Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 April 2023.

Bold new measures to combat rising levels of youth vaping expected to be announced.

• A new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to be formed to enforce rules on vaping and tackle illegal sales of vapes to under-18s
• Call for Evidence also launched to identify opportunities to stop children vaping

The government is expected to unveil tough new measures to combat the illegal sale of vapes to under-18s as part of its plans to reduce smoking and tackle youth vaping.

In his speech at Policy Exchange on Tuesday 11 April, Health Minister Neil O’Brien is expected to announce a new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

Working across the country, the enforcement squad led by Trading Standards will share knowledge and intelligence across regional networks and local authorities.

It will undertake specific projects such as test purchasing in convenience stores and vape shops. It will also produce guidance to help build regulatory compliance, and will have the power to remove illegal products from shops and at our borders.

The minister is also expected to announce the launch of a Call for Evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes, while ensuring they remain available as a quit aid for adult smokers.

It will explore topical issues such as the marketing and promotion of vapes and the environmental impact of disposable products.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and support them to quit. We remain committed to our ambition to be smokefree by 2030.

However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products.

The new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on those businesses who sell vapes to children – which is illegal – and get them hooked on nicotine. Our Call for Evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes.

Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13.0%, the lowest on record, thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services. In 2021-22, £68 million of funding from the public health grant was spent on stop smoking services by local authorities, and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop smoking service.

In addition, £35 million was committed to the NHS last year so that all smokers admitted to hospital will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 April 2023.

Children aged 6 months to 4 years in a clinical risk group will be eligible for a Covid vaccine.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Children are at very low risk of harm from Covid.

However, there are a very small number of children with health conditions which make them particularly vulnerable, and for those children we want to give parents the choice as to whether they wish to vaccinate their at risk child or not.

I have accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on vaccinating children aged from 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group. It is a parental decision, and this advice is simply to enable parents of children with medical conditions to choose if they wish to have the protection.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 April 2023.

Latest data shows there are more doctors, nurses and staff than ever before working in the NHS.

• Government on track to deliver on commitment for 50,000 more nurses by 2024, with over 41,000 more nurses compared to September 2019
• New pension rules also come into force today to support senior clinicians to continue working in the NHS for longer

There are record number of doctors and nurses working in the NHS in England helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and cut waiting lists, according to the latest stats.

Data published today by NHS Digital shows in January 2023 there were almost 1.27 million full-time equivalent staff working in NHS trusts and commissioning bodies in England – over 48,700 more people compared to a year ago, an increase of 4%.

The latest data also shows there were over 5,100 more doctors and over 11,800 more nurses working in the NHS compared to January 2022.

Since 2010, there are now over 37,700 more doctors and over 52,400 more nurses working in the NHS. The government is also on track to deliver on its commitment for 50,000 more nurses by 2024, with over 41,000 more nurses compared to September 2019.

Separately, reforms to public sector pensions announced at Budget come into force today which will increase the annual tax-free pension allowance from £40,000 to £60,000 and remove the lifetime allowance charge. These changes will ensure doctors are not disincentivised from remaining in their NHS roles or taking on extra hours, meaning more expertise will be retained so we can continue treating patients and helping to cut waiting lists.

This is alongside wider changes to the NHS Pension Scheme to make retirement more flexible and support staff to remain in work for longer. These changes include allowing retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended, fixing the unintended impacts of inflation so senior clinicians are not taxed more than necessary and ensuring staff can continue to access the scheme when working in Primary Care Networks.

Around 22,000 senior NHS clinicians could exceed the previous £40,000 annual allowance in 2023/24 and around 31,000 clinicians have reached at least 75% of the £1.073 million lifetime allowance.

These changes will mean more senior clinicians will be incentivised to stay in the workforce and work as many hours as they want, helping boost the workforce as the NHS continues to tackle the backlogs.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

It’s crucial we have a sustainable workforce as we build a stronger, healthier NHS for the long term with patients at its centre.

We are making progress in training and recruiting a record number of staff – with over 48,700 more compared to a year ago and the NHS will soon publish a workforce plan focused on recruiting and retaining more staff.

Today’s pension changes will also help boost numbers of senior clinicians – so we can continue delivering high quality care for patients.

NHS England will publish a comprehensive workforce strategy this year to help recruit and retain more staff, with independently verified forecasts for the number of doctors, nurses and other professionals that will be needed in five, 10 and 15 years’ time.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 April 2023.

37,700 women have purchased Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescription pre-payment certificates (PPC) following the launch, saving over £1.13 million.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 April 2023.

Building on the People at the Heart of Care white paper, the government has set out plans to further digitise the social care sector and bolster the workforce.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 April 2023.

An independent review of integrated care systems (ICSs) has today published its final report.

• An independent review of integrated care systems (ICSs) has today published its final report
• ICSs were introduced across England in 2022, bringing together the NHS, local government, and other partners together to improve the health and care of the people who live and work in their area
• Chaired by former Health Secretary, Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt, the review considered how the oversight and governance of ICSs can best enable them to succeed

An independent review into integrated care systems today published its final report.

Integrated Care Systems bring together NHS, local government, social care providers, charities and other partners to deliver on four goals:

• Improving outcomes in population health and healthcare
• Tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience and access
• Enhancing productivity and value for money
• Helping the NHS support broader social and economic development

ICBs include representatives from local authorities, primary care and NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts.

The Health and Social Care Secretary commissioned Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt to lead the independent review in November 2022, asking her to consider how the oversight and governance of these systems can best enable them to succeed.

The review covered ICSs in England and the NHS targets and priorities for which ICBs are accountable, including those set out in the government’s mandate to NHS England.

Drawing on the insights of leaders from across the NHS, local government, social care providers, the charitable and the voluntary and social enterprise sector the review looked at how best to empower local leaders to focus on improving outcomes for their populations.

Organisations representing patients as well as experts in academia and think tanks also fed into the call for evidence which received more than 400 responses.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

Integrated care systems are an important part of the government’s plan to deliver more joined up and effective health and care services and to cut waiting times for patients, one of the Prime Minister’s key priorities for 2023.

Ministers will review recommendations of this report in due course.

Chair of the independent review of integrated care systems, Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt, said:

It was an enormous privilege to undertake this review, published today.

Integrated Care Systems represent the best opportunity in a generation for the urgently needed transformation that we need in our health and care system. Everyone wants them to succeed.

To fulfil their potential, however, we need not only to back our new structures, but also to change our culture. Everyone needs to change, and everyone needs to play their part.

My recommendations are intended to help the health and care system make those changes – and I hope that ministers, NHS England and others will feel able to take them forward.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said:

Integrated care systems have the power to change the way the NHS provides care for people while working alongside local government to ensure people live healthier lives.

We know health systems across the country are already taking significant action to do this and we are grateful to Patricia Hewitt for this important report – we will look in detail at the recommendations as we continue to support local areas to improve outcomes for patients.

Background

• The full report can be found here: The Hewitt Review: an independent review of integrated care systems – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Each ICS has an integrated care board (ICB), a statutory organisation responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of the population, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services in the ICS area. ICBs include representatives from local authorities, primary care and NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts.
• Each ICS also has an integrated care partnership (ICP) that brings together a broad alliance of partners concerned with improving the care, health and wellbeing of the population. The ICP is responsible for producing an integrated care strategy on how to meet the health and wellbeing needs of the population in the ICS area.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 1 April 2023.

From 1 April women in England will be able to access cheaper Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to help with menopause symptoms.

• New HRT prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) will help around 400,000 women save hundreds of pounds annually, with costs reduced to less than £20 a year
• The certificate is available to get online or in some pharmacies, and can be used as many times as needed across the year

Women experiencing symptoms of the menopause can now access cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – the main treatment for menopause symptoms – helping to save hundreds of pounds in prescription charges.

The new HRT prepayment certificate (PPC) being rolled out today (1 April) will reduce prescription costs to just £19.30 per year and can be used against a list of eligible HRT items which includes patches, tablets and topical preparations. Patients can use the HRT PPC as many times as they need across the year.

Making HRT more accessible, by reducing the cost, is one of the ways the government is making menopause support more readily available to women, alongside working with suppliers to encourage and support HRT supply to meet growing demand.

Health and Social Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Menopause care is essential healthcare, and we are ensuring cost is no longer a barrier to women getting the medicines they need.

Better access to HRT will improve the lives of millions and gives women the freedom to take control of their symptoms.

We’ve rightly put women’s health at the top of the agenda through our Women’s Health Strategy – and continue to deliver on our commitments.

Minister for Women’s Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield said:

Since we launched the Women’s Health Strategy last summer, we have made great progress in raising the profile of  health issues affecting women, including symptoms of the menopause.

Often its necessary to  use more than one type of HRT, and many women I have spoken to needed to try a few different types to get the right medication that works for them.

Everyone is different, and price should not be a barrier to treatment – reducing the price of a year’s worth of HRT to under £20 is a huge moment of levelling the playing field.

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador for England said:

Many women do not realise that they are going through the menopause.

Helping to make them aware about the inevitability of becoming menopausal, is an important first step. The next step is improving awareness that HRT may be an option to help women manage this stage of their life course .

Making HRT easier to access will significantly improve the lives of many women who choose to use it, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Helen Simmons, a woman who is benefitting from the scheme:

As an enthusiastic supporter of any advance in menopause care I think the HRT PPC is a great start to helping women access good care and support.

I will definitely benefit from buying an HRT PPC as I currently have multiple HRT prescriptions every three months, with the majority being on the list that the PPC will cover.

The application for the certificate was easy to navigate online and I have already shared information about it on my social media pages.

HRT is a safe and effective treatment for most women going through menopause and perimenopause. It can help relieve menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness.

Taking HRT can also reduce the risk of hormone-related health problems including osteoporosis and heart disease.

Michael Brodie, chief executive of the NHS Business Services Authority, which delivers the HRT PPC service on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, said:

We are proud to be delivering the HRT PPC, which is a great addition to the range of NHS services we offer to help people manage their health costs. It is so important that those who rely on HRT have a more cost-effective way of accessing it.

The NHS England National Menopause Care Improvement Programme is working to improve clinical menopause care in England and reduce disparities in access to treatment. The NHS is also developing an education and training package on menopause for healthcare professionals.

The introduction of the HRT PPC delivers one of our year 1 priorities for the Women’s Health Strategy for England. Published last summer, the strategy sets out an ambitious new agenda for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls, and to improve how the health and care system listens to women. Menopause was announced as a priority area within the strategy.

To ensure all women get the support they need, we recently announced a £25 million investment in women’s health hubs. Women’s health hubs provide integrated services for women in the community, enabling easier access to essential women’s health services such as menstrual health, contraception, pelvic pain and menopause care.

Menopause can impact all areas of a woman’s life, we recently appointed Helen Tomlinson as the government’s first Menopause Employment Champion – and have awarded grant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women’s reproductive health, which includes menopause.

How to use the new PPC:

• There are a few different ways to get the HRT PPC:
• Online on the NHS Business Service Authority website www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/hrt-ppc
• In person at some pharmacies
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can use the textphone (or minicom) to contact the NHS Business Services Authority using the Text Relay service. Dial 18001 then the relevant phone number. This will be available from 25 May.
• The NHS Business Services Authority also offers a telephone translation service and can provider documents in large print or Braille on request.
• Patients can call 0300 330 2089 for help and support.
• To use your HRT PPC, ask your prescriber for your HRT items on a separate prescriptions to any other medicines you are prescribed (one prescription per item). This is to ensure the prescription can be processed correctly at the pharmacy.
• Take your prescription(s) and HRT PPC to a pharmacy and use it as many times as you need over 12 months.

To be aware before getting the HRT PPC:

• Check that you’re not already eligible for free NHS prescriptions using the eligibility checker on the NHS BSA website.
• Check that your medicine is covered by the HRT PPC. For a list of eligible HRT medication, visit: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc/medicines-covered-hrt-ppc
• Check whether a 3 or 12 month general PPC is more suitable for you. It covers all NHS prescriptions, not just HRT items, and may be more cost effective if you are prescribed other medicines as well as HRT. Visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ppc
• The HRT PPC will be valid for 12 months and there is no limit on the number of times the certificate is used before it expires. You don’t need to get it on 1 April – get it just before your next prescription to maximise your use of it over the year.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 March 2023.

Additional funds will help cover the costs of nursing care, ensuring the vital service can continue to support the needs of residents who rely on it.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 March 2023.

Four life sciences companies from across the UK will benefit from the first tranche of Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) grants.

Four life sciences companies, ranging from medical diagnostics to medicines manufacturing, will see £277 million in joint government and industry backing to help grow and innovate.

The funding, announced by Science Minister George Freeman today (28 March 2023), forms the first tranche of winning grants from the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF).

£17 million in government funding is supported by additional private investment of £260 million, to back companies investing in life science manufacturing projects that help grow our economy, boost health resilience, deploy innovation, minimise environmental impacts and support levelling up.

The funding will help grow an innovative economy across the UK, supporting more than 500 jobs at companies across the UK, from North Wales to Northern Ireland.

Minister of State for Science, Research & Innovation, George Freeman, said:

The UK’s £94 billion Life Science sector provides over 250,000 high skill jobs across the UK from drug discovery to diagnostics, medtech devices and digital health.

The industry is being transformed by the pace of change: from AI to genomics, bio manufacturing to smart stents and personalised immunotherapies, technologies are converging to create a new era of advanced digital products.

That requires new types of advances manufacturing plant which is why we set up the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, which today’s news shows is working: converting £17 million grants to four companies into £260 million industrial investment.

LSIMF follows on from the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF) pilot programme which launched in April 2021. Over its lifespan, MDMTF delivered £75 million in joint government and industry investment, while also creating 224 new jobs and protecting 345 existing roles. Today’s funding rollout means, combined, the two Funds have delivered £352 million in government and private sector investment into the life sciences sector, while also supporting more than 1000 jobs.

The government’s Life Sciences Vision, published in 2021, set the ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments, building on the strengths of our manufacturing R&D, our network of innovation centres, the manufacturing response to COVID-19 and delivery of the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund. Life sciences are also central to the UK Science and Technology Framework, published earlier this month, which identifies the critical technologies set to make the biggest difference to health and life science progress, as well as plans to improve the regulatory landscape for life sciences.

The successful companies being supported through the first tranche of LSIMF grants to build on those aims are:

• Ipsen – £75 million investment to grow the manufacture of innovative medicines for neurological conditions, creating 39 new jobs and safeguarding a further 37 at their Wrexham facility
• Pharmaron – £151 million investment in capital and people will substantially grow operations in Liverpool, increasing production capacity four-fold for critical gene therapy and vaccine components and creating 174 jobs, while also safeguarding a further 156
• Touchlight – £14 million investment will create 17 jobs and protect a further 6, boosting UK health resilience by establishing the commercial scale manufacture of DNA at their Hampton, London base
• Randox – £36 million investment to modernise the manufacture of antibodies used across diagnostic tests. A new facility in Crumlin, Northern Ireland, will create 90 new jobs

This will build on an additional £10 million for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced at Spring Budget which will accelerate NHS patient access to the most impactful and innovative new treatments. It will allow the MHRA to introduce new, swift approvals systems from 2024, speeding up access to treatments already approved by trusted international partners and ground-breaking technologies such as cancer vaccines and AI therapeutics for mental health.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said:

The UK is home to Europe’s largest life science sector – it’s a real British success story which includes the first COVID vaccine that saved millions of lives.

We want to cement Britain’s competitive advantage by backing more innovative projects to develop, manufacture and export those treatments of the future.

Minister of State for Health Will Quince said:

We’re harnessing the same spirit of innovation that delivered the COVID vaccine, and working hand in hand with industry and healthcare experts to get cutting-edge medicines to patients faster.

This is an important step towards strengthening the UK’s long term manufacturing capability, while supporting the development of innovative technologies and ground breaking medicines.

The life sciences sector is crucial to the UK’s health resilience. Through government and industry investment, we will continue to drive it forward – creating jobs and cementing our position as a global life sciences superpower.

This announcement comes ahead of tomorrow’s (29 March 2023) ‘Treasury Connect’ conference where the Chancellor will bring together experts in the Life Sciences sector to discuss ways to harness this thriving sector and help grow the UK economy.

This is the third in a series of 5 Treasury Connect events focused on the Chancellor’s key growth industries: technology; creative industries; life sciences; advanced manufacturing; and the green economy.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 22 March 2023.

The government will provide a plan to promote cyber resilience across the health and care sectors by 2030, protecting both services and patients.

• New strategy sets out five key ways to build cyber resilience in health and care by 2030
• Cyber strategy will protect health and adult social care functions and services, which the whole nation depends on
• Part of government’s commitment to build a stronger, more sustainable NHS for the future

Patients will benefit from bolstered protection to the nation’s health and adult social care services as a new cyber security strategy for England is published today.

The Cyber Security Strategy for Health and Adult Social Care sets out a plan to promote cyber resilience across the sector by 2030, protecting services and the patients they support.

This will ensure services are better protected from cyber threats, further securing sensitive information and ensuring patients can continue accessing care safely as the NHS continues to cut waiting lists.

Technology is transforming how people access health and care services and information. Over 40 million people now have an NHS login, helping them book appointments, track referrals, and order medications online. Over 50% of social care providers now use a digital social care record, helping staff share vital information about the people they care for. As digital systems are adopted to improve health and care services for people across the country, it is vital the health and care sector has the tools it needs to better protect patients’ information.

This new strategy will ensure health and adult social care organisations across England are set up to meet the challenges of the future – from identifying areas in the sector which are most vulnerable, to better utilising resources and expertise across the country to defend against cyber attacks.

Health Minister Lord Markham said:

We’re harnessing the power of technology to deliver better, safer care to people across the country – but at the same time it’s crucial we’re also bolstering the defences of our health and care services.

This new strategy will be instrumental to ensure every organisation in health and adult social care is set up to meet the challenges of the future.

This is an important step to ensure we’re building an NHS which is sustainable and fit for the future, with patients at the centre.

The health and social care sector has made good progress in recent years, by using the increasing number of cyber defence and response tools it has at its disposal. The sector is now much better protected from attacks than it was at the time of the WannaCry cyber attack in 2017.

NHS Trusts now benefit from a direct link to NHS England’s Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), providing real time protection of any suspicious activity to approximately 1.7 million devices across the NHS network. Around 21 million malicious emails are also blocked every month.

The vision includes five key pillars to minimise the risk of cyber attacks and other cyber security issues, and to improve response and recovery following any incidents across health and social care systems including for adult social care, primary and secondary care. This includes:

• Identifying the areas of the sector where disruption would cause the greatest harm to patients, such as through sensitive information being leaked or critical services being unable to function.
• Uniting the sector so it can take advantage of its scale and benefit from national resources and expertise, enabling faster responses and minimising disruption.
• Building on the current culture to ensure leaders are engaged and the cyber workforce is grown and recognised, and relevant cyber basics training is offered to the general workforce.
• Embedding security into the framework of emerging technology to better protect it against cyber threat.
• Supporting every health and care organisation to minimise the impact and recovery time of a cyber incident.

A full implementation plan will be published in Summer 2023 setting out detailed activities and defining metrics to build and measure resilience over the next two to three years.

National cyber security teams will also work closely with local and regional health and care organisations to achieve the visions and aims of the strategy. This work will include enhancing the NHS England Cyber Security Operations Centre, publishing a comprehensive and data-led landscape review of cyber security in adult social care, and updating the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) to empower organisations to own their cyber risk.