Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish details of the grants provided to Health and Care Professions Council; and whether it is his Department's policy that grants can be made to individuals registering with Health and Care Professions Council.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Department has not awarded grant funding to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). In 2018, the Department for Education agreed grant funding for the HCPC to support the transfer of regulatory functions for social workers in England from the HCPC to Social Work England. A total of £3.3 million was paid in 2018/19 and 2019/20. The Department does not have legal powers to award grant funding to individuals registering with the HCPC.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of the annual funding for the NHS is allocated to cover the costs associated with negligent medical treatment.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The total cost of clinical negligence claims in England managed by NHS Resolution in 2020/21 was £2.2 billion, which represents approximately 1.5% of the National Health Service resource budget.
In January 2022, the Department published a consultation on the introduction of fixed recoverable costs for lower value clinical negligence claims. The proposals aim to address high legal costs and streamline the claims-handling process. The consultation closes on 24 April 2022.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of how medical waste created by the covid-19 vaccine rollout will be disposed of.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Medical waste is being disposed of in line with local clinical waste disposal arrangements. Through Local Resilience Forums, health and care leaders with managers of vaccine sites and other vaccines delivery facilities are working collaboratively with local authorities to ensure there is sufficient capacity for this essential function. All staff involved in vaccinating patients in all types of vaccination facility are fully trained in the vaccination process including the disposal of medical waste.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
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 raise awareness of Mongolian Blue Spot among healthcare professionals.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Slate-grey naevi are a benign skin condition present from birth, which are most common on babies with darker skin. They can be mistaken for bruising but do not require treatment, will usually disappear by the age of four years old and are not a sign of a health condition.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical knowledge summary on bruising, last revised in 2016, contains guidance for healthcare professionals, in the diagnosis of bruising. It contains recommendations that they also consider other skin conditions that could be mistaken for bruising, including Slate-grey naevi. Healthcare professionals should make diagnostic decisions in line with this guidance. The guidance is available at the following link:
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/bruising/
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
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 potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on the emotional abuse of clients by their therapists.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government is committed to a proportionate system of safeguards for the professionals who work in the health and care system. The Government considered introducing statutory regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists in 2012 but concluded that this was not proportionate to the risks to patients and the public, opting instead for a system of accredited voluntary registration by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) for health and social care.
The PSA currently accredits 10 voluntary registers relating to therapists which can be used by service users to choose a practitioner to meet their needs and be assured they are safe, trustworthy and competent to practise.