Tag: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-09-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether not automatically inviting those aged 75 or over for a bowel screening test complies with their duties under the Equalities Act 2010.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation based on the best available evidence.

Bowel cancer screening by Faecal Occult Blood testing for men and women aged 50-74 was recommended by the UK NSC in July 2003. Following this recommendation, the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England initially invited men and women aged 60-69 years old as the programme was rolled out across the country. This has now been extended to men and women aged up to 74, as recommended in the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007). The programme offers screening up to the age of 74 based on the original English¹ and Danish² trials along with evidence published in 2010 (Cairns et al, 2010) which recommended that surveillance seizes at the age of 75.

No assessment has been made regarding automatically inviting those over 75 years for bowel screening. Men and women aged above the eligible age limit have been able to self-refer for screening every two years since the programme began, and so far over 150,000 have done so.

¹Hardcastle JD, Chamberlain JO, Robinson MH, Moss SM, Amar SS, Balfour TW, James PD, Mangham CM. Randomised controlled trial of faecal-occult-blood screening for colorectal cancer.

Lancet. 1996:348(9040);1472-7

²Kronborg O, Fenger C, Olsen J, Jorgensen OD, Sondergaard O. Randomised study of screening for colorectal cancer with faecal-occult-blood test.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to introduce a Strategic Clinical Network for musculoskeletal disorders, as recommended by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.

Earl Howe

NHS England’s National Clinical Director for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, Peter Kay, is currently working in partnership with the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA), to develop new MSK clinical networks across England.

The work ARMA has done to date has been very successful in capturing examples of best practice in MSK care across England, bringing together health professionals and commissioners and building a strong consensus on the way forward for models of care for MSK patients across the entire MSK community. Work is ongoing in this area and NHS England and ARMA are in dialogue about the nature of such support.

NHS England is undertaking a review of the role, purpose and function of the sub-regional infrastructure that it funds, which is focussed on supporting commissioners and providers to improve the quality of services including Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN), Clinical Senates and Academic Health Science Networks. The purpose of the review is to understand how the best value can be secured from the investment in these functions, in support of commissioners and providers in improving quality. This review is ongoing and is expected to reach its conclusions by the end of March.

Regarding plans to introduce MSK networks as part of the SCN programme, NHS England has made clear that as priorities change, or should the work of one of the initial SCNS conclude, it will identify new conditions or patient groups that would benefit from an SCN approach.

The provision of fracture liaison services (FLS) and falls services is a matter for local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England advises that it is aware that provision of good FLS is not uniform across the country and it continues to work with CCGs to support them to develop appropriate local FLS services. It also advises that the FLS model recommended by the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the National Osteoporosis society is recognised as best practice and is being promoted.

In addition to this, the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Falls: assessment and prevention of falls in older people sets out best practice for clinicians on the management of patients aged 65 and over who are susceptible to falls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to undertake a comprehensive, cross-government strategy and programme for health and work, as recommended by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.

Earl Howe

The Government currently does not have plans to undertake a comprehensive cross-Government strategy and programme for health and work, as recommended by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps will be taken by NHS England and other national health bodies to encourage the local commissioning of fracture liaison services, in the light of the advice issued by NHS England that the Fracture Liaison Services model represents best practice.

Earl Howe

NHS England’s National Clinical Director for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, Peter Kay, is currently working in partnership with the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA), to develop new MSK clinical networks across England.

The work ARMA has done to date has been very successful in capturing examples of best practice in MSK care across England, bringing together health professionals and commissioners and building a strong consensus on the way forward for models of care for MSK patients across the entire MSK community. Work is ongoing in this area and NHS England and ARMA are in dialogue about the nature of such support.

NHS England is undertaking a review of the role, purpose and function of the sub-regional infrastructure that it funds, which is focussed on supporting commissioners and providers to improve the quality of services including Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN), Clinical Senates and Academic Health Science Networks. The purpose of the review is to understand how the best value can be secured from the investment in these functions, in support of commissioners and providers in improving quality. This review is ongoing and is expected to reach its conclusions by the end of March.

Regarding plans to introduce MSK networks as part of the SCN programme, NHS England has made clear that as priorities change, or should the work of one of the initial SCNS conclude, it will identify new conditions or patient groups that would benefit from an SCN approach.

The provision of fracture liaison services (FLS) and falls services is a matter for local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England advises that it is aware that provision of good FLS is not uniform across the country and it continues to work with CCGs to support them to develop appropriate local FLS services. It also advises that the FLS model recommended by the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the National Osteoporosis society is recognised as best practice and is being promoted.

In addition to this, the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Falls: assessment and prevention of falls in older people sets out best practice for clinicians on the management of patients aged 65 and over who are susceptible to falls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the amount of musculoskeletal training in the general practitioner curriculum, whether they will they publish a workforce development strategy for healthcare professionals, including general practitioners and specialist practitioners in musculoskeletal disorders.

Earl Howe

The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. It has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

Health Education England (HEE) will work with bodies that set curricula such as the GMC and the Royal College of General Practitioners to seek to ensure general practice training meets the needs of patients.

In addition, HEE has established an independent Primary Care Workforce Commission which is chaired by Professor Martin Roland of the University of Cambridge. The Commission will identify models of primary care that will meet the needs of the future National Health Service including greater emphasis on community, primary and integrated services. It will focus on patient and population need; emerging models of care to respond to the population need; and maximising new skill sets and education and training.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when both Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority will publish the financial performance data for the first quarter of 2015–16 for NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority published the financial performance data for the first quarter of 2015-16 on Friday 9 October.

The information can be accessed as follows:

– Foundation Trusts, a copy of the report issued by Monitor is attached; and

– NHS Trusts, NHS Trust Development Authority has released the report on its website only which can be accessed at:

http://www.ntda.nhs.uk/blog/2015/10/09/nhs-trusts-financial-position-for-q1-of-201516/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Care Quality Commission reports of acute hospital inspections in 2014 and 2015 recommended increased staffing levels.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services. The CQC has provided the following information.

CQC inspections of acute trusts include an assessment of how trusts are meeting the legal registration requirement on staffing.This requires providers to have sufficient numbers of suitably skilled and experienced persons to deliver safe care. The CQC can take enforcement action where providers do not meet the registration requirements.

For acute National Health Service trusts and acute NHS foundation trusts, the CQC found 38 breaches of the staffing registration requirement in 2014 and four between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2015. These figures include CQC re-inspections and include locations for specialist acute trusts.

The CQC does not provide a rating of staffing levels and does not make recommendations on the appropriate number of staff a trust should employ.

The CQC has issued 106 ratings of acute NHS trusts and acute NHS foundation trust hospital sites in 2014, and 97 in 2015 up to 30 September 2015. These figures include locations with more than one published rating in the period and include locations for specialist acute trusts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Monitor and the Care Quality Commission apply a consistent approach in relation to safety, quality and financial requirements of NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Robert Francis’ second report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust led to major changes in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) regulatory regime, and to Monitor’s and the NHS Trust Development Authority’s (NHS TDA) routine oversight of providers and assessment of aspirant foundation trusts. It has also resulted in closer working relationships between the three bodies responsible for regulation and oversight, particularly around the sharing of information and intelligence.

The currentrelationship between the CQC and Monitor is set out in a Memorandum of understanding and Operational Annexes which are attached. These outline how the two organisations work together, including on safety and quality issues. This includes the co-ordination and sharing of information following a CQC inspection and CQC providing a briefing document for Monitor which includes a review of the provider’s compliance from a quality of care perspective. The Operational Annex also specifically states, ‘each organisation will openly share relevant information on safety, quality, financial and governance risks at a licenced provider where appropriate’.

The Government sponsors each of the regulators, and provides stewardship of the health and care system as a whole, and in this role works with the regulators on an individual and collective basis to ensure that the regulatory system is as consistent and effective as possible. Both the Government and the system regulators are clear that it is in the interests of future care quality that the finances of acute trusts are healthy; and many of the improvements that are needed to improve quality of care will also improve efficiency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have given to acute trusts about how to respond to Care Quality Commission inspection report recommendations to increase staffing levels whilst meeting Monitor requirements to reduce spending.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government has been clear that acute trusts are responsible for delivering high quality care within available resources. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) looks at staffing levels as part of its rating of safety in its programme of comprehensive inspections. These assessments include ward level discussions of acuity levels and achievement of planned staffing levels. Where an acute trust is failing to use staff in the best way to support patient care, the CQC is right to make that public. Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority are responsible for ensuring that acute trusts are providing high quality care in a financially sustainable manner. It is in the interests of future care quality that the finances of acute trusts are healthy; and many of the improvements that are needed to improve quality of care will also improve efficiency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many junior doctors have applied for a Certificate of Good Standing from the General Medical Council in each year since 2005.

Lord Prior of Brampton

A Certificate of Good Standing is now called a Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS).

The Department does not hold information on the number of junior doctors that have applied for a CCPS and is unable to estimate how many junior doctors will apply for a CCPS.