Tag: Luciana Berger

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the policy of NHS England on the number of cycles of IVF it provides to armed forces personnel is to provide fewer than the number recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Jane Ellison

NHS England has a number of interim policies in place, including the policy for the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for Armed Forces personnel.

A review of the interim policy in relation to the provision of IVF for Armed Forces personnel has recently been undertaken. Following detailed costing of a move to the levels recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline, it was agreed in May 2014 to increase the number of cycles of IVF to three if clinically appropriate and if eligibility criteria are met.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) amount and (b) proportion of Public Health England’s total budget has been allocated to (i) tobacco, (ii) obesity, (iii) alcohol, (iv) TB, (v) dementia and (vi) the Best Start in Life strategy for 2014-15.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England’s (PHE) financial reporting is currently based upon the Directorates and teams around which their work is focused. The six areas of focus identified in the Parliamentary Questions are currently supported by individuals and teams across PHE’s various directorates (Operations, Health Protection, Health and Wellbeing, Knowledge etc.), so the total cost of each of the above areas cannot currently be accurately provided.

During the course of 2014-15, one of the priorities identified by PHE’s Finance team is to enhance and tailor their inherited financial reporting arrangements so that it can report on their activities and priorities as well as its Directorates and teams. PHE will be able to provide this information in the future, but it is unfortunately not available now. Once PHE has developed new financial reporting arrangements they will ensure that this is published transparently.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children were diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome in each of the last four years.

Jane Ellison

The following table contains the number of finished admission episodes where there was either a primary or secondary diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome in England.

It should be noted that these figures are not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within any given time period.

Number of finished admission episodes (FAEs)¹ with either a primary or secondary diagnosis² of fetal alcohol syndrome³ for the years 2009-10 to 2012-13.⁴

Age	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
0	45	45	34	68
1	27	40	31	25
2	20	17	27	22
3	6	16	10	36
4	10	8	17	14
5	5	9	16	5
6	6	4	11	9
7	27	4	20	6
8	5	23	5	8
9	4	5	40	5
10	7	7	2	4
11	1	5	6	8
12	3	2	8	5
13	4	5	2	4
14	1	4	1	7
15	1	–	4	3
16	2	4	–	2
17	1	–	4	1
18+	9	14	32	20
Total	184	212	270	252

Notes:

¹Finished admission Episodes (FAEs)

A FAE is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

²Number of episodes in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis

The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.

³ICD-10 diagnosis code

ICD-10 diagnosis code used Q86.0 Fetal alcohol syndrome (dysmorphic)

⁴Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care)

HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care.

Data quality:

HESs are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. Health and Social Care Information Centre liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.

Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the forthcoming National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quality standard on fertility will be considered for a CCG Outcome Indicator.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet published its final quality standard on fertility. NICE’s Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set (CCGOIS) Advisory Committee makes recommendations on potential indicators derived from its published guidance and quality standards for inclusion in the CCGOIS which are then considered by NHS England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage the uptake of chlamydia screening.

Jane Ellison

The Public Health Outcomes Framework includes a chlamydia diagnosis rate indicator – one of three sexual health indicators in the framework. Public Health England (PHE) encourages local authorities to work towards achieving a rate of 2,300 diagnoses per 100,000 young adult populations.

The National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) supports this aim through:

– Publishing chlamydia screening standards, to form the basis of local screening planning, delivery and quality assurance;

– Producing guidance to support local commissioners and providers in the delivery of chlamydia screening, including forthcoming publication ‘Achieving the diagnostic rate indicator’;

– Reviewing and summarising the latest evidence to inform evidence-based and cost-effective approaches to chlamydia screening;

– Collecting and publishing chlamydia data, at a national and local level, to monitor screening and detection activity;

– Providing information to young adults on chlamydia, chlamydia screening and wider sexual health matters (e.g. condom use, contraception), including via a website;

– Supporting the implementation of specific programmes to increase chlamydia screening rates, such as the ‘3Cs & HIV Programme’. This is currently being piloted across England to encourage the routine offer of chlamydia screening, alongside information on contraception and condoms, to young adults during primary care appointments;

– A team of PHE sexual health facilitators, who are linked closely into local commissioner and provider sexual health networks, with a focus on promoting chlamydia screening; and

– Evaluating the impact of the NCSP, including development of different approaches to estimate and monitor prevalence, such as mathematical modelling.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what Government-funded education and support on alcohol consumption during pregnancy is available to pregnant women.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s 2008 guideline includes recommendations for doctors and midwives on the advice they should give to pregnant women about drinking alcohol.

This advice is complemented by Government funded information provided through the Start4Life Information Service for Parents, Start4Life and NHS Choices websites.

The Government funds the Start4Life Information Service for Parents service, which provides pregnant women/new mothers and their partners with comprehensive advice on staying healthy in pregnancy, preparing for birth and looking after their baby, and includes advice on risks of drinking before conception and during pregnancy.

The Information Service for Parents is a digital service which provides National Health Service and other quality assured advice, including on alcohol consumption via regular text and email updates. Since launching on 18 May 2012, 339,277 new parents have signed up to the service (as of 1 June 2014).

The Government is also committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks, including a warning for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have a responsibility to help raise this awareness and committed to putting an agreed warning or a pregnancy warning logo on 80% of labels on bottles and cans by the end of 2013. An independent market survey is underway to measure compliance.