Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 help support local authorities to develop interventions to safeguard against female genital mutilation.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Data on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is collected in the FGM Enhanced Dataset by National Health Service healthcare providers in England. This dataset presents a national picture of the prevalence of FGM in England and supports work in the NHS to prevent and treat FGM. It is therefore a valuable information source supporting the identification, commissioning and management of FGM services locally.
The Home Office’s FGM Team provides a range of resources for frontline professionals. This consists of an FGM resource pack, which includes a section for local authorities, a free e-learning course, statutory multi-agency guidance and a range of communications materials.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timeline for the start and anticipated finish date for the review into NICE guidelines on diagnosis and management of Endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently conducted a surveillance review of its endometriosis guideline. On 3 November 2022, NICE confirmed that it will update the sections on diagnosing endometriosis, surgical management and surgical management, if fertility is a priority. NICE will also explore mental wellbeing and support for those with suspected or confirmed endometriosis during scoping of the update. The expected publication date of the updated guideline will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) gynaecology specialist nurses with expertise in endometriosis and (b) gynaecologists with expertise in (i) diagnosing and managing endometriosis and (ii) training and skills in laparoscopic surgery were working in the NHS as of 2 November 2022.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Constituency in the past 12 months.
Answered by Will Quince
This information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the potential merits of introducing guidelines on nonpharmacological ways to manage chronic pain related to endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There have been no recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body responsible for determining whether its published guidelines require updating in light of new evidence or emerging issues. NICE recently reviewed its guideline on endometriosis and published a surveillance review on 3 November 2022 which states that it will update the sections on diagnosing endometriosis, surgical management and surgical management if fertility is a priority. NICE will also further explore the topic of mental wellbeing and support for people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis during scoping of the update.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 ensure fertility preservation for endometriosis patients is given parity with those who have ovarian removal for (a) cancer and (b) other causes.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for funding decisions for health services in England, based on the clinical needs of the local population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment and preservation in England.
NICE’s fertility guidelines currently includes those people with cancer who wish to preserve fertility. NICE is reviewing its fertility guidelines and will consider whether its recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment and preservation are still appropriate. We expect that this review will be published in 2024.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 improve maternity healthcare for women with endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
NHS England is committed to ensuring all women have a personalised care and support plan in place to explore the management of their health and wellbeing. These plans aim to identify and agree the appropriate personal maternity care for women with endometriosis.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 NICE on the potential merits of producing guidance on the use of (a) Orlissa, (b) Visanne and (c) other endometriosis drugs.
Answered by Will Quince
There have been no recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. All new medicines are routinely considered through the established topic selection arrangements for the development of NICE’s guidance.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 increase awareness of endometriosis among the public.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy for England set out that gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, are a priority area. We have appointed Professor Dame Lesley Regan as the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, who will focus on raising the profile for women’s health and increasing awareness.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessment has been made. The Government’s national maternity safety ambition aims to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries in babies occurring during or soon after birth, by 2025. Since 2010, the rate of stillbirths has reduced by 19.3%, the rate of neonatal mortality for babies born over 24 weeks gestational age of viability has reduced by 36% and maternal mortality has reduced by 17%.
We have introduced targeted interventions to accelerate progress, such as the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and the Brain Injury Reduction Programme. NHS England has also invested £127 million in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care. This is addition to the £95 million investment made in 2021 to fund the establishment of a further 1,200 midwifery and 100 consultant obstetrician posts. NHS England is offering funding and support to trusts to recruit an additional 300 to 500 overseas midwives in the next 12 months.