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  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on potential Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set indicators on autism.

    Alistair Burt

    There have been no specific recent discussions between the Department and NHS England about including autism in NHS England’s Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set (CCG OIS). CCG OIS measures are developed from NHS Outcomes Framework indicators that can be measured at CCG level together with additional indicators developed by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). NICE makes recommendations for new CCG OIS indicators via a public consultation process and an Advisory Committee of senior clinicians and commissioners which consider both CCG OIS and Quality Outcomes Framework indicators. NICE is supported by the HSCIC which quality assure indicators through its expert processes.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that NHS England’s response to the Mental Health Taskforce includes securing access to timely autism diagnoses.

    Alistair Burt

    The report of the Mental Health Task Force is due to be published shortly. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing timely autism diagnosis.

    In 2015, new statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the continued implementation of the 2010 Autism Strategy, as refreshed by its 2014 Think Autism update, set out expectations for autism training for general practitioners (GPs). The Department has also provided financial support to the Royal College of General Practitioners clinical priorities programme on autism which is undertaking practical work on autism awareness and training for GPs.GPs should be aware of what the local arrangements are for making referrals for autism diagnosis.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to investigate the termination of the contract between Cambridgeshire Clinical Commissioning Group and the Uniting Care Partnership.

    George Freeman

    NHS England advises that it has commissioned an independent review to establish the key facts and root causes leading up to the termination of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership LLP, with the aim of identifying lessons to be learnt and next steps. The investigation, which will take place over the course of this month, will also consider how similar contracts will be managed and assured in the future.

  • 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 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20084, if he will make it his policy to collect data concerning the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants that are dispensed by the NHS for patients aged under 18.

    Alistair Burt

    Currently, information is not available centrally concerning the age of patients prescribed and dispensed specific medicines. However, the NHS Business Services Authority is in the process of developing this capability so that, as a minimum, information can be provided from a sample of prescription items.

  • 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 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20083, what steps he plans to take to tackle the rise in the number of people who took their own life on the rail network since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    Reducing suicides on the rail network is highlighted as a key area within the cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2012) where tailored and collaborative action can be taken. I will be having discussions soon with officials and our delivery partners about ways in which we can re-invigorate the delivery of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

    Public Health England published guidance to local authorities, Guidance for developing a local suicide prevention action plan (2014) and Preventing suicides in public places (2015), which include advice on working with local transport organisations to take preventative action to reduce suicides on the transport network.

    We continue to work with the British Transport Police, London Underground Limited, Network Rail, Samaritans and other partners to reduce suicides on the rail and underground networks.

    We support the joint work of Network Rail and Samaritans as part of the Tackling Suicides on the Railways programme, which has continued to grow since 2010. Since 2010, more than 8,000 rail staff, British Transport Police officers and Network Rail front line staff have received training from Samaritans.

    This partnership approach has led to the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Group to tackle the issue of railway suicide, comprising Samaritans, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Train Operating Company representatives and the wider railway industry, such as the Association of Train Operating Companies, Rail Safety & Standards Board and rail unions.

    The British Transport Police is a signatory of the Crisis Care Concordat which aims to support people experiencing a mental health crisis. The Department of Health also provided funding support in 2014/15 to enable the British Transport Police to expand its suicide prevention programme to include the North of England as well as the South of England. The programme aims to reduce suicides on the transport network by identifying people who might be considering suicide on the transport network and linking them with support services.

  • 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 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2015 to Question 18011, when he plans to announce the successful bids for the Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programme.

    Jane Ellison

    The results of the Homelessness Change/Platform for Life programme bidding process were announced on 22 December 2015. Bids worth £42.1 million were awarded for 14 projects in London and 60 in the rest of England. The programme runs for two years – from 2015-16 to 2016-17.

    A list of the successful bids is attached.

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

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of demand for clinical trial capacity at UK muscle centres; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The United Kingdom is a world–leader in neuromuscular research, bringing a combination of excellent translational science, well-defined patient cohorts and a sophisticated and successful clinical research system. These attributes make the UK an outstanding location for the global life sciences industry to undertake clinical trials and collaborate with leading clinical scientists.

    The National Health Service and the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) are working collaboratively to support the increasing number of clinical trials in neuromuscular disease.

    The current pipeline of neuromuscular studies for 2016 includes four phase I studies, six phase II studies, three phase III studies and one phase IV study.

    Currently, the most intensive trials are supported in Great Ormond Street Hospital, London and in the John Walton Neuromuscular Centre in Newcastle, where NIHR supports dedicated clinical research facilities alongside the Medical Research Council funded muscle research centres. These centres supported colleagues at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, to collaborate in a recent study supported by the NIHR Alder Hey Clinical Research Facility.

    Building on these successes, the NIHR is using its Clinical Research Network and Biomedical Research Centres to increase capacity and expertise at existing sites and prepare other muscle centres to be able to support the pipeline of studies. Additionally, NIHR leaders have engaged with patient organisations for neuromuscular disease and presented innovative models to enable charities to partner the NHS in developing more capacity in existing and new sites.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the departmental settlement for his Department for this Spending Review period included any specific allocation of funds for ex gratia payments to victims of contaminated blood in future financial years.

    Jane Ellison

    The £25 million, announced by the Prime Minister in March 2015 to support transition to a reformed scheme, will remain available in 2016-17. We are assessing what can be allocated above and beyond that. We expect to announce our plans for that money once we have a better understanding of what wider scheme reform might comprise following the outcome of consultation.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has allocated any funding for ex gratia payments to victims of contaminated blood for the 2016-17 financial year.

    Jane Ellison

    The £25 million, announced by the Prime Minister in March 2015 to support transition to a reformed scheme, will remain available in 2016-17. We are assessing what can be allocated above and beyond that. We expect to announce our plans for that money once we have a better understanding of what wider scheme reform might comprise following the outcome of consultation.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he expects to spend the £25 million funding for ex gratia payments to victims of contaminated blood in the 2015-16 financial year.

    Jane Ellison

    The £25 million, announced by the Prime Minister in March 2015 to support transition to a reformed scheme, will remain available in 2016-17. We are assessing what can be allocated above and beyond that. We expect to announce our plans for that money once we have a better understanding of what wider scheme reform might comprise following the outcome of consultation.