Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on (a) which NHS trusts provide staff with statutory paternity leave and pay, (b) which NHS trusts provide staff with enhanced paternity leave and pay and (c) levels of take up of those across trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on the uptake of these arrangements by National Health Service trusts in England.
Employing organisations are legally bound to provide two weeks of statutory paternity leave and pay where individuals meet the required eligibility criteria.
The national terms and conditions for staff on Agenda for Change, resident doctor, specialty and specialist doctor, and consultant contracts provide an enhanced paternity pay offer which uprates statutory pay to full pay where the additional eligibility criteria, as set out in the respective national contracts, is met.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what methods the NHS uses to sterilise equipment to help prevent vCJD contamination; how long these methods have been used for; and what assessment he has made on the effectiveness of these methods.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service in England employs a stratified approach, combining extended autoclaving, enhanced washing, prion specific chemicals, and the destruction of high-risk instruments. The Health Technical Memorandum 01-01: Management and decontamination of surgical instruments (medical devices) used in acute care, published in 2013 and owned by the Department, outlines the decontamination practices and the various ways to sterilise reusable medical devices used in acute care in England. This technical memorandum is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/decontamination-of-surgical-instruments-htm-01-01/
The Advisory Committee for Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) issued new guidance to the NHS in April 1998 in response to the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) outbreak, to improve decontamination practices. Its guidance is reviewed and updated to ensure it remains accurate, effective, and compliant with current scientific evidence, and was last updated in November 2021. The ACDP’s guidance is available at the following link:
Since decontamination measures were put in place, there have been no confirmed cases of vCJD via surgical instruments in England.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to health boards on whether they should consider (a) the mental health impacts of alopecia and (b) other factors prior to prescribing Ritlecitinib.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the use of new medicines, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The NICE issued guidance in March 2024 that recommends ritlecitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating severe alopecia areata in people 12 years old and over. Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a Severity of Alopecia Tool score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health. At the present time, there are no plans to update this guidance.
As health is a devolved issue, information relating to guidance on the use of ritlecitinib in Scotland would be held by the Scottish health authorities.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to health boards on the factors that should be used to determine the severity of alopecia prior to a decision on treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.
We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.
Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.
Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.
It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.
Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what factors health boards are advised to use in addition to Severity of Alopecia Tool scores when determining the correct treatment for alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.
We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.
Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.
Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.
It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.
Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Severity of Alopecia Tool scores are the only factor that health boards are advised to use when determining the correct treatment for alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.
We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.
Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.
Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.
It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.
Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 effectiveness of Severity of Alopecia Tool scores to determine the correct treatment of alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.
We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.
Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.
Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.
It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.
Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to health boards on the prescription of Ritlecitinib to treat alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the use of new medicines, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The NICE issued guidance in March 2024 that recommends ritlecitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating severe alopecia areata in people 12 years old and over. Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a Severity of Alopecia Tool score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health. At the present time, there are no plans to update this guidance.
As health is a devolved issue, information relating to guidance on the use of ritlecitinib in Scotland would be held by the Scottish health authorities.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what age of patient health boards are advised to use Ritlecitinib to treat alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the use of new medicines, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The NICE issued guidance in March 2024 that recommends ritlecitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating severe alopecia areata in people 12 years old and over. Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a Severity of Alopecia Tool score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health. At the present time, there are no plans to update this guidance.
As health is a devolved issue, information relating to guidance on the use of ritlecitinib in Scotland would be held by the Scottish health authorities.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to update guidance on the use of Ritlecitinib to treat alopecia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the use of new medicines, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The NICE issued guidance in March 2024 that recommends ritlecitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating severe alopecia areata in people 12 years old and over. Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a Severity of Alopecia Tool score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health. At the present time, there are no plans to update this guidance.
As health is a devolved issue, information relating to guidance on the use of ritlecitinib in Scotland would be held by the Scottish health authorities.