Author: admin

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) in general and (b) who have long-term health conditions are liable for prescription charges.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not collected centrally. We estimate that 60% of people in England are not required to pay for their prescriptions, though it is not possible to indicate how many people on either side may have a long-term health condition. The prescription charge exemptions include exemption for those on low income, which is based on receipt of certain benefits or through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Where someone does not qualify for exemption from prescription charges, Prescription Prepayment Certificates are available. The three-month and 12-month certificates allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as they need for £29.10 and £104, respectively.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which five health conditions required the greatest (a) financial and (b) time commitment from GP services in the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    The requested information is not held.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that UK nursing is effectively represented at (a) the World Health Assembly and (b) other EU and international fora.

    Ben Gummer

    The World Health Assembly (WHA) is usually attended by the Chief Medical Officer and senior health officials. In the past the Chief Nursing Officer has attended the WHA, though in recent years has not been part of the Department’s delegation. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) is largely focussed on public health and the Chief Nurse at Public Health England works with and contributes to international nursing development with the WHO, including attendance at the WHO Nursing Forum, and also contributes to other global programmes.

    There is a European Chief Nursing Officers forum which Government chief nurse advisors attend. It is for the Chief Nursing Officer for England to attend this meeting. In her absence one of the other United Kingdom Chief Nursing Officers should attend.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what process his Department plans to evaluate and continue to develop national antibiotic prescribing targets for primary and secondary care.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department takes advice on the measurement of prescribing levels and the development of objectives for levels of prescribing of antibiotics from the Department’s Health’s Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections as well as the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance.

    The English Surveillance Programme on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance, (ESPAUR), was established by Public Health England (PHE) in 2013 in response to the publication of the UK 5 year Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). ESPAUR provides the data on prescribing of antibiotics and levels of resistance to antibiotics in both primary and secondary care that allows the Department to evaluate progress.

    PHE uses the ESPAUR data to provide ongoing expert advice to NHS England to enable ongoing development of commissioning incentives to encourage healthcare providers to achieve the antibiotic prescribing quality measures recommended by the national expert Advisory Group on AMR and Healthcare Associated Infections for primary and secondary care.

    The Department’s Policy Research Programme has also commissioned the Imperial National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit to evaluate and research the impact of reduced antibiotic prescribing on hospital admissions and mortality.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to address the downward trend in cervical cancer screening uptake.

    Jane Ellison

    There is a range of work going on to understand the reasons for the decline and to try to address them. This includes:

    – Data and information – access to data, cleansing, benchmarking for providers, timely and useful for commissioners;

    – behavioural insight – communication with commissioners, providers, patients, public;

    – commissioning levers – commissioning contracts in public health (S7a), primary care;

    – partnership work – relationships with commissioners and providers; and

    – sharing best practice – what works well, evaluation, how to embed quality improvement

    Public Health England Screening is also awaiting the outcome from the Strategies to Increase Cervical screening uptake at first invitation (STRATEGIC) trial which looks at various interventions to help assist women to attend screening and increase uptake across all quintiles. The trial was completed in 2015 and researchers are expected to publish findings later this year.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the health benefits of milk as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

    Jane Ellison

    Dairy products are a valuable source of essential nutrients including protein and calcium. Government advice continues to encourage the inclusion of dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet for all age groups. This recommendation is depicted in the Eatwell Guide which promotes the consumption of lower fat and lower sugar dairy products to help reduce saturated fat and sugar intakes in the United Kingdom, which are currently above dietary recommendations.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure nurses are consulted on his Department’s future policies after the proposed closure of the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions policy unit in his Department.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department leads the health and care system in England, working closely with a range of organisations on whose expertise it draws, including the nursing and midwifery expertise in NHS England and Public Health England. The Department’s approach to ensuring that nurses are consulted about future policies is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arms-length bodies, regulators, stakeholders and professional bodies.

    The Department’s policy teams will establish new networks and relationships with stakeholders and partners and collaborate with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to ensure systems are in place to secure advice when developing evidence based policy. These changes do not affect the role of the CNO, who as CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing and midwifery issues.

    The Department is changing the way it works to deliver its essential work for the Government while achieving efficiency savings. All of the changes we are making through the resulting DH2020 programme are being done transparently and communicated to staff.


  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the applicability of the requirements of school food standards as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

    Jane Ellison

    The Eatwell Guide is suitable for everyone over the age of five years to follow and intends to assist the population in choosing a varied and balanced diet to meet Government dietary recommendations.

    The School Food Standards aim to assist school aged children in achieving Government dietary recommendations, tying in with the aims of the Eatwell Guide. Common themes include the encouragement of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain starchy carbohydrates, as well as promoting the contribution of water and lower fat milks.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) staff and (b) external stakeholders were consulted on the proposal to close the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions policy unit in his Department.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department leads the health and care system in England, working closely with a range of organisations on whose expertise it draws, including the nursing and midwifery expertise in NHS England and Public Health England. The Department’s approach to ensuring that nurses are consulted about future policies is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arms-length bodies, regulators, stakeholders and professional bodies.

    The Department’s policy teams will establish new networks and relationships with stakeholders and partners and collaborate with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to ensure systems are in place to secure advice when developing evidence based policy. These changes do not affect the role of the CNO, who as CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing and midwifery issues.

    The Department is changing the way it works to deliver its essential work for the Government while achieving efficiency savings. All of the changes we are making through the resulting DH2020 programme are being done transparently and communicated to staff.


  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the minimum age for women receiving smear tests to 25 on cervical cancer detection rates in women under that age.

    Jane Ellison

    In 2012 the United Kingdom National Screening Committee made a recommendation that the age of first invitation for cervical screening should be 25. This was based on a review which looked at the latest available evidence on risks and benefits for cervical screening in women aged 20-24.