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  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultation the NHS England Vanguard programme has undertaken with mental health clinicians in order to ensure that there is integrated care for the pilot sites’ registered populations.

    Alistair Burt

    Providing improved care for people with long term mental health conditions is a key priority for the Five Year Forward View New Models of Care programme. NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Mental Health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, has been consulted regularly as the programme has developed.

    Vanguard sites were selected following an open and rigorous process to ensure chosen sites addressed key criteria including, where appropriate, mental health. This involved several stages of evaluation and selection workshops where mental health clinicians, other clinicians, patients and other key stakeholders (including those representing mental health e.g. MIND) were able to influence the decision making process.

    A workshop focusing specifically on mental health was held for the urgent and emergency care vanguards on 5 October 2015. This was chaired by Dr Strathdee. Representatives of vanguard sites discussed their plans for investment in all-age psychiatric liaison services and the development of crisis services. They also agreed to share plans for improving mental health services across all vanguards.

    The vanguards are setting up a regular forum on mental health to share learning and good practice.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding his Department is making available to local authorities to support implementation of interventions to reduce excess winter deaths.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has invested an extra £400 million nationally to support health and care services over the winter period. This money will enable the NHS and local authorities to support people through the winter period. By making the money available from the start of the financial year, we have created certainty, enabling the health and care system to prepare more effectively than in previous years.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2015 to Question 12901, on mental health services, whether the figures in that Answer include children and young people.

    Alistair Burt

    The figures set out in the answer of 26 October 2015 to Question 12901 include children and young people. The number of times people aged under 18 were taken to police custody as a place of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act fell from 256 in 2013/14 to 161 in 2014/15 (37% reduction)[1].

    [1] National Police Chief’s Council: http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/fall-in-use-of-police-custody-for-those-in-mental-health-crisis

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2015 to Question 14466, if he will publish the minutes of the 21 October 2015 meeting of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody.

    Andrew Selous

    The next meeting of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody, which I will chair, will take place on 1 March 2016. The minutes of the Board held on 21 October 2015 will be agreed by members at that meeting and then published.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on measures to tackle avoidable winter deaths.

    Jane Ellison

    Work with European counterparts continues to be seen as an important way of reducing avoidable winter deaths and the building of partnerships and programmes will remain an ongoing focus of effort. For example, Public Health England (PHE) produces the annual cold weather plan for England (CWP) a framework intended to protect the population from harm to health from cold weather. The CWP was developed in consultation with WHO Euro.

    The global disaster risk reduction and seasonal influenza teams at PHE also work with European counterparts to reduce avoidable winter deaths. Key initiatives include engagement with the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre and the flu surveillance network.

  • Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the number of NHS patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis who have not had a gastroenterology appointment in the last six months.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not held centrally.

  • Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the number of NHS patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis who have not had a gastroenterology appointment in the last six months and who have had an appointment cancelled or postponed by their NHS provider during the last six months.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not held centrally.

  • Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phillip Lee on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to reduce the exposure of children to alcohol marketing.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is not responsible for alcohol marketing.

    In 2014, 8% of pupils had drunk alcohol in the last week, which is less than half the level in 2003 when this was 25%. There has been a consistent decrease the percentage children and young people drinking in the last week since 2003.

    The survey data can be found at:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/2021/Website-Search?productid=18273&q=Smoking+drinking+Drug+use+survey+2013&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1&area=both#top

  • Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Phillip Lee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phillip Lee on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential efficacy of introducing restrictions on the advertising of foods high in saturated fats, sugars and salts on television before 9pm in reducing rates of childhood obesity.

    Jane Ellison

    There is a total ban in place on the advertising of foods high in fat, sugars and salt during children’s television programmes, on dedicated children’s broadcast channels and in programmes of particular appeal to children under the age of 16.

    We have noted Public Health England’s recent assessment of evidence on the impact of marketing to children as set out in their report Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action. We are considering this advice, along with other areas of potential action, as part of our plans to bring forward a childhood obesity strategy in the new year.

    Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action is available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470179/Sugar_reduction_The_evidence_for_action.pdf

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease.

    Jane Ellison

    The initial diagnosis, and follow-up, of those with heart valve disease is commissioned by clinical commissioning groups. NHS England is working with professionals across the system to look at ways in which services and outcomes for patients can be improved further, for example, by encouraging all practitioners to follow clinical guidelines.

    Service specifications for the surgical and interventional treatment of heart valve disease are published by the NHS England Cardiac Clinical Reference Group, which is co-chaired by the National Clinical Director for Cardiac Services, Professor Huon Gray. These are important in clearly defining what NHS England expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. NHS England is working on the next iteration of these specifications, which will include important standards relating to mitral valve surgery.

    In addition, novel interventions on the mitral valve (Mitraclip) are being evaluated through the Commissioning through Evaluation initiative.