Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of methylphenidate prolonged-release capsules and tablets, lisdexamfetamine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets, issued on 27 September 2023, alert reference NatPSA/2023/011/DHSC, what progress she has made on tackling supply disruptions affecting Xaggitin XL 18 and 36 mg prolonged-release tablets.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.
The National Patient Safety Alert to the National Health Service advises healthcare professionals on the management of patients during this time. We have well-established processes for managing and mitigating medicine supply issues, which involve working with the pharmaceutical industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, the devolved governments and others operating in the supply chain to help ensure patients have access to the treatments they need.
The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, including Xaggitin XL 18 and 36 milligrams, which are expected to resolve in early 2024.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
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 adequacy of the availability and supply of Canesten HC cream.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department is aware of a supply issue with Canesten HC cream. The manufacturer has advised that stock should be available from wholesalers in mid June. Alternative treatments remain available and patients should talk to their clinician to discuss treatment options.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department uses automated decision making.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department does not use or deploy automated decision making on its staff or patients in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2023 to Question 122493 on Hyperactivity: Drugs, whether he has had recent discussions with pharmaceutical suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets on supply issues; and estimate he has made of when supply will improve.
Answered by Will Quince
We are aware of supply issues affecting two brands of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We continue to work with the respective manufactures to ensure these issues are resolved quickly. We expect the affected products to be available in early February and April 2022. Other methylphenidate prolonged-release tablet brands and preparations remain available as well as alternative attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication.
Communications were issued to the National Health Service including all general practitioners and community pharmacists in May 2022, advising on available alternative brands and how to manage affected patients during this time.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
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 adequacy of the availability and supply of ADHD medications.
Answered by Will Quince
We are aware of supply issues affecting one medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), methylphenidate prolonged-release. Other prolonged-release preparations remain available as well as other ADHD medication. Communications were issued to the National Health Service including all general practitioners and community pharmacists in May 2022, advising on available alternatives and how to manage affected patients during this time.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the availability of mental health services for women and girls who experience domestic and sexual violence.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We continue to work with colleagues across government on this issue. The NHS Long Term Plan commits an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services in England by 2023/24 to allow a further two million people, including victims of domestic and sexual violence, to access National Health Service-funded mental health support.
NHS England commissions 48 sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The Department is working with NHS England to support the integration of SARC services within the local sexual assault and abuse care pathway to ensure that the needs of survivors of sexual exploitation are addressed. We are also working with the Home Office, which is investing up to £7.5 million over three years to implement domestic abuse interventions in healthcare settings in England.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 24 February, (b) 7 April and (c) 28 April 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11390.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 27 May 2022.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding in the National Child Measurement Programme for England in the 2020-21 school year that children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be obese than those living in the least deprived areas, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of her Department's policies on child obesity.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are delivering a programme to create a healthier environment to help children and adults achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Over £4.4 million was allocated to 11 local authorities to deliver child and family weight management services, for children identified as overweight or living with obesity through the National Child Measurement Programme.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to promote access to support for the cost of travel to hospital by claiming pension credit.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department has no plans to do so, as claims for pension credit are made through the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department’s regulations include some travel to hospital costs.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
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 promote access to free dental treatment through claiming pension credit.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Information on exemption from dental patient charges is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/
National Health Service (NHS) dental contractors in England are contractually required to display a poster in their practice that sets out the charges associated with, and exemptions from, NHS dental treatment. This includes those receiving the Guarantee Credit element of pension credit or their partners. Practices are also provided with leaflets providing more detail on NHS dental charges and payment exemptions.
The NHS Business Services Authority also promote access to support for the cost of NHS dentistry through their Help With Health Costs Facebook page and Twitter account, in addition to a dedicated helpline.
Further information, including an online tool to check if a patient is exempt from NHS charges, is available at the following link:
https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-my-nhs-exemption/start