§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the incidence of undetected cases of hepatitis C in England; and if he will make a statement; [162068]
(2) if he will estimate the incidence of (a) hepatitis C and (b) all liver disease in England in each year since 1990; [162071]
Finished admissions into National Health Service hospitals in England for liver disease 1995–96 to 2002–03 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 16,293 16,790 18,729 19,301 19,990 20,595 20,640 21,956 Note: Data in table refer to admissions where there has been a primary diagnosis of liver disease (i.e. ICD-10 K70-K77, Q44.6, B66.1, B66.3). Data are only available from 1995/96 because of changes in the way diagnoses are coded. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health The future incidence of hepatitis C and the associated burden of liver disease are not known. The Department is funding the Health Protection Agency, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council's Biostatistics Unit at Cambridge, to provide estimates in this area.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the level of need for liver transplantation in England in the next decade. [162072]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe growing success of liver transplantation means that more people are now being offered a transplant. It is estimated that the demand, particularly for alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C, will continue to grow slowly at a rate of 10–15 per cent. over the next five years.