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  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the recommendations in the report Medications in Drug Treatment: Tackling the Risks to Children published on 29 April 2014 by Adfam.

    Jane Ellison

    We welcome the valuable work of Adfam in producing this report.

    Officials from the Department and Public Health England have regular contact with Adfam and will be discussing with them what actions would be appropriate.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the advertising of Optical Express under the services section of the NHS choices website, for what reason his Department concluded that Optical Express does not fall under the excluded advertising categories set out in the NHS Choices terms and conditions for offering cosmetic surgery and procedures including Botox and sunbeds; and what assessment he has made of whether advertising Optical Express services is an appropriate use of NHS funding used to maintain the website.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    NHS Choices does not advertise services on their website. Optical Express is included within the service directory published on NHS Choices on the basis that it is a provider of NHS services.

    NHS Choices has neither sought nor received any payment from Optical Express in return for this inclusion.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Care Quality Commission look at (a) current and (b) historic patient files and consent forms.

    Norman Lamb

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services.

    The CQC has provided the following information.

    CQC looks at current and historic patient records when appropriate in order to assess the quality and safety of services registered with it. Patient records are commonly reviewed during CQC inspections, in compliance with the Data Protection Act, to see how well care at a service is planned, delivered and reviewed, and form an integral part of judging the quality of care. In order to protect the confidentiality of people who use services, and to comply with legal requirements, CQC will only look at patient files where it has decided that it is both necessary and proportionate to do so for the purpose of CQC’s regulatory functions. This approach is set out in CQC’s Code of Practice on Confidential Personal Information and in guidance for inspectors on using CQC’s powers to access health and care records.

    The Code of Practice on Confidential Personal Information is available on CQC’s website at :

    www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/20121105_code_of_practice_on_cpi.pdf

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to put in place a media campaign to educate the public about alternatives to antibiotics.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is working with other Government departments to coordinate implementation of the Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy including improving public and professional understanding and awareness.

    Public Health England (PHE) is leading on work to improve public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in relation to antimicrobial resistance in collaboration with partners across the health and social care sector in England.

    PHE is coordinating work on European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) for England. EAAD is a European initiative which takes place on 18 November each year and aims to promote prudent antibiotic use among professionals and the public.

    PHE are also working with the Department to explore the potentional for additional targeted media work.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to co-ordinate with the devolved administrations to plan for the effects of an ageing population.

    Norman Lamb

    Health and care is generally a devolved issue for the devolved administrations. Nonetheless, the Department works with the devolved administrations on matters of mutual interest, including the effects of an ageing population.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the NHS logo appears on the Optical Express website; what the relationship between Optical Express and the NHS is; whether NHS funding (a) is and (b) has been provided to Optical Express in order to carry out procedures on NHS patients; and how many NHS patients were referred to Optical Express by the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The current NHS identity guidelines only allow opticians to use the NHS logo on a poster in their premises. The guidelines are available at:

    www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk/all-guidelines/guidelines/opticians/introduction

    NHS England is due to take over responsibility for managing the NHS identity from the Department shortly, and we will be carrying out a thorough review of NHS identity guidelines during 2014-15.

    Optical Express receives NHS funding from NHS England for providing NHS sight tests and optical vouchers to qualifying patients. The choice of optician is a matter for individual patients who are able to use any optician offering NHS sight tests and they can also choose where they have their glasses dispensed.

    Other eye health services, over and above the NHS sight test, are commissioned by clinical commissioning groups, formerly primary care trusts. Neither the Department nor NHS England holds data on the number of patients who have received such services from Optical Express.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will investigate the alleged misallocation of the specialist spinal injury beds at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the use by non-spinal cord injury patients.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England’s Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) service specification clearly sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. It sets a core requirement that each specialised SCI Centre (SCIC) can demonstrate they have a minimum of 20 beds dedicated exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of SCI patients. Specialised SCI Services encompass all activity for SCI patients provided by the host trust of the SCIC, including any readmission or attendance for SCI-related care, wherever the treatment is located in the trust. A copy of the specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/d13-spinal-cord-0414.pdf

    NHS England is aware that a number of beds in one ward at Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries unit are being used as escalation beds by medical specialties to assist with patient flow. It is planned for these beds to re-open as specialist spinal beds from September 2014.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds in each UK spinal cord injury centre have been ring fenced for the treatment of spinal cord injured readmissions or outpatients in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England’s Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) service specification clearly sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. It sets a core requirement that each specialised SCI Centre (SCIC) can demonstrate they have a minimum of 20 beds dedicated exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of SCI patients. Specialised SCI Services encompass all activity for SCI patients provided by the host trust of the SCIC, including any readmission or attendance for SCI-related care, wherever the treatment is located in the trust. A copy of the specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/d13-spinal-cord-0414.pdf

    NHS England is aware that a number of beds in one ward at Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries unit are being used as escalation beds by medical specialties to assist with patient flow. It is planned for these beds to re-open as specialist spinal beds from September 2014.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what training on the potential risks of opioid substitution treatment medications is provided to pharmacists, social workers and health visitors.

    Jane Ellison

    There is robust clinical guidance on substitute prescribing, which covers the timing and circumstances under which people with opiate dependency may be allowed to take home and be responsible for their opioid substitution medicine.

    It is for the professional bodies of pharmacists, social workers and health visitors to set the standards that training equips professionals to meet, and for employers to ensure that staff who are involved in or might encounter opioid substitution treatment are trained in its potential risks, including to children.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds in each UK spinal cord injury centre are ring fenced for the exclusive treatment of spinal cord injured readmissions or outpatients.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England’s Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) service specification clearly sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. It sets a core requirement that each specialised SCI Centre (SCIC) can demonstrate they have a minimum of 20 beds dedicated exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of SCI patients. Specialised SCI Services encompass all activity for SCI patients provided by the host trust of the SCIC, including any readmission or attendance for SCI-related care, wherever the treatment is located in the trust. A copy of the specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/d13-spinal-cord-0414.pdf

    NHS England is aware that a number of beds in one ward at Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries unit are being used as escalation beds by medical specialties to assist with patient flow. It is planned for these beds to re-open as specialist spinal beds from September 2014.