To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many days NHS nurses were absent from work owing to needle stick injuries in the last 12 months. (222812)

Data on the number of days of absence relating to needle stick injuries to national health service nurses are not collected centrally. However, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) collects information on surveillance of significant occupational exposures to blood borne viruses in health care workers in the United Kingdom; its latest report is available on the HPA’s website at:

www.camr.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1205394781623.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of cost to the NHS of (a) treatment and (b) follow-up of a needle stick injury to a member of staff where the needle is known to have been used on a HIV-positive patient. (222813)

The cost of a course of antiviral drugs for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, as recommended in the Department’s publication, “HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Expert Advisory Group on AIDS”, is about £680. Follow up will vary depending on case by case needs and cost estimates are therefore not available centrally.

A copy of this guidance has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department’s website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH _088185

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor each NHS trust’s adherence to section 10e of the Code of Practice for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections issued under the Health Act 2006, with particular reference to the requirement to prevent needle stick injuries through the provision of medical devices incorporating sharps protection mechanisms. (222815)

It is the duty of the Healthcare Commission to monitor adherence by trusts of ‘The Health Act 2006 code of practice for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections’. However, the use of devices which incorporate sharps protection mechanisms is not mandatory. Trusts have to consider the use of these devices but are not obliged to use them. Although these devices are designed to reduce needle stick injuries the evidence is not complete and providers find that such devices are not acceptable to their staff and can reduce safety.