Became Member: 20th June 2010
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Wheeler, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Baroness Wheeler has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Baroness Wheeler has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
IPA convened an independent assurance review of the Department for Health and Social Care’s (Adult) Social Care Charging Reform Programme in March 2022, as it does at key stages for all programmes in the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). It is not standard practice to publish these reviews. IPA has not produced any other analysis on the wider set of social care reforms.
This Government shares Baroness Wheeler’s concern that support reaches those most in need in the English fishing and aquaculture sectors as quickly as possible and that is why we are treating the distribution of this funding as a matter of urgency.
The £10 million financial assistance announced on 17 April 2020 will be broken down into two funds, the Fisheries Response Fund (FRF) and the Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme (DSSS), both delivered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
The FRF, worth £9 million, will contribute to the fixed costs of catching and aquaculture businesses adversely affected by the downturn in export and domestic markets for fish and shellfish.
The MMO has contacted all 1,179 eligible vessel owners; of these, 950 have applied and by 1 May the MMO have made payments totalling £3.6 million to 786 applicants.
The aquaculture portion of the FRF was launched on 6 May.
The Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme will provide £1 million in grants to support seafood businesses to sell their products in their local communities and nationally. This scheme opened on 29 April. And applications close at noon on Monday 11 May.
The MMO has reprioritised resources to ensure efficient and timely delivery of this support and has extended its opening hours to 7pm and Saturdays. This is being kept under review.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have not yet taken on full delegated commissioning responsibilities in any part of the country. In April 2023, nine joint committees between NHS England and ICBs were established and were given joint commissioning responsibilities for 59 specialised services. This is part of a transitional year during which NHS England and ICBs are jointly taking decisions about the design and delivery of services that are in scope.
As part of the 2023/24 transitional year arrangements, the two South London ICBs and NHS England London regional team have established a pathfinder programme. Learnings from the programme are shared with all other regions and national specialised commissioning leaders so that they can learn in real time as they develop their joint working arrangements ahead of delegation.
NHS England remains the accountable commissioner for all prescribed specialised services, including for those services where commissioning responsibility may be delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). For any services where commissioning responsibility is delegated to ICBs, NHS England will continue to set national standards, service specifications and clinical access policies which ICBs will be expected to apply. NHS England, alongside ICBs, will continue to seek to understand and address unwarranted variation in access to and outcomes from specialised services, making use of all available data sources.
NHS England will confirm, by the end of June 2023, the list of national service specifications where work to review the specification has commenced and will be progressing in 2023/24.
NHS England, together with integrated care boards when a specialised service is commissioned jointly in 2023/24, is responsible for assessing compliance with service specifications.
Actions resulting from non-compliance will vary depending on the reasons for and nature of non-compliance, as well as the location and availability of alternative service provision.
This information is not held in the format requested. It is not possible to quantify the time spent by the NHS England specialised commissioning team in responding to the mpox outbreak. Staff made various contributions during the course of the outbreak, which varied as the patient numbers increased.
Compliance support services, for example the dispensing of medicines in blister medication packs, are not nationally commissioned and therefore no data is available on how many compliance aids are assembled every year in England. Under the Equality Act 2010, pharmacies must make reasonable adjustments to their services to help patients covered by the Act which could include compliance aids where appropriate.
Compliance support services, for example the dispensing of medicines in blister medication packs, are not nationally commissioned and therefore no data is available on how many compliance aids are assembled every year in England. Under the Equality Act 2010, pharmacies must make reasonable adjustments to their services to help patients covered by the Act which could include compliance aids where appropriate.
No specific assessment has been made. However, the Department closely monitors the market. In England, access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services remains good with a similar number of community pharmacies as a decade ago and 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy.
The Pharmacy Access Scheme supports patient access and provision in areas where there are fewer community pharmacies by providing additional funding to those pharmacies. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal committed £2.592 billion per year to the sector and outlined a joint vision for how community pharmacy would become more integrated into the NHS, deliver more clinical services, and become the first port of call for minor illnesses. The Government continues to implement this deal and has invested a further £100 million across 2022/23 and 2023/24 to support community pharmacies.
No specific assessment has been made. However, the Department closely monitors the market. In England, access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services remains good with a similar number of community pharmacies as a decade ago and 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy.
The Pharmacy Access Scheme supports patient access and provision in areas where there are fewer community pharmacies by providing additional funding to those pharmacies. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal committed £2.592 billion per year to the sector and outlined a joint vision for how community pharmacy would become more integrated into the NHS, deliver more clinical services, and become the first port of call for minor illnesses. The Government continues to implement this deal and has invested a further £100 million across 2022/23 and 2023/24 to support community pharmacies.
No specific assessment has been made. However, the Department closely monitors the market. In England, access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services remains good with a similar number of community pharmacies as a decade ago and 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance of a community pharmacy.
The Pharmacy Access Scheme supports patient access and provision in areas where there are fewer community pharmacies by providing additional funding to those pharmacies. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal committed £2.592 billion per year to the sector and outlined a joint vision for how community pharmacy would become more integrated into the NHS, deliver more clinical services, and become the first port of call for minor illnesses. The Government continues to implement this deal and has invested a further £100 million across 2022/23 and 2023/24 to support community pharmacies.
In spring 2023 the Government will publish a plan for adult social care system reform. This will set out how we will build on the progress so far to implement the vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper, published in December 2020. The plan will include key milestones for reform, including for workforce, data and technology. The final Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 7 February, sets out the resources available to local authorities in 2023/24, including for adult social care services. We also published the Building the Right Support Action Plan on 14 July 2022 and will confirm next steps for the Liberty Protection Safeguards in due course. The Department will consider the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill’s recommendations carefully and we will introduce the Bill when parliamentary time allows.
In spring 2023, the Government will publish a plan for adult social care system reform. This will set out how we will build on the progress so far to implement the vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper, published in December 2020.
The plan will include key milestones for reform, including for workforce, data and technology. The final Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 7 February, sets out the resources available to local authorities in 2023/24, including for adult social care services.
The 2022 NICE Listens project is examining the public’s views on action for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the environmental sustainability of healthcare. NICE commissioned a research agency to conduct three online workshops on this topic in autumn 2022 and the project report will be published early in 2023. While the topic for the 2023 NICE Listens project has not yet been selected, NICE’s approach to rare diseases is one of several topics under consideration.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for any suitable medicine for inclusion in the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF). The IMF is a managed access fund, which provides a route for earlier patient access for the most promising new medicines while further evidence is collected to inform a long-term commissioning recommendation.
NICE’s independent committee may consider managed access, if a recommendation for routine commissioning cannot be made and where collection of further evidence during a period of managed access will sufficiently support the case for such a recommendation in the future. To date, NICE has not recommended any medicines into the IMF. NICE and NHS England continually monitor for potential products for inclusion in the IMF and NICE provides guidance on whether a managed access proposal would be feasible.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for any suitable medicine for inclusion in the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF). The IMF is a managed access fund, which provides a route for earlier patient access for the most promising new medicines while further evidence is collected to inform a long-term commissioning recommendation.
NICE’s independent committee may consider managed access, if a recommendation for routine commissioning cannot be made and where collection of further evidence during a period of managed access will sufficiently support the case for such a recommendation in the future. To date, NICE has not recommended any medicines into the IMF. NICE and NHS England continually monitor for potential products for inclusion in the IMF and NICE provides guidance on whether a managed access proposal would be feasible.
There are no specific plans to do so. NHS England has committed to discuss inequities with all highly specialised services to explore how this can be considered in all provider selection exercises and to record improvements which have been secured following specific interventions.
No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England is supporting companies to develop cost-effective value propositions Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the rapid introduction of all ATMPs recommended by NICE to date.
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the UK Strategic Stem Cell Forum have made recommendations to the Government on the adoption of gene therapy and ATMPs to ensure the United Kingdom maintains a global advantage. The Department is considering these recommendations.
In England, the NHS Genomic Medicine Service is provided by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs. The Hubs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which outlines genomic testing offered by the National Health Service, including tests for 3,200 rare diseases and over 200 cancers. The Test Directory is regularly updated to reflect the latest scientific and technological developments, including new clinical indications for rare disease.
NHS England is developing a proposal for a ‘syndrome without a name’ pilot, which aims to reduce the time to diagnosis for patients with undiagnosed rare diseases. Genomics England and the NHS will deliver a study to explore the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to find and treat rare genetic diseases in newborn babies. Genomics England has engaged with parents, the public, people with lived experience of rare disease, researchers and healthcare professionals on the practical, ethical and societal issues raised by the study and how it can be delivered. The study will commence in 2023 and will sequence the genomes of 100,000 babies and will gather evidence to consider whether this technology could be deployed in England in the future.
All delivery partners, including NHS England, report on progress at regular meetings of the England Rare Diseases Framework Delivery Group, which provides oversight and coordination for the delivery of England’s Action Plan. Progress reports are made available to stakeholders through the UK Rare Diseases Forum.
The next England Rare Diseases Action Plan is due to be published in early 2023 and will include a summary of progress to date against actions in the 2022 Action Plan and updated metrics and milestones for actions which are ongoing. The England Rare Diseases Framework Delivery Group will continue to meet regularly to monitor and report on progress against these ongoing actions.
NHS England is continuing to develop its strategic approach on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), informed by engagement with patients, providers and the pharmaceutical industry. This is focused on the commissioning and implementation of ATMPs, including service readiness, redesign, investment and provider selection. While no formal publication is currently planned, progress will be reported in England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans.
NHS England will provide an annual report on the uptake of drugs recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s highly specialised technology programme for patients with rare diseases by the end of 2022/23. This will include data comparing the actual patients receiving a drug with expected numbers. Where the number of patients is sufficiently high for statistical analysis, this will be reviewed to determine whether uptake has been geographically equitable.
This investment will fund research projects into a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Multiple System Atrophy and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. The Government will provide this funding through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding, therefore details of allocations and timescales are not currently available. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The impact assessment for The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 has been submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee and is currently undergoing independent scrutiny.
The Department’s COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care outlines the importance of restricting visitors to care homes at this time to reduce the risk of infection for care home residents and staff. A copy of COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care is attached.
It is recognised that this restriction in visitors may cause anxiety for both residents and their relatives. Existing guidance encourages that alternatives to in-person visiting are explored such as telephones or video calling. It is important that relatives can visit their loved one if they are dying, or if the relatives’ bereavement is likely to be worse, with a higher risk of psychological and physical morbidity. The Adult Social Care Action Plan acknowledges this exception.
We are very grateful for the many health professionals who are supporting the local health and care system during the pandemic, including National Health Service support to enable nurse returners to be deployed to care homes through the Bringing Back Staff programme.
In April, we published COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care setting out the measures that the Government and other parts of the system are taking to support adult social care, to ensure people in care homes and other settings continue to receive the care they need. We are increasing funding and support to care homes to reduce the spread of infection and support workforce resilience, working with local authorities and health. We continue to work closely with our senior leaders’ group which includes the National Care Forum, who advise the Government on the measures we are taking to maximise workforce supply and capacity. A copy of COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care is attached.
We continue to provide guidance, funding, and support to individuals and groups affected by local service disruption. This includes an ethical framework to support local prioritisation decisions, guidance for unpaid carers, and guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of COVID-19. We are also working with national learning disability and autism charities to identify how, with Government funding, they can boost their online and helpline capacity to support people with learning disabilities, autistic people and those with the most complex needs.
The Department is also working with the Care Quality Commission and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact on individuals, including disabled people and their carers, of the changes to Care Act 2014 duties. TLAP hopes to speak to local authorities which are operating under easements to understand what this means for adults with care and support needs. A TLAP Insight Group will be meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers.
We continue to provide guidance, funding, and support to individuals and groups affected by local service disruption. This includes an ethical framework to support local prioritisation decisions, guidance for unpaid carers, and guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of COVID-19. We are also working with national learning disability and autism charities to identify how, with Government funding, they can boost their online and helpline capacity to support people with learning disabilities, autistic people and those with the most complex needs.
The Department is also working with the Care Quality Commission and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact on individuals, including disabled people and their carers, of the changes to Care Act 2014 duties. TLAP hopes to speak to local authorities which are operating under easements to understand what this means for adults with care and support needs. A TLAP Insight Group will be meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers.
Monitoring the welfare of children is a matter for the Department for Education.
The Department is working with the Care Quality Commission and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact of the Care Act 2014 easements introduced by the Coronavirus Act 2020, which allow local authorities to prioritise care and support so that the most urgent and acute needs are met. TLAP hopes to speak to local authorities which are operating under easements to understand what this means for adults with care and support needs. A TLAP Insight Group will be meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people with lived experience.
As of 6 May, seven local authorities have used the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Under the guidance for local authorities, there is no requirement to notify the Department about the details of the use of this provision. Recording by local authorities remains a priority and will help them to ensure accountability and provide evidence for the thought processes behind the decisions they will be making.