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  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department is making on the rationalisation of the NHS estate.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The National Health Service estate represents both one of its largest assets, critical in supporting high quality services for patients, as well as one of its largest elements of its running costs.

    As part of the Government’s wider public sector land programme, the Department is committed releasing surplus NHS land sufficient for delivering 26,000 houses by 2020 and raising £2 billion in receipts. The Department and the NHS have made good progress so far, having released land with capacity for over 3,000 homes by June 2016.

    The Department is also committed to driving improvements in the operational efficiency of the NHS estate. Lord Carter of Coles’ report, Operational Productivity and Performance in English NHS Acute Hospitals: Unwarranted Variations, published in February 2016, sets out how acute trusts can improve productivity and achieve efficiency savings, including through reducing the proportion of the hospital estate that is made up of non-clinical services, and reducing under-utilisation. It highlighted that annual savings of up to £1 billion by 2020-21 were achievable by reducing current variations in estates and facilities management running costs.

    The majority of the NHS estate is owned by individual NHS trusts and foundation trusts and it is for them to make decisions about their estate which best support their clinical priorities, in discussion with the commissioners of NHS services. This is part of the current process through which local NHS footprints are developing sustainability and transformation plans (STPs).

    The Department and other national health organisations are providing a range of support measures to the NHS in delivering on the surplus land ambition, in implementing Lord Carter’s recommendations and in delivering high quality estates plans as part of the STP process.

    In addition, the Department has commissioned Sir Robert Naylor to undertake an independent review of the NHS estate. He will produce a report in the autumn which will provide recommendations on how the NHS can achieve best value from NHS property, in alignment with the delivery of the vision set out in the NHS’s Five Year Forward View.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the future of the common cancer clinical reference groups.

    David Mowat

    NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Chris Harrison, has been working with the four common cancer ‘clinical reference groups’ to clarify their role within the system, especially in relation to the Clinical Reference Groups that provide advice and expertise to NHS England on the best ways that specialised services should be provided.

    NHS England has decided to continue the common cancer groups as ‘clinical expert groups’ and to bring together their chairs to form a clinical steering group for the national programme, to support a pathway approach to care management and measurement.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who will represent his Department at the World Health Organisaiton Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in India 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.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect on the safety of patients of the withdrawal of 24-hour consultant-led maternity services at West Cumberland Hospital.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No such assessment has been made. Decisions on maternity services at West Cumberland Hospital are matters for the local National Health Service.

    Maternity provision in Cumbria is being assessed as part of the Success Regime work in progress with the local NHS and support from NHS England and NHS Improvement.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with learning disabilities who have been sectioned have accessible information about their rights.

    David Mowat

    The Department commissioned some resources for people with learning disabilities to support the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice to explain the Mental Health Act and people’s rights within it. This included a number of easy read factsheets which stated the type of information that should be provided when someone is sectioned. This includes what health professionals should and should not do, and what a person’s rights and choices are in this situation. The fact sheets are available at:

    http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/mental-health-services-explained/Pages/easy-read-mental-health-act.aspx

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff with learning difficulties are currently employed by each Transforming Care team.

    David Mowat

    The Government is committed to increasing the number of people with learning disabilities employed across the full range of National Health Service organisations. NHS Employers and NHS England have a range of tools and guidance to support organisations to increase their recruitment of people with learning disabilities, including providing real examples of jobs currently being done. People with learning disabilities bring their own expertise, personal experience and knowledge to roles. As such, roles that can specifically draw on this experience should be considered.

    Further information on the NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme is available on NHS England’s website at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/gov/equality-hub/ld-emp-prog/

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on encouraging Transforming Care teams to employ people with learning disabilities to help deliver services.

    David Mowat

    The Government is committed to increasing the number of people with learning disabilities employed across the full range of National Health Service organisations. NHS Employers and NHS England have a range of tools and guidance to support organisations to increase their recruitment of people with learning disabilities, including providing real examples of jobs currently being done. People with learning disabilities bring their own expertise, personal experience and knowledge to roles. As such, roles that can specifically draw on this experience should be considered.

    Further information on the NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme is available on NHS England’s website at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/gov/equality-hub/ld-emp-prog/

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the quality of the implementation of the Quality Toolkit developed by NHS England to assess health services provided to people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mowat

    NHS England is developing the Quality Checkers toolkits which ensure people with learning disabilities design and create the tools to measure the quality of the services they access. The first two toolkits for general practice and dentistry have been completed and are being piloted in four areas in England. There will be a full evaluation of their effectiveness when the pilot sites report in March 2017.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department holds on the number of people with learning disabilities who are employed in (a) day centres, (b) care homes and (c) schools and colleges.

    David Mowat

    The Government is committed to increasing the number of people with learning disabilities employed across the full range of National Health Service organisations. NHS Employers and NHS England have a range of tools and guidance to support organisations to increase their recruitment of people with learning disabilities, including providing real examples of jobs currently being done. People with learning disabilities bring their own expertise, personal experience and knowledge to roles. As such, roles that can specifically draw on this experience should be considered.

    Further information on the NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme is available on NHS England’s website at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/gov/equality-hub/ld-emp-prog/

    “

  • Eric Pickles – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Eric Pickles – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Pickles on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the additional costs to the NHS if Israeli-owned or Israeli-based companies were banned from supplying generic medicines to the NHS.

    David Mowat

    We do not routinely collect information on where pharmaceutical manufacturers are based, or whether they have connections with particular countries. Any company with the necessary regulatory authorisations can supply medicines to the National Health Service. However, some 100 million prescription items for medicines used in the community in England are estimated to come from companies based in Israel. This includes some medicines where one of these companies will be the main supplier. Banning these supplies would most likely cause significant shortages of some medicines important for patient health and have a significant impact on competition and in all likelihood increase prices paid by the NHS.