Tag: David Amess

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that all clinical commissioning groups increase investment in mental health services each year at a level which at least matches their overall expenditure increase.

Alistair Burt

The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out an expectation for NHS England to achieve measurable progress towards the parity of esteem for mental health enshrined in the NHS Constitution. Progress is being monitored as part of NHS England’s planning and financial reporting process.

Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance for 2016-17 requires clinical commissioning groups (CCG) to increase investment in mental health services above their overall increase in allocation each year. This can include investment in primary or secondary mental health services, which should be aligned with delivery of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: a report from the Independent Mental Health Taskforce published in February 2016.

Where a CCG is not investing in mental health services as planned and without providing adequate justification, NHS England will work with the CCG to bring their spending back in line with their plan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to ensure adoption of the National BSR and BHPR guidelines for the management of giant cell arteritis within the NHS; and whether his Department plans to assess whether the recommendations in those guidelines are being met.

David Mowat

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the provision of services for people with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Whilst it would not be appropriate for NHS England to direct CCGs to adopt a particular clinical pathway, it continues to ensure that the innovative approach developed at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is shared and made available to clinicians.

There are a number of clinical guidelines that are available to support the prompt diagnosis and referral of patients with suspected GCA, including one produced by the Royal College of Physicians, which Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta, who developed the GCA pathway at Southend University Hospital NHS FT, helped to produce. This guidance provides a framework for disease assessment, immediate treatment and referral to specialist care. Furthermore, both the British Society for Rheumatology and the British Health Professionals in Rheumatology published guidelines on the management of polymyalgia rheumatica, a related condition, for general practitioners and rheumatologists. These encourage the prompt diagnosis and urgent management of GCA, helping to minimise GCA related vision loss.

The Specialised Rheumatology Clinical Reference Group at NHS England has developed proposals to establish local rheumatology networks. These are being implemented over a three year period to support consistent access to clinically effective therapies and to share good and innovative practice across the country. In addition, NHS England’s innovation team has invited Professor Dasgupta to contribute to the NHS Innovation Exchange Portal to ensure that this knowledge is shared.

On 24 June 2016, NHS England recently facilitated a webinar presented by Professor Dasgupta, which aimed to show how the fast-track pathway has significantly reduced the number of patients suffering sight-loss as an avoidable complication of GCA and, in addition, presents a case that this model is cost-saving, results in an increased patient quality of life, and successfully reduces the time to diagnosis in line with established clinical guidelines. NHS England promoted the webinar across the musculoskeletal community as well as to CCGs and patient groups through a wide range of communications channels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of medical research spending which is spent on eye disease.

Joseph Johnson

The UK Clinical Health Research Analysis (2015) shows that, in 2014, the combined government spend on medical research into eye disease, development and function was £15.1m, or 1.2% of public funding on health research. The report is available at http://www.hrcsonline.net/pages/uk-health-research-analysis-2014 (page 95).

The Research Councils account for approximately half of this expenditure and support research in response to proposals from the academic community. They welcome high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health which are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include take-home naloxone in the harm reduction strategy for the penal service; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The substance misuse element of the harm reduction strategy will align with national clinical guidance with regard to how naloxone and other medicines in the care pathway are considered for use, although specific medicines are unlikely to be named in the strategy.

The commissioning of substance misuse treatment for prisoners is the responsibility of health and justice commissioning teams in ten of NHS England’s area teams, supported by a central health and justice team. The Government expects commissioners and providers of substance misuse services in prisons and in the community to work together closely in respect to prisoners being released from custody to ensure seamless transfers of care.

Public Health England, the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have jointly published a factsheet[1] to explain October’s regulatory change with regard to naloxone and how the wider availability of naloxone affects relevant services. NHS England Area Teams will encourage providers to take account of this guidance.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many IT contractors engaged by HM Revenue and Customs work through a personal service company.

Mr David Gauke

All IT contractors have been engaged by HMRC through centralised Government contracts and Frameworks that comply fully with Cabinet Office procurement guidelines.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he next plans a review of gaming machine stakes and prizes.

David Evennett

On 21 January the Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015. You can find it here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493714/Evaluation_of_Gaming_Machine__Circumstances_of_Use___Amendment__Regulations_2015.pdf

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on gambling addiction of limiting the stake on fixed odds betting terminals; and if he will make a statement.

David Evennett

The Government published the Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 on 21 January. The Evaluation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34094, by what deadline clinical commissioning groups will be required to report on whether they have increased investment in mental health services above their overall increase in allocation each year.

Alistair Burt

Spending on mental health is expected to increase to £11.7 billion and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to continue to increase their spend on mental health each year.

NHS England’s published planning guidance for 2015/16 for commissioners made the expectation clear that each CCG’s spend on mental health services in 2015/16 should increase in real terms, and grow by at least the same percentage as each CCG’s allocation increase.

Detail on planned spend on mental health is captured as part of the National Health Service financial plan returns for 2016/17 with follow up as part of the plan assurance process. This information is being assessed during May by NHS England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will develop and implement a national measure to (a) monitor whether patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA) are being referred to a specialist within one working day and (b) ensure services are complying with the recommendation in National BSR and BHPR Guidelines for the management of GCA’s urgent referral to a specialist.

David Mowat

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the provision of services for people with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Whilst it would not be appropriate for NHS England to direct CCGs to adopt a particular clinical pathway, it continues to ensure that the innovative approach developed at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is shared and made available to clinicians.

There are a number of clinical guidelines that are available to support the prompt diagnosis and referral of patients with suspected GCA, including one produced by the Royal College of Physicians, which Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta, who developed the GCA pathway at Southend University Hospital NHS FT, helped to produce. This guidance provides a framework for disease assessment, immediate treatment and referral to specialist care. Furthermore, both the British Society for Rheumatology and the British Health Professionals in Rheumatology published guidelines on the management of polymyalgia rheumatica, a related condition, for general practitioners and rheumatologists. These encourage the prompt diagnosis and urgent management of GCA, helping to minimise GCA related vision loss.

The Specialised Rheumatology Clinical Reference Group at NHS England has developed proposals to establish local rheumatology networks. These are being implemented over a three year period to support consistent access to clinically effective therapies and to share good and innovative practice across the country. In addition, NHS England’s innovation team has invited Professor Dasgupta to contribute to the NHS Innovation Exchange Portal to ensure that this knowledge is shared.

On 24 June 2016, NHS England recently facilitated a webinar presented by Professor Dasgupta, which aimed to show how the fast-track pathway has significantly reduced the number of patients suffering sight-loss as an avoidable complication of GCA and, in addition, presents a case that this model is cost-saving, results in an increased patient quality of life, and successfully reduces the time to diagnosis in line with established clinical guidelines. NHS England promoted the webinar across the musculoskeletal community as well as to CCGs and patient groups through a wide range of communications channels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of trends in the costs of treating sight loss and eye health problems.

Alistair Burt

No specific assessment has been made of the trends in the cost of treating sight loss and eye health problems.

However, the table below shows expenditure for ‘problems of vision’ for primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for 2013-14.

Expenditure on problems of vision, 2011-12 to 2013-14

Commissioner	Year	Total £ billion
PCTs	2011-12	2.26
PCTs	2012-13	2.30
CCGs	2013/14	1.61

Note:

¹ This figure does not include services directly commissioned by NHS England, such as primary eye care services. NHS England is currently reviewing expenditure data on their directly commissioned services.