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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 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 23220, when he expects the project to which he referred to publish its recommendations.

    Jane Ellison

    We do not expect the recommendations to be available until early 2017.

    The mandatory recording of primary diagnosis within accident and emergency departments is expected to be considered within the scope of the work to develop an improved data set for urgent and emergency care. Given the scale and complexity of the project, the final report is not expected before 2017.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to extend the mental health and schools link pilot scheme to post-16 further education establishments.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department will make a decision on how to build on the outcome of the pilot once the training workshops have been delivered and the evaluation has been completed. This pilot is currently running in 27 Clinical Commissioning Group areas.

    Officials are working with the Association of Colleges to ensure that effective links are being made between the pilot areas and their local colleges, so that they are involved in the development of shared protocols and longer term planning for the provision of children’s mental health services.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support is available for children who have been abused to avoid long-lasting psychological problems; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England published a Commissioning Framework for Adult and Paediatric Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Services in August 2015 which outlines the core services in SARCs and referral pathways to other services. These are now being rolled out throughout England.

    Local Transformation Plans will set out how local organisations will use the additional investment of £1.4 billion the Government is making during the course of this Parliament to transform local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. All clinical commissioning groups working closely with their partners in local government, Children’s Services and education, have developed plans to transform their local offer. These plans cover the full spectrum of mental health issues: from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. The guidance issued by NHS England in August specifies that the plans should set out what will be done to address the needs of children and young people who are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems including, for example, those who have been exposed to sexual abuse or exploitation.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether, as part of the NHS Five Year Forward View, local sustainability and transformation plans should include measures to improve children and young people’s mental health; and on what outcomes they will be assessed.

    Alistair Burt

    Local health economies are developing a five year Sustainability and Transformation Plan which will set out how they will implement the Five Year Forward View in their area. They will identify and collectively agree the priorities to address over the next five years. We expect the improvement of children and young people’s mental health to be a key priority for many local health economies and NHS England will support these areas to develop transformative plans for these services. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be assessed through a new CCG assessment framework and their progress with transformation will be included.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has undertaken or assessed on the relationship between the distance travelled to an A&E department and the likelihood of fatality after admission.

    Jane Ellison

    Clinical consensus is that for patient outcomes and mortality what matters is the time from becoming ill to receiving specialist, life-saving care. That is why we are developing ambulance services that act as mobile assessment and treatment services and networked urgent and emergency care services to ensure patients are treated in the facility best equipped to provide whatever care is needed. For some patients requiring specialist care this may be in a hospital that is further away.

    NHS England, in its guidance ‘Planning, assuring and delivering service changes for patients’, emphasise that NHS change planners include an analysis of distance and travel times, the impact of these on transport users, as well as the ambulance service.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to equalise access to IVF treatment through the NHS across the country.

    Jane Ellison

    The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

    NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines.

    On 14 December last year I met with stakeholders, together with colleagues from NHS England and Monitor, to discuss the issue of improving the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The Department along with NHS England and Monitor will be giving further consideration to the scope for improving the commissioning of IVF services.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Preventing Suicide in England strategy, published on 10 September 2012, is being monitored for its impact on reducing suicide; and how the commitment to people who had been identified as being especially vulnerable due to social and economic circumstances is being delivered.

    Alistair Burt

    The cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2012) is monitored by the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, which meets regularly to monitor progress on the shared areas for action and objectives outlined in the National Strategy. The Department publishes an annual report of progress against the National Strategy, which highlights developments in suicide and self-harm prevention and emerging trends.

    The Department also commissions the Office for National Statistics to analyse and publish annual data on suicide rates.

    The Department works closely with colleagues in other Government departments and arm’s length bodies to take forward actions within the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This also includes working with a range of stakeholders including the Samaritans and Network Rail to deliver specific suicide prevention activities and provide advice and guidance on suicide prevention.

    The Department provides financial support to the National Suicide Prevention Alliance which brings together a number of suicide prevention organisations to work towards achieving the aims of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

    The All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention raises awareness within Parliament and encourages discussion and debate of all issues involved in suicide and self-harm prevention.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health of 21 January 2016, Official Report, column 1634, when his Department plans to release the Government’s comprehensive childhood obesity strategy.

    Jane Ellison

    We will be launching our childhood obesity strategy shortly.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of Public Health England on the Zika virus.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England’s (PHE) Medical Director is fully engaged in cross-Government discussions on tackling Zika virus and regularly provides updates to Ministers. Staff in the Department, PHE, and other Government departments are in regular contact to monitor the Zika virus situation.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs retired in (a) London, (b) each London borough and (c) each trust in London in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not centrally held.