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  • 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 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve transparency of (a) spending and (b) outcomes in the NHS on mental health.

    Alistair Burt

    The report of the independent Mental Health Taskforce acknowledged the need for increased transparency on mental health spending and the quality of care that people receive.

    We are moving forward the data and transparency agenda and a new dataset for mental health will be published by April this year.

    NHS England has already set a principal commitment to achieving mental health parity of esteem. Through its assurance process NHS England will hold individual commissioners to account for increasing spend on mental health in line with their increase in allocations, taking account of the mental health funding that has been received.

    We have welcomed the Taskforce’s recommendations for government in the report and will be considering how best to integrate them into our current work programme, as well as new policies as they develop.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost of treating liver disease was in (a) England and (b) each parliamentary constituency in the last year for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    Information on the total cost of treating liver disease in England and in each parliamentary constituency is not available centrally.

    Such information as is available is from reference costs, which are the average unit cost to National Health Service hospital trusts of providing defined services to patients in a given financial year. Reference costs for acute care are collected by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), which are standard groupings of similar treatments that use similar resources. HRGs are organised by chapters and sub-chapters, representing different body systems, and HRG sub-chapter GC describes hepatobiliary and pancreatic system disorders. The total costs in the following table, calculated from the national average unit costs and activity submitted in reference costs, will therefore include the costs to NHS hospitals of treating liver and liver related diseases, but also the costs of other related disorders.

    Estimated total costs (£ millions) to NHS hospitals of treating hepatobiliary and pancreatic system disorders, 2014-15

    Liver failure disorders

    £17.7 million

    Malignant, hepatobiliary or pancreatic disorders

    £54.3 million

    Non-malignant, hepatobiliary or pancreatic disorders

    £328.1 million

    Total costs

    £400.0 million

    Source: reference costs, Department of Health

    Notes:

    1. The following HRGs are included in the table:

    Liver Failure Disorders with Multiple Interventions

    Liver Failure Disorders with Single Intervention

    Liver Failure Disorders without Interventions, with CC (Complication and Comorbidity) Score 5+

    Liver Failure Disorders without Interventions, with CC Score 0-4

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Multiple Interventions

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 5+

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 2-4

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-1

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 6+

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 3-5

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 1-2

    Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 0

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 9+

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 4-8

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 0-3

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 9+

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 4-8

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-3

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 8+

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 5-7

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 2-4

    Non-Malignant, Hepatobiliary or Pancreatic Disorders, without Interventions, with CC Score 0-1

    1. These HRGs are common groupings of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) codes used to count the number of finished admission episodes with a primary or secondary diagnosis of liver disease or liver related disease. They also include other ICD-10 codes.

    “

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to improve consumer awareness of the presence of high-fructose corn syrup in food with better labelling.

    Jane Ellison

    The Food Information for Consumers Regulation has recently overhauled the food labelling system. Under the regulations, any corn syrup must be clearly marked on all prepacked food products in the ingredients list. All ingredients must be listed by order of weight and in at least the minimum font size, making them clearly apparent to consumers.

    In addition, nutrition labelling of pre-packed foods, including the amount of total sugars, will be mandatory from 13 December 2016. It will supplement the ingredient information on food labels. Some parts of the food industry already provide nutrition information.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital admissions due to liver disease there were in (a) England and (b) each parliamentary constituency in the last year for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    The information requested is in the attached table.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Kantar Worldpanel 2014 dataset on sales-weighted average sugar content in soft drinks; and whether he plans to review the Government’s voluntary approach to the food and drink industry in relation to calorie reduction in soft drinks.

    Jane Ellison

    As part of its review to identify possible actions to reduce sugar intakes and inform the Government’s thinking on sugar, Public Health England considered the current evidence on sugar in food and drinks. We are considering this alongside other evidence as we develop our Childhood Obesity Strategy which will be launched in the summer. It will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese including sugar. It will also set out what more can be done by all.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what overlap there is between the £1.4 billion funding for improving children and young people’s mental health services referenced in the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25482, the £600 million funding for mental health services referenced in paragraph 1.99 of the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015, the almost £1 billion funding to enhance mental health services made in the announcement by the Prime Minister, Prime Minister pledges a revolution in mental health treatment, published on 11 January 2016, and the commitment to spend an extra £1 billion by 2020-21 to improve access to mental health services made in response to the report of the Mental Health Taskforce, 23 February 2016, Official Report, column 153.

    Alistair Burt

    The £1.4 billion funding for improving children and young people’s mental health services was announced by the previous Coalition Government and consists of £30 million per year for five years announced in the 2014 Autumn Statement to develop community-based eating disorder services and £1.25 billion over five years announced by the then Deputy Prime Minister on 14 March 2015 and included in the Spring Budget for 2015.

    The subsequent announcements of funding represent additional money on top of that £1.4 billion.

    All of the Taskforce recommendations are funded from the overall envelope agreed in the Spending Review.

    The £600 million set out by the Chancellor set the foundation for the Taskforce by establishing the minimum amount of additional new money that would need to be spent to transform mental health services. This was underpinned by an understanding that improving mental health services will improve how the wider NHS functions and generate savings that can be reinvested into services.

    The Prime Minister announced investment for mental health on 11 January comprising:

    ― £290 million to provide specialist care to mothers before and after having their babies;

    ― £247 million for mental health services in hospital emergency departments; and

    ― over £400 million to enable 24/7 treatment in communities as a safe and effective alternative to hospital.

    The figures in the Prime Minister’s announcement represent the total amount that we anticipate will be invested in these three priority areas over the five-year period from 2016/17 to 2020/21.

    The £1 billion in 2020/21 announced on 23 February 2016 will fund all of the priority recommendations for the National Health Service set out in the Mental Health Taskforce report. It includes the anticipated costs in the year 2020/21 of the three priority areas that the Prime Minister announced.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NICE on its policy on a European relative effectiveness assessment for new drugs.

    George Freeman

    In October 2015, the Department nominated the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a partner organisation in the planned third Joint Action on Health Technology Assessment (HTA).

    NICE has advised that it has had a number of discussions with European Commission officials, as well as other partner organisations, about NICE’s participation in this planned Joint Action.

    The Department is responsible for the policy framework for the assessment of health technologies and officials remain in close contact with NICE regarding the European Union collaboration in HTA, including the proposals for the production of joint products as part of the third Joint Action.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NICE on the potential merits of a European relative effectiveness assessment to inform health technology appraisals.

    George Freeman

    In October 2015, the Department nominated the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a partner organisation in the planned third Joint Action on Health Technology Assessment (HTA).

    NICE has advised that it has had a number of discussions with European Commission officials, as well as other partner organisations, about NICE’s participation in this planned Joint Action.

    The Department is responsible for the policy framework for the assessment of health technologies and officials remain in close contact with NICE regarding the European Union collaboration in HTA, including the proposals for the production of joint products as part of the third Joint Action.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the minimum number of hours off-duty is that his Department uses to define a day off for a junior doctor.

    Ben Gummer

    Neither the current contract nor the new contract define a day off. Both define a minimum rest period between shifts of 11 hours and a minimum break between defined periods of prolonged work of 48 hours. Further minimum rest periods, as set out in the existing Working Time Regulations, will also apply. The new contract will reduce the number of consecutive night shifts after which a 48 hour break must be taken from seven to four, the number of consecutive long day shifts from seven to five, the number of consecutive late evening shifts from 12 to four and the number of consecutive shorter shifts from 12 to eight. The improvements are part of the around 90% of the new contract that was agreed with the British Medical Association and that make the new contract much safer than the current one.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions NICE has had with the EU institutions on the proposed Joint Action 3 on health technology appraisals.

    George Freeman

    In October 2015, the Department nominated the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a partner organisation in the planned third Joint Action on Health Technology Assessment (HTA).

    NICE has advised that it has had a number of discussions with European Commission officials, as well as other partner organisations, about NICE’s participation in this planned Joint Action.

    The Department is responsible for the policy framework for the assessment of health technologies and officials remain in close contact with NICE regarding the European Union collaboration in HTA, including the proposals for the production of joint products as part of the third Joint Action.