Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 25 August 2023.

Multi-million-pound fund for charity sector to carry out crucial work – alongside the NHS – to save lives and tackle tragedy of suicide.

• Government calls on charities across England to apply for funding to continue supporting tens of thousands of people experiencing suicidal thoughts
• Comes alongside expected £13.6 billion this year to transform the country’s mental health services so millions of people can quickly access NHS support

Tens of thousands of people experiencing suicidal thoughts or approaching a mental health crisis will receive vital support, as the government relaunches a £10 million fund so charities can work with the NHS to provide life-saving suicide prevention services.

Charities in communities across England can now apply for the latest round of funding from the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund which will ensure as many people as possible can access the support and prevention services they need, when they need it. Funding will also help prevent people reaching crisis point and reduce future demand for these services across both the charity sector and the NHS.

A previous fund of £5.4 million in 2021 to 2022 supported over 100 organisations within the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. The results of the fund were overwhelmingly positive, with virtually every single successful bidder saying it helped meet increased demand after the pandemic, improved access to services for people in need and helped identify those experiencing suicidal thoughts quicker.

Previous grant recipients included:

• James’ Place charity, which used £283,968 to provide innovative and free suicide prevention therapy to men over the age of 18 in Merseyside and London
• the Caribbean and African Health Network in Manchester, which was awarded £41,599 for work to tackle taboos around suicide in black communities
• Papyrus, which was awarded £151,815 to provide confidential support and advice specifically to young people and anyone worried about a young person through their HOPELINE247

The funding comes alongside a projected £13.6 billion investment by the NHS this year to continue to provide, expand and transform mental health services in England including NHS talking therapies, children and young people’s mental health services and eating disorder services.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Too many lives are sadly lost to suicide and my sympathy goes out to those affected by its truly devastating impacts.

We’re already urgently investing record sums of money to transform and expand NHS mental health services, but the voluntary suicide prevention sector is such an important part of the support on offer and this multi-million pound fund recognises the work it carries out alongside the NHS.

I encourage charities to apply for this funding so they can continue to save lives, tackle taboos and make a real difference to so many people.

Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide Chief Executive, Ged Flynn, said:

Funding is vital if we are to continue giving hope to children and young people who are struggling with life, and we welcome the government’s contribution which will go some way to help.

The services we offer are underpinned by voluntary income; kind donations, fundraising and public support. That generosity funds our confidential HOPELINE247 service which allows our professional suicide prevention advisers to keep young people safe.

We also rely on voluntary income to help us engage with local communities on suicide prevention initiatives across the UK, offer training to groups and individual and support a network of volunteers who have lived experience of suicide.

Suicide is sadly the biggest cause of death in both men and women under the age of 35 in the UK, and there has been a noticeable increase in the last decade in the number of tragic suicides among women under the age of 25.

NHS crisis lines receive 200,000 calls per month and Samaritans reports receiving over 10,000 calls per day on average.

This latest round of government funding, however, could be used by the VCSE sector to boost capacity in crisis helplines – both for those struggling and for those who are concerned about a loved one – provide signposting to services, launch campaigns targeted at specific at-risk groups like young men, and also support families who have experienced the tragedy of losing a loved one by suicide.

Minister for Mental Health Maria Caulfield said:

Every single suicide is a tragedy – one which still affects too many people in England. Heartbreakingly, it is still the biggest killer of men under 35.

But we’re taking action. This £10 million fund for the voluntary and charity sector will help people nationwide receive crucial mental health support and builds on the success of previous funds, which supported tens of thousands of people approaching a crisis.

We’re already investing £57 million into suicide prevention schemes through the NHS Long Term Plan, and all local areas now have suicide prevention plans to address the specific needs of their populations.

While this funding will help fund a range of preventative and innovative activity up and down the country, the government is committed to doing all it can to prevent deaths by suicide. Later this year, it will publish a new national suicide prevention strategy that will set out further actions and commitments to deliver this.

Professor Sir Louis Appleby, national adviser on the suicide prevention strategy, said:

Charities play a critical role in preventing suicide and today’s launch of the grant fund will support their vital work. Given the pressures facing the sector, I hope all eligible organisations will consider bidding for funding.

The government is investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding a year by March 2024 to expand and transform NHS mental health services, so an extra 2 million people can get the mental health support they need.

Over £400 million is also going into improving mental health facilities, including by giving patients the privacy of their own bedroom and eradicating shared dorms.

The mental health workforce is also growing. In December 2022, we saw almost 9,000 more mental health staff working than the previous year. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out ambitions to grow the mental health workforce further.

Professor Subodh Dave, Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

We welcome this funding for suicide prevention. We strongly back the roll out of evidence-based programmes to support those at risk of suicide, most of whom are not in contact with mental health services.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 18 August 2023.

Inquiry announced into circumstances behind murders and attempted murders of babies at Countess of Chester Hospital to help families get the answers they need.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 18 August 2023.

Health Minister visits New Hospital Programme schemes across the North West to mark progress, as part of commitment to building 40 new hospitals by 2030.

• Patients and staff in the North West will benefit from modern, standardised hospital designs and state of the art technology which will help to improve patient experience
• The New Hospital Programme is now expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment in hospital infrastructure, with six new hospital schemes in the North West

This week Health Minister Lord Markham visited three hospitals across the North West as part of a summer tour to discuss the government’s plans to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 with staff, patients and local leaders.

He saw first-hand how the new Leighton Hospital will implement clinical, digital, and environmental innovations to enable the trust to tackle inequalities and meet the needs of a growing and ageing population. Patients and staff will benefit from safe, state-of-the-art new facilities and improved care as Leighton Hospital is part of the government’s commitment to rebuild six hospitals in the region.

Patients and staff at Royal Preston Hospital will benefit from modern hospital designs, making use of the latest technology, digital innovation and sustainability to improve overall patient experience and provide a better working environment for staff. The government has provided over £11 million in funding to support the trusts in the progress of both hospitals to help find suitable locations that will meet the needs of staff and patients in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Finally, Lord Markham visited the new North Manchester Hospital site which will include a new acute hospital, mental health hospital and multi-storey car park as well as affordable homes and accommodation for hospital staff. Work has now completed on the new 980 space multi-storey car park and cycle hub in the project’s first major construction milestone.

In total, five new hospitals will be built in the North West by 2030, including North Manchester General Hospital and Leighton Hospital. The Northern Centre for Cancer Care and the Royal Liverpool hospital are already open to patients and the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Centre is due to open later this year. The government recently confirmed for the first time that the New Hospital Programme is expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment in infrastructure.

Health Minister Lord Markham said:

We are investing in new NHS facilities across the country so patients can access high quality care in state-of-the-art hospitals, both now and in the years to come.

The North West will benefit from six new hospitals and this week I’ve been visiting some of the sites and speaking to patient, staff and local leaders across the region about the plans and progress. These will help to improve care and allow patients to be seen more quickly, which will help to cut waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities.

In the long term, our new standardised design means we can rapidly replicate new hospitals across the country, helping to speed up construction and deliver on our commitment of 40 new hospitals by 2030.

The government has prioritised the rebuilding of some hospitals given the risks buildings have posed to patients and staff – the full extent of which has come to light since the programme was first announced in 2019. Therefore, the Lancashire and South Cumbria scheme will complete past 2030, though it will still be in construction by then. The government will keep the situation under review and do everything it can to accelerate the completion timeline of the hospitals impacted, if circumstances allow. The New Hospital Programme will continue to work closely with new and existing schemes on their plans to ensure they deliver for patients, staff and communities. With the addition of new schemes as well as wider capital investment the government is still on track to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030.

Across the region, staff shared their experiences and discussed how the new hospitals will support the transformation of healthcare in the North West by improving the patient experience with new, high-quality environments as well as improving clinical outcomes with modern, fit-for-purpose theatres, wards, and diagnostic facilities to help cut waiting lists.

Making use of the latest technology, the new hospitals will have digital solutions included at the design stage which will help to reduce staff workloads and support working from any location, whilst improving the patient experience. The hospitals will also have ‘smart buildings’, which will collect and process data to optimise energy usage and contribute to the NHS’s sustainability goals.

By developing a national approach to delivering new hospitals, known as Hospital 2.0, they can be built more quickly and at a reduced cost, providing value for taxpayers. Patients and staff will benefit from a modern hospital design making use of the latest technology, digital innovation and sustainability to improve overall patient experience and provide a better working environment for staff. This will also put the NHS on a sustainable footing for the future.

Services will also benefit from the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which will deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history and recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years. This will be supported by over £2.4 billion in government funding.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 18 August 2023.

Government plans to modernise and reform primary care progress as more than one thousand general practices sign up for digital upgrades.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 August 2023.

No action is currently needed from patients. No one should stop taking valproate without advice from their healthcare professional.

As part of our ongoing monitoring of valproate safety, we continue to rigorously review all emerging data on valproate. This includes a new study on outcomes in children whose fathers took valproate at the time of conception commissioned by the European Medicines Agency.

Sanofi, the brand leader company, has recently informed us of errors in the study that may impact the results. As a result, the researchers from the original study are conducting a full re-analysis before any final conclusions can be drawn.

The government’s expert scientific body, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), has advised that further guidance in respect of risks in children of men taking valproate should be based upon data that are accurate and complete.  As soon as the revised study analysis is available, it will be carefully re-assessed by the MHRA. Any further guidance will be communicated to patients and healthcare professionals as soon as possible.

In December 2022, in light of data showing ongoing exposure to valproate in pregnancy, as well as growing information about potential risks in male patients from preclinical studies and data on infertility, the CHM recommended strengthened safety measures for valproate. The implementation of these new measures has been carefully considered by the CHM’s Valproate Implementation Group.

Further communications on the new safety measures will be issued in due course.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 August 2023.

Up to £210 million of funding to partner with countries across Asia and Africa to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and reduce the threat posed to the UK.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 15 August 2023.

Funding aims to relieve pressures on hospitals and help cut waiting lists, one of the government’s top 5 priorities.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 14 August 2023.

Government seeks views on adding pack inserts to tobacco products to encourage smokers to quit.

• Pack inserts are used internationally including in Canada and Israel, and proven to encourage people to give up smoking
• Initial report on the major conditions strategy to be published today

The government will seek views on adding pack inserts into tobacco products to encourage more smokers to quit as it launches a new consultation today.

Placed inside the packaging of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco, they would contain positive messages to encourage people to quit and signpost them to advice and support. The messages set out the health benefits of quitting – for example, improvements to breathing within a matter of days and a 50% reduction in the risk of heart attack within a year – as well as showing smokers how much money they stand to save by giving up, with the average person likely to save over £2,000 per year if they quit.

Smoking remains the single leading preventable cause of illness and mortality in the UK. It results in nearly 4% of all hospital admissions each year – equivalent to almost 450,000 admissions. Tobacco-related harms are also estimated to cost taxpayers an estimated £21 billion every year, including over £2 billion in costs to the NHS.

Although smoking rates in the UK are at an all-time low, by taking further action, the government will seek to cut waiting lists and reduce the burden on the NHS. Introducing pack inserts into all tobacco products in the UK could lead to an additional 30,000 smokers giving up their habit – delivering health benefits worth £1.6 billion.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Smoking places a huge burden on the NHS, economy and individuals. It directly causes a whole host of health problems – including cancers and cardiovascular disease – and costs the economy billions every year in lost productivity.

By taking action to reduce smoking rates and pursuing our ambition to be smokefree by 2030, we will reduce the pressure on the NHS and help people to live healthier lives.

The consultation – which opens today (14 August 2023) – will seek views on the introduction and design of pack inserts.

Pack inserts are already used in other countries – including Canada and Israel, with Australia also announcing its intention to introduce them – and there is evidence that they can be an effective means of encouraging smokers to quit. An evaluation of the policy’s impact in Canada found that almost 1 in 3 smokers had read the inserts at least once in the past month, and that those who were exposed to the inserts multiple times were significantly more likely to try to give up smoking.

The consultation builds on a recent package of measures designed to drive the government’s ambition to be smokefree by 2030 – which means reducing smoking rates to 5% or less.

These measures include:

• funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme – the first of its kind in the world – to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit, alongside expert support
• launching a financial incentive scheme – in the form of vouchers alongside behavioural support – to support pregnant women to stop smoking, with an aim to reach all pregnant smokers by the end of next year
• a new strategy to combat illicit tobacco, which will outline efforts to catch and punish those involved in the illegal market

Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said:

Smoking is very addictive, and it takes smokers on average 30 attempts before they succeed in stopping, so encouraging them to keep on trying is vital.

Pack inserts do this by backing up the grim messages about death and disease on the outside with the best advice about how to quit on the inside.

They will help deliver not just the smokefree 2030 ambition, but also the major conditions strategy, as smoking is responsible for all 6 major conditions from cancer to cardiovascular and respiratory disease, as well as dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal disorders.

The consultation launch comes as the government publishes an initial report on its major conditions strategy – which covers the 6 groups of conditions accounting for 60% of all ill-health and early death in England.

One in 4 people in England live with 2 or more major long-term conditions, and the initial report sets out the direction for the strategy to tackle these groups of conditions – cancers, cardiovascular diseases (including stroke and diabetes), musculoskeletal disorders, mental ill health, dementia and chronic respiratory conditions.

This includes by addressing key risk factors and lifestyle drivers of ill-health and disease, including smoking, which is a direct contributor to all 6 groups of conditions covered by the strategy. For example, it is the biggest cause of cancer, with one in every 5 cancer deaths in England connected to smoking.

A world leader in reducing smoking rates, UK levels are currently at their lowest on record at 13.3%. But across the UK, 1 in 7 adults still smoke – around 6.6 million people – and the impacts on the NHS and economy are significant.

Tobacco also costs the economy in England an estimated £14 billion in lost productivity every year, due to lost earnings, unemployment and early deaths. The average smoker stands to save approximately £2,000 per year from giving up their habit.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 August 2023.

The UK Health and Social Care Secretary has invited the devolved administration for talks to discuss lessons learnt and tackle waiting lists across the UK.

The UK Government Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has written to the devolved administrations inviting them for talks about how all parts of the UK can work together to tackle long-term waiting lists in all parts of the UK.

NHS services across the UK are a devolved matter, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists a priority across the UK. Although approaches taken across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share many common features, significant variations in outcomes exist. In Wales, more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, day case or inpatient appointment in Scotland. In England, waiting times for patients over 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated.

The Secretary of State is inviting health ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss what lessons can be learnt from the different approaches taken. In England for example, NHS patients are offered a choice of provider at GP referral – NHS or independent sector – provided that it meets NHS costs and standards. And from October we will proactively notify patients waiting over 40 weeks for treatment of their right to choose to be treated elsewhere.

In his letter, the Secretary of State writes that he would be open to requests from the devolved administrations to allow patients in Wales and Scotland who are waiting for lengthy periods to choose to be treated at providers in England, NHS or independent sector – building on the current arrangements for cross-border healthcare.

The Secretary of State has also asked UK health ministers to discuss how health data can be made more comparable across the UK. Northern Ireland official counterparts have also been invited to the ministerial meeting.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

I hugely value being able to share knowledge and experiences on the joint challenges facing our healthcare systems. I want to support collaboration between our nations to share best practices, improve transparency and provide better accountability for patients.

This will help to ensure we are joined up when it comes to cutting waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities – and will allow us to better work together to improve performance and get patients seen more quickly.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 10 August 2023.

Health Minister visits schemes across East of England which have been prioritised for rebuilding by 2030 due to significant amounts of RAAC.

• Patients and staff to benefit from safer facilities as well as modern, standardised hospital designs and state of the art technology
• New Hospital Programme now expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment in hospital infrastructure, with 7 new hospital schemes in the East of England

This week Health Minister Lord Markham visited 3 hospitals across the East of England, which have all been prioritised to be rebuilt by 2030 due to the significant amount of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the hospitals. Forming part of a summer tour, his visits saw him discuss the government’s plans to build 40 new hospitals across England by 2030 with staff, patients and local leaders.

Beginning at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Lord Markham saw first-hand how over £11 million has already been spent preparing the site ready for construction, and the development of its business case. He spoke to the trust’s management team, local councillors staff and patients to discuss the benefits of the new hospital, particularly after timelines for rebuilding were brought forward due to the risks posed by the RAAC. This means construction will begin as soon as possible and will be completed by 2030.

Lord Markham also travelled to King’s Lynn to discuss the rebuild of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Rebuilding these facilities will not only ensure they’re fit for the future but will also improve the lives and safety of both staff and local patients in West and North Norfolk who use the buildings. The trust has already been allocated nearly £80 million since 2021 for works to mitigate and minimise the risk of RAAC on patient and staff safety, including propping. As part of the New Hospital Programme, fast progress is already being made with planning permission granted for a car park at the site.

Finally, the Health Minister visited Hinchingbrooke Hospital  near Huntingdon, to discuss its plans for the new hospital after it was also included as one of new five hospitals that have been identified as requiring a full rebuild due to the presence of RAAC. Having already been given over £43 million of funding on works to mitigate the impact and risks it poses to patient and staff safety since 2021, Lord Markham met with local representatives, and staff and patients to hear their views on what’s needed in the new hospital.

The three hospitals are all in their strategic outline case phase – this means they are planning the content and structure of the proposed new hospital plans which will then be reviewed by ministers to ensure they meets the needs of staff and patients and provide value for money for taxpayers.

In total, 7 new hospitals will be built in the East of England by 2030 and the government recently confirmed for the first time that the New Hospital Programme is expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment in infrastructure.

Separately through wider capital funding, the James Paget hospital is also receiving £17 million of government funding to build a new Orthopaedic elective Hub. The Hub will be completed next summer and will have 2 operating theatres, a post-surgery recovery area and four patients bays. It’ll also be open 7 days a week and provide 1,400 extra theatre sessions per year.

Health Minister Lord Markham said:

We are investing in new NHS facilities across the country so patients can access high quality care in state-of-the-art hospitals, both now and in the years to come.

The East of England will benefit from seven new hospitals by 2030 and this week I’ve been visiting some of the sites which will be prioritised due to the presence of RAAC. I’ve enjoyed speaking to patient, staff and local leaders across the region about the plans and progress These which will help to improve safety as well as care and allow patients to be seen more quickly. This is a fundamental part of our plan to cut waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities.

In the long term, our new standardised design means we can rapidly replicate new hospitals across the country, helping to speed up construction and deliver on our commitment of 40 new hospitals by 2030.

Across the region, staff shared their experiences and discussed how the new hospitals will support the transformation of healthcare in the East of England by improving the patient experience with new, high-quality environments as well as improving clinical outcomes with modern theatres, wards, and diagnostic facilities to help cut waiting lists.

Making use of the latest technology, the new hospitals will have digital solutions included at the design stage which will help to reduce staff workloads and support working from any location, whilst improving the patient experience. The hospitals will also have ‘smart buildings’, which will collect and process data to optimise energy usage and contribute to the NHS’s sustainability goals.

By developing a national approach to delivering new hospitals, known as Hospital 2.0, they can be built more quickly and at a reduced cost, providing value for taxpayers. Patients and staff will benefit from a modern hospital design making use of the latest technology, digital innovation and sustainability to improve overall patient experience and provide a better working environment for staff. This will also put the NHS on a sustainable footing for the future.

Backed by increased staff with the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we will deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history and recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years. This will be supported by over £2.4 billion in government funding.