Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the new Neffy treatment for severe allergic reactions will be available on the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) assesses all medicines before they can be used in the UK. Neffy (epinephrine nasal spray) has not been licenced by the MHRA. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider the benefit-risk of the product accordingly in regards to its quality, safety and effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.
Local National Health Service organisations are expected to make decisions on the availability of medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence and taking into account any relevant national guidance.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of human metapneumovirus have been identified in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency’s long-term surveillance of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in England, through systems covering general practice surgeries and hospital laboratories, indicates that hMPV levels in winter 2024-25 are in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year.
Healthcare data for hMPV and other respiratory viruses comes from the sentinel surveillance system, a data collection method used to monitor trends. This means it is not a count of every person being treated for the respiratory virus in hospital. Total case numbers are therefore not held centrally.
Further information on data collection is available at the following link:
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 (a) his international counterparts and (b) the World Health Organisation on human metapneumovirus.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has had no recent communications from the World Health Organisation or other countries in relation to human metapneumovirus (hMPV).
UKHSA’s long-term surveillance of hMPV in England, through systems covering general practice surgeries and hospital laboratories, indicates that hMPV levels in winter 2024-25 are in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year.
Healthcare data for hMPV and other respiratory viruses is routinely published on the UKHSA dashboard, which is available at the following link:
https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses/other-respiratory-viruses
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average maximum number of patients registered per GP practice in England is.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The median number of patients registered at a general practice in England in December 2024 was 8,799.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 help ensure that care providers, including those in supportive living care settings, are consulted during (a) policy reviews and (b) before policy decisions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly engages with and consults stakeholders, including providers and people with lived experience of care and support services, to ensure that a wide range of views are taken into account through all stages of the policy life cycle. This includes holding regular meetings and provider forums, working with partners in the sector, and also running formal public consultations, as necessary.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his plans for a National Care Service include a review of training for carers in the use of musical techniques to help support people living with dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans for a review of training for carers in the use of musical techniques to help support people living with dementia. However, the Department currently funds research on the use of musical techniques for people living with dementia via the National Institute for Health and Care Research. This includes a major study investigating how music therapy can reduce patient distress and physical assaults on National Health Service inpatient wards for people with dementia. The study is called MELODIC and will create a programme of music therapy which will be piloted in two NHS mental health wards at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 improve care for people with migraines.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline, Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults, updated in December 2021, sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment, and support of people who suffer from headaches, including migraines. It aims to improve the recognition and management of headaches and migraines.
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraines, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. The GIRFT Programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving the recognition and diagnosis of migraines by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraines, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.
The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraines and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraines and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate.
Over the last four years, a new class of drugs, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors, has been made available on the National Health Service for the prevention and treatment of episodic and chronic migraines. On 15 May 2024, Atogepant became the latest CGRP inhibitor for which the NICE has published guidance. The NICE recommended Atogepant for use as a preventive medication for the treatment of migraines on the NHS in England.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase uptake of early screening interventions for chronic kidney disease.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is working to detect people at risk of kidney disease through the NHS Health Check Programme. The programme, which is available for everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 years old who are not already on a chronic disease register, assesses people’s health and risk of developing certain health problems. Using this information, patients are supported to make behavioural changes and access treatment which helps to prevent and detect kidney disease earlier.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glomerulonephritis in 2011, concluding that a population-wide screening programme would not be recommended. The UK NSC has not looked at the evidence for a targeted programme. The UK NSC can be alerted to any new published peer-reviewed evidence which may suggest the case for a new screening programme. Further information is available at the following link:
The National Health Service provides access to tests and therapies to diagnose, code, and treat patients with early-stage CKD. NHS England, through the Renal Services Transformation Programme and regional renal networks, is implementing initiatives to provide better integrated care, reduce health inequalities, and focus on prevention and timely intervention for kidney disease. Regional renal clinical networks prioritise CKD diagnosis and prevention within their transformation ambitions, facilitating earlier treatment. This includes considerations to develop a unified approach to testing populations at risk of developing CKD, and includes raising awareness of diagnostic tools like urine albumin creatinine tests, enabling CKD diagnosis at stages 1 and 2. NHS England aims to improve awareness and access to these important urine and blood tests across primary and secondary care. In addition, the transformation programme launched a renal toolkit earlier last year, for use by systems, that outlines the principles to support better management of patients identified with CKD throughout their patient journey.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance, Chronic kidney disease: Assessment and management [NG203], updated in November 2021, sets out best practice for clinicians in the diagnosis and management of CKD. The guidance covers the care and treatment of patients at risk of CKD. It includes recommendations on the monitoring of patients at risk of CKD and aims to prevent or delay the progression of the disease. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patient (a) experience and (b) voice is reflected in the NHS 10-year plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As the Government works to fix the National Health Service, the public must begin to feel the difference in their daily lives. That is why, as part of the engagement exercise to support the development of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be lots of easy ways for the public to express their views, with face-to-face events in every region, local conversations, and an online portal.
Working with Thinks Insight, integrated care systems, and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, we will seek to reach demographics and communities who may experience barriers to being involved.
This will be the biggest conversation in the NHS’s history. We want to hear from a wide range of individuals, including the experiences of patients, carers, and health and care workers. We have ambitious plans to engage across the country, and want as many people as possible to share their views.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 adequacy of the availability of medication for Parkinson's disease produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Teva Pharmaceuticals supply a range of medicines to treat Parkinson’s disease. We are not aware of any issues with Teva Pharmaceuticals’ supply of these medicines. Teva Pharmaceuticals discontinued amantadine 100 milligram capsules in July 2024, however alternative suppliers remain in stock, and are able to meet patient demand.