Blog

  • 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, what arrangements there are for negotiating national prices for rare disease drugs that are not reviewed by NICE.

    George Freeman

    The prices of branded medicines to the health service, including those for rare disease drugs, are controlled by a voluntary and statutory scheme. The 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) agreed a fixed level of growth on the vast majority of National Health Service spend on branded medicines with additional expenditure above this level paid for by the pharmaceutical companies. Over the first three years of the 2014 PPRS the UK Health services are expected to get back almost £1.8 billion in PPRS payments.

    It is NHS England’s responsibility to develop commissioning policies for treatments provided as part of prescribed specialised services, including some medicines for rare diseases. As part of the development of such policies, NHS England may take into account commercial offers manufacturers may make to the NHS. The Accelerated Access Review is looking with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence at a range of new mechanisms for drug reimbursement adaptive pathways and managed access agreements.

  • 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, how many incidences of (a) restraint and (b) prone restraint in child and adolescent mental health services were recorded in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    While this information is not yet collected centrally, from 1 January 2016 mental health providers are required to record all incidents of restraint involving children and young people in their returns to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. This data will become available as soon thereafter as data quality allows. The Care Quality Commission is responsible for monitoring practice in inpatient children and adolescent psychiatric services.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23467, what progress has been made on the procurement of the HPV vaccine.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on this potential programme. Following this, consideration will be given to the procurement of vaccine.

  • 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, how many young people aged 17 or under of each age were treated in adult mental health wards in each if the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    Whilst we do not have figures for how many young people were treated in adult mental health wards, the data below shows the number who were admitted to adult mental health wards for all available years. These figures may therefore include children who have been admitted when their parents are treated, e.g. a mother for a perinatal mental health condition.

    Age

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Total aged 17 and under

    357

    219

    355

    391

    0

    –

    1

    –

    2

    1

    –

    –

    –

    –

    2

    –

    –

    –

    –

    3

    –

    –

    –

    –

    4

    –

    –

    –

    –

    5

    –

    –

    –

    2

    6

    –

    –

    –

    2

    7

    –

    –

    –

    2

    8

    –

    –

    –

    3

    9

    –

    –

    –

    3

    10

    –

    –

    –

    3

    11

    –

    –

    –

    3

    12

    1

    1

    2

    8

    13

    3

    2

    3

    8

    14

    11

    5

    9

    8

    15

    32

    14

    29

    31

    16

    100

    51

    104

    106

    17

    210

    145

    208

    210

    The Mental Health Act 2007 introduced new provisions, in effect since April 2010, to help ensure that patients under the age of 18 are accommodated in an environment that is suitable for their age. Young people are all individual, however, and some in the 16 to 18 age group may feel more comfortable in adult wards. Services should take into account the individual’s needs and preferences.

    There are now more inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inpatient beds (‘Tier 4’) than ever before.

  • 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, how many times there were no tier four child and adolescent mental health services beds available in (a) England and (b) each region in the last 12 months.

    Alistair Burt

    Since 1 April 2015, there have always been tier four Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services beds available in England as a whole.

    Since 1 April 2015, there were a total of 26 days when no beds were available in the South East and 52 days when no beds were available in the South West. In all other regions there have always been tier four beds available since April 2015.

    Accurate data is only available from 1 April 2015 due to the introduction of a more effective bed status database from that date.

  • 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 steps the Government is taking to (a) raise awareness and (b) prevent the prevalence of prostate cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) ran a local pilot campaign from 20 October to 16 November 2014, specifically targeting prostate cancer within Black African-Caribbean men, because of their significantly increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The campaign was delivered in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and was designed to support their awareness raising activity.

    The campaign ran in six London boroughs – Hackney, Haringey, Newham, Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham – and was delivered mainly through face to face activity, supported by posters in key outdoor locations and in salons and a programme of targeted public relations.

    The campaign was delivered in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and was designed to support their awareness raising activity.

    PHE will shortly be re-running the national campaign on “Blood in Pee”. Although primarily aimed at bladder and kidney cancer, blood in the urine can also be a sign of prostate cancer.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for mental health (a) assessment and (b) treatment was in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not collect the data centrally. However, this Government has for the first time legislated to enshrine parity of esteem and put into place waiting time targets.

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

    It begins with data on Waiting, Access, and Outcomes for the Early Intervention in Psychosis Pathway. Initial data will be experimental, although once the data is more robust we will expand the dataset to other mental health pathways.

  • 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 assessment his Department has made of (a) how many cases of prostate cancer could be identified earlier by a national prostate cancer screening programme and (b) what effect such a programme would have on survival rates.

    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.

  • 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 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions the Breast Cancer Clinical Reference Group has had with organisations in the devolved administrations on the sharing of best practice.

    Jane Ellison

    The Breast Cancer Clinical Reference Group (CRG) was recently set up, by the NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, to provide whole pathway consensus clinical advice to commissioners in England. Although the CRG has no formal remit to liaise with the devolved administrations, we recognise the benefit of sharing best practice throughout the United Kingdom and the important role this has in improving services.

  • 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 the (a) median and (b) maximum length of stay was in inpatient child and adolescent mental health services in (i) England and (ii) by provider in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    While accurate data is not currently available to answer this question, the new Mental Health Services Dataset requires all providers to submit data that includes length of treatment from 1 January 2016. This data will become available as soon thereafter as data quality allows.