Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government where the overall responsibility for patients with facial palsy sits within the NHS.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Care for people with facial palsy may be delivered by a number of specialties, depending on its cause. Facial palsy will often present in primary care, and if there are additional concerning features, the patient may be referred directly to the hospital as an emergency, where they may be looked after by medical or stroke teams. Rehabilitation professionals may be needed to support recovery.
Facial palsy without additional features is often managed in general practice. If time and treatment does not result in a satisfactory outcome, then the patient should be referred to a hospital, to be reviewed by a neurologist and other members of the team as needed, for example speech and language therapists, psychologists, or neurosurgeons.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what are the agreed efficiency standards following restoration of breast screening services since the COVID-19 pandemic; how this decision was made; and by whom.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standards for breast screening include an acceptable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 70%, and an achievable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 80%. Full details about the changes to breast screening standards before and after COVID-19, are available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what were the agreed efficiency standards for breast cancer screening prior to the restoration of services since the COVID-19 pandemic; and what are the agreed efficiency standards now.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standards for breast screening include an acceptable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 70%, and an achievable uptake and coverage level of greater than or equal to 80%. Full details about the changes to breast screening standards before and after COVID-19, are available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to respond to the survey by Facial Palsy UK published on 1 March, and if so when; and what assessment they have made of the fact that nearly 90 per cent of respondents called for a clearer understanding of which type of specialist provides care for patients with facial palsy.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.
We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specialist provision is available for “further support or counselling if there are emotional consequences of persistent facial paralysis or paresis”, as mentioned in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for Bell’s palsy referral.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.
We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) facial paralysis, and (2) facial palsy, are primarily recognised as a disability of communication.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Disability within the Equality Act 2010 is not defined through each specific condition, but rather in general terms. The general definition of disability, for the purposes of the act, is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
A person with facial paralysis or facial palsy may experience difficulties with communication, which may have a substantial and long-term effect, in accordance with the act. The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with health conditions such as Bell’s palsy.
We have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS Talking Therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people, including those with Bell’s palsy, can access National Health Service-funded mental health support. The Department received Facial Palsy UK’s survey on pathways of care for people with facial palsy on 27 February 2024. We will reply as soon as possible.