Written question asked by John Wilkinson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 April 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 May 2001. It was answered by Yvette Cooper (Labour) on Thursday, 3 May 2001 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many isolation wards for the treatment of tuberculosis opened in each region of the NHS in England and Wales in the past four years. - Inc fact that information on the number of isolation wards in hospitals is not collected centrally.

Answer: Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many isolation wards for the treatment of tuberculosis opened in each region of the NHS in England and Wales in the past four years. [158606] Yvette Cooper: [holding answer sent 30 April 2001]: Information on the number of isolation wards in hospitals is not collected centrally. Different levels of isolation are required depending on the infectious (or suspected infectious) nature of a tuberculosis case. Each patient is considered on a case by case basis and therefore, the need for isolation facilities is made at local level. The Department has published recommendations on isolation in two documents. One in June 1996-- "Recommendations for the prevention and control of tuberculosis at local level"--and again in September 1998 in the document entitled "United Kingdom guidance on the prevention and control of transmission of HIV-related tuberculosis and Drug-resistant, including multiple drug- resistant tuberculosis".

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 367 c764W; 158606
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Hospitals Health services Disease control Infectious diseases NHS Tuberculosis
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk