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  • Steve Double – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Double – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Double on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the likely effect on Category M of the Drug Tariff of the proposed changes to the pharmacy funding formula.

    David Mowat

    We do not expect that our proposals to reduce funding, in respect to community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, will have any effect on Category M or the medicine margin as we propose to achieve them through changes to pharmacy contractors’ fees and allowances.

  • David Nuttall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Nuttall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Nuttall on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS treatment of craniosynostosis; and if he will take steps to increase training and awareness of craniosynostosis amongst NHS professionals.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of National Health Service treatment of craniosynostosis. All paediatricians are trained to recognise abnormality as part of general training up to Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) level.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of NHS trusts have agreed financial control totals for the next two years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Trusts’ access to the Sustainability and Transformation Fund (STF) will be through a formal agreement of financial control totals (and other STF criteria) between NHS Improvement and trust boards, as part of the two-year planning process. The planning timetable includes full plan submissions by the end of December 2016 and we expect to publish figures in the new year.

    To date indicative financial control totals and STF allocations for 2017/18 and 2018/19 were communicated to trusts in letters from NHS Improvement on 30 September 2016.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who is responsible for approving sustainability and transformation plans.

    David Mowat

    The Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are being developed by local areas. National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services are coming together to propose how they, at local level, can close the health and wellbeing, care and quality and financial gaps. These plans are locally owned, but will be shared with the national health and care bodies, chiefly NHS England and NHS Improvement, so the national bodies can best develop support to enable footprints to deliver their plans. The National bodies have also published guidance on the STP process.

    NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to work closely with STP areas to provide them with support and expertise to develop robust plans which will meet the objectives set out in the Mandate. STPs will form the basis for operational planning for 2017/18 and 2018/19, which will be subject to NHS Improvement and NHS England assurance processes.

    The local organisations will also be leading public engagement processes on their STP plans, in line with the engagement guidance.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of relative levels of productivity in community pharmacy and secondary care in each year since 2005.

    David Mowat

    We have made no assessment of productivity in community pharmacies.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the sign-off process is for sustainability and transformation plans.

    David Mowat

    The Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are being developed by local areas. National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services are coming together to propose how they, at local level, can close the health and wellbeing, care and quality and financial gaps. These plans are locally owned, but will be shared with the national health and care bodies, chiefly NHS England and NHS Improvement, so the national bodies can best develop support to enable footprints to deliver their plans. The National bodies have also published guidance on the STP process.

    NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to work closely with STP areas to provide them with support and expertise to develop robust plans which will meet the objectives set out in the Mandate. STPs will form the basis for operational planning for 2017/18 and 2018/19, which will be subject to NHS Improvement and NHS England assurance processes.

    The local organisations will also be leading public engagement processes on their STP plans, in line with the engagement guidance.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) residents, (b) children and (c) adolescents from Lambeth and Southwark were admitted to a mental health facility outside the London boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Croydon served by South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in the last year.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The information requested is not held centrally.

    Inpatient mental health services for children and young people are commissioned by NHS England. The NHS England (London) Specialised Commissioning team has advised that, in 2015-16, 90 children and young people from Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Croydon were treated in the South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust, while 69 received inpatient care elsewhere. Of these, 24 received care from other London-based providers.

    The current national service review aims to rebalance the provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) capacity to address deficits in services, it is expected that as a result more patients will be able to received inpatient care closer to home. There are a number of more specialised services with the CAMHS portfolio that will continue to be commissioned to serve multi-regional populations – for example medium secure services and deaf inpatient care. London Region specialised commissioning team is working with local commissioners in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon and other clinical commissioning groups to ensure that we can provide sufficient capacity to meet population needs.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to pharmacy funding on the availability of essential medicines.

    David Mowat

    The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

    Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

    Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

    The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

    NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

    The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes in pharmacy funding on waiting times for NHS prescriptions.

    David Mowat

    The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

    Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

    Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

    The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

    NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

    The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association and the Royal Colleges on proposals to make junior doctors repay training costs if they leave the profession within five years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As announced by my Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State on 4 October, the Government will run a public consultation in early 2017 on how medical graduates can provide a return on taxpayer investment through a minimum period service of four years in the National Health Service. All stakeholders will have an opportunity to input into policy development at this stage.