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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many university students aged 19 to 25 use the NHS low-income scheme.

Lord Prior of Brampton

73,591 NHS low-income scheme applications were processed in 2015, for England, Scotland and Wales, where the claimant was a student aged between 19 and 25; determined by the age of the main claimant on the date the application was processed. The data may not include students aged 19 – 25 where their partner is the claimant. No distinction is made between a student attending further or higher education.

It is possible that a claimant might submit more than one application annually. A breakdown of the numbers of these applications resulting in full Help with Help Cost support is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why beauty clinics undertaking nail care are not required to use autoclaves to sterilise their equipment to prevent fungal infections.

Baroness Altmann

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 require businesses offering beauty treatments to ensure that any risks to their client’s health from exposure to hazardous substances including micro-organisms, are prevented or effectively controlled. The duty extends to preventing or controlling client’s exposure to the risk of contracting fungal infections. The regulations do not prescribe what specific control measures are necessary. These will be based on the type of treatment carried out and the risks of cross-infection.

Where sterilisation is required, autoclaves are the most effective and efficient means to do so, and should be used especially for packaged items and items which have hollow parts or cavities. However alternative methods such as steam sterilisers and disinfectants can be used for simple items such as tweezers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money is being spent by NHS Improvement on a re-design of that organisation.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The forecast spend for the design of NHS Improvement is £800,000. This includes the development of a single organisational structure and new operating model to better support the National Health Service to drive improvements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether NHS Improvement, in commissioning management consultancies to work with turnaround trusts, will exclude those consultancies which were engaged in any failed initiatives from the previous round of consultancy-driven financial recovery initiatives.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The guidance for use of management consultancies is set out as part of the spending approvals process. Monitor has published the following guidance for foundation trusts “Consultancy spending approval process: Initial guidance to NHS foundation trusts” with the Trust Development Authority (TDA) publishing similar for NHS trusts “Consultancy spending controls: Initial Guidance to NHS Trusts”. Copies of the guidance are attached.

The guidance is clear that expenditure on management consultancy must demonstrate that the skills and expertise of advisors cannot be delivered through use of existing resources. It is also a requirement that value for money must be demonstrated. This approach is the same for NHS providers, NHS Improvement or any NHS organisation. Therefore we are content NHS Improvement’s approach to managing turnaround programmes is consistent with this requirement.

NHS Improvement ensures that lessons learned from all financial turnaround programmes are taken into account when considering how to handle any financially challenged providers requiring turnaround actions in the future. This includes the use of the best available, most appropriate consultancies with the right blend of skills and experience required to deliver the turnaround programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to cap the rates paid by NHS bodies to management consultancies, similar to their policy with regard to staff agencies.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Cabinet Office have published guidance on the use of management consultants Cabinet Office controls guidance: version 4.0 which government departments and their arms length bodies are required to follow. A copy of the guidance is attached.

National Health Service providers follow a similar consultancy spending approvals process as defined by Monitor and the Trust Development Authority (TDA). Monitor has published the following guidance for foundation trusts Consultancy spending approval process: Initial guidance to NHS foundation trusts, with TDA publishing similar for NHS trusts Consultancy spending controls: Initial Guidance to NHS Trusts. Copies of the guidance are attached.

At this time, these do not include any directive to set caps on rates paid to management consultancies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the intention of NHS Improvement to commission management consultancies to work with turnaround trusts is consistent with their aim to limit the use of such consultancies by NHS organisations.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The guidance for use of management consultancies is set out as part of the spending approvals process. Monitor has published the following guidance for foundation trusts “Consultancy spending approval process: Initial guidance to NHS foundation trusts” with the Trust Development Authority (TDA) publishing similar for NHS trusts “Consultancy spending controls: Initial Guidance to NHS Trusts”. Copies of the guidance are attached.

The guidance is clear that expenditure on management consultancy must demonstrate that the skills and expertise of advisors cannot be delivered through use of existing resources. It is also a requirement that value for money must be demonstrated. This approach is the same for NHS providers, NHS Improvement or any NHS organisation. Therefore we are content NHS Improvement’s approach to managing turnaround programmes is consistent with this requirement.

NHS Improvement ensures that lessons learned from all financial turnaround programmes are taken into account when considering how to handle any financially challenged providers requiring turnaround actions in the future. This includes the use of the best available, most appropriate consultancies with the right blend of skills and experience required to deliver the turnaround programme.