Mental Health (Hansard, 7 September 2004)

§ Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2004,Official Report, column 1275W, on mental health, what percentage of NHS trusts provide single-sex accommodation for unplanned admissions. [186753]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
The information is not collected centrally.
National health service trusts should make every effort to ensure that all patients are cared for in single-sex accommodation. There may be occasions when the use of mixed sex accommodation is unavoidable. Hospitals will not turn patients away because a bed in a single-sex area is not available, and nor would we expect them to.
Emergency admissions may sometimes be placed in an area that houses both male and female patients. This is not ideal; but it is sometimes necessary, given that the NHS deals with almost four million emergency admissions each year.
1079W
Guidance on maintaining patient privacy and dignity issued to the service in 1997 advises that patients admitted under emergency procedures should be transferred into appropriate single-sex accommodation at the earliest possible opportunity; but at least within 48 hours. Where the use of mixed-sex accommodation is unavoidable, hospitals should have in place clear operational policies that minimise the impact of this situation until the patient can be moved to accommodation that is more appropriate.

§ Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to assist carers of patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease in Romsey. [186757]

§ Dr. Ladyman
All carers, including those caring for people with dementia, are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support. The new Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 introduces new provisions that will ensure that carers are made aware of this right.
The carers grant, worth £125 million this year, provides money for local councils to provide short breaks and services to cares to enable them to continue in their caring role. Carers are also entitled to cash payments for carers' services to enable them to purchase the type of support they require and promote a better quality of life.
The Department has also revised and updated, "Who cares? Information and support for the carers of confused people."
At a local level, the Eastleigh and Test Valley South Primary Care Trust, working with the Hampshire Partnership Trusts and the local social services, has developed a wide range of initiatives in both the acute and community setting which offer advice and support to patients with dementia, and their carers. This includes a carer's centre, jointly commissioned specialist services for carers provided by Southampton MIND, and regular carer's education and support sessions which are run by the local memory assessment and research centre.

§ Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the availability of drugs for treating advanced Alzheimer's disease in Romsey; [186758]
(2) how much was spent by the NHS on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's disease patients in Romsey in the latest year for which figures are available; [186759]
(3) how many advanced Alzheimer's disease patients are being treated in the Romsey constituency. [186760]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
Information on the number of advanced Alzheimer's disease patients being treated by individual primary care trusts (PCTs) is not collected centrally.
Data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community and the net ingredient cost are collected by the Prescription Pricing Authority. The total number of prescription items dispensed for dementia drugs and the net ingredient costs of these drugs, in the area covered by Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT in 2003–04 is shown in the table. It is not 1080W possible to provide a breakdown for expenditure on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's patients for Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT.

Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for
"Drugs for Dementia' (BNF 4.11, Treatment of Alzheimer's
Disease) dispensed in the community for Eastleigh and Test
Valley South PCT in 2003–04

Number of
prescription
items
(thousand)
Net ingredient
cost (£000)

Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT 2.9 298.0

England total 392.7 34,217.0

Notes:

PCA data covers all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.

Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.

Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost is provided.

Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.

The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.

Source:

Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data from the Prescription Pricing Authority.

The Department has not made an assessment of the availability of drugs for treating advanced Alzheimer's disease in Romsey. It is for PCTs, in conjunction with strategic health authorities, to ensure that services meet local needs.

§ Sandra Gidley
#o ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the resources available to Alzheimer's patients. [186457]

§ Dr. Ladyman
Funding for the development of treatment and care for people with Alzheimer's disease is not identified separately, but is part of general allocations to local health and social care organisations. It is for local primary care trusts, in partnership with other local national health service and social care organisations, to assess the needs of the local population and meet them from general funding allocations.
The Government is committed to improving standards of health and social care and people with Alzheimer's disease will benefit from the new investment that is being made available to support this commitment. For the NHS, there is an annual average funding increase of 7.5 per cent. above inflation over the five years 2003–04 to 2007–08. This is now the largest ever sustained increase in NHS funding. There have also been substantial increases in the level of funding provided for social services in recent years. Social services resources will increase by an annual average of 6 per cent. in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06. These significant funding increases will help provide new and better health and social care services for people with Alzheimer's disease.
1081W

§ Dr. Gibson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Alzheimer's disease patients are being treated in Norwich; what the total spending on drugs available on the NHS for Alzheimer's disease was in Norwich in the last year for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of the availability of drugs for moderately-severe to severe Alzheimer's disease in Norwich; how much was spent by the NHS on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's disease patients in Norwich in the last year for which figures are available; and what measures have been taken to assist carers of patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease in Norwich. [187013]

§ Dr. Ladyman
Information on the number of advanced Alzheimer's disease patients being treated by individual primary care trusts (PCTs) is not collected centrally.
Data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community and the net ingredient costs is collected by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA). The total number of prescription items dispensed for dementia drugs and the net ingredient costs of these drugs, in the area covered by Norwich PCT in 2003–04 is shown in the table. It is not possible to provide a breakdown for expenditure on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's patients in Norfolk.

Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for
"Drugs for Dementia" (BNF 4.11, Treatment of Alzheimer's
disease) dispensed in the community for selected PCT in 2003–04

Number of
prescription items
Net ingredient
cost

Norwich PCT 1,408 111,272

England total 392,652 34,217,012

Notes:

PCA data covers all prescription items chat are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.

Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.

Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Norwich PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost is provided.

Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.

The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.

Source:

Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data from the PPA.

The Department has not made an assessment of the availability of drugs for treating advanced Alzheimer's disease in Norwich. It is for PCTs, in conjunction with strategic health authorities (SHAs), to ensure that services meet local needs.
Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridge SHA has advised that all patients who are prescribed medication for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are assessed by a consultant for four months. If the medication is beneficial then the patient's general practitioner takes 1082W over responsibility for prescribing, with the option to discontinue the medication if it is not producing benefits for the patient, or his/her carer, at any time.

§ Dr. Stoate
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to assist carers of patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease in(a) the UK and (b) Dartford. [187028]

§ Dr. Ladyman
All carers, including those caring for people with dementia, are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support. The new Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 introduces new provisions that will ensure that carers are made aware of this right.
The carers grant, worth £125 million this year, provides money for local councils to provide short breaks and services to carers to enable them to continue in their caring role. Carers are also entitled to cash payments for carers' services to enable them to purchase the type of support they require and promote a better quality of life.
The Department has also revised and updated Who cares? Information and support for the carers of confused people.
Matters relating to Scotland and Wales are matters for the devolved administration. Whilst the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
There are two new local initiatives in Dartford. Firstly, the provision of 10 residential care beds specifically for the assessment and treatment of dementia. Secondly, there is an intensive domiciliary care scheme that offers patients and their carers an opportunity to choose the kind of support they receive.

Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for "Drugs for Dementia' (BNF 4.11, Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease) dispensed in the community for Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT in 2003–04
	Number of prescription items (thousand)	Net ingredient cost (£000)
Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT	2.9	298.0
England total	392.7	34,217.0
Notes:
PCA data covers all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.
Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost is provided.
Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.
Source:
Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data from the Prescription Pricing Authority.

Total number of prescription items and net ingredient cost for "Drugs for Dementia" (BNF 4.11, Treatment of Alzheimer's disease) dispensed in the community for selected PCT in 2003–04
	Number of prescription items	Net ingredient cost
Norwich PCT	1,408	111,272
England total	392,652	34,217,012
Notes:
PCA data covers all prescription items chat are dispensed in the community in England. PCA data does not include items dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary section 4.11 (Drugs for Dementia) and include the drugs Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine and Memantine.
Information on the number of patients receiving prescriptions for these drugs is not available, but numbers of prescription items of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in Norwich PCT (this is not necessarily the same as where the drugs were prescribed) and the net ingredient cost is provided.
Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug. This cost does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charge income.
Source:
Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data from the PPA.