§ Mr. John SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with deep vein thrombosis were treated by the NHS in(a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [61520]
§ Ms BlearsThe information shown in the table is the number of admissions to national health service hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was deep vein thrombosis.
Year Finished consultant episode 1998–99 24,871 1999–2000 25,155 2000–01 24,903 Notes:
1. Admissions are defined as the first period of patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
2. Figures are only given for NHS hospital in-patient admissions; there are no figures available for patients diagnosed or treated elsewhere. The figures are the latest available.
3. The figures for 1998–99 to 1999–2000 are grossed for both coverage and invalid/unknown clinical data, but the figures for 2000–01 have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie it is ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code used: 180.2
§ Mr. John SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated time is between the formation of blood clots in the lower limbs of air travellers and the development of a deep vein thrombosis. [61521]
Ms Blears: The formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the lower limbs is a deep vein thrombosis. People who sustain a blood clot/deep vein thrombosis in the 558W lower limbs may or may not have symptoms. In those who do have symptoms, these may occur soon after and any time up to several weeks after the blood clot/ thrombosis occurred.
A two-year project by the World Health Organisation will start in June 2002 to establish whether there is a link between deep vein thrombosis and air travel.
§ Mr. John SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of long haul air travellers he estimates suffer from blood clots in their lower limbs; [61522]
(2) what proportion of deep vein thromboses treated by the NHS since 1999 have been air travel related. [61519]
§ Ms BlearsInformation on the proportion of deep vein thromboses treated by the national health service which may have been travel related is not collected.
We do not yet have sufficient scientific understanding of whether there are elements specific to the aircraft cabin environment that can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis. For this reason the UK Government fully support the World Health Organisation's research into air travel and venous thromboembolism and has agreed to provide up to £1.2 million in funding for this work. The two-year project will start in June 2002.
§ Mr. John SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what records are kept by the NHS on the incidence of thromboembolic diseases among air travellers; [61524]
(2) what plans he has to record the incidence of patients suffering from a deep vein thrombosis who have made a long haul flight up to four weeks before they contracted the disease. [61523]
§ Ms BlearsThe national health service does not currently record the travel history of patients with thromboembolic disease as a matter of routine. However, we recognise the importance of improving the understanding of any link between air travel and deep vein thrombosis. The United Kingdom Government therefore fully support the aims of the World Health Organisation's research into air travel and venous thromboembolism and have agreed to provide up to £1.2 million in funding for this work. The two-year project will start in June 2002.
Any future plans to record such information will be informed by the outcome of this research.