Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long-Term Plan, what steps he plans to take to deliver a ten-fold increase in the proportion of patients who receive thrombectomy procedure after stroke so that all eligible patients have access to that treatment by 2022.
Answered by Steve Brine
The National Health Service will publish an implementation framework for the Long Term Plan in the spring.
Since June 2018, NHS England has been working closely with the Stroke Association to develop a national stroke programme to be delivered within the timescale of the Long Term Plan.
A stroke programme delivery board will be established in April 2019 to oversee development of the stroke plan as part of the governance arrangements for the cardiovascular disease-respiratory programme.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how Health Education England plans to increase the number of stroke specialists trained to deliver thrombectomy.
Answered by Steve Brine
Health Education England is working with the Royal College of Radiology and other partners to increase the number of specialists trained to deliver thrombectomy by modernising the stroke workforce with a focus on cross-specialty and in some cases cross-profession accreditation of relevant competencies.
This includes work with the medical Royal Colleges and specialty societies to develop a new credentialing programme for hospital consultants from a variety of relevant disciplines who will be trained to offer mechanical thrombectomy. The details of this credentialing programme are being finalised and the programme is planned to start later this year.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include asthma in the list of conditions which are exempt from the payment of prescription charges.
Answered by Steve Brine
Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. The Department has no current plans to amend these exemptions, including the list of medical conditions that provides exemption from prescription charges.
People on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme.
To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect on people's health of prescription charges for asthma medicines.
Answered by Steve Brine
Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. The Department has no current plans to amend these exemptions, including the list of medical conditions that provides exemption from prescription charges.
People on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme.
To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reassess the requirements established by the European Medicines Agency guidelines implementing EU Directive 2001/83/EC on Medicinal Products for Human Use which specify that two species of mammal, one a non-rodent, must be used in repeated dose toxicity tests with a view to reviewing the use of dogs in such testing.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The requirement to use two mammalian species (one a non-rodent) in repeated dose toxicity is part of the International Conference on Harmonisation guideline on ‘Non-Clinical Safety Studies for the Conduct of Human Clinical Trials and Marketing Authorisation for Pharmaceuticals’, ICH M3(R2). The overall objective of this internationally agreed guideline is the promotion of safe and ethical development of new pharmaceuticals while reducing the use of animals in accordance with the 3R principles (reduce/refine/replace).
There are no plans to reassess this requirement at present. The requirement is an integral part of a stepwise process involving an evaluation of both the animal and human safety information. The goals of the nonclinical safety evaluation generally include a characterisation of toxic effects with respect to target organs, dose dependence, relationship to exposure, and when appropriate, potential reversibility. Choice of species for nonclinical investigations are made based on scientific and ethical considerations. This information is important for how to test a candidate medicinal product in human trials, specifically for the estimation of an initial safe starting dose and dose range. The United Kingdom’s National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research continues to research the utility of using dogs in such investigations.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
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 the effect of the implementation of the new NICE Quality Standard on Spondyloarthritis, QS170 on the time taken for the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
No assessment has been made.
On 28 June 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a new Quality Standard (QS) on spondyloarthritis. The QS includes four quality statements identified as the markers of high quality spondyloarthritis care. The first statement sets out that “Adults with suspected axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis are referred to a rheumatologist.” The standard advises that this may be monitored through local data collection, such as audit of patient records.
QSs are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners and providers what a high quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE QSs in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
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 put the UK in the top quartile of comparator countries for the speed of adoption of innovative new medicines.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy (LSIS) set out a vision of being a world-leader in developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve patient outcomes and included a strategic ambition for the UK to be in the top quartile of comparator countries for speed of adoption. The Government welcomes the LSIS and supports the ambition to improve uptake. However, simple comparisons of uptake of medicines between different countries with different health systems are very difficult and may not be the most appropriate measure of success. As part of implementing the sector deal, the LSIS Implementation Board will agree a set of success metrics.
To deliver against the ambition in the LSIS, the response to the Accelerated Access Review, published last year, set out a series of actions the Government and the National Health Service are taking to increase the rate of uptake of innovative products. We have brought together the key Government, NHS and industry partners through the newly formed Accelerated Access Collaborative, who will oversee the Accelerated Access Pathway, to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough products that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The response also committed to £86 million of support, including £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through a greater role for the Academic Health and Science Networks and £6 million to help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice, through the Pathway Transformation Fund. These build on our existing schemes to encourage quicker patient access such as Early Access to Medicines Scheme and the Innovation Technology Tariff. Additionally, the Innovation Scorecard tracks the uptake of cost-effective new medicines approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
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 improve the uptake of innovative new medicines in the UK.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy set out a vision of being a world-leader in developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve life of United Kingdom patient’s outcomes. It highlighted the importance of evolving and simplifying the access system for new medicines by implementing, and building on, the findings of the Accelerated Access Review.
The response to the Accelerated Access Review, published last year, set out a series of actions the Government and the National Health Service are taking to increase the rate of uptake of innovative products. We have brought together the key Government, NHS and industry partners through the newly formed Accelerated Access Collaborative, which oversees the Accelerated Access Pathway, to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough products that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The response also committed to £86 million of support, including £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through a greater role for the Academic Health and Science Networks and £6 million to help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice through the Pathway Transformation Fund. These build on our existing schemes to encourage quicker patient access such as the Early Access to Medicines Scheme and the Innovation Technology Tariff. Additionally, the Innovation Scorecard tracks the uptake of cost-effective new medicines approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has estimated the potential savings to the public purse annually from providing patients with timely nutritional care; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
No estimate has been made centrally of the potential annual savings to the public purse from providing patients with timely nutritional care.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards below which care must not fall, including meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of users. The regulations, which are considered during Care Quality Commission inspections, specify that people who use services must have their nutritional needs assessed and mean that the risk of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment is reduced.
To help tackle malnutrition in acute and community settings, NHS England published guidance on ‘Commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ in October 2015. The implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local National Health Service. The guidance is available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/nut-hyd/
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths associated with malnutrition.
Answered by Steve Brine
No estimate has been made centrally of the potential annual savings to the public purse from providing patients with timely nutritional care.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards below which care must not fall, including meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of users. The regulations, which are considered during Care Quality Commission inspections, specify that people who use services must have their nutritional needs assessed and mean that the risk of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment is reduced.
To help tackle malnutrition in acute and community settings, NHS England published guidance on ‘Commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ in October 2015. The implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local National Health Service. The guidance is available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/nut-hyd/