Tag: Tracey Crouch

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that cancer awareness and awareness of cancer symptoms is covered in schools.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Teaching about cancer awareness is important for all young people and schools may include cancer awareness as part of their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The PSHE Association has produced a suggested programme of study as guidance for teachers, and continues to highlight other sources of expertise.

    Schools may also teach about cancer awareness in other areas of the curriculum, for example, the science curriculum requires pupils to learn about the effects of drugs on their bodies, and the importance of physical education. In design and technology, schools may highlight the importance of nutrition and a healthy diet.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS staff have the appropriate training to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients at difficult times in the diagnosis and treatment process; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The content and standard of healthcare professional training is the responsibility of healthcare regulators, which are independent statutory bodies. They have the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that students and newly qualified professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

    The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service. HEE will work with stakeholders to influence training curricula as appropriate.

    The Government has announced a series of actions that demonstrate its commitment to creating a culture of openness, candour, learning and accountability in an NHS which puts compassion at its heart. These include placing compassionate care at the heart of the training and recruitment of NHS staff; implementing the Compassion in Practice strategy for nursing and midwifery; and a new care certificate for healthcare assistants.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what training is provided to staff working within alcohol and drugs treatment in identifying and treating the problem of gambling addiction.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department does not hold information on what specific training is provided to alcohol and drug treatment staff. Ensuring competent staff is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.

    Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the national gambling treatment service to identify how it can strengthen training, and are promoting the work of the Royal College of General Practitioners who have developed an online gambling diagnosis and treatment training resource that is available free to all health professionals.

    PHE promotes the Royal College of General Practitioners’ online training resource among all health professionals. PHE has developed guidance for local authorities on gambling and is exploring what the local needs are and where evidence allows it to intervene. However, PHE does not wish to undermine the treatment available through the national provider GamCare until evidence emerges that this is not meeting current need.

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with PHE and NHS England on a range of health issues. PHE is also working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to explore what the current need is locally so it can get a better picture; and decide whether PHE needs to act through prevention and restrictions on gambling shops; or through changes to the current GamCare treatment network.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider creating the role of bereavement midwives to work exclusively with parents who have experienced the death of their baby shortly before, during or after birth; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    It is for the National Health Service locally to ensure appropriate facilities and services are in place to support bereaved parents following the death of a baby. In line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Standards of proficiency for pre-registration midwifery education, all midwives should be proficient in providing care for women who have suffered pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death.

    To assist NHS commissioners and providers, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Standards for Gynaecology and Standards for Maternity sets out clear standards for the level of care provided to help women and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss, including the availability of skilled staff to support parents following a stillbirth or miscarriage. A number of trusts now employ specialist bereavement midwives to provide this support.

    Local NHS maternity care providers are responsible for ensuring parents receive appropriate information on bereavement support and services following the death of a baby. To complement information provided locally, information on support for parents after a stillbirth is available on the NHS Choices website at:

    http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Stillbirth/Pages/Getting-help.aspx

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Department is taking to improve healthcare outcomes by improving the awareness of gambling addiction on the part of healthcare professionals; and what guidance NHS England provides to local health authorities on the commissioning of services for gambling addiction.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department does not hold information on what specific training is provided to alcohol and drug treatment staff. Ensuring competent staff is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.

    Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the national gambling treatment service to identify how it can strengthen training, and are promoting the work of the Royal College of General Practitioners who have developed an online gambling diagnosis and treatment training resource that is available free to all health professionals.

    PHE promotes the Royal College of General Practitioners’ online training resource among all health professionals. PHE has developed guidance for local authorities on gambling and is exploring what the local needs are and where evidence allows it to intervene. However, PHE does not wish to undermine the treatment available through the national provider GamCare until evidence emerges that this is not meeting current need.

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with PHE and NHS England on a range of health issues. PHE is also working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to explore what the current need is locally so it can get a better picture; and decide whether PHE needs to act through prevention and restrictions on gambling shops; or through changes to the current GamCare treatment network.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that information on bereavement support and services is made available to parents who have suffered the loss of a baby.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    It is for the National Health Service locally to ensure appropriate facilities and services are in place to support bereaved parents following the death of a baby. In line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Standards of proficiency for pre-registration midwifery education, all midwives should be proficient in providing care for women who have suffered pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death.

    To assist NHS commissioners and providers, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Standards for Gynaecology and Standards for Maternity sets out clear standards for the level of care provided to help women and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss, including the availability of skilled staff to support parents following a stillbirth or miscarriage. A number of trusts now employ specialist bereavement midwives to provide this support.

    Local NHS maternity care providers are responsible for ensuring parents receive appropriate information on bereavement support and services following the death of a baby. To complement information provided locally, information on support for parents after a stillbirth is available on the NHS Choices website at:

    http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Stillbirth/Pages/Getting-help.aspx

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) Public Health England on improving treatment for gambling addicts.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department does not hold information on what specific training is provided to alcohol and drug treatment staff. Ensuring competent staff is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.

    Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the national gambling treatment service to identify how it can strengthen training, and are promoting the work of the Royal College of General Practitioners who have developed an online gambling diagnosis and treatment training resource that is available free to all health professionals.

    PHE promotes the Royal College of General Practitioners’ online training resource among all health professionals. PHE has developed guidance for local authorities on gambling and is exploring what the local needs are and where evidence allows it to intervene. However, PHE does not wish to undermine the treatment available through the national provider GamCare until evidence emerges that this is not meeting current need.

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with PHE and NHS England on a range of health issues. PHE is also working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to explore what the current need is locally so it can get a better picture; and decide whether PHE needs to act through prevention and restrictions on gambling shops; or through changes to the current GamCare treatment network.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage international collaboration in research and the sharing of best practice on quality of life for patients diagnosed with brain tumours.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England has made a recent assessment of the sufficiency of access to information about support and services for people diagnosed with a brain tumour through its Peer Review Programme (PRP). This programme includes measures that require all brain and central nervous system multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to demonstrate the availability and adequacy of patient information. The outcome of the 2013-14 assessment of compliance with these measures indicated that out of 91 MDTs and 36 treatment centres, 84% were compliant with the patient information measure at the most robust level.

    There is a programme of work aimed at improving the care and experience of people living with a diagnosis of cancer, developed in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support which draws from a wide range of evidence based good practice.

    The National Cancer Intelligence Network runs a brain and central nervous system- related cancers Clinical Reference Group, which works closely with a brain cancer charities. In addition to this, the PRP measures participation in drug trials and research internationally.

    The Department works closely with its cancer research funding partners through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). The NCRI is a strategic partnership of 22 government, charity and industry cancer research funders, together with patients. The NCRI is a member of the International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP), which includes cancer research funders from USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. The ICRP is a unique alliance of cancer organisations working together to enhance global collaboration and strategic coordination of research. Researchers can search the ICRP database to avoid duplication and identify collaborators in specific areas of cancer research including brain tumour research.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit of introducing a compulsory retirement programme for animals used in laboratories and scientific experiments; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    European Directive 2010/63/EU which was implemented in the UK and other Member States on 1 January 2013 provides Member States with discretion to allow re-homing schemes. It also requires that where Member States have allowed re-homing, they will also ensure that a re-homing scheme is in place that ensures the socialisation of the animal.

    The Directive permits Member States to go beyond the requirements of the Directive, on the basis of animal welfare, only where the provisions were already in place in November 2010. The Directive does not provide legal grounds on which the UK can impose such a mandatory obligation of re-homing as part of licensing.

    The UK legislation allows re-homing. The requirements are provided for in licence conditions and by virtue of section 17A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

    On our acceptance of certain reassurances, relating to section 17A of the 1986 Act, authority may be given to re-home animals being held at an establishment. This applies to those animals that were bred or held for supply for use in regulated procedures, were intended for use in regulated procedures, or have been used in regulated procedures and are being kept alive under the care of the Named Veterinary Surgeon. This authority would relate to individually identified animals and records would be held at the establishment to confirm that such animals had been re-homed.

    Consideration is normally given to the release of animals from the controls of the Act if there is no scientific requirement for them to be humanely killed at the end of the procedures. Some animals are not released if veterinary advice indicates that they may not remain in good health, or that their temperament would not be suited to such an environment.

    Comprehensive guidance on setting free and re-homing is given in section 5.21 in the Guidance on the Operation of the 1986 Act. The Home Office intends to provide further advice about the re-homing of laboratory animals from licensed establishments where there are provisions in the legislation. Animals which have been born into, and lived all their lives under, laboratory conditions may not be able to adapt to a different lifestyle and may be very distressed by such change. There must be provision for careful individual assessment as well as a structured socialisation programme to ensure that re-homing is in the best interests of the individual animal.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the benefits of all expectant mothers being assigned one specific midwife for the duration of their pregnancy in ensuring (a) continued care, (b) correct information being received and (c) prevention of stillbirth.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The benefits of pregnant women being cared for by a named midwife are widely recognised. The latest available evidence for antenatal clinical practice was considered as part of the development of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Quality Standard for antenatal care in 2012. Based on this evidence, NICE recommends that pregnant women are cared for by a named midwife who is responsible for providing all or most of her antenatal and postnatal care and the women’s coordinating care should they not be available.

    The Care Quality Commission’s 2013 survey of women’s experiences of maternity care found that women who saw the same midwife each time tended to report more positive experiences of antenatal and postnatal care.

    Health Education England is currently leading a project to explore the ambitions for personalised maternity care and consider different scenarios for how maternity services could be configured in the future, including the capability and capacity of the workforce.