Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the management of cardiovascular diseases with (1) G7 countries, and (2) G20 countries; and whether any such plans include sharing the best practice set out in the Public Health England Strategy 2020–2025, published 10 September 2019.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement promoted restoration of cardiovascular disease (CVD) services as a priority, including diagnostic and treatment services for patients with heart failure and heart valve disease, as the peak of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to decline.
The United Kingdom Global Better Health Programme contributes to managing the impact of non-communicable diseases, including CVD, in its partner countries through technical collaboration which contributes to the World Health Organization and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The management of CVD has not been recently raised by the UK with G7 countries. The Department has recently commented on a working paper on CVD presented by the Italian Presidency of the G20 major economies. There are currently no plans to share Public Health England’s best practice.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what priority they are giving to managing cardiovascular diseases after the COVID-19 pandemic; what steps they intend to take (1) to better manage this disease, and (2) to work with international partners to reduce its incidence to meet (a) the WHO goal in 2025, and (b) the UN Sustainable Development Goal in 2030.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement promoted restoration of cardiovascular disease (CVD) services as a priority, including diagnostic and treatment services for patients with heart failure and heart valve disease, as the peak of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to decline.
The United Kingdom Global Better Health Programme contributes to managing the impact of non-communicable diseases, including CVD, in its partner countries through technical collaboration which contributes to the World Health Organization and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The management of CVD has not been recently raised by the UK with G7 countries. The Department has recently commented on a working paper on CVD presented by the Italian Presidency of the G20 major economies. There are currently no plans to share Public Health England’s best practice.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hospitalised COVID-19 patients also had cardiovascular disease; of these, what is the breakdown by (1) age, (2) sex, and (3) region; and how many of these patients had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The information requested is currently being validated and is due to be published in September 2021.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the review by François Trotten of the University of Lille and Harry Sokel of the Sorbonne Université Potential Causes and Consequences of Gastrointestinal Disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 Infection, published in Cell Report on 3 July.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Whilst there has not been a specific assessment of the review by François Trotten, we keep all evidence under review and note the work highlighted and the recommendation that more research is needed into gastrointestinal conditions in COVID-19 patients and welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health.
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United Kingdom and has been part of a rolling United Kingdom-wide call for proposals that could make a significant contribution to the understanding, prevention and/or management of the COVID-19 and to better understand and manage the health and social care consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic beyond the acute phase.
The NIHR has also published a number of highlight notices to seek research proposals on high-priority areas topics, including on COVID-19 and ethnicity, transmission, and seroprevalence.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for their policies of the review by Professor Philip Calder of the University of Southampton Nutrition, immunity and COVID-19, published on 20 May in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) is aware of the paper by Professor Calder. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered the paper as part of a recent scoping exercise on nutrition and immunity. Interim conclusions of the committee were that there is currently a lack of robust evidence to suggest that specific nutrients or nutritional supplements can reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. SACN and PHE will keep this topic under review.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many midwives were employed in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student nurses there have been in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses were employed by the NHS in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget announcement that a new Private Finance Initiative unit will be established within the Department of Health and Social Care, how many staff will work in that unit; whether additional resources are being made available for that unit; and how many contracts that unit will be responsible for monitoring.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Chancellor announced in the 2018 Budget that the Department would be establishing a Centre of Best Practice to improve the management of existing Private Finance Initiative contracts in the National Health Service. The Department and Her Majesty’s Treasury are currently discussing the configuration and resourcing of the Centre of Best Practice.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much is owed to social care workers for sleeping-in payments for the provision of statutory care that was commissioned by (1) government agencies, and (2) local authorities; and from what funds it is anticipated that those payments will be paid.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information requested is not held centrally.
Social care is usually commissioned by local authorities but it can also be commissioned by the National Health Service or paid for by self-funding individuals.
A piece of market analysis was commissioned over the summer to better understand the scale of the liabilities associated with sleep-in shifts.
The Government is in the process of further refining this work to provide more robust information. The interim enforcement approach announced by the Government on 1 November is designed to maximise the prospects of workers being paid arrears owed to them as soon as possible, while at the same time protecting existing jobs. The Government recognises the pressures these liabilities are placing on providers of social care, and we are exploring options to minimise any impact on the sector.