Tag: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2016-02-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the six per cent decrease in community pharmacy funding will be allocated to ensure that access to medication at all times is maintained, in particular for those who are frail or who have complex conditions.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review, the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of services including patients’ access to medicines.

Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2016-04-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the database created by the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act 2016 is intended to supersede the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s hierarchy for the use of unlicensed medicines.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The database will not supersede the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) guidance on the hierarchy for the use of unlicensed medicines, which is set out in the MHRA’s ‘Guidance Note 14’. The Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act 2016 seeks to facilitate access to innovative medical treatments including the off-label use of medicines and the use of unlicensed medicines, such as in schemes like the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS). The Act provides for the establishment of a database of innovative medical treatments, which doctors can access to search for innovative treatments in schemes like the EAMS, including unlicensed or off-label medicines for which there is evidence that a patient might benefit. Where appropriate they can also search for clinical trials that are underway and discuss their findings with their patients to establish if they would benefit from being part of a clinical trial. There will be a full consultation on the database in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to amend building regulations to require that extractor fans are not installed in open-plan kitchens with log burners, to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Part J of the building regulations requires that when a combustion appliance is installed, an adequate supply of air is provided for safe combustion. The Government provides statutory guidance on how to meet this requirement and this includes avoiding the installation of solid fuel appliances and extractor fans in the same room. Where this is unavoidable, specialist advice should be sought to ensure safe operation of the appliance whether or not the extractor fan is running.There are no plans to amend these requirements or guidance.