The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses have (i) been recruited and (ii) started training in each of the last five years.
Mr Philip Dunne
Information on the number of doctors and nurses in England who have been recruited to the National Health Service and started training since 2010 is in the attached tables.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups consider the effect of hospital reconfigurations on (a) other health services, (b) pharmacies, (c) GPs and (d) ambulance services.
David Mowat
In November 2015, NHS England published a good practice guide for commissioners on the NHS England assurance process for major service changes and reconfigurations. This includes information about the involvement of patients and the public as well as other stakeholder engagement and consideration of the impact on other services.
The Government’s four tests for service reconfiguration are: strong public and patient engagement; consistent with current and prospective need for patient choice; clear, clinical evidence base and support for proposals from commissioners.
A copy of the guide can be found at the following address:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans consider the overall health economy of a region including the effect on (a) GPs, (b) hospitals, (c) pharmacies, (d) ambulance services and (e) all other health services.
David Mowat
For their Sustainability and Transformation Plan, local areas, including commissioners, providers and local authorities, have come together to decide how to improve services in the medium and long term. This is a unique exercise in collaboration, with local doctors, hospitals and councils working together to decide the way forward in consultation with local communities. This approach will ensure that all services within a local health economy are considered.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with Huddersfield and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Groups on NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans.
David Mowat
This is a matter for the local National Health Service and key stakeholders.
Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) proposals are currently at a draft stage. No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement. If final plans propose service changes, formal consultation will follow in due course in line with good practice and legislative requirements. All STP areas will submit an updated plan to NHS England in October, with appropriate formal public engagement and consultation. Many areas are already publishing summaries as part of their engagement programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Whitehead on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the membership of the body which will oversee the proposed review of neonatal services in England; and whether that review will examine (a) admissions rates, (b) length of stay and (c) outcomes by (i) singleton and (ii) multiple pregnancies.
Mr Philip Dunne
The NHS England Maternity Review, Better Births (published February 2016), made a number of recommendations including a review of neonatal critical care. NHS England’s Women and Children’s Programme of Care and its Neonatal Critical Care Clinical Reference Group (CRG) will take this work forward. The review will focus on a number of themes and variables including admission rates, length of stay, outcomes and pregnancy profiles.
NHS England’s Women and Children’s Programme of Care Board will oversee the review and will also report progress to the Maternity Transformation Programme. The membership of the team that will oversee the review is not yet finalised, but Dr Peter Wilson, the Clinical Co-Chair of the Women and Children’s Programme of Care Board will be the Senior Responsible Officer.
Membership is also expected to include the Chair of the Neonatal Critical Care CRG Professor Neil Marlow, Lead Commissioner Natalie Hariram, and National Programme of Care Manager for Women and Children’s Services, Mary Passant, who are currently working on the scope of the review. The review team will also involve all Neonatal Care Operational Delivery Network Managers.
The Maternity Transformation Programme has asked that the review report initial findings in December 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences of 9 December 2015, Official Report, column 389-90WH, if NHS England will develop a commissioning policy on the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for adults with uveitis.
David Mowat
In November 2015 NHS England undertook to review the current adult policy for uveitis once the study, known as VISUAL II, was fully published in a peer reviewed journal. The results of this study were published in August 2016.
NHS England will be reviewing the clinical evidence as reported in VISUAL II and make a judgement on whether an interim policy should be published prior to the anticipated National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Guidance on treating uveitis expected in July 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative estimate of the level of proposed average pay under the new junior doctor’s contract for a junior doctor working (a) part-time, (b) full-time and (c) as a full-time trainee.
Mr Philip Dunne
Under the new contract, which is based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and pay for hours worked, full time trainees working at the same level of responsibility will receive the same basic pay and will be paid the same unsocial hours and weekend allowances depending on how many they work. Less than full time trainees working at the same level of responsibility will receive equal pay to full timers pro-rated to the number of hours that they work. Weekend and on-call allowances are also pro–rated.
Those trainees working at ST4 and above will continue to be paid under the terms of the old contract, under transitional arrangements.
At the British Medical Association’s request, it was agreed that there would be four levels of responsibility within the junior doctor training path for pay purposes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 7 July 2016 to Questions 41448 and 41439, what his Department’s priorities are for the 7th Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to be held in November 2016.
Nicola Blackwood
The Department is still giving consideration to the United Kingdom’s priorities for the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The composition of the UK’s delegation is also still under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve NHS triage systems.
Mr Philip Dunne
As part of NHS England’s review of urgent and emergency care, the intention is to develop a clinical decision support system to enable patients to be directed to or connected with the right service to meet their needs, rather than being sent or taken to accident and emergency unless absolutely necessary.
Commissioners, clinicians and the wider governance of urgent and emergency care have requested a next generation system that builds on the success of NHS Pathways but recognises the needs of individuals on the basis of the language they use, links to patient records and crisis plans and has the potential to factor in phenotypic data from wearables and remote monitoring devices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the concerns of local populations are taken into account in decisions about NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans.
David Mowat
NHS England released guidance to the local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) entitled ‘Engaging local people’ in September 2016 which can be found on their website. This guidance from NHS England to the STP Footprints highlights the need for public engagement and suggests ways of doing this.
We expect that most areas will take a version of their STP to their organisation’s public board meeting for discussion between late October and the end of the year. We would also expect that most areas will publish their plans, for more formal engagement, during this period. Every area will be working to a different timeframe, based on its own circumstances and how well-progressed its plan is.
Proposals are at a draft stage but we expect all local leaders to be talking to the public and stakeholders regularly. It is vital that people are able to shape the future of their local services.
No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement and, where required, consultation. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens.