Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any requirement for NHS Trusts and Health Boards to collate data on how many (1) junior doctor, (2) consultant, and (3) nurse shifts go unfilled; and if so, to whom any such information is reported.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
National Health Service trusts are not required to report unfilled shifts for any staff group across the system in England.
The requirement to collate such data by Health Boards is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure access by nurses to continuing professional development.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department recognises the importance of supporting employers in their responsibility for the development of the current workforce, which includes making available opportunities for nurses to meet the continuing professional development standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Building on the recommendations made by the Health and Social Care Select Committee in its Nursing Workforce Inquiry, the Department is working with Health Education England, NHS Improvement and NHS England to consider the approach to and funding of continuing professional development.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of community prescriptions for mental health conditions were issued to people (1) who were entitled to free NHS prescriptions, and (2) who had certificates that entitle them to free NHS prescriptions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, and (c) 2017.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
We do not hold this data. Prescription forms do not include a clinical indication, therefore it is not possible to identify prescription items dispensed to treat mental health conditions.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many community prescriptions for mental health conditions were paid for by patients via prescription charges, and (2) what was the percentage of prescriptions for mental health conditions of overall community prescriptions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, and (c) 2017.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
We do not hold this data. Prescription forms do not include a clinical indication, therefore it is not possible to identify prescription items dispensed to treat mental health conditions.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of expanding the prescription charge exempt illnesses list to include mental health conditions.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
No such estimate has been made.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the financial cost to (1) the economy, and (2) the Exchequer, of people with mental health conditions who do not take their prescribed medication.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has made no assessment of the financial cost to the public purse and the economy of people with mental illness who do not take their prescribed medication.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the heart age test on the NHS website.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Heart Age Test offers advice on lifestyle changes that help reduce people’s risk of heart attack and stroke and which can improve overall health and wellbeing, and has strong clinical and academic support.
As of September 2018, the Heart Age Test had been completed over 1.9 million times. In 2016, a British Medical Journal open paper was published, which analysed the first 500,000 test completions. The paper noted that estimated heart age was higher than chronological age for 79% of users and that demographic and risk factor profiles resembled the population of England.
Public Health England is currently leading an evaluation of the September 2018 Heart Age Test campaign. The evaluation will assess reach and recognition of the campaign as well as the extent to which the campaign acted as a prompt to use the Heart Age Test.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to those under 40 years old about blood pressure and cholesterol tests.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Health care professionals can provide an individual assessment in relation to blood pressure and cholesterol for those under 40, where, for instance, there is a strong family history of premature cardiovascular disease or a suspicion of familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited form of high cholesterol where cholesterol is doubled or more from birth.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact the closure of the nursing policy unit had on nursing vacancies between 2016 and 2018.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that over-the-counter medicines will be available from local pharmacies and other retail outlets in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
On 23 August 2018 the Department published an open letter online to all pharmaceutical companies asking them to ensure that United Kingdom stockpiles of medicines are appropriate to cope with potential delays at the border that may arise in the event of a no-deal Brexit. A copy of the letter is attached.
At the same time the Department also wrote to pharmaceutical companies that supply the UK with prescription-only-medicines and pharmacy medicines from, or via, the European Union/European Economic Area (EEA), asking them to ensure they have a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply in the UK, over and above their business as usual operational buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019. The Department also asked those suppliers to indicate how they propose to ensure continuity of supply of their products to the National Health Service as part of the Department’s contingency programme. We are unable to provide the names of these companies as this information is commercially sensitive.
General sales list (over-the-counter) medicines were not included in the Department’s request to suppliers to indicate their contingency plans to us, and therefore are not currently formally part of our contingency programme. We have, however, encouraged all medicines suppliers to the UK with a EU/EEA touchpoint to stockpile or make alternative arrangements and are confident that this is the best approach to ensure supply at pharmacies and retail outlets in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The Department also wrote to hospitals, general practitioners and community pharmacies informing them that they do not need to take any steps to stockpile additional medicines, beyond their business as usual stock levels, as this is not necessary due to our contingency plans in partnership with pharmaceutical companies.
We are not currently aware of any healthcare providers or other health care organisations acquiring medicines in volumes that would qualify as stockpiling but we will work with NHS colleagues to closely monitor and follow up any incidences of over ordering of medicines.
The Department has worked collaboratively with the devolved administrations to ensure a UK-wide approach to our contingency plans which includes the supply of medicines to the devolved nations. Officials from the devolved administrations are members of a cross-Government working group and were informed of our 23 August announcements in advance.