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  • John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s news story of 13 September 2015, From 2020 people with suspected cancer will be diagnosed faster, when his Department plans to make tailored recovery packages available for cancer patients, including those with rarer cancers.

    Jane Ellison

    In its report Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020 (July 2015), the independent Cancer Taskforce called for an acceleration of the commissioning and provision of services to support people affected by cancer to live as healthy and as happy lives as possible. Over the last few years, NHS England has been working with Macmillan Cancer Support to roll out the Recovery Package, which describes a set of actions that ensure that the individual needs of all people going through cancer treatment and beyond, including rare cancers, are met by tailored support and services. By working through a Recovery Package, patients and clinicians assess patients’ holistic needs and plan appropriately for their care and support, they ensure that a treatment summary is sent between a patient’s hospital and their general practitioner (GP), that they are appropriately followed up by their GP, and can attend health and wellbeing events for patients and carers.

    In September 2015, the Department announced that by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. In April 2016, NHS England published guidance on the commissioning of these services to support people living with and beyond cancer, and will continue to support both Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints and clinical commissioning groups to put this guidance into action.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department ensures that the delivery of drug and alcohol treatment by local authorities conforms to the NHS constitution.

    Jane Ellison

    Section 2 of the Health Act 2009 as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires local authorities to have regard to the National Health Service constitution in performing their health service functions which include the commissioning of services to treat dependence on drugs and alcohol.

    Public Health England supports local authorities in their public health functions by providing a range of supportive guidance and materials, as well as bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice.

    The Department distributes funding to local authorities through the Public Health Grant to carry out their public health functions. The grant conditions include a requirement for each local authority to have regard to the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, its drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Local authorities are also required to report annual expenditure on drug and alcohol services.

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

    Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Scully on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals in England are equipped to deliver thrombectomy to stroke patients.

    Jane Ellison

    Information is not collected centrally on the number of hospitals in England which are currently equipped to deliver thrombectomy for stroke.

    In February this year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published interventional procedure guidance on mechanical clot retrieval (thrombectomy) for treating acute ischaemic stroke. The guidance sets out that current evidence on the safety and efficacy of this procedure is adequate to support its use, provided that standard arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent and audit. This guidance does not oblige commissioners to commission thrombectomy nor hospitals to provide it. The guidance is available at:

    www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg548

    NHS England is now undertaking work to inform a decision on whether this is a procedure that should be made more widely available.

    “

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

    Paul Scully – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Scully on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and adequacy of mental health support available to stroke survivors.

    Jane Ellison

    Access to stroke specific psychological support is vital to diagnosing and managing many of the unseen effects of stroke. The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme has recently conducted an audit of the provision of services to people with stroke once they have left hospital. The audit found that around 42% of Early Supported Discharge teams and 44% of longer term community rehabilitation teams had some access to psychologists. There are also physiotherapists, nurses and occupational therapists on these teams who often address psychological issues.

    We know that there are improvements to be made in providing psychological support for stroke survivors. Clinical commissioning groups are encouraged to consider how the needs of these patients might be met when commissioning services.

  • Gordon Henderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gordon Henderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Henderson on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the current scheme of discretionary top-up payments provided by the Macfarlane Trust to its beneficiaries will be removed as a result of the Government’s proposed changes to its scheme of support for people affected by contaminated blood.

    Jane Ellison

    The consultation on reforming the current payment schemes for those affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through National Health Service-supplied blood/blood products closed on 15 April. The analyses of responses are still being considered by Ministers and no decisions on changes to the schemes have been taken. An announcement will be made in due course.

  • Gerald Kaufman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gerald Kaufman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he intends to answer the letter to him dated 23 March 2016 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr C Costigan.

    Jane Ellison

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health responded to the Rt. hon. Member’s letter of 23 March 2016 on 22 April 2016.

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

    David Tredinnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Tredinnick on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the recent decision of the US and Indian governments, announced in the press release of the government of India on AYUSH of 3 March 2016, to review and cooperate on whether to reduce morbidity from cancer using ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy interventions.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has not made an assessment on this matter.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the maximum distance recommended by NHS England is for people with severe asthma to travel to receive day-case treatment.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England commissions severe asthma services in line with national specifications to ensure that patient numbers are sufficient to support safe, quality service provision. It is revising the severe asthma service specification which is expected to be published later in 2016.

    Nationally there are 27 trusts that have identified themselves as providing severe asthma services.

    NHS England does not specify travel distances for patients attending treatment for severe asthma.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many specialist centres for asthma are recognised by NHS England.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England commissions severe asthma services in line with national specifications to ensure that patient numbers are sufficient to support safe, quality service provision. It is revising the severe asthma service specification which is expected to be published later in 2016.

    Nationally there are 27 trusts that have identified themselves as providing severe asthma services.

    NHS England does not specify travel distances for patients attending treatment for severe asthma.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what treatments are commissioned by specialist centres for severe asthma.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England commissions severe asthma services in line with national specifications to ensure that patient numbers are sufficient to support safe, quality service provision. It is revising the severe asthma service specification which is expected to be published later in 2016.

    Nationally there are 27 trusts that have identified themselves as providing severe asthma services.

    NHS England does not specify travel distances for patients attending treatment for severe asthma.