Tag: Maggie Throup

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his G7 counterparts on ensuring that countries in Africa receive fair terms of trade when signing trade and investment agreements with other G7 countries.

Mark Garnier

The UK Government is committed to ensuring developing countries can reduce poverty through trading opportunities and that such impacts are taken into account in our trade policy. Trade was a key component of the G7 summit this year with commitments on Aid for Trade that will help African countries to negotiate and implement trade agreements. The G20 also expressed support at the recent summit for low-income countries to participate in Global Value Chains.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-09-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on funding research into improving the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Mr Philip Dunne

The information requested is not available.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent £25.5 million on respiratory disease research in 2014/15 (the latest available figure). Most of this investment (£16.6 million in 2014/15) is in infrastructure for respiratory research where spend on specific topics such as the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cannot be separated from total infrastructure expenditure. This infrastructure includes NIHR biomedical research centres and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.

The NIHR manages the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme, which is funded by the Medical Research Council and NIHR. The programme is currently funding a £1.4 million efficacy and mechanism evaluation of treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with the addition of co-trimoxazole.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will request that NICE publishes its reasons for including a recommendation on the use of C-reactive protein testing for patients presenting with lower respiratory tract infection in primary care in its guidance on pneumonia but not in its pneumonia draft quality statement.

George Freeman

The prioritisation of topics for inclusion in quality standards is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE has advised that its Quality Standards Advisory Committee considered the inclusion of a quality statement on the use of C-reactive protein testing for patients presenting with lower respiratory tract infection in primary care in its draft quality standard on pneumonia, but felt that this was not an area to be prioritised.

The minutes of Quality Standards Advisory Committee meetings are published on NICE’s website at:

www.nice.org.uk/get-involved/meetings-in-public/quality-standards-advisory-committee

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the (a) potential effect on the number of antibiotic and (b) potential change in annual prescription and dispensing costs prescriptions of using C-reactive protein testing for patients presenting with respiratory tract infections in primary care.

George Freeman

We have no plans to do so.

The UK Government is committed to tackling antimicrobial resistance. The UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, published in September 2013, proposed strong, cross-government action to manage this problem. The UK strategy recognises the central part diagnostics, like C-reactive protein tests, play in getting the right antibiotic drug to the right patient at the right time. A working group is actively looking at what can be done to improve diagnostic services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget he plans to allocate to each clinical commissioning group in England to support the effective transfer of obesity surgery in April in a manner consistent with NICE’s clinical guidelines.

George Freeman

NHS England is not currently able to provide a figure for individual clinical commissioning groups on 1 April 2016 as the basis for calculating the figures is still being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18621, what further assessment he has made of levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

George Freeman

NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fully prepared to assume the role working through collaborative commissioning forums.

NHS England have provided a commissioning information pack including a stocktake of local services, care pathways, waiting times and a quality overview for each local area. National clinical experts are currently finalising commissioning and clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway.

The draft service specification reflects best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support NHS England plans to provide clinical commissioning groups relating to the transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities from NHS England after that transfer.

George Freeman

Although the transfer is effective from April 2016, the handover process will be agreed between specialised commissioning and individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), in line with their preparedness.

Specialised commissioning teams will continue to provide advice and support CCGs post-handover in line with the CCG’s need. CCGs already have mechanisms in place to monitor provider performance and quality through the existing quality assurance processes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget he plans to allocate to each clinical commissioning group in England to support the effective transfer of obesity surgery in April in a manner consistent with NICE’s clinical guidelines.

George Freeman

NHS England is not currently able to provide a figure for individual clinical commissioning groups on 1 April 2016 as the basis for calculating the figures is still being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18621, what further assessment he has made of levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

George Freeman

NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fully prepared to assume the role working through collaborative commissioning forums.

NHS England have provided a commissioning information pack including a stocktake of local services, care pathways, waiting times and a quality overview for each local area. National clinical experts are currently finalising commissioning and clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway.

The draft service specification reflects best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support NHS England plans to provide clinical commissioning groups relating to the transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities from NHS England after that transfer.

George Freeman

Although the transfer is effective from April 2016, the handover process will be agreed between specialised commissioning and individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), in line with their preparedness.

Specialised commissioning teams will continue to provide advice and support CCGs post-handover in line with the CCG’s need. CCGs already have mechanisms in place to monitor provider performance and quality through the existing quality assurance processes.