Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) UK’s vaccine vial production capability, (b) reliance of the UK on the import of medical grade vials and (c) security of UK supply chains in the event of a future pandemic.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department for Business and Trade has not conducted assessments on these specific goods. The Government has established strategic partnerships with industry to maintain security of vaccine supply in the event of a pandemic. This includes our partnership with Moderna which is building an innovation and technology centre with capacity from 2025 to produce up to 250 million doses of mRNA vaccines annually onshore in the United Kingdom.
The UK Health Security Agency has also agreed an advanced purchase agreement with Seqirus UK Limited to access 100 million vaccines if a future influenza pandemic is declared. The manufacturing process will be based entirely in the UK, giving better security of access if global demand ever outweighs supply. As part of these contracts, the Government regularly assesses risks that may impact the performance of the contract.
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of the UK’s vaccine vial production capability, (b) reliance of the UK on the import of medical grade vials and (c) security of UK supply chains in the event of a future pandemic.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to roll out the implantable cardiac monitoring commissioning system used in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to other Integrated Care Boards in England.
Answered by Will Quince
Implantable cardiac monitors are used successfully by patients across England and within the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in September 2020 on the use of implantable cardiac monitors. National Health Service trusts are currently using such devices in stroke prevention throughout England. It is for local integrated care systems to determine the appropriate cardiac monitoring devices for their populations’ commissioners.
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
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 improve access to implantable cardiac monitors in (a) England and (b) Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.
Answered by Will Quince
Implantable cardiac monitors are used successfully by patients across England and within the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in September 2020 on the use of implantable cardiac monitors. National Health Service trusts are currently using such devices in stroke prevention throughout England. It is for local integrated care systems to determine the appropriate cardiac monitoring devices for their populations’ commissioners.
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to use implantable cardiac monitoring for secondary stroke prevention in the NHS.
Answered by Will Quince
Implantable cardiac monitors are used successfully by patients across England and within the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in September 2020 on the use of implantable cardiac monitors. National Health Service trusts are currently using such devices in stroke prevention throughout England. It is for local integrated care systems to determine the appropriate cardiac monitoring devices for their populations’ commissioners.
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
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 effect of the deprivation index on the methodology used to calculate funding for clinical commissioning groups; and how the deprivation rating of each area is determined.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of government and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. CCG allocations take account of health inequalities and unmet need. The approach was updated in 2019/20 and further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/note-on-ccg-allocations-2019-20-2023-24.pdf
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the design of tariff, including the Market Forces Factor. The approach and underlying data were updated in 2019/20. These changes have been introduced on a five-year glide path to ensure stability for the sector. Further information can be found in the guide available at the following link:
https://improvement.nhs.uk/documents/475/Guide_to_the_market_forces_factor.pdf
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the market forces factors for NHS funding are determined; and what assessment he has made of the effect of market forces factors on the funding allocated to each clinical commissioning group.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of government and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. CCG allocations take account of health inequalities and unmet need. The approach was updated in 2019/20 and further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/note-on-ccg-allocations-2019-20-2023-24.pdf
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the design of tariff, including the Market Forces Factor. The approach and underlying data were updated in 2019/20. These changes have been introduced on a five-year glide path to ensure stability for the sector. Further information can be found in the guide available at the following link:
https://improvement.nhs.uk/documents/475/Guide_to_the_market_forces_factor.pdf
Asked by: Jack Brereton (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the PFI interest rate is that is charged to the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust on the construction of the Royal Stoke University Hospital, what the comparable rate is for HM Treasury-funded projects; and what additional funding is provided to that NHS Trust for mitigating any difference.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
As each Private Finance Initiative (PFI) company raises its finance in different ways and from different sources, the most relevant and easily comparable way of describing the cost of PFI finance is the pre-tax nominal project internal rate of return. This rate for the Royal Stoke University Hospital PFI project was 5.70% in June 2007 based on the Government’s standard inflation rate assumption.
At the time the Royal Stoke University Hospital PFI was signed in June 2007, the interest rate for loans for capital investment, which was based on the relevant National Loan Fund rates, was 5.65%.
Where public dividend capital is made available for capital investment, under current rules Trusts are required to pay a 3.5% dividend on its net assets.