Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on the mental health and wellbeing of secondary care staff if their partnership with NHS Practitioner Health is ended after the 12-month review period.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that the NHS Practitioner Health service is valued by many doctors. NHS England is reviewing the service as part of a wider review of its mental health and wellbeing offer to National Health Service staff. It was confirmed on 15 April 2024 that the service will continue to accept new patients from primary and secondary care whilst this review is undertaken over the next 12 months. NHS England will assess the impact and confirm future arrangements once the review has been completed.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations are in place to ensure that the care and treatment provided by private medical insurers are the most appropriate for a specific patient.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Private medical insurers purchase services from independent sector providers who are responsible for delivering healthcare.
All providers of healthcare are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fall, while the General Medical Council is responsible for regulating doctors in the United Kingdom.
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 16 February (HL2398), whether they have increased the maximum funding for medical degree apprentices from £50,000 to £150,000 over the term of the course.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The funding of £150,000 to be provided by NHS England per medical degree apprentice is an increase of the funding of £50,000 for medical degree apprentices announced by Health Education England in January 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for community pharmacists to administer the MMR vaccine.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the national measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) improvement plan, NHS England has worked with regional commissioners to assess the potential for community pharmacy to deliver MMR vaccines, as part of a longer-term approach to improving uptake.
In specific response to the current measles outbreak, some areas have stood up community pharmacy sites on a time-limited basis to deliver the MMR vaccine to specific cohorts, based on local population need. For example, in the North West and the Midlands, National Health Service teams have used community pharmacies to step up their efforts to get more children protected with the MMR vaccine.
Using community pharmacy in this way will help to test the concept of community pharmacy playing a greater role in the delivery of vaccinations, and will support the integrated care boards’ work to develop a more coherent approach to vaccines, including where, when, and how to deliver them to maximise uptake, particularly in underserved populations.
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 progress they have made on reducing variation in breast screening services since 2019.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Breast Screening Programmes were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some breast screening offices took the decision to pause services temporarily to support the pandemic response. All breast cancer screening services have now recovered from the pandemic, and have no backlog of people waiting to be screened.
Increasing uptake and reducing health inequalities remains paramount as part of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to directly support early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Regional commissioners are working closely with cancer alliances and cancer charities to develop uptake plans which address their specific populations needs.
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.