The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted into the likelihood of people who get primary breast cancer twice getting secondary breast cancer.
George Freeman
The Department does not itself conduct research, and has not funded research on this specific topic.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 11782, what discussions he has had with the professional regulators regarding the level of mental health training offered as part of the mandatory training course for (a) student doctors, (b) student nurses and (c) midwives.
Ben Gummer
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with professional regulators about mandatory mental health training. It is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricular to ensure newly qualified doctors and nurses are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care.This includes mental health training as required.
Health Education England will work with bodies that set curricula such as the GMC and the royal colleges to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS staff can report patient safety incidents quickly and efficiently.
Ben Gummer
NHS England is responsible for the National Reporting and Learning System which collates information on patient safety incidents reported by staff working in NHS funded care.
There are plans to develop a new patient safety incident management system and one of the aims will be to make it quicker and easier for staff to report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve children’s oral health in England through (a) diet and (b) other methods.
Jane Ellison
Our comprehensive childhood obesity strategy, due to be published in the new year, will be looking at areas for potential action including diet and sugar consumption which are risk factors in poor oral health and tooth decay.
The Department is working with NHS England to test a possible new dental contract which will increase access and improve oral health. Building on earlier pilots we are about to move to a new stage of testing by establishing prototypes. The new dental prototypes will continue to test a clinical care pathway focussed on preventing future dental disease. This approach includes offering patients personalised care plans and advice to both patients and parents on diet and good oral hygiene.
In 2014 Public Health England (PHE) published an evidence informed toolkit for local authorities to support their work on oral health improvement among children and young people. PHE also published an evidence based toolkit for dental teams to support preventive advice and treatment for their patients. These toolkits include oral health improvement programmes and advice focussing on a healthier diet and reducing the consumption of free sugars.
In addition these toolkits include other methods to improve oral health, for example tooth brushing programmes and fluoride varnish application.
The PHE report Local authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people: An evidence-informed toolkit for local authorities is attached and can be found at:
The PHE report Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention is attached and can be found at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve oral health as part of the childhood obesity strategy.
Jane Ellison
Our comprehensive childhood obesity strategy, due to be published in the new year, will be looking at areas for potential action including diet and sugar consumption which are risk factors in poor oral health and tooth decay.
The Department is working with NHS England to test a possible new dental contract which will increase access and improve oral health. Building on earlier pilots we are about to move to a new stage of testing by establishing prototypes. The new dental prototypes will continue to test a clinical care pathway focussed on preventing future dental disease. This approach includes offering patients personalised care plans and advice to both patients and parents on diet and good oral hygiene.
In 2014 Public Health England (PHE) published an evidence informed toolkit for local authorities to support their work on oral health improvement among children and young people. PHE also published an evidence based toolkit for dental teams to support preventive advice and treatment for their patients. These toolkits include oral health improvement programmes and advice focussing on a healthier diet and reducing the consumption of free sugars.
In addition these toolkits include other methods to improve oral health, for example tooth brushing programmes and fluoride varnish application.
The PHE report Local authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people: An evidence-informed toolkit for local authorities is attached and can be found at:
The PHE report Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention is attached and can be found at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the likely annual cost to the NHS of treating age-related macular degeneration by 2050.
Alistair Burt
From the data collected it is not possible to identify how much was spent specifically on treating patients with age-related macular degeneration.
No estimate has been made of the annual cost of treating age related macular degeneration by 2050.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of medical research spending is directed toward eye disease.
Joseph Johnson
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 November 2015 to Question UIN 14200.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spends on treating age-related macular degeneration each year.
Alistair Burt
From the data collected it is not possible to identify how much was spent specifically on treating patients with age-related macular degeneration.
No estimate has been made of the annual cost of treating age related macular degeneration by 2050.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Public Health England’s report, Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, published in October 2015.
Jane Ellison
We are considering the evidence and advice in Public Health England’s report Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action, along with other areas for potential action, as we develop our childhood obesity strategy which will be published in the new year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the safe level of consumption of game killed with lead ammunition for (a) healthy adults, (b) pregnant women and (c) children.
Jane Ellison
Government set up the independent Lead Ammunition Group in 2010 to provide advice on risks to wildlife and human health from lead shot game. The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible The Food Standards Agency (FSA) accepts the expert advice of the UK Committee on Toxicity and the European Food Safety Authority that it is not possible to set a safe level for exposure to lead from food. However, to better understand the potential risk to UK consumers the FSA produced a risk assessment in 2012 based on its survey data from 2007 of game meat samples; Veterinary Medicines Directorate data from the national surveillance scheme was also considered. The FSA risk assessment considered the potential levels of exposure to lead from lead shot game for adults, children and toddlers based on different levels of game meat consumption.
This risk assessment led to FSA issuing targeted advice to frequent consumers of lead shot game in 2012, warning of the potential risks. The advice was promoted as especially important for vulnerable groups such as toddlers and children, pregnant women and women trying for a baby, as exposure to lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. The FSA risk assessment was published along with this advice. The Government has not estimated the number of people who regularly consume game meat shot with lead.
More generally, the FSA, works on behalf of the UK within the European Union to agree harmonised controls to reduce public exposure to lead in the food chain. EU maximum limits apply for lead in a range of foods and these are regularly reviewed by the EU Commission and member states. These maximum limits apply to all food produced in the EU or imported to the EU.