Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the context of the medication and error programme outlined in the Report of the Short Life Working Group on reducing medication-related harm, when phase one of the medicines safety dashboard being developed by NHS Digital and the NHS Business Services Authority will be published.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Phase one will be published in spring 2018.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the context of the medication and error programme outlined in the Report of the Short Life Working Group on reducing medication-related harm, how many additional phases will be developed as part of the medicines safety dashboard being developed by NHS Digital and the NHS Business Services Authority.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The intention is to develop a second phase of indicators covering other medicines, risks of harm and reasons for admission. At this point the number of indicators is not yet agreed nor timescale for publication, but publication is likely to be before the end of 2018.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the context of the medication and error programme outlined in the Report of the Short Life Working Group on reducing medication-related harm published on 23 February, which indicators will be included in phase one of the medicines safety dashboard being developed by NHS Digital and the NHS Business Services Authority.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The purpose of the indicators is to highlight prescribing practice that may increase the risk of harm and that is associated with admission to hospital. Phase one includes a total of six indicators; five looking at higher risk prescribing that results in admission to hospital with a gastro-intestinal bleed (four indicators and one composite) and one looking at higher risk prescribing that results in admission associated with acute kidney injury.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries are in receipt of UK Government funding for tobacco control work, including implementation of the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The United Kingdom Government is investing £15 million of Official Development Assistance funds to promote the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) through the FCTC 2030 project. The five year project, being led by the FCTC secretariat in Geneva, is currently in its second year.
Through an open and fair process, fifteen countries have been selected to receive direct support under the project. The countries are: Burma, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, Jordan, Madagascar, Nepal, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Zambia.
A Tobacco Control Capacity project was recently announced, funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund. This is a four year £3.4 million programme of training and research work and involves UK academics in five Universities who are all part of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, a UK Clinical Research Collaboration Centre for Public Health Excellence, along with research organisations in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, India, South Africa and Uganda.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK overseas posts have provided assistance to the tobacco industry in countries in receipt of UK Government funding for tobacco control activity, including funding to support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, since the issuing of revised guidance to posts in December 2013.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The United Kingdom Government is investing £15 million of Official Development Assistance funds to promote the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) through the FCTC 2030 project. The five year project, being led by the FCTC secretariat in Geneva, is currently in its second year. The UK’s diplomatic missions in each of the fifteen countries have been made aware of the project.
The UK Government and UK officials overseas are committed to limiting interactions with the tobacco industry as part of Her Majesty’s Government’s obligations under the FCTC. Posts have engaged with the tobacco industry, but will not engage with foreign governments on behalf of the tobacco industry except in cases where local policies could be considered protectionist or discriminatory.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide funding under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to support implementation of the Tobacco Control Plan for England published in July.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Over the duration of the previous Tobacco Control Plan, 2011–2015, the Department awarded £750,000 of funding to Action on Smoking and Health, supporting the implementation of tobacco control policies.
From 2012, these grants were awarded under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. Unfortunately, the Department’s financial system does not provide the level of detail to confirm whether funding was made under the legal power of Section 64 prior to this date.
Financial Year | Grants | Procurement | Grand Total | Comments |
2015/16 | 125,000 |
| 125,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2014/15 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2013/14 | 175,000 |
| 175,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2012/13 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2011/12 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
The Department is still considering the scope and procurement process for grants to support the implementation of the Tobacco Control Plan. Cabinet Office standards require all new grants to be subject to competition. Our intention is to make any future grant available on a multi-year basis, subject to an appropriate business case and satisfactory performance on the part of the funded bodies.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they provided under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to support implementation of the Tobacco Control Plan for England published in 2011; and to which organisations.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Over the duration of the previous Tobacco Control Plan, 2011–2015, the Department awarded £750,000 of funding to Action on Smoking and Health, supporting the implementation of tobacco control policies.
From 2012, these grants were awarded under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. Unfortunately, the Department’s financial system does not provide the level of detail to confirm whether funding was made under the legal power of Section 64 prior to this date.
Financial Year | Grants | Procurement | Grand Total | Comments |
2015/16 | 125,000 |
| 125,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2014/15 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2013/14 | 175,000 |
| 175,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2012/13 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
2011/12 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 | Grant to support the Tobacco Plan |
The Department is still considering the scope and procurement process for grants to support the implementation of the Tobacco Control Plan. Cabinet Office standards require all new grants to be subject to competition. Our intention is to make any future grant available on a multi-year basis, subject to an appropriate business case and satisfactory performance on the part of the funded bodies.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish any clinical evidence they have showing that the co-location of paediatric congenital heart surgery with other tertiary paediatric and supporting services is essential for better patient outcomes.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
No decision has been made regarding the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following consultation, which closes on 17 July 2017.
The standards for congenital heart disease services were consulted upon and agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015. The evidence base for the standards was published at the time and is available as part of the relevant board paper. The aim of these standards is to secure the best outcomes for all patients, including:
- improved opportunities for survivors to lead better lives;
- tackling variation in services, particularly to ensure resilient 24-hour, seven days a week care; and
- improved patient experience.
All of the standards, including those that refer to physical co-location of services, are based on expert clinical advice rather than published evidence, since research is not available to inform this aspect of service organisation.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish any assessment they have made regarding the extent of the improvement in clinical outcomes they expect would result from the proposed closure of congenital heart disease services at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
No decision has been made regarding the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following consultation, which closes on 17 July 2017.
The standards for congenital heart disease services were consulted upon and agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015. The evidence base for the standards was published at the time and is available as part of the relevant board paper. The aim of these standards is to secure the best outcomes for all patients, including:
- improved opportunities for survivors to lead better lives;
- tackling variation in services, particularly to ensure resilient 24-hour, seven days a week care; and
- improved patient experience.
All of the standards, including those that refer to physical co-location of services, are based on expert clinical advice rather than published evidence, since research is not available to inform this aspect of service organisation.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans have been made to assess whether Mental Health Trusts will have become smoke free by 2018, in line with the recommendation in the Mental Health Taskforce Report; and when progress towards this ambition will be published.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.