Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times unauthorized parties have gained access to (a) sensitive data and (b) confidential information on the Federated Data Platform in the past twelve months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Federated Data Platform (FDP) is software that will sit across National Health Service trusts and integrated care systems allowing them to connect data they already hold in a secure and safe environment. The contract for the FDP has not yet been awarded.
The service is not yet live or in use. In line with current transition planning, we do not expect data to be placed into the FDP until 2024. No unauthorised parties have gained access to sensitive data or confidential information for the Care Coordination Solution or OPTICA pilots.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to provide further funding to support National Institute for Health Research into brain tumour research.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce, and support services across a range of clinical areas. NIHR expenditure on cancer research was £101.2 million in 2021/22.
The Government is committed to funding high-quality brain tumour research. The May 2018 Government announcement of £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission remains available and if we can spend more on the best quality science we will do.
We welcome high-quality applications for brain tumour research funding. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The NIHR continues to follow its normal high-quality processes in making funding recommendations to the Department. It is worth noting that all applications that were fundable in open competition have been funded.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there have been any instances of unauthorised parties gaining access to (a) sensitive data and (b) confidential information stored on the Federated Data Platform in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Federated Data Platform (FDP) is software that will sit across National Health Service trusts and integrated care systems allowing them to connect data they already hold in a secure and safe environment.
NHS England announced the outcome of the tender for the FDP on Tuesday 21 November. The service is not yet live or in use. In line with current transition planning, we do not expect data to be placed into the FDP until 2024.
No unauthorised parties have gained access to sensitive data or confidential information for the Care Coordination Solution or OPTICA pilots, which have been testing and demonstrating the kinds of benefits which the FDP is expected to deliver.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure the continued NHS funding of modulator therapies that are used to treat (a) children, (b) new patients and (c) other patients with cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Will Quince
Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio are currently available as treatment options for eligible National Health Service patients with cystic fibrosis, under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between NHS England and the manufacturer. This agreement has enabled the collection of data to inform a full appraisal of these medicines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is currently underway.
NICE published draft guidance on 3 November 2023 which does not recommend Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The draft guidance is now subject to a public consultation and NICE’s committee will carefully consider all evidence as well as comments received during the consultation in developing its final guidance, which is expected to be published on 20 March 2024. Patients already receiving these treatments will have continued access following the publication of NICE’s final guidance, regardless of the outcome.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will launch an awareness campaign on abdominal and urological symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Answered by Will Quince
NHS England is currently running a ‘Help us Help you’ campaign highlighting the abdominal and urological symptoms of cancer, including ovarian cancer, and addressing the barriers that stop people from accessing services in the National Health Service.
It encourages the public to contact their general practitioner if they're worried about symptoms, such as “tummy discomfort or diarrhoea that lasts for three weeks or more, or if they've seen blood in their pee even once”.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times have unauthorized parties gained access to sensitive data or confidential information on the Federated Data Platform in the last twelve months.
Answered by Will Quince
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the final evaluation report for the secondary care routine reflux cohort of the Cytosponge test.
Answered by Will Quince
NHS England is currently finalising and approving the evaluation report before publication. Once approved the report will be published.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 likely need to use serious shortage protocols in connection with potential challenges with HRT supply by the end of 2023.
Answered by Will Quince
There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. There have been issues with the supply of a limited number of HRT products, primarily due to very sharp increases in demand, but the supply position for most of those HRT products has improved considerably over the last year. Only one of the 23 Serious Shortage Protocols issued since April last year remain. We continue to engage with suppliers to address these issues and improve resilience in the short, medium, and long term. We are holding quarterly roundtables with manufacturers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists to monitor progress and agree what more needs to be done to help ensure supply is sufficient to meet demand.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS long-term plan, what the Barnett consequentials for Norther Ireland are of the additional funding for mental health services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Barnett consequentials of the funding settlement underpinning the development of the NHS Long Term Plan were set out on 18 June 2018 in a press release on the subject, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-5-year-nhs-funding-plan
Funding to be spent on mental health is not identified separately. It would be for NHS England and each devolved administration to make their own decisions on funding for mental health services.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the devolved institutions on the potential merits of including policies on the sharing of information on mental health matters in the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Will Quince
Mental Health is one of the six groups of conditions that are within the scope of the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy (MCS).
We have heard from a wide range of stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service and their views are informing the development of the Strategy. This includes engagement at official level with the devolved governments which will continue throughout the process. There are no plans to hold separate discussions specifically on sharing of information on mental health in the context of the MCS.