Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken by NHS England to commission access to molecular diagnostic tests for (a) melanoma, (b) lung cancer, (c) colorectal cancer, (d) breast cancer and (e) all paediatric cancers.

Jane Ellison

The independent Cancer Taskforce recognised the need for more accessible molecular diagnostic provision in its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015.

Following this, in September 2015, we confirmed a commitment from NHS England to implement the recommendations on molecular diagnostics. This will mean that around 25,000 additional people a year will have their cancers genetically tested to identify the most effective treatments. NHS England worked with partners across the healthcare system to produce an implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, which was published on 12 May 2016.

Also in September 2015, the NHS England Board approved the development of a Personalised Medicine Strategy for the National Health Service, to be discussed at the NHS England Board in the summer. This work will build on the 100,000 Genomes Project, in which the NHS is a key delivery partner. The Project will sequence whole genomes from eligible patients with rare diseases and cancers. It is moving the NHS to a new model of diagnosis and treatment based on understanding of underlying genetic causes and drivers of disease and a comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of the disease (rather than deduction from symptoms and individual diagnostic tests). This will be critical in guiding the approach to molecular diagnostics.

In addition, changes to the section 118 guidance implemented in the national tariff payment system for molecular diagnostics which were implemented from April 2016 will support clinical change and practice and have been broadly welcomed by industry bodies. This means molecular genetic tests which are companion diagnostics being funded separately by commissioners for the first three years before being incorporated into national prices for treatment episodes. There are six tests routinely commissioned in this way in their first three years which have been funded in this way with effect from April, and an annual process for ensuring that new tests which are clinically and cost-effective and adopted as commissioning policy by NHS England or mandated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are reflected in ongoing arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to collaborate to ensure aseptic capacity is managed to a commonly high standard, is reimbursed at a sustainable level and supports further investment to meet growing demand in the NHS.

Jane Ellison

NHS England Specialist Pharmacy Services have to date not undertaken a comprehensive assessment of aseptic capacity to meet the future demands for chemotherapy provision in England. They are currently working closely with colleagues at the Department and NHS Improvement to support a number of regionally based reviews of aseptic capacity and to help trusts develop local and regional Hospital Pharmacy Transformation plans, as recommended by Lord Carter in February 2016.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and is responsible for regulating unlicensed medicines under a Manufacturer’s ‘Specials’ Licence. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Care Quality Commission (CQC) are responsible for regulating medicine prepared extemporaneously in a register pharmacy or hospital pharmacy respectively under the professional exemption.

MHRA will collaborate with the NHS, GPhC and CQC though inspections of MHRA licensed aseptic facilities or joint investigations of aseptic facilities in hospitals where there are patient safety concerns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the Commissioning through Evaluation programme to date; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat

Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) is an innovative £25 million programme introduced by NHS England in 2013. It specifically aims to generate valuable new evaluation data in promising areas of specialised care where the current evidence base of cost and clinical effectiveness is insufficient to support routine National Health Service commissioning, and where further formal research trials are thought to be less likely.

Each scheme – put forward by senior clinicians and other stakeholders – is funded on a time limited basis in a small number of selected centres, and then evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Once the planned number of patients has been recruited across the participating centres, each scheme closes to new patients and analysis begins. This means that the funding identified for each scheme can then be reinvested into the evaluation of additional potentially life changing specialised treatments to maximise the value and impact of the overall evaluation fund for patients. As an example, routinely funding Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy contrary to the currently published clinical commissioning policy and in advance of a formal review of any new evidence would mean that between £2 million and £4 million per year (covering the surgical costs and immediate follow up only) would then be unavailable to support the evaluation of other promising treatments.

The analysis phase for each CtE scheme will typically take between one and two years depending on how long we need to follow up patients after their treatment to identify its effectiveness. The three cardiology based CtE schemes are currently scheduled for a 15 month analysis and reporting phase, after which the data can be used by NHS England to support policy review.

However, CtE is only one form of data that might be put forward in considering a new (or revision to an existing) policy and clinicians do not need to await the final report from CtE schemes if they feel that other new substantive data becomes available more quickly.

NHS England’s published clinical commissioning policies (which set out eligibility for NHS funded specialised care on the basis of the available evidence) can be reviewed at any time where there is thought to be substantive new evidence available, and around 100 such proposals were developed and considered by NHS England during 2016/17.

The policy development process is subject to both informal stakeholder testing and formal public consultation, including the opportunity for patients, clinicians and industry representatives to review and comment on the evidence base considered and the assessed impact on patients, existing services and cost.

Where a new service is routinely commissioned as a result of a policy review, NHS England works with commissioned providers to ensure that sufficient clinical expertise and supporting infrastructure is in place to provide a safe service to patients in line with nationally set requirements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what reviews his Department has conducted into the NICE technology appraisal process (a) in general and (b) related to cancer medicines between 1999 and 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

The Department has not conducted any reviews of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process. NICE is an independent body and is responsible for its own processes and methodology.

NICE periodically reviews its processes and methodologies to ensure that they remain appropriate, most recently as part of the introduction of the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund. NICE has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changes in the health and care environment, and we expect it will continue to evolve in the future.

In addition, the Accelerated Access Review’s full report and recommendations on ways to get patients wider access to innovative and effective drugs is expected shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of young offenders residing within the justice system who have a diagnosed mental health disorder.

Nicola Blackwood

This information is not held centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has allocated to the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Mr Marcus Jones

At the Spending Review 2015 £720 million was allocated to fund the remaining four years of the programme. The funding allocated to the Troubled Families Programme is currently £230 million in 16/17, £180 million in 17/18, and £180 million in 18/19. The Department for Communities and Local Government works closely with other government departments which have an interest, including the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Mr David Lidington

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide this response would incur disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the Government’s Strategy for UK Life Sciences, published in December 2011, on the UK life sciences sector.

George Freeman

The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences industries in the world, generating turnover of over £56 billion per annum and ranking top in major European economies for health life sciences foreign direct investment projects.

Since the launch of the Governments Life Science Strategy in 2011, the Government has invested almost £1billion in health and life sciences and has attracted over £3.5 billion of private sector investment to the UK, making us the leading European destination for life science fundraising.

Our ambition is to maximise the UK’s strengths in science and research to accelerate the development and adoption of 21^st Century health science technology, delivering the best health outcomes and increasing wider growth and prosperity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much (a) his Department, (b) Public Health England, (c) NHS England and (d) each non-departmental public body spent on downloading apps for smartphones and similar devices in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

Information about the cost of downloading apps for smartphones and similar devices in the Department and its arm’s length bodies for each of the last five years is in the tables below.

The National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) is unable to provide a response to this question as it would incur disproportional cost to establish whether this information is held. We don’t have a separate expense code that would enable an easy search of this type of expenditure.

Health Education England do not collect this data. Applications are usually purchased by the individual and claimed back through expenses.

Organisation	Cost
Department of Health
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Care Quality Commission
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil
Organisation	Cost
Health and Social Care Information Centre
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Health Research Authority
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Human Tissue Authority
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Monitor
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
NHS England
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil
Organisation	Cost
Public Health England
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

Organisation	Cost
Health Research Authority
2011-12	Nil
2012-13	Nil
2013-14	Nil
2014-15	Nil
2015-16 to date	Nil

NICE is unable to provide a response to this question as it would incur disproportional cost to establish whether this information is held. We don’t have a separate expense code that would enable an easy search of this type of expenditure.

Health Education England do not collect this data. Applications are usually purchased by the individual and claimed back through expenses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Highways Agency on (a) improving arrangements to clear litter and flytipping on the M67 and M60 around the Denton Interchange and (b) repairing defective lighting columns along the M67 and M60 around the River Tame.

Andrew Jones

My Department will liaise with Highways England in relation to its arrangements for clearing litter and flytipped rubbish from the M60 and M67 Motorways in the vicinity of, and at, the intersection. The discussions will also include the condition of the lighting along the M67 and the M60 near the River Tame. I would expect that Highways England officials write to you directly to ensure that this matter can be dealt with as soon as possible.