Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek to become an associate member of the European Food Safety Authority after Brexit.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
As the Prime Minister said in her speech at Mansion House, we are exploring the terms on which we could remain part of European Union agencies for sectors where close collaboration is critical.
A range of options are being considered for the future of risk assessment and scientific advice in the United Kingdom. After the UK has left the EU, our priority will be to maintain the UK’s high standards of food and feed safety.
The UK has a long tradition of close scientific collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority which we greatly value and hope to continue in the future.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what role they envisage for community hospitals in rural areas providing 'step-up step-down' and rehabilitation facilities.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
‘Step up’ care (preventing unnecessary admissions to acute hospitals or long term care) and ‘step down’ care (receiving patients from acute care for rehabilitation and to support timely discharge from hospital) are considered to be intermediate care services.
Whilst these intermediate care services can be provided in a community hospital, it is also possible to provide them in a care home or home setting. It is for the local commissioners, whether they are in rural or urban areas, to determine the most appropriate location to provide these services for their local system based on local needs and issues. It is also important that this choice recognises that the principle that ‘home’ - a person’s usual place of residence – is generally the best place for people to be whenever possible.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what legal basis NHS Property Services is permitted to sell a property which has been endowed for use as a community hospital facility, as in the case of the Lambert Hospital in Thirsk.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government’s response to Sir Robert Naylor’s review on the National Health Service estate, published in January 2018, confirmed that properties owned by NHS Property Services are national rather than local assets and are rented to local providers. When moving out of those properties, rental payments stop which creates a financial benefit to the provider. Therefore, capital receipts from the sale of NHS Property Service properties will continue to be pooled at a national level and the investment directed to where it is most needed by patients. Local clinical commissioning groups can put forward a business case for local investment to NHS England for consideration.
The ownership of the Lambert Community Hospital in Thirsk transferred to NHS Property Services Ltd in 2013 as a result of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. NHS Property Services is not aware of any restrictions on title which prevents the sale of the property.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the proceeds from the sale of a community hospital by NHS Property Services is put towards the provision of health care in that local community.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government’s response to Sir Robert Naylor’s review on the National Health Service estate, published in January 2018, confirmed that properties owned by NHS Property Services are national rather than local assets and are rented to local providers. When moving out of those properties, rental payments stop which creates a financial benefit to the provider. Therefore, capital receipts from the sale of NHS Property Service properties will continue to be pooled at a national level and the investment directed to where it is most needed by patients. Local clinical commissioning groups can put forward a business case for local investment to NHS England for consideration.
The ownership of the Lambert Community Hospital in Thirsk transferred to NHS Property Services Ltd in 2013 as a result of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. NHS Property Services is not aware of any restrictions on title which prevents the sale of the property.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the potential shortage of veterinary surgeons working in abattoirs after Brexit.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There are currently 14 official veterinarians from the United Kingdom and 311 official veterinarians from European Union countries carrying out official controls across 303 approved slaughterhouses.
Official veterinarians play a vital role in safeguarding UK public health, maintaining animal health and welfare and enabling trade. To deliver official hygiene and animal welfare controls in slaughterhouses, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) relies on EU nationals who work as official veterinarians and contract meat inspectors. If, post exit, it is no longer possible to recruit new vets from other EU member states, veterinary resource will need to be sourced from elsewhere to fulfil this role. The FSA is also aware of potential increase in workforce needed to carry out other regulatory functions once the UK is outside the EU, and is planning for a range of scenarios relating to this to ensure that the UK maintains the excellent standards of food safety that the UK currently enjoys, and maintain an effective workforce.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many veterinary surgeons who work in abattoirs come from (1) the UK, and (2) other EU countries.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There are currently 14 official veterinarians from the United Kingdom and 311 official veterinarians from European Union countries carrying out official controls across 303 approved slaughterhouses.
Official veterinarians play a vital role in safeguarding UK public health, maintaining animal health and welfare and enabling trade. To deliver official hygiene and animal welfare controls in slaughterhouses, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) relies on EU nationals who work as official veterinarians and contract meat inspectors. If, post exit, it is no longer possible to recruit new vets from other EU member states, veterinary resource will need to be sourced from elsewhere to fulfil this role. The FSA is also aware of potential increase in workforce needed to carry out other regulatory functions once the UK is outside the EU, and is planning for a range of scenarios relating to this to ensure that the UK maintains the excellent standards of food safety that the UK currently enjoys, and maintain an effective workforce.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to celebrate World Encephalitis Day on 22 February.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There are no specific plans.
NHS England works with partners such as voluntary sector organisations to synchronise communications activity in line with many annual awareness days. The NHS England communications team may also provide support to maximise the reach of established campaigns.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to improve the medical training on the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis in the UK.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Curricula for undergraduate medical training are set by individual medical schools and by the relevant medical Royal College for postgraduate training, and have to meet the education standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to deal effectively with whatever is presented to them, in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses of conditions such as encephalitis and treatment plans for their patients.
The current review of postgraduate curricula by the GMC provides an opportunity to ensure curricula reflect general professional capabilities and to ensure all training requirements are met.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis forms a part of medical training in the UK.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Curricula for undergraduate medical training are set by individual medical schools and by the relevant medical Royal College for postgraduate training, and have to meet the education standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to deal effectively with whatever is presented to them, in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses of conditions such as encephalitis and treatment plans for their patients.
The current review of postgraduate curricula by the GMC provides an opportunity to ensure curricula reflect general professional capabilities and to ensure all training requirements are met.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many residential care beds there were in England in (1) 2005, (2) 2010, and (3) 2015.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The total number of beds in care homes remains broadly static but high quality care is not just about care home beds. Of those aged 65 and over who need local authority support, 62% are cared for in their own home. The number of home care agencies in England has increased by 55% since 2010 (3,184 more agencies).
The following table shows the number of residential and nursing care home beds in England.
| Residential care home beds | Nursing care home beds | Total beds |
End March 2005 | 271,788 | 179,246 | 451,034 |
End March 2010 | 256,616 | 202,654 | 459,270 |
1 April 2015 | 239,307 | 224,754 | 464,061 |
Sources:
2005: Commission for Social Care Inspection (excludes 178 non-medical care home beds).
2010 onwards: Care Quality Commission (CQC). The 2015 data was calculated from the published CQC Care Directory With Filters which is only available online. Beds in care homes offering both residential and nursing services are treated as nursing beds, as the CQC data does not provide a residential/nursing split within each care home.