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  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many student midwives there were in England in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The following table shows the total number of student midwives in training in England as at the end of each financial year for the period 2010/11 to 2014/15.

    Year

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Midwives

    5,644

    5,955

    6,315

    6,413

    6,662

    Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to guarantee that all patients who had their operations cancelled as a result of the proposed industrial action by junior doctors will be offered another date for their operation within the next 28 days.

    Ben Gummer

    The NHS is making every effort to rearrange treatment for people whose operations were cancelled as quickly as possible.

    We recognise that cancellations by the hospital are upsetting and inconvenient for patients, which is why there is a pledge on cancelled operations in the Handbook on the NHS Constitution. When a patient’s operation is cancelled by the hospital at the last minute (on or after the day of admission, including the day of surgery) for non-clinical reasons, the hospital should offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient’s treatment at the time and hospital of the patient’s choice.

    For operations that were cancelled before the day of admission, the pledge does not apply. However, the NHS Constitution includes the right “to access services within maximum waiting times, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer you a range of alternative providers if this is not possible”. Patients have the right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions. If this is not possible, and where patients request it, the organisation responsible for commissioning the patient’s care must investigate offering a range of suitable alternative providers that would be able to see or treat the patient more quickly than the original provider. The commissioning organisation must take all reasonable steps to meet patients’ requests.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government’s response of February 2015 to the consultation entitled Arrangements for the Transfer of Commissioning Responsibilities for Renal Dialysis and Morbid Obesity Surgery Services from NHS England to Clinical Commissioning Groups, what information has been provided to clinical commissioning groups in anticipation of the transfer of responsibilities for obesity surgery in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    Due to feedback during the consultation for the proposal, the responsibility for commissioning renal dialysis services is not transferring to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in April 2016.

    NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities for obesity surgery services to CCGs by providing technical and operational guidance to commissioners, including undertaking a stocktake of Tier 3 and Tier 4 interfaces within regions to assist CCGs. This guidance is in development. Communications are also supported through national and local meetings between NHS England and CCG representatives on shared issues within the commissioning agenda.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be required to meet current national service standards for the provision of obesity surgery after the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities from NHS England to CCGs in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    CCGs will have the full commissioning responsibility for the obesity services within their remit to set standards for services for their population and to make clinical commissioning policy decisions in terms of patient eligibility with effect from April 2016.

    NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to CCGs by providing clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway. This guidance is in development, supported by national clinical experts.

    The draft clinical commissioning policy includes reference to the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance to support CCGs in determining patient eligibility to obesity surgery. The draft service specification will reflect best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) NHS England have made of the levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCG’s) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    The responsibility for commissioning severe and complex obesity for Tier 4 services will transfer to CCGs in April 2016. This is one of a number of changes in commissioning responsibility which will be managed between NHS England and CCGs. NHS England will be leading on the contracting for services for 2016/17 to facilitate the smooth handover from 1 April 2016.

    NHS England is addressing preparedness, both around the technical and financial transfer of budget and contracting responsibility, and supporting CCGs in commissioning of the clinical pathway.

    The technical impact of these changes is being modelled and formal agreement within NHS England will occur in mid-December. The formal transfer will be part of the annual national Planning Guidance to commissioners, including CCGs that will be issued in early 2016.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether hospitals will incur financial penalties if they breach performance standards as a result of the suspended industrial action on 1 December 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    In the normal course of events, a hospital which misses a key national standard (such as the 18-week referral to treatment waiting time standard or the six-week diagnostic wait standard) will incur a mandatory financial sanction applied by its commissioners, as set out in the NHS Standard Contract.

    However, the Contract also includes a ‘Force Majeure’ clause (General Condition 28) which would, in principle, apply to planned industrial action. Under this clause, a provider is able to claim relief from its liabilities under the Contract, to the extent that an event outside of its reasonable control has directly caused it to fail to meet its contractual obligations.

    Therefore, if a hospital were to breach an operational standard for the month, but could demonstrate to the commissioner that:

    * this was solely and directly due to the action it had reasonably taken in anticipation of the industrial action proceeding; and

    * it had done everything reasonable to mitigate the impact of its actions on achievement of the standard in that month

    then the commissioner could set aside the sanction for that month.

    If the breach of the standard was only partly due to the impact of the planned industrial action, only the relevant proportion of the sanction would be set aside.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the link between the speed of a person’s walk and dementia.

    Jane Ellison

    Improving dementia research, improving the treatment and care of people with dementia and reducing the incidence of dementia, is a key priority for the government. That is why in February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia 2020 as a successor to the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2012-2015.

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had and continues to have discussions with a range of organisations about dementia including its signs and symptoms.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recently published a guideline which makes recommendations on approaches in mid‑life to delay or prevent the onset of dementia, disability and frailty in later life.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether an assessment has been made of the barriers preventing multiple myeloma patients accessing the most innovative treatments.

    Jane Ellison

    No specific assessment has been made of the barriers affecting access to the most innovative treatments for patients with multiple myeloma.

    It is essential that a robust process is in place to ensure that patients get rapid access to the most innovative drugs that represent value for money to the National Health Service. The Cancer Drugs Fund has helped over 84,000 people to access the life-extending drugs they need, and NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are currently consulting on the future shape of the Fund to put it on a more sustainable footing.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to publish the year 10 data for the Risk Sharing Scheme for the supply of disease modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis.

    George Freeman

    The Government expects the conclusions from the year 10 results of the Multiple Sclerosis Risk Sharing Scheme to be published in a recognised academic journal in late 2016.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral contribution of 30 November 2015, Official Report, column 33, on NHS England collating feedback from all trusts on the effect of proposed industrial action, if he will place a copy of that feedback in the Library.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS England asked trusts to provide information on their preparations for the proposed industrial action for 1, 8 and 16 December 2015 which was being refreshed on an ongoing basis by trusts as plans developed locally.

    On 30 November 2015, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) announced on behalf of the Department of Health and the British Medical Association that action was suspended, upon agreement of a memorandum of understanding.

    NHS England is therefore continuing to work with trusts to ensure that the service is prepared should there be any industrial action in the future.