Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Health Data Research UK about projects that used NHS England’s data for pandemic planning and research without disclosure to a Professional Advisory Group or NHS England's Advisory Group for Data.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has a Data Sharing Agreement, project code DARS-NIC-381078-Y9C5K, with a consortium of academic organisations in the United Kingdom for the purpose of the Health Data Research UK-led, British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre’s CVD-COVID-UK programme. This agreement was put in place by NHS Digital prior to its merger with NHS England in 2023.
The agreement was subject to reviews by NHS Digital’s Independent Group Advising on Release of Data on 25 June 2020, 23 July 2020, 15 October 2020, 3 December 2020, 25 February 2021, 29 July 2021, 5 May 2022, and 24 November 2022. It was also subject to advice from the Professional Advisory Group on 24 June 2020 and 28 July 2021.
As part of the agreed process, all projects undertaken under this agreement required approval by the CVD-COVID-UK Approvals and Oversight Board. NHS Digital/NHS England had a representative on that board and through this decision-making forum, engaged in discussions with Health Data Research UK about projects that used NHS England’s data for pandemic planning and research.
For a project to proceed, approval was required from the NHS Digital/NHS England representative and from the board as a whole. Under the terms of the agreement, the CVD-COVID-UK oversight committee is required to maintain a list of projects undertaken under the agreement and must provide a quarterly report to NHS Digital/NHS England.
Subsequently, concerns have been raised by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association in relation to the Foresight project which was undertaken under the above agreement. NHS England has confirmed to the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association that NHS England’s Data Protection Officer is undertaking assurance, and NHS England has met operationally with others, including Health Data Research UK, in relation to this work.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the general practice extraction service data for pandemic planning and research is being used for any direct care decisions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Practice Extraction Service Data for Pandemic Planning and Research is not being used for direct care decisions.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Single Patient Record, for which a request for information was published by NHS England on 29 April, will allow patients to see when and where their record has been accessed.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The single patient record will give staff in any provider access to the information they need to provide care, and would end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the National Health Service.
We are currently in the early stages of considering the scope, and this includes what information patients will be able to see about when and where their record is accessed. Our engagement with the public identified the importance of there being an audit trail of access.
We will mandate its use by the NHS and social care, so that everyone has the opportunity to have a single patient record.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate that a Single Patient Record, for which a request for information was published by NHS England on 29 April, will be required for every NHS patient.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The single patient record will give staff in any provider access to the information they need to provide care, and would end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the National Health Service.
We are currently in the early stages of considering the scope, and this includes what information patients will be able to see about when and where their record is accessed. Our engagement with the public identified the importance of there being an audit trail of access.
We will mandate its use by the NHS and social care, so that everyone has the opportunity to have a single patient record.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor trauma and orthopaedics training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of trauma and orthopaedics specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:
Region | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts |
East Midlands | 19 | 11 |
East of England | 18 | 11 |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex | 15 | 17 |
London | 20 | 36 |
North East | 6 | 8 |
North West | 16 | 13 |
South West | 13 | 13 |
Thames Valley | 3 | 3 |
Wessex | 7 | 10 |
West Midlands | 13 | 17 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 13 | 14 |
Total | 143 | 153 |
Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.
The table presents the number of posts offered at specialist training stage three, meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant core training or equivalent before entry to this specialty training programme.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor paediatric training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of paediatric specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:
| Specialist training stage one | Specialist training stages three and four | ||
Region | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts |
East Midlands | 32 | 32 | 14 | 7 |
East of England | 42 | 31 | 6 | n/a |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex | 18 | 25 | n/a | 4 |
London | 107 | 107 | 24 | 15 |
North East | 19 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
North West | 47 | 42 | 9 | 8 |
South West | 26 | 28 | 18 | 4 |
Thames Valley | 20 | 16 | 4 | 2 |
Wessex | 14 | 16 | n/a | n/a |
West Midlands | 36 | 37 | 6 | 2 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 56 | 59 | 18 | 5 |
Total | 417 | 412 | 101 | 48 |
Source: NHS England, available at the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.
The table presents the number of posts offered at both specialist training stage one, and at stages three or four. The latter stages mean that the medical professionals will likely have already undertaken at least three or four years of relevant training, or an equivalent, before entry to this later stage of the specialty training programme.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor medical oncologist training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of medical oncology specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:
Region | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts |
East Midlands | 5 | 4 |
East of England | 7 | 11 |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex | 8 | 8 |
London | 11 | 19 |
North East | 4 | 1 |
North West | 11 | 10 |
South West | 8 | 6 |
Thames Valley | 4 | 5 |
Wessex | 5 | 2 |
West Midlands | 8 | 5 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 7 | 6 |
Total | 78 | 77 |
Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.
The table presents the number of posts offered at specialist training stage three, meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant core training or the equivalent, before entry to this specialty training programme.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor gynaecologist training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. Data is only available for the combined obstetrics and gynaecology specialist training pathway, as opposed to specifically gynaecology specialist training. The following table shows the number of obstetrics and gynaecology specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:
| Specialist training stage one | Specialist training stage three | ||
Region | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts | 2023 round posts | 2024 round posts |
East Midlands | 18 | 20 | 24 | 12 |
East of England | 22 | 26 | 6 | 14 |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex | 23 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
London | 58 | 52 | 3 | 4 |
North East | 15 | 15 | 2 | 1 |
North West | 37 | 41 | 2 | 10 |
South West | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 |
Thames Valley | 10 | 16 | 3 | 5 |
Wessex | 11 | 11 | 3 | 5 |
West Midlands | 26 | 27 | 5 | 6 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 27 | 27 | 4 | 13 |
Total | 269 | 269 | 62 | 75 |
Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.
The table presents the number of posts offered at both specialist training stages one and three. The latter meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant training or equivalent before entry to this later stage of the specialty training programme.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the planned transformation of the NHS App to support seamless delivery of pharmacy services, including by enabling patients to nominate distance-selling pharmacies for home delivery.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS App supports seamless pharmacy services by allowing patients to order repeat prescriptions, nominate their preferred pharmacy, and manage their medication. A new prescription tracker feature means that nearly 1,500 pharmacies are now offering the new prescription tracking service through the NHS App, which provides updates on when prescriptions are ready to be collected. Work has also commenced on an ‘in App’ notification, which will enhance this feature further.
In relation to nominating distance selling pharmacies (DSPs), users of the NHS App are currently given the option to nominate a ‘high street’ or an ‘online-only’ pharmacy. For those wishing to nominate ‘online-only’ pharmacies, users are directed to the internet pharmacies section, to search for and contact their chosen DSP directly, as key information is required by the DSP before the nomination can be applied.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 28 April (HL Deb cols 978–981), whether they are planning to convene a meeting between foundations and philanthropists that offer funding to tackle violence against women and girls and civil society organisations that are seeking funding for that purpose.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We of course welcome philanthropic funding to support organisations tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), however it is not the role of Government to facilitate this. We will however seek to work with organisations from right across society to deliver on our mission to halve VAWG within a decade including those who fund VAWG schemes.