Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of patients who (a) have had polio and (b) have post-polio syndrome in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department does not hold data on the number of patients who have had polio or post-polio syndrome. However, the Department does hold data on the number of admissions to hospital, where polio or post-polio syndrome was recorded as a diagnosis, from 2018 to 2023:
- in 2018/19, there were 176 admissions to National Health Service hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 797 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;
- in 2019/20, there were 187 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 813 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;
- in 2020/21, there were 107 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 522 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;
- in 2021/22, there were 115 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 630 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis; and
- in 2022/23, there were 104 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 632 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis.
It is important to note that the number of admissions does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. It is estimated that there are approximately 120,000 people living in the United Kingdom who survived polio when they were younger. Some of these have, or will develop, post-polio syndrome.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the Government has made available for research into paediatric brain tumours in each of the last five years.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce, and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was over £101 million in 2021/22.
The Government is committed to funding high-quality brain cancer research. In May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the NIHR. This includes research into paediatric brain tumours.
The £40 million funding will remain available; if we can spend more on the best quality science, we will do. The level of funding for brain tumour research depends on funding applications received. It is worth noting that all applications to NIHR that have been assessed as “fundable” in open competition have been funded and this will continue.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
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 ensuring all producers of products registered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency publish (a) net prices, (b) financial and other contributions to their research and development, (c) patent status, (d) licensing agreements and (e) a summary of contractual access conditions.
Answered by Will Quince
The MHRA is an independent regulator responsible for granting marketing authorisation to a product following a thorough review of an application submitted by its producer. There is no requirement for producers of these products registered by the MHRA to declare the information referenced, as this information is both commercially sensitive and not required for the MHRA to make an assessment of an application for marketing authorisation.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government supports provisions in the proposed international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response on (a) public interest conditions on public research &and development funding, b() price transparency and (c) tech transfer of end products.
Answered by Will Quince
As negotiations on the pandemic instrument are live and in their early stages, we cannot comment on the details of the United Kingdom’s negotiating position. Driving access to safe, affordable essential medical countermeasures is a key priority for the UK in these negotiations, as is ensuring that measures incentivise innovation to strengthen research and development. Officials are working with international partners and non-state actors to ensure the instrument improves access to vaccines, drugs and tests, while also supporting the life sciences sector.
We have also been clear that the UK will not sign up to a pandemic instrument or any instrument that would compromise the UK’s ability to make domestic decisions on national measures concerning public health policy.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of prescribing medicinal cannabis on the NHS.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Licenced cannabis-based medicines are routinely prescribed and funded on the NHS. However, the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines (written in 2019), demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
We are working with regulatory, research and NHS partners to establish clinical trials to prove products safe and effective. We need the cannabis industry to come forward and work with us on this.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
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 reduce the number of (a) maternal and (b) perinatal deaths for women and children from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
On 6 September 2021, NHS England published ‘Equity and equality: Guidance for local maternity systems’, which focuses on actions to reduce disparities in health outcomes for women and babies. Local Maternity Systems have been asked to plan interventions to improve equity for mothers and babies, which will benefit inclusion groups such as migrants and refugees. The guidance asks Local Maternity Systems to ensure equity in access, experience and health outcomes and address the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity for babies from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and those living in the most deprived areas. NHS England has provided £6.8 million to support Local Maternity Systems to implement these plans.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ guidance ‘Language Interpreting and Translation: Migrant Health Guide’ gives advice on health needs of migrant patients for healthcare practitioners. The guidance states it is the responsibility of NHS service providers to ensure interpreting and translation services are made available to patients free at the point of delivery. Healthcare employers should advise staff on the arrangements for local interpretation services.
Asked by: Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts dated 10 December 2021, 20 December 2021, 11 January 2022, 8 February 2022 and 3 March 2022 on developing a four-nation approach to improving research and funding into childhood cancer.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We replied to the hon. Member on 22 March 2022.