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 his Department is taking to help ensure Parkinson's disease patients receive medication on time while in hospital.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
National Health Service providers have worked hard to implement National Institute for Health and Care Excellence CE Quality Standard (QS164), published in February 2018, which recognises the importance of patients getting Parkinson’s disease medicines on time to prevent harmful effects on their health whether they are in a hospital or a care home.
Many hospitals have worked closely with Parkinson’s UK as part of its ‘Get it on time’ campaign, which aims to ensure that clinical staff in both hospitals and care homes understand the importance of timely availability of these medicines.
NHS England and NHS Improvement published further guidance in August 2019, in partnership with charities such as Parkinson’s UK, to help local NHS staff take practical steps to improve the care for patients with progressive neurological conditions. A copy of the guidance can be found at the following link:
We recognise that patients with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions are among the most vulnerable in our society, and all parts of the NHS strive to provide them with the best care possible.
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, whether his Department has made an estimate of the financial effect of the proposed NHS pay increases on voluntary sector hospices.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The proposed Agenda for Change pay framework, which includes contract reform and pay awards over three years, is currently out to consultation with the National Health Service trades unions and the outcome will be known in early June.
We are considering the impact of the agreement on non-NHS organisations such as hospices that may be affected by the proposed deal however no decisions have been made.
Staff in hospices do a fantastic job in delivering world-class care. The Department remains fully committed to improving palliative and end of life care.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure the routine commissioning of cough assist machines in the West Midlands.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning specialised neurological services, which includes services for patients with neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy. NHS England has published a neurosciences specification, which sets out what providers must have in place to offer high quality care and treatment for patients.
The neurosciences service specification describes when patients should be referred to specialist respiratory services and the circumstances in which cough assist devices should be considered. It is available from the NHS England website at this link:
http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf.
A copy of this document has also been attached.
The equipment and respiratory support of cough assist is the commissioning responsibility of clinical commissioning groups, delivered through local specialist respiratory services, according to any local clinical commissioning policy they may have in place.