Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 adequacy of the funding Children's Hospices receive through Integrated Care Boards..
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative and end of life care is commissioned locally by integrated care boards in response to the needs of their local population.
The Government and NHS England are committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. Discussions between the Department and NHS England regarding the future of the Children’s Hospice Grant beyond 2023/24 are ongoing, and NHS England is aiming to be able to communicate details in the coming weeks, as soon as is practically possible.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Together for Short Lives on funding for Children's Hospices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Together for Short Lives is a key partner in the delivery of high-quality palliative and end of life care for children and young people, having worked collaboratively with the Department and NHS England on a number of important pieces of work, including the development of the Service Specification for Children and Young People’s Palliative and End of Life Care. Together for Short Lives is also a valuable member of NHS England’s Children’s Hospice Grant Working Group, which was established to support administration of the Children’s Hospice Grant.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with NHS England on extending the Children’s Hospice Grant agreement beyond its current lifecycle.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative and end of life care is commissioned locally by integrated care boards in response to the needs of their local population. The Government and NHS England are committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. Discussions between the Department and NHS England regarding the future of the Children’s Hospice Grant beyond 2023/24 are ongoing, and NHS England is aiming to be able to communicate details in the coming weeks, as soon as is practically possible.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to develop future antimicrobial treatments for cystic fibrosis infections.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2015, NIHR has committed over £3.7 million of research programme funding into developing and improving cystic fibrosis treatments. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the development of antimicrobial treatments for cystic fibrosis.
The Government also funded Medicines Discovery Catapult has joined forces with Cystic Fibrosis Trust to form the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Syndicate in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The Cystic Fibrosis Antimicrobial Resistance Syndicate aims to address unmet patient needs by linking people with cystic fibrosis with leading experts across industry, academia and the National Health Service. Together, this cross-sector consortium is identifying and tackling drug discovery hurdles to accelerate the development of cystic fibrosis antimicrobials and infection diagnostics.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 moving people with cystic fibrosis onto the prescription charges exemption list.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no current plans to review or extend the prescription charge medical exemptions list to include cystic fibrosis. Almost 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in England and there are arrangements in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. Those with cystic fibrosis or another long-term condition may therefore meet the eligibility criteria for prescription charge exemptions and be in receipt of free prescriptions.
To support those who do not qualify for an exemption of prescription charges, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.
Additionally, people on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can also seek help under the NHS Low Income Service (LIS), which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on steps to help improve educational outcomes for children with Addison’s disease.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No discussions have taken place between my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Education on educational outcomes for children with Addison’s disease.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to develop an easier injection method of hydrocortisone for people with Addison’s disease.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In assessing the effectiveness of treatment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has commissioned and funded a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on Addison’s disease. This provides primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice. CKS topics are written by an expert multidisciplinary team with experience of primary care and are developed and updated using the best available evidence.
There have been no new licensing applications for new Addison’s disease treatments received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of treatment available for people with Addison’s disease.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In assessing the effectiveness of treatment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has commissioned and funded a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on Addison’s disease. This provides primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice. CKS topics are written by an expert multidisciplinary team with experience of primary care and are developed and updated using the best available evidence.
There have been no new licensing applications for new Addison’s disease treatments received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Care Quality Commission on withdrawing ear wax removal services provided by healthcare professionals from their scope of registration.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department has undertaken a post-implementation review of three sets of Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations. The Department will give careful consideration to any changes to legislation, including the advantages and disadvantages of continuing to include ear wax removal services provided by healthcare professions in scope of services which require CQC registration.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with the Care Quality Commission to review the impact of the decision to require the registration of healthcare professionals providing ear wax removal services.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department has undertaken a post-implementation review of three sets of Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations. The Department will give careful consideration to any changes to legislation, including the advantages and disadvantages of continuing to include ear wax removal services provided by healthcare professions in scope of services which require CQC registration.