Author: admin

  • Harry Harpham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Harry Harpham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harry Harpham on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England is taking to ensure that autism diagnosis waiting times for (i) children and (ii) adults in Sheffield Brightside meet NICE guidance.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to gather information that can be shared between areas that have arrangements in place to meet National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism: support for commissioning and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. These NICE guidelines already recommend that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the National Health Service to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG is working with Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to refine their autism pathway, from diagnosis through to therapy and support if appropriate, to be in line with the NICE recommendations. In October 2013, Sheffield CCG commissioned a service to be NICE compliant. However, the service has received a higher volume of referrals than had been anticipated, and is currently the subject of a review to ensure the right model and level of service is delivered in Sheffield.We are not aware of any issues in Carshalton and Wallington.

  • Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS England collects data on waiting times between referral and first appointment for a diagnosis of autism in line with NICE Quality Standard QS51.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to gather information that can be shared between areas that have arrangements in place to meet National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism: support for commissioning, and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. These NICE guidelines already recommend that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the National Health Service to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    NHS England has also been working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre to develop the Mental Health Minimum Data Set. This will include provision for the diagnosis of autism to be recorded. This mandatory data set will, for the first time, provide data about diagnosis rates. The data will be published and available for everyone to use to support and develop services. NHS England has a commitment, over the next five years, to improve waiting times and this data will be invaluable for this. Information on average waiting times for autistic diagnosis in each clinical commissioning group area is not collected centrally.

    The Department issued new statutory guidance in March this year for local authorities and NHS organisations to support the continued implementation of the 2010 Autism Strategy, as refreshed by its 2014 Think Autism update. This guidance sets out what people seeking an autism diagnosis can expect from local authorities and NHS bodies including general practitioners.

    We are due to consult on how we set the mandate to NHS England prior to publication of the mandate itself. The mandate will be published following the Government’s Spending Review which is due to complete on 25 November.

  • Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England is taking to ensure that autism diagnosis waiting times for (i) children and (ii) adults in Carshalton and Wallington constituency meet NICE guidance.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to gather information that can be shared between areas that have arrangements in place to meet National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism: support for commissioning and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. These NICE guidelines already recommend that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the National Health Service to be working towards meeting the recommendations.

    NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG is working with Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to refine their autism pathway, from diagnosis through to therapy and support if appropriate, to be in line with the NICE recommendations. In October 2013, Sheffield CCG commissioned a service to be NICE compliant. However, the service has received a higher volume of referrals than had been anticipated, and is currently the subject of a review to ensure the right model and level of service is delivered in Sheffield.We are not aware of any issues in Carshalton and Wallington.

  • Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast his Department has made of the cost of alcoholism over the next 20 years.

    Jane Ellison

    Estimates for the cost of alcoholism over the next 20 years are not available centrally.

  • Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of children who are the children of alcoholics in each local authority area.

    Jane Ellison

    This data is not available centrally.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people in each county who have diabetes.

    Jane Ellison

    The information on estimates of people in each county who have diabetes is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the estimated number of people with diabetes for upper tier district authorities. The estimates ranges from 5.4% in the City of London, to 10.7% in Brent.

    Estimated ranges of people with diabetes for upper tier district authorities for 2014

    2014

    Number

    Prevalence

    England

    3,279,925

    7.5%

    Buckinghamshire CC

    28,986

    7.1%

    Cambridgeshire CC

    35,215

    6.7%

    Cumbria CC

    33,879

    8.0%

    Derbyshire CC

    48,864

    7.6%

    Devon CC

    52,629

    8.1%

    Dorset CC

    30,060

    8.7%

    East Sussex CC

    37,859

    8.6%

    Essex CC

    87,202

    7.2%

    Gloucestershire CC

    36,877

    7.4%

    Hampshire CC

    77,073

    7.1%

    Hertfordshire CC

    62,079

    6.8%

    Kent CC

    90,195

    7.5%

    Lancashire CC

    76,349

    7.8%

    Leicestershire CC

    40,535

    7.4%

    Lincolnshire CC

    48,338

    8.0%

    Norfolk CC

    59,406

    7.9%

    Northamptonshire CC

    41,475

    7.1%

    North Yorkshire CC

    39,207

    7.7%

    Nottinghamshire CC

    49,494

    7.5%

    Oxfordshire CC

    35,376

    6.6%

    Somerset CC

    36,052

    8.0%

    Staffordshire CC

    52,956

    7.6%

    Suffolk CC

    47,835

    7.7%

    Surrey CC

    62,828

    6.8%

    Warwickshire CC

    34,255

    7.5%

    West Sussex CC

    52,761

    7.8%

    Worcestershire CC

    36,287

    7.8%

    City of London LB

    693

    5.4%

    Barking and Dagenham LB

    9,942

    7.5%

    Barnet LB

    23,493

    8.2%

    Bexley LB

    13,716

    7.3%

    Brent LB

    21,497

    10.7%

    Bromley LB

    18,676

    7.2%

    Camden LB

    12,758

    6.1%

    Croydon LB

    23,737

    8.5%

    Ealing LB

    22,765

    8.8%

    Enfield LB

    19,233

    8.2%

    Greenwich LB

    13,330

    7.3%

    Hackney LB

    13,882

    8.1%

    Hammersmith and Fulham LB

    9,120

    6.5%

    Haringey LB

    14,316

    7.7%

    Harrow LB

    18,567

    9.6%

    Havering LB

    14,746

    7.5%

    Hillingdon LB

    16,509

    7.6%

    Hounslow LB

    16,311

    8.3%

    Islington LB

    10,389

    6.3%

    Kensington and Chelsea LB

    11,515

    7.6%

    Kingston upon Thames LB

    9,119

    6.2%

    Lambeth LB

    16,069

    6.6%

    Lewisham LB

    15,799

    7.1%

    Merton LB

    11,751

    6.6%

    Newham LB

    17,950

    10.1%

    Redbridge LB

    19,326

    8.8%

    Richmond upon Thames LB

    10,345

    6.3%

    Southwark LB

    16,709

    6.5%

    Sutton LB

    11,149

    6.9%

    Tower Hamlets LB

    14,360

    7.2%

    Waltham Forest LB

    14,919

    8.5%

    Wandsworth LB

    14,232

    5.8%

    Westminster LB

    15,354

    6.4%

    Bolton MD

    17,905

    8.4%

    Bury MD

    11,054

    7.5%

    Manchester MD

    27,051

    6.5%

    Oldham MD

    14,368

    8.4%

    Rochdale MD

    13,608

    8.4%

    Salford MD

    13,212

    6.9%

    Stockport MD

    17,225

    7.4%

    Tameside MD

    14,001

    7.9%

    Trafford MD

    12,732

    7.2%

    Wigan MD

    18,785

    7.4%

    Knowsley MD

    9,246

    7.7%

    Liverpool MD

    26,281

    7.1%

    St Helens MD

    11,119

    7.6%

    Sefton MD

    17,851

    8.0%

    Wirral MD

    19,508

    7.9%

    Barnsley MD

    14,456

    7.6%

    Doncaster MD

    18,782

    7.9%

    Rotherham MD

    16,434

    7.8%

    Sheffield MD

    33,060

    7.0%

    Gateshead MD

    12,158

    7.6%

    Newcastle upon Tyne MD

    16,034

    6.6%

    North Tyneside MD

    12,242

    7.3%

    South Tyneside MD

    9,982

    7.8%

    Sunderland MD

    17,552

    7.5%

    Birmingham MD

    72,576

    8.8%

    Coventry MD

    20,609

    7.9%

    Dudley MD

    20,361

    8.0%

    Sandwell MD

    22,244

    9.5%

    Solihull MD

    13,109

    7.7%

    Walsall MD

    18,340

    9.0%

    Wolverhampton MD

    19,090

    9.8%

    Bradford MD

    35,136

    8.5%

    Calderdale MD

    12,987

    7.7%

    Kirklees MD

    27,064

    8.1%

    Leeds MD

    45,596

    6.5%

    Wakefield MD

    20,763

    7.6%

    Hartlepool UA

    5,690

    7.6%

    Middlesbrough UA

    8,791

    7.7%

    Redcar and Cleveland UA

    9,121

    8.1%

    Stockton-on-Tees UA

    11,330

    7.1%

    Darlington UA

    6,314

    7.6%

    County Durham UA

    32,455

    7.6%

    Northumberland UA

    21,048

    8.0%

    Cheshire East UA

    22,235

    7.3%

    Halton UA

    7,168

    7.5%

    Warrington UA

    11,560

    7.0%

    Cheshire West and Chester UA

    19,617

    7.2%

    Blackburn with Darwen UA

    9,525

    8.9%

    Blackpool UA

    9,541

    8.4%

    Kingston upon Hull UA

    15,411

    6.8%

    East Riding of Yorkshire UA

    23,168

    7.8%

    North East Lincolnshire UA

    9,927

    7.7%

    North Lincolnshire UA

    10,872

    7.9%

    York UA

    10,873

    6.1%

    Derby UA

    15,433

    7.5%

    Leicester UA

    24,459

    9.5%

    Rutland UA

    2,379

    7.5%

    Nottingham UA

    16,958

    6.4%

    Herefordshire County UA

    12,831

    8.4%

    Telford and Wrekin UA

    9,834

    7.4%

    Shropshire UA

    19,867

    8.0%

    Stoke-on-Trent UA

    15,358

    7.9%

    Bath and North East Somerset UA

    9,907

    6.4%

    Bristol UA

    23,189

    5.9%

    North Somerset UA

    14,094

    7.6%

    South Gloucestershire UA

    14,422

    6.3%

    Cornwall UA

    37,893

    8.1%

    Plymouth UA

    14,805

    6.7%

    Torbay UA

    9,947

    8.6%

    Bournemouth UA

    10,006

    7.1%

    Poole UA

    9,052

    7.6%

    Swindon UA

    11,443

    6.7%

    Wiltshire UA

    27,724

    7.2%

    Peterborough UA

    10,850

    7.6%

    Luton UA

    12,685

    8.2%

    Bedford UA

    10,228

    7.7%

    Central Bedfordshire UA

    14,494

    6.7%

    Southend-on-Sea UA

    10,646

    7.7%

    Thurrock UA

    8,951

    6.7%

    Medway UA

    14,548

    7.0%

    Bracknell Forest UA

    5,833

    6.1%

    West Berkshire UA

    8,445

    6.7%

    Reading UA

    7,789

    6.0%

    Slough UA

    9,181

    8.8%

    Windsor and Maidenhead UA

    8,256

    6.9%

    Wokingham UA

    8,408

    6.1%

    Milton Keynes UA

    13,397

    6.7%

    Brighton and Hove UA

    13,933

    6.3%

    Portsmouth UA

    10,862

    6.1%

    Southampton UA

    12,622

    6.0%

    Isle of Wight UA

    10,614

    8.5%

    Source: Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory Diabetes Prevalence Model

    Diagnosed diabetes prevalence across the four nations of the United Kingdom are taken from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and represents all patients age 17 and older who have been diagnosed with diabetes and included on general practitioner registers.

    In 2013/14, QOF showed that there were 3.3 million people aged 17 years and older with diagnosed diabetes with equals 6.2% of this age group. The break down by country can be found in the following table:

    Diagnosed diabetes across the four nations of the United Kingdom -2013/14

    Number

    %

    England

    2,814,004

    6.2%

    Wales

    177,212

    6.9%

    Scotland

    259,986

    5.9%

    Northern Ireland

    81,867

    5.3%

    United Kingdom

    3,333,069

    6.2%

    Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework (Health and Social Care Information Centre)

    Public Health England’s diabetes prevalence model estimates total diabetes prevalence for England and for all local authorities and clinical commissioning groups in England. The model reflects the prevalence of diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) and adjusts for the age, sex, ethnic group and deprivation pattern of the local population.

    The estimated total diabetes prevalence using the diabetes prevalence model is 7.5% in England in 2014.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people (a) diagnosed and (b) currently undiagnosed with diabetes in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland.

    Jane Ellison

    The information on estimates of people in each county who have diabetes is not available in the format requested. The table below shows the estimated number of people with diabetes for upper tier district authorities. The estimates ranges from 5.4% in the City of London, to 10.7% in Brent.

    Estimated ranges of people with diabetes for upper tier district authorities for 2014

    2014

    Number

    Prevalence

    England

    3,279,925

    7.5%

    Buckinghamshire CC

    28,986

    7.1%

    Cambridgeshire CC

    35,215

    6.7%

    Cumbria CC

    33,879

    8.0%

    Derbyshire CC

    48,864

    7.6%

    Devon CC

    52,629

    8.1%

    Dorset CC

    30,060

    8.7%

    East Sussex CC

    37,859

    8.6%

    Essex CC

    87,202

    7.2%

    Gloucestershire CC

    36,877

    7.4%

    Hampshire CC

    77,073

    7.1%

    Hertfordshire CC

    62,079

    6.8%

    Kent CC

    90,195

    7.5%

    Lancashire CC

    76,349

    7.8%

    Leicestershire CC

    40,535

    7.4%

    Lincolnshire CC

    48,338

    8.0%

    Norfolk CC

    59,406

    7.9%

    Northamptonshire CC

    41,475

    7.1%

    North Yorkshire CC

    39,207

    7.7%

    Nottinghamshire CC

    49,494

    7.5%

    Oxfordshire CC

    35,376

    6.6%

    Somerset CC

    36,052

    8.0%

    Staffordshire CC

    52,956

    7.6%

    Suffolk CC

    47,835

    7.7%

    Surrey CC

    62,828

    6.8%

    Warwickshire CC

    34,255

    7.5%

    West Sussex CC

    52,761

    7.8%

    Worcestershire CC

    36,287

    7.8%

    City of London LB

    693

    5.4%

    Barking and Dagenham LB

    9,942

    7.5%

    Barnet LB

    23,493

    8.2%

    Bexley LB

    13,716

    7.3%

    Brent LB

    21,497

    10.7%

    Bromley LB

    18,676

    7.2%

    Camden LB

    12,758

    6.1%

    Croydon LB

    23,737

    8.5%

    Ealing LB

    22,765

    8.8%

    Enfield LB

    19,233

    8.2%

    Greenwich LB

    13,330

    7.3%

    Hackney LB

    13,882

    8.1%

    Hammersmith and Fulham LB

    9,120

    6.5%

    Haringey LB

    14,316

    7.7%

    Harrow LB

    18,567

    9.6%

    Havering LB

    14,746

    7.5%

    Hillingdon LB

    16,509

    7.6%

    Hounslow LB

    16,311

    8.3%

    Islington LB

    10,389

    6.3%

    Kensington and Chelsea LB

    11,515

    7.6%

    Kingston upon Thames LB

    9,119

    6.2%

    Lambeth LB

    16,069

    6.6%

    Lewisham LB

    15,799

    7.1%

    Merton LB

    11,751

    6.6%

    Newham LB

    17,950

    10.1%

    Redbridge LB

    19,326

    8.8%

    Richmond upon Thames LB

    10,345

    6.3%

    Southwark LB

    16,709

    6.5%

    Sutton LB

    11,149

    6.9%

    Tower Hamlets LB

    14,360

    7.2%

    Waltham Forest LB

    14,919

    8.5%

    Wandsworth LB

    14,232

    5.8%

    Westminster LB

    15,354

    6.4%

    Bolton MD

    17,905

    8.4%

    Bury MD

    11,054

    7.5%

    Manchester MD

    27,051

    6.5%

    Oldham MD

    14,368

    8.4%

    Rochdale MD

    13,608

    8.4%

    Salford MD

    13,212

    6.9%

    Stockport MD

    17,225

    7.4%

    Tameside MD

    14,001

    7.9%

    Trafford MD

    12,732

    7.2%

    Wigan MD

    18,785

    7.4%

    Knowsley MD

    9,246

    7.7%

    Liverpool MD

    26,281

    7.1%

    St Helens MD

    11,119

    7.6%

    Sefton MD

    17,851

    8.0%

    Wirral MD

    19,508

    7.9%

    Barnsley MD

    14,456

    7.6%

    Doncaster MD

    18,782

    7.9%

    Rotherham MD

    16,434

    7.8%

    Sheffield MD

    33,060

    7.0%

    Gateshead MD

    12,158

    7.6%

    Newcastle upon Tyne MD

    16,034

    6.6%

    North Tyneside MD

    12,242

    7.3%

    South Tyneside MD

    9,982

    7.8%

    Sunderland MD

    17,552

    7.5%

    Birmingham MD

    72,576

    8.8%

    Coventry MD

    20,609

    7.9%

    Dudley MD

    20,361

    8.0%

    Sandwell MD

    22,244

    9.5%

    Solihull MD

    13,109

    7.7%

    Walsall MD

    18,340

    9.0%

    Wolverhampton MD

    19,090

    9.8%

    Bradford MD

    35,136

    8.5%

    Calderdale MD

    12,987

    7.7%

    Kirklees MD

    27,064

    8.1%

    Leeds MD

    45,596

    6.5%

    Wakefield MD

    20,763

    7.6%

    Hartlepool UA

    5,690

    7.6%

    Middlesbrough UA

    8,791

    7.7%

    Redcar and Cleveland UA

    9,121

    8.1%

    Stockton-on-Tees UA

    11,330

    7.1%

    Darlington UA

    6,314

    7.6%

    County Durham UA

    32,455

    7.6%

    Northumberland UA

    21,048

    8.0%

    Cheshire East UA

    22,235

    7.3%

    Halton UA

    7,168

    7.5%

    Warrington UA

    11,560

    7.0%

    Cheshire West and Chester UA

    19,617

    7.2%

    Blackburn with Darwen UA

    9,525

    8.9%

    Blackpool UA

    9,541

    8.4%

    Kingston upon Hull UA

    15,411

    6.8%

    East Riding of Yorkshire UA

    23,168

    7.8%

    North East Lincolnshire UA

    9,927

    7.7%

    North Lincolnshire UA

    10,872

    7.9%

    York UA

    10,873

    6.1%

    Derby UA

    15,433

    7.5%

    Leicester UA

    24,459

    9.5%

    Rutland UA

    2,379

    7.5%

    Nottingham UA

    16,958

    6.4%

    Herefordshire County UA

    12,831

    8.4%

    Telford and Wrekin UA

    9,834

    7.4%

    Shropshire UA

    19,867

    8.0%

    Stoke-on-Trent UA

    15,358

    7.9%

    Bath and North East Somerset UA

    9,907

    6.4%

    Bristol UA

    23,189

    5.9%

    North Somerset UA

    14,094

    7.6%

    South Gloucestershire UA

    14,422

    6.3%

    Cornwall UA

    37,893

    8.1%

    Plymouth UA

    14,805

    6.7%

    Torbay UA

    9,947

    8.6%

    Bournemouth UA

    10,006

    7.1%

    Poole UA

    9,052

    7.6%

    Swindon UA

    11,443

    6.7%

    Wiltshire UA

    27,724

    7.2%

    Peterborough UA

    10,850

    7.6%

    Luton UA

    12,685

    8.2%

    Bedford UA

    10,228

    7.7%

    Central Bedfordshire UA

    14,494

    6.7%

    Southend-on-Sea UA

    10,646

    7.7%

    Thurrock UA

    8,951

    6.7%

    Medway UA

    14,548

    7.0%

    Bracknell Forest UA

    5,833

    6.1%

    West Berkshire UA

    8,445

    6.7%

    Reading UA

    7,789

    6.0%

    Slough UA

    9,181

    8.8%

    Windsor and Maidenhead UA

    8,256

    6.9%

    Wokingham UA

    8,408

    6.1%

    Milton Keynes UA

    13,397

    6.7%

    Brighton and Hove UA

    13,933

    6.3%

    Portsmouth UA

    10,862

    6.1%

    Southampton UA

    12,622

    6.0%

    Isle of Wight UA

    10,614

    8.5%

    Source: Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory Diabetes Prevalence Model

    Diagnosed diabetes prevalence across the four nations of the United Kingdom are taken from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and represents all patients age 17 and older who have been diagnosed with diabetes and included on general practitioner registers.

    In 2013/14, QOF showed that there were 3.3 million people aged 17 years and older with diagnosed diabetes with equals 6.2% of this age group. The break down by country can be found in the following table:

    Diagnosed diabetes across the four nations of the United Kingdom -2013/14

    Number

    %

    England

    2,814,004

    6.2%

    Wales

    177,212

    6.9%

    Scotland

    259,986

    5.9%

    Northern Ireland

    81,867

    5.3%

    United Kingdom

    3,333,069

    6.2%

    Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework (Health and Social Care Information Centre)

    Public Health England’s diabetes prevalence model estimates total diabetes prevalence for England and for all local authorities and clinical commissioning groups in England. The model reflects the prevalence of diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) and adjusts for the age, sex, ethnic group and deprivation pattern of the local population.

    The estimated total diabetes prevalence using the diabetes prevalence model is 7.5% in England in 2014.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) his Department and (b) the NHS gives mental health parity of esteem with physical health.

    Alistair Burt

    We continue to take mental health as seriously as physical health and to hold the National Health Service to account for achieving the objectives set out in the NHS Mandate, ensuring that mental and physical health conditions are given equal priority. The Mandate makes clear that ‘everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence-based services’.

    We have legislated for parity of esteem between mental and physical health via the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

    We have already expanded our world-leading psychological therapy services and we have invested over £120 million in order to introduce for the first time waiting times standards for mental health services from April 2015 – a very significant milestone on the road to parity. Next year we will invest £15 million into improving the provision of places of safety, in order to ensure that people in crisis receive assessments in appropriate premises, and not in police custody.

    We have made clear that each clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) spending on Mental Health should increase in real terms.

    NHS England’s published planning guidance for 2015/16 for commissioners made the expectation clear that each CCGs spend on mental health services in 2015/16 should increase in real terms, and grow by at least the same percentage as each CCG’s allocation increase.

    We will monitor this closely to ensure this happens.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on seasonal influenza vaccination public awareness campaigns in 2014-15; and how much it plans to spend on such campaigns in 2015-16.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England’s annual seasonal flu vaccination programme campaign to educate the population about the risks of catching flu, the benefits of having a flu vaccination and promoting uptake of the flu vaccination, cost £1.6 million in 2014-15.

    For 2015-16, a joint campaign between Public Health England and NHS England launched on 15 October. This is part of a wider piece of activity to raise awareness of winter services, including flu messaging. £1 million is allocated to flu vaccination messaging.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many medical students studying in London medical schools are in their final year of study.

    Ben Gummer

    The Medical and Dental Students Survey records the total intake for medical schools for the 2014/15 academic year for London as1,616.Data is not held centrally on numbers of medical students studying in London for their final year of study or current totals of medical students in medical schools in London.