§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement of the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), of 22 January 2002,Official Report, column 732, what his policy is on recruitment of HIV-positive nurses to the NHS; and how many such nurses have been recruited. [30845]
§ Yvette CooperThe national health service does not target developing countries for recruitment of nurses and no recruitment activity is planned in countries of
1082W
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 25 February 2002]: The table lists expenditure for each of the 26 health action zones in the three years from 1999, and that envisaged for 2002–03, some £237 million. In addition, health authorities in HAZ areas have received targeted funding or health inequalities adjustment funding of £305 million in the same period.
sub-Saharan Africa, which have been hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. However, many developing countries have invited the UK to offer job opportunities to health care professionals, particularly to enhance their clinical practice and to benefit from further education and training in the NHS.
While the safety of patients is of paramount importance, it should be recognised that the procedures involved in most nursing duties do not pose a risk of HIV infection to patients, provided normal infection control precautions are observed. There have been no reported cases of HIV transmission from infected health care workers to patients in the UK.
Existing guidelines place health care workers who are or may be HIV infected under ethical and legal duties to protect the health and safety of their patients by seeking counselling and HIV testing if they believe they have been at risk of infection. If infected, they are required to seek and follow confidential occupational health advice about the need to modify or limit their working practices.
1083WInformation on the numbers of HIV infected nurses working in the NHS is not held centrally.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on HIV in the west midlands; and what measures are being taken to combat cases in Coventry. [37307]
§ Yvette CooperThe west midlands regional surveillance system of HIV provides an accurate picture of the epidemiology of HIV infection in the west midlands in order to ensure appropriate targeting of preventative interventions and to monitor progress in tackling the epidemic.
I am advised that Coventry health authority has highly proactive educational, preventive and support programmes that work with individuals and their families and various target groups. The health authority works closely with national health service providers as well as the Terrence Higgins Trust and has a continuous programme of needs assessment in order to tailor the services to the changing epidemiology. Coventry also has a well established needle and syringe exchange scheme.
In terms of funding, in 2001–02, the west midlands received £7.7 million for HIV treatment and care and £4.3 million for HIV prevention. During the same period, Coventry health authority received £481,000 for HIV treatment and £268,000 for HIV prevention.