Asked by: David Burton-Sampson (Labour - Southend West and Leigh)
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 stigma associated with migraine in workplaces and wider society.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that migraine is a serious neurological condition and that poor access to care and services can be exacerbated by stigma among healthcare professionals around the condition, while some employers may also not fully understand the condition and its impact on employees too. We are committed to ensuring that people suffering from migraines are supported effectively.
Comprehensive information on migraine, including symptoms and treatment options, is available on the National Health Service website. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published clinical guidance, Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults, which sets out evidence based best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment and support of people who suffer from migraines.
We expect integrated care boards to have regard to NHS England’s RightCare Headache and Migraines Toolkit, which aims to improve the diagnosis and management of headache disorders in primary and community care settings.
The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10 Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with migraines, to better manage their conditions and access services closer to home. Shifting care to community-based Neighbourhood Centres, expanding the role of pharmacy, the expansion of care plans, and the use of digital tools to help patients manage their condition and understand their attack patterns, will all provide for earlier, more consistent, and more accessible care for people with migraine.
The Government offers tailored guidance to employers on supporting disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace, through its Support with Employee Health and Disability Service. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disabilities, plus guidance on legal obligations and making reasonable adjustments.
Asked by: David Burton-Sampson (Labour - Southend West and Leigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration his Department has given to moving more migraine treatment into community settings.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with migraines, to better manage their conditions and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.
In addition, by 2028/29, neighbourhood health teams will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings, with multi-disciplinary teams which can provide wrap-around support services.
By 2030, one million patients with long-term conditions will be offered Personal Health Budgets, which will enable them to use National Health Service resources and determine the care that best suits their needs.
Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support. The NHS App will provide access to advice, guidance, self-care support, and appointment management. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need.
As part of the NHS App, the My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place.
Asked by: David Burton-Sampson (Labour - Southend West and Leigh)
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 (a) encourage the uptake and (a) increase the availability of lung cancer screenings.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To encourage uptake of lung screening, we are directly targeting activity at areas that we know will make a difference. This includes awareness campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms, including lung cancer, and encourage people to get checked.
Latest data shows early diagnosis for lung cancer is eight percentage points higher than pre-pandemic. This improvement has largely been driven by roll out of Lung Cancer Screening Programme. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is a national screening programme in the National Health Service designed to identify cancers at an earlier stage and has led to over 3,000 more lung cancers being diagnosed at an earlier stage. When fully rolled out, the Lung Cancer Screening Programme will detect around 9,000 cancers earlier each year and support the NHS Long Term plan to detect more cancers earlier.