Tag: Luciana Berger

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of drop-in sexual health clinics in (a) Liverpool, Wavetree constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England operational in each year since 2010.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not collect this information. Since April 2013, local authorities have been responsible for commissioning most sexual health interventions and services as part of their wider public health responsibilities, including open access sexually transmitted infection services and contraception services for everyone present in their area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent mental health inspectors are employed by the Care Quality Commission.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Care Quality Commission currently employs 130 full-time equivalent mental health inspectors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings and on what dates he has had meetings with NHS Improvement on Southern Health since the start of 2016.

Mr Jeremy Hunt

Oversight of National Health Service trusts is primarily the responsibility of NHS Improvement (NHSI). I meet regularly with the Chief Executive of NHSI, as I do with a number of senior leaders. Our discussions cover a variety of issues that fall under NHSI’s remit including the progress of trusts that are subject to regulatory support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a moratorium on the commissioning of new specialised mental health services on patient access to mental health care; and if he will make a statement.

Nicola Blackwood

NHS England is reviewing the provision of specialised beds for adult secure mental health services, tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and perinatal mental health services. NHS England is expected to start a procurement process soon to ensure that the provision of mental health beds across the country supports improved access and care close to home where possible.

Since 2013 NHS England has continued to commission additional specialised mental health beds to provide further capacity in areas where it is required. This has included 56 tier 4 CAMHS beds, seven perinatal mental health beds and two medium secure mental health services beds.

The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health made recommendations for improving the commissioning of inpatient specialised mental health services, including national commissioners working more closely with local commissioners to better meet the needs of local populations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the rates of premature mortality as a result of (a) suicide and (b) epilepsy experienced by people with autism.

David Mowat

NHS England is due to publish data from the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework. These data, include indicators on mental health and learning disabilities that relate to the objectives set out in the mandate to NHS England. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will publish his Annual Assessment of NHS England, including progress against the mandate objectives, at the end of this financial year. The 2017-18 mandate to NHS England, including agreed future objectives for NHS England, will be published in due course.

The ‘Think Autism’ Adult Autism Strategy for England set out a clear, cross-Government programme of action, developed with people with autism to improve lives, reduce premature mortality and reduce the health gap for people with autism. This would be achieved through better access to healthcare for people with autism and by making improvements to services. In January 2016, a cross-Government Report on progress on implementation of the Think Autism Strategy was published which set out new recommendations for going forward.

The Department is represented on the Study Steering Committee for the SHAPE (Supporting adults with High-functioning Autism and Asperger syndrome) project. This is a national study led by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York. Stage 1 of the project aims to describe and map provision of autism services in England which fulfil the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s description of a Specialist Autism Team. A report will be published shortly including information about the service models and care pathways which different localities have implemented.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) furthest and (b) average distance was which patients travelled to in-patient mother and baby units specialising in psychiatric care during the perinatal period in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt

The information requested is not collected centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to address stress-related sickness absence in the police force.

Mike Penning

It is for chief officers, supported by the College of Policing, to ensure good management systems are in place to support officers and staff in their work and manage welfare needs. We know policing, by its nature, can be a stressful and demanding job. This is why the Government’s Blue Light Services programme is currently providing £10m to help emergency service personnel and volunteers, including officers suffering from stress related illness and mental health. In addition, the College of Policing will provide direct support to police forces to improve the health and wellbeing of officers and staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what public consultation has taken place with whom in preparation for the introduction of the two-quote system for university specialist mental health mentoring provision.

Joseph Johnson

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support students, including those with mental health conditions. It is for the HEI to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students.

In addition, Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available to meet the additional costs of study-related support needs, where the needs of the student cannot be met by the institution by way of a reasonable adjustment.

A new quality assurance framework is being developed for support that is funded by DSAs, so as to provide assurance on both quality and financial matters. The quality assurance framework will be in place in 2016. All support workers will be required to meet quality standards in order to be funded through DSAs. Discussions with stakeholders regarding new mechanisms for the selection of non-medical help support providers are already underway.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of local authorities have a suicide prevention strategy.

Alistair Burt

The information requested is not collected centrally.

However, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention published an Inquiry into Local Suicide Prevention Plans in England (January 2015). The Inquiry included a survey of local authorities by the APPG, which indicated that 70% of local authorities have a suicide prevention plan and 60% have a multi-agency suicide prevention group.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many representatives from the criminal justice system are on the Mental Health Taskforce; and what areas of that sector each represents.

Alistair Burt

Membership of NHS England’s Mental Health Taskforce is drawn from the Department of Health and its arms-length bodies which hold critical responsibilities related to the planning and delivery of care. It also includes representatives from the third sector, providers and professional bodies.

Senior representatives from other NHS England work programmes may be invited to advise, participate in decision making or contribute resources where there is a common purpose or objective. Kate Davies OBE, Director for Direct Commissioning of Health & Justice Services, NHS England has contributed to the work of the Task force.

Further details about the organisations represented on the Taskforce can be found at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/10/mh-tor-fin.pdf

In recognition of the critical interdependencies with a wide range of services outside the health and care system, the Taskforce was asked to consider the enabling actions required from the wider system, including criminal justice.