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  • John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibilities NHS England has for commissioning breast cancer services.

    Jane Ellison

    The majority of treatments for cancer, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are commissioned nationally by NHS England. Commissioning is informed by a range of clinical reference groups established as a primary source of advice on best practice, service standards for commissioned providers and forward strategy and innovation.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) plan and buy local community and non-specialised hospital cancer services in their local area. This includes the diagnosis, oversight of treatment and surgical management of breast cancers.

    NHS England is not aware of any formal guidance being given to CCGs on engagement with Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) or breast network site-specific groups. However, it would expect that all health organisations would wish to be part of SCNs. As CCGs are responsible for much of the commissioning of services covered by the SCNs (e.g. cancer, stroke, mental health, and dementia care), they have an interest in their activities.

    Breast network site specific groups are specialist groups who focus on protocol development, improving care and the quality and outcomes of services within the SCN area. It would not be expected for a CCG to normally engage directly with that group but they would be part of a process to approve protocols and of any escalation process if there were concerns about a particular service within the SCN.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to help clinicians ensure that patients are given information about the treatment options available and help in choosing the best option to suit them. NHS England would expect CCGs to take into account NICE quality standards when commissioning breast cancer services.

  • John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibilities clinical commissioning groups have for commissioning breast cancer services.

    Jane Ellison

    The majority of treatments for cancer, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are commissioned nationally by NHS England. Commissioning is informed by a range of clinical reference groups established as a primary source of advice on best practice, service standards for commissioned providers and forward strategy and innovation.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) plan and buy local community and non-specialised hospital cancer services in their local area. This includes the diagnosis, oversight of treatment and surgical management of breast cancers.

    NHS England is not aware of any formal guidance being given to CCGs on engagement with Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) or breast network site-specific groups. However, it would expect that all health organisations would wish to be part of SCNs. As CCGs are responsible for much of the commissioning of services covered by the SCNs (e.g. cancer, stroke, mental health, and dementia care), they have an interest in their activities.

    Breast network site specific groups are specialist groups who focus on protocol development, improving care and the quality and outcomes of services within the SCN area. It would not be expected for a CCG to normally engage directly with that group but they would be part of a process to approve protocols and of any escalation process if there were concerns about a particular service within the SCN.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to help clinicians ensure that patients are given information about the treatment options available and help in choosing the best option to suit them. NHS England would expect CCGs to take into account NICE quality standards when commissioning breast cancer services.

  • Mike Freer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mike Freer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Freer on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost per patient was of antiretroviral therapy for HIV in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected. In 2012-13, the National Health Service in England spent an estimated £630 million on HIV services, including treatment. Approximately 60,721 people in England received NHS HIV treatment and care services in 2012.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure GPs are accessible to patients.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Through the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund, more than 7.5 million people in England will start to be offered increased access to local general practitioner (GP) services, including seven-day opening and appointments outside of office hours. The Fund is supporting over 1,110 practices covering every region as part of a pilot scheme.

    The PM Challenge Fund is for one year and patients are expected to see positive changes from services from June/July onwards. An interim evaluation report is due in November this year. The full and final report is expected to be published in the early part of 2015-16. There will be a rolling programme of feedback on the pilots with case studies available from the summer onwards to help spread best practice across the country.

    In addition, the new GP contract introduced a new Enhanced Service, which includes a commitment to same day phone consultations with a professional in the GP surgery where necessary for the most at risk in the population.

  • Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerry Sutcliffe on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what definition his Department uses of an adequate amount of weekly physical activity.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) guidelines for physical activity for adults is to be active daily, up to at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. Children and young people should be active for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. The guidelines were published in July 2011. More information can be found from UK CMOs’ report on physical activity ‘Start Active, Stay Active’. A copy of the report has already been placed in the Library.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many redundancy payments have been recovered from NHS staff who have been made redundant and subsequently re-employed by an NHS organisation in each of the last three years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department does not hold information relating to the recovery of payments from National Health Service staff made redundant and subsequently re-employed by an NHS organisation.

    This information will be held locally by NHS organisations.

    The NHS is set to save £5.5 billion this Parliament and £1.5 billion each year thereafter, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and freeing up extra resources for patient care.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times ambulance response times in (a) the North West and (b) each ambulance service trust in England have exceeded (i) 15, (ii) 20, (iii) 30 and (iv) 60 minutes since May 2010.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not available in the format requested. The attached tables show that in April 2014, North West Ambulance Service responded to 95% of Category A immediately life threatening calls within 17 minutes and that 99% of calls were responded to within 31 minutes. The tables also provide response time information for each ambulance service trust in England since April 2011.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of how many non-clinical dementia specialist professionals are currently working across the health and care sector.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    People with dementia receive care and support from many groups of professionals across the health and social care sector. By October 2013, 108,000 National Health Service staff had received Tier 1 training on dementia, enabling them to spot the early symptoms of dementia, know how to interact with people with dementia and ensure that patients receive the most appropriate care. The Government’s refreshed Mandate to Health Education England, published on 1 May 2014, builds on this by setting an ambition for a further 250,000 NHS staff to receive Tier 1 training on dementia by March 2015, with the tools and training opportunities being made available to all staff by the end of 2018.

    The size of the adult social care workforce is 1.5 million people and research in 2010 indicated that over 40% of this workforce is involved in supporting people with dementia. Skills for Care estimate that over the past year over 100,000 social care workers have received some form of dementia awareness training through workforce development funding from local authorities and care providers.

  • John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has given to clinical commissioning groups on their involvement with (a) strategic clinical networks and (b) breast network site-specific groups.

    Jane Ellison

    The majority of treatments for cancer, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are commissioned nationally by NHS England. Commissioning is informed by a range of clinical reference groups established as a primary source of advice on best practice, service standards for commissioned providers and forward strategy and innovation.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) plan and buy local community and non-specialised hospital cancer services in their local area. This includes the diagnosis, oversight of treatment and surgical management of breast cancers.

    NHS England is not aware of any formal guidance being given to CCGs on engagement with Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) or breast network site-specific groups. However, it would expect that all health organisations would wish to be part of SCNs. As CCGs are responsible for much of the commissioning of services covered by the SCNs (e.g. cancer, stroke, mental health, and dementia care), they have an interest in their activities.

    Breast network site specific groups are specialist groups who focus on protocol development, improving care and the quality and outcomes of services within the SCN area. It would not be expected for a CCG to normally engage directly with that group but they would be part of a process to approve protocols and of any escalation process if there were concerns about a particular service within the SCN.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to help clinicians ensure that patients are given information about the treatment options available and help in choosing the best option to suit them. NHS England would expect CCGs to take into account NICE quality standards when commissioning breast cancer services.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to reduce child obesity in Barnsley.

    Jane Ellison

    In April 2013, local responsibility for the prevention and management of obesity transferred from primary care trusts to local authorities.

    Barnsley’s Health and Wellbeing board, run by Barnsley Council, is drafting a Health and Wellbeing strategy for the borough to support children and young people in avoiding the potential health problems related to child obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases later in life.

    Our national approach to tackling obesity includes engaging with a wide range of partners including businesses, health professionals and individuals. We have set national ambition for a downward trend in excess weight in children and have a well-developed and wide-ranging programme of actions. Obesity rates in children are levelling off.

    Some of the key initiatives are Change4Life, Change4Life Sports Clubs, the National Child Measurement Programme and School Sports Funding.

    This is in addition to measures being taken by other Government departments such as the School Food Plan, published by the Department for Education last year.