Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of (a) CRE and (b) other superbugs which are persistent to antibiotics.

Jane Ellison

The Government has already taken significant action to address carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae and other organisms that are resistant to antibiotics.

The UK 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy set out key steps for tackling organisms that are resistant to a range of antibiotics. As part of our strategy to reduce the incidence of such infections, we have tightened the regulatory aspects in England by revising the Health and Social Care Act Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections in July 2015. The revised Code strengthens links and references to antimicrobial resistance within primary and secondary care. Furthermore, the NHS Standard Contract published in March 2015 included amendments to require compliance with the Code of Practice. This enables regulators such as the Care Quality Commission to look at compliance with the Code within its inspection programme.

At the same time, we have ensured that a range of guidance and tool kits have been produced to support healthcare staff to manage carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae and other resistant bacteria. Public Health England has published updated standards in June 2015 covering additional training on infection and control, which includes a carbapenemese-resistant Enterobacteriaceae toolkit for the non-acute and community sector.

In terms of surveillance of carbapenemase-resistant organisms, Public Health England has rolled out the second generation surveillance system for the reporting of notifiable infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in December 2014. It has also developed an electronic system for reporting carbapenemase-producing organisms, to allow demographic and clinical risk information to be captured and analysed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to develop a strategy for tackling and treating TB throughout the UK.

Jane Ellison

The Collaborative Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy for England 2015-2020¹ was launched in January 2015. It lays out 10 key ‘areas for actions’ needed to achieve a year on year decrease in TB incidence, a reduction in health inequalities and, ultimately, the elimination of TB as a public health problem in England.

Since the strategy was launched Public Health England, together with NHS England, have formed a TB Strategy implementation team and established seven TB control boards across England. These boards are leading the local delivery of the 10 key ‘areas for action’.

As health is a devolved matter, Ministers do not regularly discuss these issues, however research and evidence of best practice is made available throughout the United Kingdom.

¹Public Health England. Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England 2015 to 2020 [Internet]. 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collaborative-tuberculosis-strategy-for-england

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that antibiotics are prescribed in proportion to the severity of the illness.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England is undertaking work to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in general practice through low cost and scalable interventions designed by behavioural scientists. In addition, Public Health England has developed the Antibiotic Guardian campaign to improve behaviours around the use of antibiotics amongst both the public and healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, in August 2015 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidelines on the effective use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics) in children, young people and adults. It aims to change prescribing practice to help slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and ensure that antimicrobials remain an effective treatment for infection.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng15.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s policy is on the provision of precautionary mastectomies for women who have not been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance to the National Health Service on bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy in its clinical guideline, Familial breast cancer: classification, care and managing breast cancer and related risks in people with a family history of breast cancer (June 2013). This is available at:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg164/chapter/1-recommendations

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities on the reported arrest of Pu Zhiqiang.

Mr Hugo Swire

As the Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns, explained in her written answer of 30 December, we are deeply concerned by the conviction of Pu Zhiqiang, which raised serious issues about due process and transparency and justice in China. We have continued to raise his case with the Chinese authorities. Most recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), re-iterated our concerns with the Chinese government during his visit to China on 5 January. My Right Honourable Friend once again underlined our disappointment at the treatment of diplomats and journalists outside Pu’s trial.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve end of life care and the account taken of the needs of patients with regard to (a) hydration and (b) respect and dignity.

Ben Gummer

The Government is committed to making improvements in the quality of care people experience at the end of life.

In 2014, we set out five priorities for care of the dying person which should underpin the care being delivered to all dying people. The priorities for care state that an individual plan of care, which includes food and drink, symptom control and psychological, social and spiritual support, is agreed, co-ordinated and delivered with compassion.

In December 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on the care of dying adults in the last days of life, including guidance on medical nutrition and hydration. Clinicians and commissioners should have regard to this guidance when making decisions about care for people at the end of life.

The priorities also set out the critical importance of compassion, respect and dignity in delivering care to dying people and the implications, for staff, commissioners and providers, when making decisions about how end of life care services will meet the needs of local people. The new approach to care, based on these fundamental principles, is being used by clinicians across the country.

In the coming months, we will be setting out the Department’s plans for building on this progress and achieving further quality improvements in end of life care throughout this Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with tinnitus in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

This information is not collected. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that around six million people in the United Kingdom have some form of tinnitus with about 600,000 experiencing it to an extent that it affects their quality of life.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for the extension of the provisions of the Armed Forces Bill to the Channel Islands.

Mark Lancaster

Clause 21 of the Armed Forces Bill provides for the Bill’s extent outside the United Kingdom. Clause 21(1) deals specifically with extent in the Channel Islands. By extent, we mean the jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom in which the Bill’s provisions will, or may, form part of the law. There are no provisions in the Bill which extend automatically to the Channel Islands but the changes that the Bill makes to the Armed Forces Act 2006 may be extended there by Order in Council (though it does not necessarily follow that such an Order will be made). The other changes that the Bill makes (such as changes to the powers of MOD fire-fighters) may not be extended to the Channel Islands.

We are not currently aware of any requirements which would necessitate an Order in Council being made to extend to the Channel Islands any of the changes that the Bill makes to the Armed Forces Act 2006. However, it should be noted that the question of whether the 2006 Act extends to (i.e. forms part of the law of) the Channel Islands is entirely separate from the question of whether members of the Armed Forces are subject to the 2006 Act as a matter of UK law when they are in the Channel Islands. As a matter of UK law, the 2006 Act applies to members of the Armed Forces wherever they are in the world.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Chinese government on the sale of wildlife from Zimbabwe.

Rory Stewart

The UK is working in close cooperation with China on the illegal wildlife trade. In the UK-China Joint Statement on Building a Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, issued on 22^nd October on the occasion of the State Visit of President Xi Jinping, the UK and China recognised the importance and urgency of combating the illegal wildlife trade, and committed to take active measures to tackle this global challenge. We warmly welcome the recent announcement by China that it intends, in due course, to close its legal domestic market for ivory, and will continue to work with China to encourage this to happen as soon as feasible.

Through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, we are also supporting projects which address the rising demand for illegal wildlife trade products in China.

Defra has had no discussions with China over the sale of wildlife from Zimbabwe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his most recent estimate is of the number of EU migrants entering the UK.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.