§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the action plans announced in his report Getting Ahead of the Game in January 2002 have been produced; when he intends to publish them; and if he will make a statement. [161139]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 15 March 2004]: The Department's infectious diseases strategy is entitled "Getting Ahead of the Curve" and identified four serious infectious disease problems requiring intensified or new control measures—health care associated infection, tuberculosis (TB), antimicrobial resistance and blood-borne and sexually transmitted viruses (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C).
The action plans for healthcare associated infection and antimicrobial resistance have been encompassed within the Government's recent policy document "Winning Ways—Working to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in England", published in December 2003 and available at http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/cmo/hai/winningways.pdf.
The TB action plan that will be published in the next few months.
"The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV Implementation Action Plan" was published in June 2002 and is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/ 1054W assetRoot/04/01/95/90/04019590.pdf. A hepatitis C action plan to implement our consultation paper, "Hepatitis C Strategy for England", will be published in the next few months. We are keeping under review the need for a specific action plan on hepatitis B.