through the Policy Research Programme has amounted to £10,705. The Department has not recently commissioned basic research in this area. The Medical Research Council provides support for two grants in the general area of therapeutic use of cannabis, amounting to £149,000, both on the role of cannabinoid receptors. The MRC do not support any work specifically into the treatment of particular conditions with cannabis.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times cannabis was prescribed in England between 1968 and 1971; and for which illnesses. [24038]
Mr. Boateng:
In this period data for 1970 only are held. In 1970 no prescriptions were dispensed for cannabis.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to meet the British Medical Association to discuss the therapeutic use of cannabis. [24327]
Mr. Boateng:
We have no plans to meet the British Medical Association (BMA) to discuss the therapeutic use of cannabis in the near future. However, the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health officials are meeting with the BMA on 10 March to discuss this issue.
Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity hospitals in England are isolated from pathology, radiology, intensive care and other general hospital facilities; and what are (a) their locations and (b) their approximate distance from such facilities. [23911]
Mr. Milburn:
The information requested is not held centrally. It is for health authorities and National Health Service trusts to organise local services to meet local needs.
Mr. Syms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates his Department has made of the likely amount to be spent on research into diabetes in the current year; and how this compares with spending in the last five years. [23914]
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 600
Ms Jowell:
It is estimated that in the 1997-98 financial year the Department of Health's Policy Research Programme will spend £266,000 on research into diabetes. The total value of studies currently being funded is £1 million.
This compares with funding over the last five years of:
A range of research projects related to diabetes is also being carried out under the centrally funded National Health Service Research and Development Programmes. For example, a study of digital imaging techniques for monitoring diabetic retinopathy will cost £388,644 in total.
The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council. The Council spends approximately £3 million a year on research directly into diabetes.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the impact on the number of deaths caused by air pollution of the introduction and use of unleaded fuel. [24039]
Ms Jowell:
The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) has recently published a major report quantifying the health effects of air pollution. The Committee concluded that current levels of air pollution probably play an important role in precipitating the deaths of at least 12,000-24,000 people each year, though stressed that air pollution is likely to be one of a number of factors affecting the clinical condition of seriously ill people.
COMEAP was able to estimate the health effects for sulphur dioxide, particles and ozone only where a reliable assessment using available scientific evidence could be made and this did not include lead.
1992-93: £189,000
1993-94: £288,000
1994-95: £366,000
1995-96: £488,000
1996-97: £434,000.
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