Tag: David Amess

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve cervical screening rates among women with learning disabilities.

Jane Ellison

NHS England closely monitors the coverage rates for cervical screening in all age groups and is committed to improving coverage and reducing variation between all groups including black and minority ethnic women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Local NHS England commissioners analyse coverage rates within their area and work with general practices to improve coverage by sharing best practice. For example, commissioners in London have developed a screening coverage strategy and delivery plan, including:

― Increased public awareness and engagement with screening programmes across all communities;

― increased engagement with primary care and improved reliability of data; and

― working with screening providers to optimise coverage.

In addition to this:

― A primary care cancer screening best practice guide has been developed jointly with the transforming cancer services team, clinical commissioning groups and local authority public health representatives;

― linking with Cancer Research UK facilitators and Macmillan Cancer Support general practitioners to support best practice for screening in general practice; and

― imperial College is conducting a randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of texting non-responders on improving coverage.

NHS England is working in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support on the ACE (Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate) Programme aiming to generate knowledge about effective approaches to achieve earlier diagnosis. A number of ACE test sites are evaluating approaches to increase screening rates in a range of groups, including black and ethnic minority women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To explore the potential to increase rates of cervical screening in young women, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme has commissioned a £1 million study to determine which interventions are effective at increasing screening uptake amongst women aged 25 who are receiving their first invitation from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The study began in November 2011 and reports can be expected later in 2016.

In addition, the Department of Health Behavioural Insight team has undertaken a trial to investigate the use of behavioural insights to optimise the content of the invitation letter for cervical screening. Results are due in summer 2016.

A routine human papillomavirus vaccination programme has been available in England since 2008, and offers immunisation to girls aged 12-14 years. It is expected that the vaccine will reduce the already low rates of cervical cancer in these young women and allow them to be protected for years to come.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure there is adequate funding for children with special educational needs in early years education.

Mr Sam Gyimah

We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. We are also providing protection for high needs funding that will make sure that the level of funding rises in proportion to the number of children, including those under 5. This will make sure that local authorities continue to have the flexibility to target funding where it is most needed to help children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, including the youngest children. Further consideration will be given to funding for children with special educational needs in early years education as part of consultation later this year.

Local authorities are required by law to secure free entitlement places for parents that want their child to take them up. The Government is committed to ensuring that all families have access to high quality, flexible and affordable childcare and parents with children with special educational needs should have the same opportunities as other parents through access to high quality childcare. The Children and Families Act requires local authorities to have a ‘local offer’ which includes a statement on how they intend to tailor the childcare on offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Early implementation of 30 hours from September 2016 provides a real opportunity to develop innovative approaches to providing flexible childcare for working parents whose children are disabled or have special educational needs.

Through Early Implementation, York, Northumberland, Newham and Wigan are among 8 LAs delivering the 30 hours entitlement from September 2016, a year earlier than planned. This will include delivering targeted places focusing on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

They will also be supported by Early Implementer Innovator areas including Brighton and Hove, Hampshire and Trafford, who will test the offer and how it works under specific circumstances, including developing approaches to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support workplace incentives to promote employee health and reduce sickness-related unemployment.

Justin Tomlinson

We plan to publish a Green Paper later this year, which will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including exploring the roles of employers.

Employers are key partners in our ambition to halve the disability employment gap, reduce sick absence and promote employee health.

Support is offered to employers through initiatives such as Access to Work and Disability Confident which help employers to recruit and retain people with a disability.

Public Health England supports local authorities in the provision of a range of resources and services for employers in the area of preventing ill health, including the Workplace Wellbeing Charter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Written Statement HCW588 on Infected Blood Payment Scheme, whether his Department has made an estimate of how many bereaved people will receive less support after 2016-17 than they do now.

Nicola Blackwood

The reformed scheme will provide a payment to all those with hepatitis C, even if they have been treated, for the current spending review period. A review of the scheme will take place towards the end of this spending review period.

All those who are currently bereaved partners/spouses and all those who will be bereaved partner/spouses in future will receive a £10,000 lump sum payment and will have continued access to discretionary support. Discretionary support will continue to be available to the bereaved, as well as to infected individuals.

All infected individuals who are registered with Skipton as having hepatitis C stage 1 (nearly 2,500 people) will be eligible for the new stage 1 annual payment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy for NHS England to require individual funding requests to be made when treatment is permitted by the relevant commissioning policy.

George Freeman

NHS England has advised that if there is a commissioning policy in place for a treatment, and the patient fulfils the treatment criteria contained within this, then an individual funding request (IFR) is not required, as the treatment will be routinely funded. It is only if the patient’s treatment falls outside of the criteria that an IFR would be appropriate or if there is no policy in place for the treatment/indication.

Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any assessment of the suitability of IFRs for preventative treatments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce animal suffering and non-target capture, injury and death due to the use of snares.

Rory Stewart

In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options to improve the humaneness of snaring. Ministers are currently considering these options, including the issue of improved guidance on snaring.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many highly specialised technologies are awaiting assessment by NHS England which were not selected for consideration by NICE’s highly specialised technology appraisal process.

George Freeman

NHS England is currently developing a refined process for the prioritisation of proposed new investments in specialised services and highly specialised services.

The number of technologies to be routinely commissioned by NHS England will be determined by the new process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with Public Health England on steps to increase cervical screening uptake among women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jane Ellison

NHS England closely monitors the coverage rates for cervical screening in all age groups and is committed to improving coverage and reducing variation between all groups including black and minority ethnic women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Local NHS England commissioners analyse coverage rates within their area and work with general practices to improve coverage by sharing best practice. For example, commissioners in London have developed a screening coverage strategy and delivery plan, including:

― Increased public awareness and engagement with screening programmes across all communities;

― increased engagement with primary care and improved reliability of data; and

― working with screening providers to optimise coverage.

In addition to this:

― A primary care cancer screening best practice guide has been developed jointly with the transforming cancer services team, clinical commissioning groups and local authority public health representatives;

― linking with Cancer Research UK facilitators and Macmillan Cancer Support general practitioners to support best practice for screening in general practice; and

― imperial College is conducting a randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of texting non-responders on improving coverage.

NHS England is working in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support on the ACE (Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate) Programme aiming to generate knowledge about effective approaches to achieve earlier diagnosis. A number of ACE test sites are evaluating approaches to increase screening rates in a range of groups, including black and ethnic minority women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To explore the potential to increase rates of cervical screening in young women, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme has commissioned a £1 million study to determine which interventions are effective at increasing screening uptake amongst women aged 25 who are receiving their first invitation from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The study began in November 2011 and reports can be expected later in 2016.

In addition, the Department of Health Behavioural Insight team has undertaken a trial to investigate the use of behavioural insights to optimise the content of the invitation letter for cervical screening. Results are due in summer 2016.

A routine human papillomavirus vaccination programme has been available in England since 2008, and offers immunisation to girls aged 12-14 years. It is expected that the vaccine will reduce the already low rates of cervical cancer in these young women and allow them to be protected for years to come.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Lord Patel of 24 February 2015, column 882HL, if he will place in the Library a copy of all correspondence from September 2014 between the expert panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Professor Grifo.

Jane Ellison

The correspondence referred to is a personal email exchange between one expert panel member and Professor Grifo, following the third scientific review of the safety and efficacy of methods to avoid mitochondrial disease in 2014. It would not be appropriate for a copy of this private correspondence to be placed in the Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the Health and Work Innovation Fund his Department plans to allocate to programmes for people with arthritis.

Justin Tomlinson

At the spending review, the Work and Health Unit secured £115m of funding, including at least £40m for a Work and Health innovation fund.

The Work and Health Innovation Fund will trial new ways to help working age disabled people and people with health conditions get in, stay in, and return to work as well as benefit from improved health outcomes. This will include support for people with musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis.