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  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many instances of adverse reactions have been reported under the Yellow Card Scheme; and what the nature of the reaction reported was in the case of (a) dabigatran, (b) rivaroxaban and (c) apixaban.

    George Freeman

    Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme. The scheme collects suspected ADR reports from the whole of the United Kingdom in relation to all medicines and vaccines. Reporting to the Yellow Card Scheme is voluntary for healthcare professionals and members of the public. There is also a legal obligation for pharmaceutical companies to report all serious ADRs for their products that they are aware of.

    The table below provides the number of UK suspected spontaneous ADR reports received via the Yellow card Scheme in association with each drug substance as requested.

    The information in the table shows the number of UK spontaneous suspected ADR reports in association with Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban and Apixaban up to and including 7 March 2016.

    Drug substance

    Number of reports

    Dabigatran

    1,552

    Rivaroxaban

    3,291

    Apixaban

    900

    A full list of the type and number of reactions, broken down by the reaction term, is publically available for each medicine on the MHRA website. It is important to note that Yellow Card reports are not proof of a side effect occurring due to the medicine but only a suspicion by the reporter that the medicine may have caused the side effect. Yellow Card reports may therefore relate to true side effects of the medicine, or they may be due to coincidental illnesses that would have occurred in the absence of the medicine.

    Dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban are anticoagulant medicines used to prevent or treat blood clots. The most commonly reported adverse reaction for all three medicines is gastrointestinal haemorrhage or bleeding, which is in keeping with the known anticoagulant effects of these medicines. Other relatively commonly reported suspected adverse reactions include bleeding at other sites of the body, gastrointestinal symptoms (such as nausea, pain and diarrhoea), anaemia, and rash. These adverse reactions are described in the product information, in both the Patient Information Leaflet for patients and the Summary of Healthcare Products for healthcare professionals.

  • Jonathan Djanogly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jonathan Djanogly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Djanogly on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to undertake consumer information campaigns in preparation for the introduction of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has no plans to undertake consumer facing information campaigns in preparation for the introduction of the revised Tobacco Products Directive’s (TPD) requirements.

    The TPD introduces a number of new product, labelling and reporting requirements for businesses supplying tobacco products, herbal products and e-cigarettes. The Department has and will continue to engage with businesses to make them aware of the new requirement and has recently held training sessions on the new legislation for enforcement officers. The Department will work alongside enforcement officers to build compliance over the transition period set out in the Regulations.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children’s mental health beds there are (a) in each local authority or clinical commissioning group region and (b) per head of population in each such region.

    Alistair Burt

    The data of how many children’s mental health beds in each clinical commissioning group by region and per head of population in each such region, is contained in the below table:

    Commissioned Beds

    Number of Children 0-19

    Commissioned Beds per 1,000 Children

    London

    242

    2,198,488

    0.11

    East Midlands

    137

    1,146,555

    0.12

    East of England

    187

    1,461,845

    0.13

    West Midlands

    175

    1,434,330

    0.12

    North East

    98

    703,514

    0.14

    North West

    196

    1,641,767

    0.12

    Yorkshire and Humber

    90

    1,328,961

    0.07

    South Central

    152

    1,154,356

    0.13

    South East Coast

    94

    1,080,080

    0.09

    South West

    54

    1,069,126

    0.05

    Totals

    1,425

    13,219,022

    0.11

    Notes:

    1. These figures only relate to where the service capacity is geographically located.
    2. There is no account taken of how the referrals flow in terms of cross boundary activity – some of which is planned for to reflect transport networks and some of which would be unplanned out of area activity.
  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s press release of 25 November 2015, entitled Department of Health’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015, how the figure of £2 billion of asset sales over five years was calculated; what the 25 potential asset sales with the highest prospective value are; what the value of projected asset sales scheduled to take place will be in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The £2 billion target was a Spending Review target agreed between the Department and HM Treasury. The target was derived from 2015-16 capital plans submitted to the Department from across the NHS Group, taking account of historic trends and additional future disposals needed to deliver the Department’s policy and finance objectives over the Spending Review period.

    Land and buildings are the highest value asset class in the National Health Service. The Department works with a wide range of NHS and foundation trust’s bodies in confidence to identify and help bring forward surplus property. Data on the values of surplus land and property, before it is sold, is commercially sensitive and is not appropriate for the public domain.

    The NHS continuously looks at ways of using its assets more efficiently, including disposing of what is surplus. It is not possible to provide a projected value of surplus assets at this stage while this work is ongoing but the Department is aiming to achieve circa £400 million per annum in sales from NHS and NHS Property Services’ assets over the Spending Review period.

  • 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 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the role of social enterprises in delivering high-quality healthcare services.

    Ben Gummer

    It is a statutory obligation that decisions on healthcare provision should be taken independently by local commissioners. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) must decide how to use their resources in a way which is evidence based, clinically-led and cost-effective in order to provide high-quality healthcare for people in their area. CCGs must also balance both short-term need and long-term transformation in line with the NHS Five Year Forward View’s (5YFV) objectives.

    However, the Government firmly believes that providers from all sectors, including social enterprises, play an important role in providing high quality, safe and efficient care to patients, as well as helping to realise the ambitions set out in the NHS 5YFV. That is why, working in partnership with Public Health England, NHS England and representatives from the voluntary sector, the Department is in the final stages of a review looking at partnerships and investment in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. The final report of the review is expected to be published in the spring.

  • 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 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage GPs to undertake out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours.

    Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs), also attended.

    On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. In addition they have negotiated changes to the products offered by MDOs to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access.

    Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what legal costs have been incurred by NHS England in respect of the use of the NHS logo by the Vote Leave group; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has not incurred any legal costs regarding this matter.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on its report into the collapse of the Uniting Care Partnership contract; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    No such discussions have taken place. NHS England advises that the draft report is currently being finalised and will be published in due course.

  • 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 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the agreement of a long-term arrangement to control the cost of medical indemnity cover for out-of-hours GPs.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours.

    Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

    The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs), also attended.

    On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. In addition they have negotiated changes to the products offered by MDOs to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access.

    Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

  • 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 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to increase the understanding and use of social value in the design of healthcare services.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department is reviewing its work with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and will consider how to enhance the understanding and use of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as part of this work. The Department also intends to develop guidance for procurers and non-procurers on how to make best use of the Act. In addition, the Sustainable Development Unit, funded by NHS England and Public Health England, has established a programme of work on social value which includes providing guidance to commissioners and embedding social value in the Sustainability and Transformation Planning process underway across the health and care system.