Author: admin

  • 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 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to increase spending on research into brain tumours to enable faster diagnosis.

    George Freeman

    Spend by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health category ‘cancer’ has increased by a third from £101 million in 2010/11 to £135 million in 2014/15. There are no HRCS health sub-categories such as for brain tumours or other specific cancer sites and information on total current NIHR spend on brain tumour research is not held.

    The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including brain tumours. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

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

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse was of the campaign to encourage (a) young people and (b) first-year university students to take up the Men ACWY vaccine.

    Jane Ellison

    The total marketing budget for the campaign to encourage the uptake of the Men ACWY vaccine was £99,000.

    The paid-for activities formed part of an integrated communications and marketing approach which involved Public Health England working closely with NHS England, meningitis charities and Universities UK. National, regional, online and specialist print and broadcast media coverage of the vaccination campaign was secured at no cost. The vaccination programme was also promoted through university networks at national and regional/local level.

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

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has for implementing a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has no plans to introduce a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

    National immunisation programmes are introduced following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the government on all immunisation matters. JCVI reviewed all available evidence and advised that immunisation against meningococcal group B should be routinely offered to infants from two months of age and immunisation against meningococcal A, C, W and Y should be routinely offered to teenagers aged around 14 years.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what equality assessment his Department has undertaken on the introduction of fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence cases; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    The consultation stage assessment for the introduction of fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence is work in progress. The Department has established a working group to look at the impact of the proposal on equalities, health inequalities and families. Membership (which has not been finalised) currently includes representatives of claimant lawyers, defence lawyers, patients and the National Health Service. We will also seek views on the impact of the policy on equalities, health inequalities and families within the consultation.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24674, what steps he is taking to ensure that trained specialist mental health staff are available to support mothers in every birthing unit by 2017; if he will provide an interim progress report on that work; and how he plans to assess whether that objective has been achieved by 2017.

    Alistair Burt

    Health Education England (HEE) has a mandate commitment to ensure that trained specialist mental health staff are available to support mothers in every birthing unit by 2017.

    Formal arrangements are in place between the Department and HEE to review performance on a regular basis. These include reports on progress against mandate commitments and quarterly accountability meetings between the Department’s senior officials and the HEE chief executive and executive directors.

    The HEE Perinatal Mental Health programme aims to ensure that the maternity workforce has access to the right, skills and knowledge that will enable them to provide high quality perinatal mental health care from prevention through to treatment for women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. This includes partnership working with stakeholders, including the Royal College of Midwives to meet the multi professional education and training requirements.

    At local level, it is for employers to ensure that staff have received appropriate perinatal mental health training to enable them to deliver high quality care and support to mothers during pregnancy and the first year after birth.

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

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to implement the recommendation of the National Screening Committee, made in January 2016, on making non-invasive prenatal testing for Down’s syndrome available to expectant mothers.

    Ben Gummer

    The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has recommended that non-invasive prenatal testing for Down’s syndrome should be introduced as an additional test into the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme as part of an evaluation. Ministers are currently considering this important recommendation from the UK NSC which has the potential to transform antenatal care.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    The value of compensation payments made in each year since 2010* is outlined in the table below.

    Year Compensation paid

    Value of compensation paid to external claimants

    Value of compensation paid to internal claimants

    2014/15

    £211,000

    £173,750

    2013/14

    £3,648

    £0

    2012/13

    £17,825

    £250

    2011/12

    £0

    £0

    2010/11

    £0

    £0

    *2015/16 data is still being audited and will be available when the final accounts are published later this year.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the ownership of (a) Richmond House and (b) Wellington House under an Islamic bond has affected any activity of his Department.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s activity has not been affected by the establishment of an Islamic bond on its premises in Richmond House and Wellington House.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women have taken their own lives in the first year after the birth of their child in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not collected centrally.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance is issued to (a) mental health professionals and (b) GPs on the relationship between vitamin B12 and depression-like symptoms.

    Alistair Burt

    The issuing of clinical guidance to healthcare professionals is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the relevant Royal Colleges and professional associations.

    General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first health professional an individual will see when in contact with health services. GPs should be familiar with the signs, symptoms and complications, including psychiatric abnormalities, of vitamin B12 deficiency and with the methods for diagnosing and treating it. Guidance is available from sources commonly consulted by GPs, including Clinical Knowledge Summaries and Patient.co.uk.