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  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the risk to the UK and Europe of the spread of the Zika virus.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) continue to monitor the situation closely and have provided revised travel advice and updated guidance to healthcare professionals on the management of patients returning from affected countries who present with symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that the mosquitos that are known to carry Zika are established in the United Kingdom or could survive in our climate and therefore the risk to the UK population from Zika is very low. PHE is in regular contact with specialists in other European countries, as well as internationally, to make sure all necessary steps are being taken to protect the UK travelling public.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of patients in England book their GP appointments online.

    George Freeman

    The latest figures available for November 2015 show 7.97 million patients are registered to enable them to book and cancel appointments online. This represents 13.9% of the general practitioner registered population.

  • 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 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the training provision and capacity that will be required to ensure that child and adolescent mental health services have the appropriate number of staff to meet future demand for such services.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development.

    HEE sets out its commissioning intentions based upon the needs of local employers, providers, commissioners and other stakeholders who come together as members of HEE’s Local Teams.

    HEE’s national workforce plan for England is an aggregate of local teams’ plans, but the advice and input of clinical advisors and patient representatives, as well as the Royal Colleges and other stakeholders, is also listened to and considered. It is this discussion and involvement locally and nationally that makes this a plan for the whole of the National Health Service in England.

    Additionally, HEE’s mandate makes a commitment to work to achieve the vision expressed by Future in Mind including ensuring the priorities for workforce development in mental health are addressed in the life course approach to workforce planning.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of provision of paediatric palliative care services in North East England (a) in general and (b) in comparison to other English regions.

    Ben Gummer

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have responsibility for ensuring that they are meeting the needs of those requiring children’s palliative care services, considering the full range of local provision, both statutory and voluntary sectors, and the wishes of children and young people and their families. We do not undertake national comparisons of the approach to palliative care in different regions.

    We understand that NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG, together with partners across the region is working as a priority to commission a regional service that will be able to provide high quality care that can meet the needs of children, young people and families at this difficult time in their lives, replacing the current fast-track response agreed with local paediatric care service providers.

  • 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 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has conducted an analysis of the potential cost to the public purse of offering liposuction treatment for lipoedema through the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    No such analysis has been made.

    There are several different treatments available for the management of lipoedema such as compression therapy, exercise and massage. There is limited evidence on the efficacy of liposuction for the treatment of lipoedema, and it is not routinely available on the National Health Service.

    In May 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners, in partnership with the charity Lipoedema UK, developed and published an e-learning module for general practitioners on the diagnosis and management of lipoedema. The module was endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing and can be found at the following link:

    elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/info.php?id=146&popup=0

    “

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has undertaken or commissioned into the effect on humans of high levels of bisphenol A caused by consuming food and drinks sold in some plastic containers; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    We are advised by the Food Standards Agency, which has responsibility for food safety, that the United Kingdom’s view remains that exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) from food contact materials does not represent a risk to consumers.

    In January 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its latest re-evaluation of BPA exposure and toxicity. EFSA’s experts concluded that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels from food contact materials.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on managing risks to public health from bisphenol A in food and drinks sold in plastic containers of the decision of the Canadian government to ban such containers.

    Jane Ellison

    We are advised by the Food Standards Agency, which has responsibility for food safety, that the United Kingdom’s view remains that exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) from food contact materials does not represent a risk to consumers.

    In January 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its latest re-evaluation of BPA exposure and toxicity. EFSA’s experts concluded that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels from food contact materials.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to introduce a prostate cancer screening programme.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recently examined and consulted upon the international peer reviewed evidence regarding prostate cancer screening. The UK NSC recommended against a systematic population screening programme for prostate cancer. This is because the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not an accurate enough test for prostate cancer. Additionally, the UK NSC identified that there is still an incomplete understanding of which prostate cancers are aggressive and require treatment and which are safe to actively monitor. There is a significant amount of research activity underway, but currently the evidence suggests that a systematic screening programme would do more harm than good.

  • 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 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lipoedema.

    Jane Ellison

    No such analysis has been made.

    There are several different treatments available for the management of lipoedema such as compression therapy, exercise and massage. There is limited evidence on the efficacy of liposuction for the treatment of lipoedema, and it is not routinely available on the National Health Service.

    In May 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners, in partnership with the charity Lipoedema UK, developed and published an e-learning module for general practitioners on the diagnosis and management of lipoedema. The module was endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing and can be found at the following link:

    elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/info.php?id=146&popup=0

    “

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England next plans to review the process and practice of applications for individual funding requests.

    George Freeman

    NHS England will be consulting on a revised Individual Funding Request policy later this year and will subsequently review and update the Standard Operating Procedure as required.