Health and Social Care: Malnutrition

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Tuesday 5th November 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness is right to raise the important issue of malnutrition in the community. We have put together a malnutrition task force, which has published a series of guides of expert advice on prevention and early identification of malnutrition in later life. These guides draw together principles of good practice and offer a framework for making sure that the situation which the noble Baroness has identified does not arise. We have also published a guide for care homes on integrating good nutrition into daily practice. This includes screening, initiating nutritional care plans and considering fortifying food and using oral nutritional supplements when appropriate.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister realise that there is a huge problem of pressure ulcers due to bad nutrition? It costs the country millions, if not billions, of pounds. Could she do something about this? It is very difficult to encourage people who do not want to eat to do so.

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness is absolutely right to identify some of the very significant health consequences of malnutrition. This is one of the reasons why it has been taken on board as a top priority by not only NHS England but the care system from top to bottom. The start is to have the right screening and to gather the right data so that we can identify where this needs to be improved. She is right that it needs to be integrated into nursing practice so that we not only prevent malnutrition in the first place but, where it does occur, provide the right support to put it right and the right care where there are health consequences for individuals due to clinical, social or economic problems.

Health: Tick-borne Encephalitis

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Tuesday 5th November 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

We will run tick awareness campaigns in the spring. Material for these campaigns will include information about Lyme disease and TBE. They will be run in all areas identified as at risk as part of the surveillance campaign.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, how much research is the UK doing with other European countries, which may know much more about these conditions?

Sexually Transmitted Infections: England

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Thursday 5th September 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

We will need to confirm the distribution of the grant in due course. I am sure that will be the subject of questions as we go forward. As for the guidance that comes from Public Health England, in developing its plans, local systems work in close partnership with directors of public health to respond to local health needs and deliver on the commitments for the long-term plan. Public Health England works very closely with those directors of public health.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, do the Government agree that drug resistance to some of these STIs is very serious and a strategy would help to make people more aware of the problem?

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness is expert in this area and often raises this issue. She is absolutely right that antimicrobial resistance among some STIs is a growing concern. Public Health England has a world-class surveillance system to enable early detection and management of antimicrobial resistance. It is particularly an issue when it comes to gonorrhoea, and it uses that intelligence to advise the national gonorrhoea treatment guidelines. We will continue to keep on high alert when it comes to these matters.

National Health Service: Bullying

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Wednesday 3rd July 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

I certainly agree that charging those who come from other countries and use the National Health Service is perfectly sensible and appropriate, and by no means racist. I also believe that, as the call for action on bullying says, it should be perfectly straightforward to get out messages on safety from senior leaders and staff voices. It should be a positive message about how it is a natural extension of the social contract between the NHS and those who use it.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, if a member of staff is being bullied by their senior, who should they go to for help?

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness asks an important question. There are structures built into the NHS to enable those people to speak up. There is a “freedom to speak up” champion and a system of champions, so that it is perfectly clear to those experiencing bullying by senior managers who they can speak to.

NHS Long-term Plan

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Monday 1st July 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness has communicated an important message and it is one reason why we have prioritised perinatal mental healthcare. Specifically, services for young girls, who are particularly at risk of self-harm and suicide, recognise this risk. I would be interested to see the findings of the task force she mentions to ensure that those concerns are communicated.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, the Statement puts importance on technology. Will the Government speed up NICE in its assessments of technology? I hear that it is taking too long.

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness, Lady Masham, is right to raise the importance of this. If we want to get innovative technologies and treatments to patients as soon as possible, we must ensure that we are one of the fastest in the world at regulating and assessing those technologies. However, it is also a matter of uptake. We have dramatically improved that process but we can and must always strive to do better. This is part of my job and I will make sure that I keep working harder at it.

NHS: Bullying

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Wednesday 5th June 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

I am afraid I was not here 21 years ago to hear the noble Lord’s maiden speech, but I shall look it up with utmost urgency upon leaving the Chamber and I thank him for his proposal. As the work moves from the interim people plan to the people plan, in which the work on bullying and the violence reduction strategy will be developed, I am sure that his proposal will be considered as a very sensible plan.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, how seriously does the CQC take bullying and what does it do about it?

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The CQC takes this extremely seriously. One proposal in the people plan is for the CQC’s scorecard to include a proper measure of a sustainable workforce, so that the new staff engagement metrics for the NHS oversight framework can be taken into account in the CQC’s well-led assessments during inspections, and that includes questions about bullying.

NHS Mandate

Debate between Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford and Baroness Masham of Ilton

Thursday 25th April 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

I thank the noble Lord for his question. I can tell him that, while the accountability framework has not yet been published, it has been decided that it will be a high-level framework that will set two objectives: to ensure the effective delivery of the NHS long-term plan, and to support the Government in managing the effects of EU exit on health and care. Of course, the long-term plan includes improvements to a number of services and this will be followed by the national implementation programme for the long-term plan, which will have milestones for delivery of that plan up to 2023-24. I hope he will be reassured that eye health is included in that. If he would like to follow up specific points with me regarding the concerns his group has raised, I would be very happy to meet him later.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister give an assurance that people who want to do so can come to work in the UK and be paid less than £30,000? Otherwise, this will stop many people coming: care homes and people who are disabled and living in their own homes cannot afford £30,000.