Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
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 impact of healthcare treatment uptake on the finances of low income households.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no specific assessment of the potential impact of healthcare treatment uptake on the finances of low-income households.
National Health Services are free at the point of use for those ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, except for certain charges, such as some NHS prescription charges and dental charges.
Many people are eligible for help with health costs. This includes exemptions for specific groups, and support through the NHS Low Income Scheme for people on a low income. Patients on a low income may also be able to get help with other necessary health-related costs, for example through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, subject to eligibility.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information on his Department holds on the number of people who have partially or wholly self funded proton beam therapy in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department oversees healthcare in England but does not routinely track how many residents have received proton beam therapy, either domestically or abroad, in the past five years.
We also do not routinely collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many UK residents received proton beam therapy (a) domestically and (b) overseas under NHS commissioning arrangements in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department oversees healthcare in England but does not routinely track how many residents have received proton beam therapy, either domestically or abroad, in the past five years.
We also do not routinely collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS has spent on commissioning proton beam therapy, including overseas referrals, in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment has been made of the cost to the NHS of delivering proton beam therapy domestically versus overseas.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing domestic NHS proton beam therapy on value for money in the NHS.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not have data on proton beam therapy commissioning costs, including overseas referrals, and has not compared the cost to NHS England of providing this treatment in England or the United Kingdom versus abroad. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing the availability of proton beam therapy. Treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the long-term cost to the NHS of (a) delayed and (b) disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.
The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of taking on patients who were previously receiving care from Rutherford Health prior to its liquidation.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential merits, costs and feasibility of bringing the former Rutherford Centre at Bomarsund into NHS ownership or management.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of clinical impact, treatment timings and associated costs for the NHS resulting from the closure of Rutherford Health centres, including the Bomarsund site.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department did not provide an assessment of the cost, clinical impact, or NHS England’s treatment timelines associated with transitioning patients from Rutherford Health centres. This includes the Bomarsund site, prior to the organisation's liquidation. The Government is committed to improving performance for diagnosing and treating cancer. To support these objectives, the National Health Service is currently making use of two of the five former Rutherford Cancer sites, Taunton and Clatterbridge.