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 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the prescription of Fampridine as a treatment for MS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers and departmental officials have regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on a range of issues, including in relation to its guidelines.

NICE’s guideline on the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis in adults, published in June 2022, recommends that fampridine should not be offered to treat mobility issues in people with multiple sclerosis as it is not found to be a cost-effective treatment.

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 introducing standardised charges for (a) non-core GP services and (b) the D4 medical check for drivers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are some medical evidence letters, certificates, or reports that general practices (GPs) may charge for, and other certificates that they must not charge patients for. The legislation that sets this out is the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations, which forms the basis of the GP Contract with the National Health Service. The D4 medical checks are considered private work.

The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association suggests guideline fees for such services to help doctors set their own fees, and in some instances, have agreed standardised fees directly with organisations for some public services. For GPs setting their own fees, we would expect practices to charge a reasonable sum for any workload involved, and to forewarn patients at the earliest opportunity.

The Government is intent on reducing the burden of administrative tasks and unnecessary bureaucracy. This includes encouraging the use of alternative evidence where medical evidence is not part of the GP Contract, and this may include hospital discharge letters, previous reports, or prescriptions, as in many cases these will be accepted as evidence.

The Government and NHS England have launched a Red Tape Challenge to cut down on bureaucracy, to free up time to spend with patients. The 10-Year Health Plan set outs our commitment to deliver the recommendations of the Red Tape Challenge, which includes ensuring that GPs can spend less time filling in forms and more time caring for patients.

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 help ensure that essential home adaptations required for hospital discharge are (a) supported and (b) delivered in a timely manner.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The statutory ‘Hospital discharge and community support guidance’ outlines that health and care systems and providers should collaborate to share information early to support a safe and timely discharge, minimise issues that may disrupt care provision, and ensure necessary home adaptations and equipment are considered, while also requiring local authorities to engage housing services to provide support and advice where needed.

In January, we published a new policy framework for the Better Care Fund, which requires local areas to agree joint plans, developed in collaboration with local housing authorities, that achieve more timely and effective hospital discharge.

Housing adaptations, including those delivered through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) play a key role in supporting these objectives by funding changes that help people remain well, safe, and independent at home for longer. We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the DFG, which could provide around 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Alongside this, local authorities have a statutory duty under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure provision of community equipment and disability aids in order to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area, which help support independent living at home. This facilitates safe discharge into the community from hospital and prevents avoidable admissions into acute services, such as hospitals or care homes.

Found: Baker Lincoln Jopp Emma Lewell-Buck Jesse Norman Mike Martin Ian Roome Michelle Scrogham Fred Thomas