Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter sent by the hon. Member for St Albans on 16 November 2022, and subsequently resent on 20 January and 20 March 2023, reference DC5119.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
I replied to the hon. Member on 17 April 2023.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling his Department has carried out to assess the potential impact of its swap to stop policy on the Government's ability to achieve its smoke free 2030 target.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
Modelling for our Swap to Stop policy has to date been based on effective pilot schemes across the country. For example, in Salford a pilot successfully engaged with over 1,000 smokers, many of whom were from the most deprived communities. Of those smokers who remained engaged in the four-week scheme, 62% were recorded as having successfully quit, by means of carbon monoxide verification. This is a fourfold increase in the number of successful quitters compared to the equivalent period the year before, when the scheme had not been in operation.
As announced on 11 April 2023, our vision for the new national Swap to Stop scheme is to offer a million smokers a free vaping kit alongside expert behavioural support. The impact of the scheme on our Smokefree 2030 ambition will be further modelled following the completion of the first wave of the programme in the coming months.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential impact on (a) antimicrobial resistance and (b) the effectiveness of antibiotics used to treat human illnesses of a ban on the preventative use of antibiotics on healthy farm animals.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government takes a ‘One-Health’ approach to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as set out in the ‘UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024’. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meet regularly to consider appropriate actions to address AMR across the human and animal health sectors. This has included discussion on the preventative use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals and a consultation on proposed changes to Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the responsiveness of crisis teams in mental health services; and if he will set national standards for that responsiveness.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No specific assessment has been made. As part of its clinically-led review of National Health Service access standards, NHS England published the outcomes of its consultation on the potential to introduce five new access and waiting time standards for mental health services in February 2022. Two of these relate to community-based mental health crisis services, including: an ‘urgent’ referral to a community based mental health crisis service, for which a patient should be seen within 24 hours from referral, across all ages; and a ‘very urgent’ referral to a community based mental health crisis service, for which a patient should be seen within four hours from referral, for all age groups.
As a first step, NHS England has shared and promoted guidance with its local system partners to consistently report waiting times to support the development of a baseline position.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are eligible for the spring covid-19 booster.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease, hospitalisation and mortality. Older persons, residents in care homes for older adults, and those who are immunosuppressed continue to be at highest risk of severe COVID-19.
As a precautionary measure, the JCVI has recommended that an extra booster vaccine dose should be offered in spring 2023 to adults 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults and individuals five years old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) green book.
Individuals with ME/CFS are not eligible for the COVID-19 spring 2023 booster vaccination unless they meet the criteria for one or more of the groups listed in addition to having ME/CFS.
The JCVI regularly reviews its advice in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination programme, considering new data, evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and the epidemiological situation.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the menopause taskforce last met.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Menopause Taskforce last met on 7 June 2022.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on tackling hormonal replacement therapy shortages.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We have accepted and are taking forward the recommendations of the HRT Supply Taskforce, which was temporarily established to explore what could be done to address hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supply issues in the short and long-term. A key recommendation was to continue the dialogue with industry and we are doing that through regular meetings with individual suppliers as well as holding quarterly roundtables with manufacturers, wholesalers and community pharmacist representatives to monitor progress and agree what more needs to be done to boost production.
Access to high-demand products has improved since actions have been taken by industry with our support, as well as the issuance of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for some HRT products facing supply issues, to limit dispensing to three months’ supply to even out distribution and allow specified alternative products to be supplied, as necessary.
21 SSPs for HRT products have been issued since April 2022. The majority of these have been withdrawn as supply issues have been resolved, and only five SSPs remain in place.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS has flexible and effective procedures for identifying the correct treatments for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
People with breast cancer are cared for by a team of healthcare professionals, each with their own expertise. This is known as the multidisciplinary team (MDT). Each MDT should include the full range of health professionals required to best inform and plan the most appropriate treatment options for the patient including for those patients with metastatic breast cancer. This would include appropriate surgeons, oncologists and clinicians from a wide range of other disciplines including nursing, radiology and pathology.
NHS England expects treating clinicians will consider all available treatment options, taking account of relevant clinical and professional guidelines and the individual needs of the patient. In all cases, discussions about treatment options should take place in line with the General Medical Council’s Decision Making and Consent Guidance to ensure that people can make an informed choice about their treatment.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that all patients with primary breast cancer have an end of treatment summary in order to speed up detection of secondary breast cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The NHS Long Term Plan states that, where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support. This includes provision of end of treatment summaries, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer.
The introduction of tailored follow up pathways for people after their initial breast cancer treatment has ensured there are clear access points for people with worrying symptoms or concerns to speak immediately to someone in the cancer team. Breast cancer-tailored follow up, which includes ‘patient initiated follow up’ or ‘open access follow up’ for suitable patients, is now in place in 95% of trusts.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the impact of rises in (a) energy costs and (b) inflation on Halton Haven hospice.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We have no current plans to make a specific assessment.