Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle medicine shortages.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I know how distressing medicine shortages can be for patients and their families. The Department works with the pharmaceutical industry, NHS, MHRA and others and uses a range of tools to help manage issues, such as securing supplies from alternative manufacturers, expediting deliveries and where necessary, enabling use of different products.
Supply disruption is unfortunately a common issue affecting countries around the world. Whilst issues can’t always be prevented, in the vast majority of cases they can be managed with minimal disruption to patients.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the proposed timescales are for the Patient Safety Commissioner review on sodium valproate.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Patient Safety Commissioner is expected to publish a report of her current work examining options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh in early 2024. Ministers will consider the report’s findings before deciding how to proceed on this matter.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 May 2023 to Question 183124 on Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate, how many sodium valproate victims there have been in England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not collected centrally. Limitations to historical data recording and collation mean that the total number of children diagnosed with congenital malformations or neurodevelopmental disorders following exposure to sodium valproate in utero in England or across the United Kingdom since its authorisation is very difficult to estimate.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many sodium valproate victims there are in Scotland.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a compensation scheme for people who have been harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Last year, we worked with NHS Resolution to launch a claims gateway on its website to provide further support to patients who may wish to bring a clinical negligence claim in relation to harm from sodium valproate. We are also taking a range of action to improve the future safety of medicines and medical devices, setting high standards for industry to market and manufacture products, with the aim of reducing harm in the future.
Ministers recently discussed this issue with Henrietta Hughes, the new Patient Safety Commissioner, and the Department will ensure her views feed into our work moving forward.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of potential funding streams to help support veterans with the cost of specialist (a) wheelchairs and (b) mobility aids since the end of funding made available from LIBOR fines.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessments have been made.
In England, the National Health Service has a range of equipment available, following an assessment of clinical need. Bespoke NHS support for veterans is also available, such as personal wheelchair budgets.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing £2.2 million over five years to reinstate Veterans’ Mobility Fund.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessments have been made.
In England, the National Health Service has a range of equipment available, following an assessment of clinical need. Bespoke NHS support for veterans is also available, such as personal wheelchair budgets.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost of the purchase of covid-19 PCR test kits has been to date; and how many of those kits have been purchased.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is unable to provide the information requested on the cost of purchasing of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests as this information is commercially sensitive.
PCR test kits are comprised of several components which are individually purchased, prior to assembly. Between April 2020 and March 2022, the UKHSA purchased materials which were manufactured to make 154 million test kits.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has the total cost to the public purse of the Government PCR testing programme been to date; and how many PCR tests have been completed.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency is unable to provide the information requested on the total cost of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing programme as it is commercially sensitive.
Between April 2020 and March 2022, 147 million PCR tests have been reported as ‘processed’ through laboratories.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 lateral flow test kits have been purchased by his Department; and what was the total cost to the public purse of these kits.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.