Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled 'Maternity and neonatal services in East Kent: 'Reading the signals' report', published on 19 October, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report's findings; and what steps he is taking to implement that report's recommendations.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The recommendations made in the East Kent report are being reviewed alongside existing work to improve maternity outcomes. The Government has taken time to consider the findings and recommendations set out within the report, to determine how best to take forward the learning into positive changes within the healthcare system. We will be updating the House on our response within the next few weeks.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill on (a) the transparent use of NHS data and (b) ensuring that NHS data is not used to generate profit.
Answered by Will Quince
‘A plan for digital health and social care’ sets out standards on interoperability and architecture to enable all relevant health and care data to be accessible to those with a legitimate right to do so. In addition, ‘Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data’ states the importance of transparency in building trust and retaining public confidence. These principles are protected within the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.
The United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 2018 set out the conditions which apply to the processing of personal data. The National Health Service does not sell data and does not allow data to be used solely for commercial purposes. All applications for access to data must have a health or care benefit. The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will not amend how this data is treated.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of provisions in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill on giving data controllers discretion to decide when personal data can be classified as anonymous on the privacy of patients with sensitive private health issues; and whether his Department plans to introduce safeguards to ensure that data controllers only reclassify data when it is correct to do so.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 set out the conditions which apply to the processing of personal and special category data, which includes health data. The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will not amend the classification of special category data or remove safeguards.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to increase funding for research into new drugs and treatments for epidermolysis bullosa.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research into rare diseases, such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB), through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rare diseases such as EB. In the last five years, the NIHR has funded two studies into EB with a total award value of £3,022,759. In the last five years, the NIHR has also supported the delivery of over 25 studies relating to EB via its infrastructure.
NHS England is aware that several innovative treatments for EB are in trials or being considered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Should these treatments receive a positive recommendation by NICE, NHS England will ensure that service provision is in place.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his answer of 9 November to Question 61376 on Protective Clothing: Contracts, whether information on ongoing contract disputes relating to faulty PPE delivered during the pandemic is available for the first quarter of 2022/23.
Answered by Will Quince
As of the first quarter of 2022/23, the value of the investigations relating to 176 contracts was revised to £2.7 billion. We will provide further information on progress since Quarter 1 in due course.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 the impact of doctors being called up for jury service on the provision of healthcare.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women (a) have a PIP breast implant, (b) have been informed that that implant poses a health risks, (c) have been offered a PIP breast implant removal and (d) have had a PIP implant removal by the NHS.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
While specific information on the number of women in the United Kingdom currently with PIP breast implants is not held centrally, it is estimated that approximately 47,000 British women received these implants.
In 2010, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published ‘Silicone gel filled breast implants - advice on clinical management of women with implants’ which provided actions for implanting surgeons to identify women with PIP silicone gel filled implants received after 1 January 2001. In 2012, the MHRA published further advice in ‘Silicone gel filled breast implants - updated information on filler’. Women with PIP implants were advised to speak to their doctor to discuss appropriate action. The National Health Service will remove these implants on agreement with their clinician where it is clinically necessary. Guidance for patients is published at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pip-implants/
Data on the number of women contacted by their healthcare professional regarding their implant is not held centrally. The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR) was created in 2016 and shows that 593 patients had undergone surgery to remove a PIP implant. However, it does not record whether this surgery was funded by the NHS.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential health impacts of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to vehicles on Putney residents.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 help prevent suicide among veterans.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Veterans can access bespoke mental health support through Op COURAGE, which provides personalised care plans and access to support and treatment out of hours. Op COURAGE includes the High Intensity Service for veterans in mental health crises, including those at risk of suicide. As of 31 August, Op COURAGE has received over 24,000 referrals.
Additionally, NHS England and the Ministry of Defence have commissioned a review of research by Manchester University on suicide prevention, which will inform further options to prevent suicide among veterans. The study will investigate age-specific rates of suicide in veterans; identify risk factors and characteristics among veterans; and describe trends in suicide rates in veterans. The final report will be submitted in March 2023. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £57 million in suicide prevention by 2023/24, which will support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services, including for veterans.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve (a) manageable caseloads, (b) number of working hours, (c) flexibility in working hours, (d) overtime arrangements and (e) other working conditions for NHS staff.
Answered by Will Quince
Through the NHS People Plan and People Promise, we are improving the National Health Service as a place to work, reinforcing support for staff wellbeing, improving leadership and organisational culture and strengthening opportunities for flexible working, such as e-rostering systems.
The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention. We are committed to delivering an additional 50,000 nurses to ensure a sustainable, long-term workforce supply.
Additionally, the Department is represented on the NHS Staff Council for Agenda for Change and at the Joint Negotiating Committees for medical staff, which are responsible for negotiating any changes to core terms and conditions of employment. The employment offer is continuously under development to ensure that staff are rewarded fairly and the NHS can attract and retain the staff it needs.