Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 tackle the shortage of the drug CREON.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with Creon, which is used by patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis and certain cancers including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues with Creon are impacting countries throughout Europe and have been caused by limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints to produce volumes needed to meet demand. These issues have resulted in knock-on supply disruptions of alternative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy medications. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.
The supplier of Creon has advised that they expect to have regular supplies released each month going forward and are working to increase the quantities released. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules which pharmacists can use to restrict supply to one month at a time to ensure more patients have access to it whilst stock is limited.
We have worked closely with colleagues in NHS England to issue comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues and encourage sharing of local solutions. The guidance provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply and is being kept under review, with updates made as necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 26 September to Question 49591 on Dementia: Health Services, how many civil servants worked on dementia care policy and delivery between 2009 and 2021; and when she plans to announce how many civil servants will work on the delivery of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The information requested on the number of civil servants who worked on dementia care policy and delivery between 2009 and 2021 is not held centrally. We are currently unable to provide the information requested on resources for the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission as plans are under development. The specific number of civil servants working on the Mission will vary over time.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 26 September to Question 49591, how many civil servants were allocated to work on the delivery of the National Dementia Mission between 2009 and 2021; and how many civil servants will be allocated to work on the delivery of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
There was no National Dementia Mission between 2009 and 2021. Resourcing plans for the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission are underway.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants will be allocated to work on the delivery of the National Dementia Mission.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
At this stage, we are currently unable to confirm the specific number of civil servants who will be allocated to work on the delivery of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, announced on 14 August 2022.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to consult with health and social care (a) organisations and (b) charities on the forthcoming NHS England workforce strategy.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We intend to engage with a range of stakeholders in developing this plan, including health and social care organisations and charities where appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's forthcoming reform of the Mental Health Act, if he will make it his policy to (a) ensure that legislative proposals address the concerns of respondents to the public consultation to the Mental Health Act White Paper about how the reforms will serve the needs of children and young people and (b) work closely with stakeholders to test and develop policy proposals concerning children and young people as part of a pre-legislative scrutiny process prior to the introduction of legislative proposals to Parliament.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The Government will publish a draft Mental Health Bill shortly. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill will then be a matter for Parliament.
The Government consulted on the proposals for legislation made by the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018 and through the ‘Reforming the Mental Health Act’ white paper, which received over 1,700 responses. We have also worked with charities to gather the views of people, including children and young people, who were either in inpatient services or had lived experience of the Act. The development of the draft Bill has been informed by these consultations.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 social care staff receive specific Parkinson’s and dementia training.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
We are investing £500 million over the next three years for training and development of social care staff. This will include a sector-wide Knowledge and Skills Framework, building on existing resources such as the Dementia Training Standards Framework. We will provide hundreds of thousands of training places and qualifications for the workforce, including those supporting individuals with Parkinson's and dementia.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 22 September 2021 to Question 49038 on NHS: Coronavirus, what plans he has to make an assessment of the effect on NHS frontline staffing levels of the advice that from 28 weeks all NHS staff who are pregnant should work from home and if that is not possible take sick leave or be suspended on full pay; and if he will remove that provision in response to the ending of shielding guidance.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
There are currently no plans to do so. However, the Department is currently reviewing the guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees’.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on NHS frontline staffing levels of the advice that from 28 weeks all NHS staff who are pregnant should work from home and if that is not possible take sick leave or be suspended on full pay.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Department has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish on a six-monthly basis the additional results achieved by the NHS through expenditure raised by the 1.25 per cent Health and Social Care Levy announced on 7 September 2021.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We will publish the delivery plan for tackling the electives backlog later this year.