Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made on ensuring that (a) patients and (b) families affected by brain aneurysms receive adequate (i) screening, (ii) treatment, (iii) care, (iv) long-term monitoring and (v) rehabilitation.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including services for people with brain aneurysms, as they are best placed to make decisions according to local need. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, including that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Nationally, there are several initiatives that are supporting improvements to neurological services more generally. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Neurology Programme aims to reduce unwarranted variation and improve efficiency across neurological services, through data-driven analysis and best practice sharing. Additionally, NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme is supporting integrated care systems to transform neurology services by promoting integrated care, prevention, and early intervention.
NICE is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or functional neurological disorder. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
NICE has also published the guidance Subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm: diagnosis and management. The guideline focuses on the diagnosis and management of individuals who are suspected of having a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) caused by ruptured aneurysm and includes recommendations on follow-up care and support for patients, their families, and carers.
This guidance also covers familial aneurysms in the context of SAH and recommends that that individuals with two or more first-degree relatives who have had a SAH may be offered screening to detect potential aneurysms. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng228
The Government expects the healthcare system and commissioners to take NICE guidelines fully into account when designing services for their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.
Our 10-year health plan will make the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be prepared for future challenges, from hospital to community care, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. We are committed to expanding community-based access to tests and scans, promoting a more collaborative service delivery, and enhancing the use of apps and wearable technology. These changes will help people manage their long-term conditions, including brain aneurysms, more effectively and closer to their homes. Earlier diagnosis will play a key role in preventing disease progression and improving outcomes.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 brain aneurysms are (a) recognised and (b) dealt with (i) in the NHS ten-year plan and (ii) by his Department.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including services for people with brain aneurysms, as they are best placed to make decisions according to local need. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, including that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Nationally, there are several initiatives that are supporting improvements to neurological services more generally. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Neurology Programme aims to reduce unwarranted variation and improve efficiency across neurological services, through data-driven analysis and best practice sharing. Additionally, NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme is supporting integrated care systems to transform neurology services by promoting integrated care, prevention, and early intervention.
NICE is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or functional neurological disorder. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
NICE has also published the guidance Subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm: diagnosis and management. The guideline focuses on the diagnosis and management of individuals who are suspected of having a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) caused by ruptured aneurysm and includes recommendations on follow-up care and support for patients, their families, and carers.
This guidance also covers familial aneurysms in the context of SAH and recommends that that individuals with two or more first-degree relatives who have had a SAH may be offered screening to detect potential aneurysms. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng228
The Government expects the healthcare system and commissioners to take NICE guidelines fully into account when designing services for their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.
Our 10-year health plan will make the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be prepared for future challenges, from hospital to community care, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. We are committed to expanding community-based access to tests and scans, promoting a more collaborative service delivery, and enhancing the use of apps and wearable technology. These changes will help people manage their long-term conditions, including brain aneurysms, more effectively and closer to their homes. Earlier diagnosis will play a key role in preventing disease progression and improving outcomes.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 ensure that NHS trusts are prepared to deliver new therapies once they enter routine commissioning.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new medicines, and significant licence extensions for existing medicines, should be routinely funded by the NHS in England based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
NHS England takes the necessary action to ensure that the treatments recommended by NICE are available for the services for which it has commissioning responsibility. It has a dedicated team to support the adoption of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) that are recommended by NICE. NHS England works with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely patient access to ATMPs that are on NICE’s technology appraisal and highly specialised technology workplan.
The collaboration platform for the health and care sector in England, Futures NHS, includes information to support NHS organisations in England to plan, implement, and budget for new medicines, once they are recommended by NICE.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 NICE on considering the potential impact of improved carer wellbeing on the economy in its assessments of the effectiveness of treatments for rare diseases.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In making its recommendations on new medicines, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) takes into account all health-related costs and benefits, including health benefits to carers. It does not, however, take into account wider societal or economic considerations. Taking a wider perspective could have unintended consequences such as reducing access to treatments for patients who are disproportionately older, economically inactive, or have greater care needs. NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36
When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when the condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life, and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 NICE on feedback from stakeholders on how the impacts on carers are considered in appraisals for rare and ultra-rare conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In making its recommendations on new medicines, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) takes into account all health-related costs and benefits, including health benefits to carers. It does not, however, take into account wider societal or economic considerations. Taking a wider perspective could have unintended consequences such as reducing access to treatments for patients who are disproportionately older, economically inactive, or have greater care needs. NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36
When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when the condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life, and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to use community pharmacies to support people with (a) asthma and (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to better manage their condition.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The New Medicine Service is an advanced service offered by community pharmacies, providing patients with advice to address any possible side effects, issues, or questions that patients who are prescribed a new medicine may have. The service focuses on treatments for long-term conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Community pharmacies are further funded to support patients with asthma through the Pharmacy Quality Scheme, providing additional support to patients aged between five and 15 years old using a spacer, and patients using short-acting bronchodilators.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 ensure that carers in the adult social care sector (a) are adequately trained for the range of tasks they undertake, (b) spend the requisite amount of time with each client and (c) adhere to guidance relating to time sensitive medicines.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to a well-supported adult social care workforce who are recognised as the professionals they are. We have expanded the Care Workforce Pathway and are continuing to fund the Learning Development Support Scheme to help care workers build their skills and careers in care. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year. Medication handling and administration are among the topics covered by the list of over 200 training courses and qualifications eligible for funding.
In addition, the sector is being supported to move from analogue to digital, through our digital skills offer. With the necessary skills, capability, and confidence, carers can adopt technologies such as Digital Social Care Records, which have been shown to release at least 20 minutes per care worker, per shift, to give staff more time interacting with people.
The Care Quality Commission monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. As per Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 reduce waiting times for ambulances in the East Midlands.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.
As a first step, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure that ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter, sent to all integrated care boards, including those in the East Midlands, is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to introduce a licensing scheme under the Health and Care Act 2022 for people administering botox and lip fillers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector. The Government will set out its position at the earliest opportunity.