Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of HPV vaccine uptake in different local authorities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage is presented for England at national, National Health Service commissioning region, and local authority levels. HPV vaccine uptake is known to vary by local authority, and assessments of trends by locality are ongoing.
Vaccine coverage data for the routine school-aged HPV immunisation programme in England, including for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#hpv-vaccine-uptake
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 potential merits of a national register of defibrillators.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Circuit is the independently operated national automated external defibrillator databased, developed by a partnership of the British Heart Foundation, the National Health Service, the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Circuit provides a national database of where defibrillators can be found so that ambulance services can quickly identify the nearest defibrillator.
There are now over 100,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit. There are no plans to establish a separate national register.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase funding for Parkinson's nurses.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across the National Health Service in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with Parkinson’s can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.
We do, however, acknowledge significant neurology workforce challenges, including a need for more neurologists and specialist nurses, and we are taking significant steps to address NHS workforce challenges.
This summer, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and treat patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease, on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
We have also launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and improve care for people with long-term conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to make it more accessible, proactive and tailored for patients.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 improve (a) access to training and (b) the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are various local schemes to support refugee health and care staff into National Health Service employment. The training and integration of refugee doctors into the NHS, including those from Ukraine, is managed at a local level by NHS employers according to local requirements.
It is our ambition that all Ukrainian refugees who are healthcare professionals in their home country and who meet the standards required in the United Kingdom are able to achieve registration efficiently and use their skills within our NHS.
A page has been published on the GOV.UK website specifically for Ukrainian refugees which aims to provide an overview of the processes required by specific healthcare professional regulators, and which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-in-healthcare-in-the-uk-homes-for-ukraine
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors in the UK. The GMC has introduced a number of measures to support applications from refugees. Information about these measures is available at the following link:
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 require standardised information about the inclusion of genetically engineered food ingredients to be clearly marked on food packaging for consumers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Existing labelling rules for genetically modified organisms (GMO) stipulate that foods sold in Britain that contain GMO ingredients must be labelled with this information. This labelling gives consumers the choice on whether to consume such foods containing, or consisting of, GMO ingredients, and the choice to avoid such foods, should they wish to do so. In the case of food sold loose, or where food has been cooked in a GMO product, for instance cooking oil, this information must appear on a notice, menu, ticket, or label which can be easily read by customers.
Information about any characteristic or property which renders a food consisting of or containing genetic modifications different from its conventional counterpart, such as its composition, nutritional value, the intended use of the food or feed, or any health implications for certain sections of the population, must also be included.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prioritise (a) lung and (b) respiratory health in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county.
More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help people manage their conditions, prevent deterioration and improve survival rates.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 increase the availability of ear wax removals in primary care settings in Melksham and Devizes constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of services for ear wax removal. When ICBs exercise their functions, including commissioning healthcare services such as ear wax removal, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.
Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so general practitioners (GPs) will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.
However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP could then consider referring the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 further research into rare diseases.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds rare disease research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 17 NIHR Biomedical Research Centres support research into rare diseases and the NIHR is working in partnership with the Medical Research Council to co-fund a UK Rare Disease Research Platform which brings together research teams across the United Kingdom with patients, stakeholders and technologies to deliver rare disease research with greater impact.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will allow UK oncologists to test for genetic weaknesses by carrying out Whole Genomic Sequencing.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 clinical indications of cancer. Testing can be delivered using a range of technologies, including whole genome sequencing (WGS) or Next Generation Sequencing technology, large cancer gene panels, to ensure that a patient receives the most appropriate genomic testing depending on their individual circumstances.
The National Genomic Test Directory sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used. For most cancers, the National Genomic Test Directory outlines that large gene panels inclusive of targets for treatments should be offered as the first line option. WGS can then be offered to any cancer patient that requires it to determine their next stage of treatment.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
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 potential of targeted mutation treatments through genetic treatment for rare cancers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improvements in genomic capabilities have accelerated the development of new precision medicines which can target genomic mutations, including for rare cancers. To help make precision medicines available to patients, the National Health Service has supported access to clinical trials, where the eligibility is based on genomic variants. They also support the adoption and spread of innovative medicines through an innovative genomic testing service and commercial medicines framework.
In October 2022, NHS England published the first NHS Genomics Strategy, Accelerating Genomic Medicine in the NHS, which outlines the vision for embedding genomics in the NHS over the next five years. The strategy includes a commitment to work with partners, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to identify and prepare for the rapid introduction of companion diagnostic genomic testing. This is critical to ensuring easy access to innovative precision medicines and technologies. Further information on Accelerating Genomic Medicine in the NHS is available at the following link:
Additionally, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, including genetic treatments.