Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting lists.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are committed to expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health care through the NHS Long Term Plan so more people, including children and young people, can be supported more quickly. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the NHS Long Term Plan. Nationally, overall spend on children and young people’s mental health services has increased from £841 million in 2019/20 to just over £1 billion in 2022/23. In the year to December 2023, over 750,000 children and young people aged under 18 years old were supported through NHS funded mental health services, a 31% increase since March 2021.
We are rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges in England, and as of May 2023, these teams cover 3.4 million pupils in England, or the equivalent to 35% of pupils. We expect this to increase to 44% by spring 2024, and we are extending coverage to 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025. We are also providing £8 million to fund 24 early support hubs across the country. This will improve access for children and young people to vital mental health support in the community, offering early interventions to improve wellbeing before their condition escalates further.
In addition, the NHS is working towards implementing five new waiting time standards for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident and emergency and in the community, to ensure timely access to the most appropriate, high-quality support. Four of these include children and young people.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase access to NHS assessments for Autism Spectrum Conditions for children.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St Ives on 22 March 2024, to Question 18917.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the results of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association survey on preparedness of pharmacists for Pharmacy First, published on 15 January 2024.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over 93% of community pharmacy contractors have signed up to deliver Pharmacy First when it launches on 31 January 2024.
A set-up fee will be paid to contractors that have signed up to recognise that they must ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy staff providing the service are competent to do so, which may involve training. Pharmacists and their teams will also need to familiarise themselves with the service specification, patient group directions and patient pathways, which have all been published. The fee structure that has been agreed with Community Pharmacy England recognises that both pharmacy teams and the public will build confidence in delivering and using the service over time.
In addition, Community Pharmacy England has developed a checklist and a range of support materials for both pharmacy owners and pharmacists, including locums, to help them get ready for the service. Contractors are supported by additional resources provided by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education to ensure participating pharmacists are clinically competent to deliver these services safely.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure training of pharmacy staff for implementation of the Pharmacy First Service.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over 93% of community pharmacy contractors have signed up to deliver Pharmacy First when it launches on 31 January 2024.
A set-up fee will be paid to contractors that have signed up to recognise that they must ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy staff providing the service are competent to do so, which may involve training. Pharmacists and their teams will also need to familiarise themselves with the service specification, patient group directions and patient pathways, which have all been published. The fee structure that has been agreed with Community Pharmacy England recognises that both pharmacy teams and the public will build confidence in delivering and using the service over time.
In addition, Community Pharmacy England has developed a checklist and a range of support materials for both pharmacy owners and pharmacists, including locums, to help them get ready for the service. Contractors are supported by additional resources provided by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education to ensure participating pharmacists are clinically competent to deliver these services safely.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the General Medical Council on the provision of mental health support for patients who have sought a private diagnosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had any discussions with the General Medical Council (GMC) on the provision of mental health support for patients who have sought a private diagnosis. The GMC is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom, which sets and enforces the standards all doctors must adhere to.
To work in the UK, all doctors, including private doctors, must register with the General Medical Council (GMC), hold a licence to practise and meet the expected standards set out in the GMC’s guidance, Good medical practice. The guidance states that doctors must check that the care or treatment they provide for each patient is compatible with any other treatments the patient is receiving.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the publication by the British Medical Association entitled BMA position statement on physician associates and anaesthesia associates, published on 18 September 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department shares the British Medical Association’s view that all healthcare professionals must introduce themselves and explain their role to patients. This includes physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). There are no plans to change the title of either role.
The Department is clear that PAs and AAs are not doctors. The role of medical associates is to work with and support doctors, not to replace them.
Regulation will give the General Medical Council responsibility and oversight of doctors, PAs and AAs, allowing it to take a holistic approach to the education, training and standards of the roles. This will enable a more co-ordinated approach to regulation and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and doctors.
Regulation and growth of these roles will support plans to reduce pressure on frontline services and improve access for patients. As part of the work to deliver the Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England continues to work with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North 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 announcement on 26 June 2023, of a national lung screening programme, what proportion of the eligible population for targeted lung screening is already covered by the NHS targeted lung health check programme; by what date she plans to reach all the eligible population in Yorkshire; how the order of the programme rollout across England will be decided; and whether smoking cessation will be offered as an opt-out, integrated service in all lung screening appointments.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Targeted Lung Health Checks currently reach approximately 15% of the eligible population. The programme will be fully rolled out by 2028. Within that time frame the pace of roll out is designed at a local level by the cancer alliances. Smoking cessation will be an integral part of the programme as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and set out by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to encourage NHS Trusts to offer clinical staff the opportunity to work on research trials.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery (2021) sets out our commitment to create a research positive culture across the National Health Service and to a develop a sustainable and supported research workforce, offering rewarding opportunities and exciting careers for all healthcare and research staff of all professional backgrounds.
Funding provided through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure sustains a critical mass of people who are actively involved in conducting and delivering research in the NHS and other health and care settings. This enables clinicians and other health professionals working in the NHS to undertake research, by funding posts or reimbursing NHS trusts for the time their staff are engaged in research. In addition, via the NIHR Clinical Research Network, the NIHR funds front-line research delivery staff who work throughout the NHS and other health and care research settings.
In August 2023, NIHR also announced £30 million additional funding to support health and care professionals (HCPs) to include research in their careers and help them develop as highly skilled researchers and research leaders. The additional funding will strengthen and expand existing opportunities and introduce new initiatives. This will include new NIHR Regional Research Leadership offices to promote and coordinate research opportunities for HCPs at a regional level.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North 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 the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on the level of the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access tax rebate.
Answered by Will Quince
I met with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and other relevant trade associations in advance of negotiations for the successor to the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access starting on 4 May 2023.
Negotiations are being overseen by Sir Hugh Taylor who brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise. Government is seeking a deal that meets the three agreed objectives of supporting patient access to: innovative medicines; ensuring the affordability of National Health Service spend on medicines and; supporting the life sciences sector and the wider economy.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 alleviate ADHD diagnosis waiting times.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
NICE guidelines for ADHD diagnosis and management aim to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support people receive. The NICE guidelines do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD to receiving an assessment or a diagnosis. The Department is looking into options for improving data collection and reporting on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guidelines.
We know that children and young people often seek an ADHD diagnosis through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The NHS Long Term Plan commits an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England by March 2024.