Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NHS Blood and Transplant’s campaign Not Family, But Blood campaign in encouraging more blood donors of black heritage.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Since the launch of the ‘Not family, but blood’ campaign on 6 October 2022, 6,658 new donors of Black heritage have registered to give blood. This represents a 178% increase in new registrations from donors of Black heritage when comparing daily registrations, 106, with the prior 63 days, 38.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to ensure that sickle cell patients receive their first dose of pain relief within 30 minutes of being treated.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made.
Specialist haemoglobinopathy teams (SHTs) and haemoglobinopathy co-ordinating centres (HCCs) are required to submit data via the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard on the percentage of patients given pain relief within 30 minutes of presentation with a sickle cell crisis, as per the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The data does not include patients attending non-specialist haemoglobinopathy providers and further work is required to improve the accuracy of the data submission before it can be used to assess compliance.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of simplifying the administration of pain relief for sickle cell patients.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made.
Specialist haemoglobinopathy teams (SHTs) and haemoglobinopathy co-ordinating centres (HCCs) are required to submit data via the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard on the percentage of patients given pain relief within 30 minutes of presentation with a sickle cell crisis, as per the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The data does not include patients attending non-specialist haemoglobinopathy providers and further work is required to improve the accuracy of the data submission before it can be used to assess compliance.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason nutrition is not included in Sickle Cell health care protocols.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There is little evidence in support of any specific nutritional intervention that ameliorates Sickle Cell symptoms. It is recommended that generic good nutritional advice is given to all patients with Sickle Cell Disease, including vitamin D supplementation.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending free prescriptions to individuals with sickle cell disease.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no plans to make a specific assessment. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge and there are exemptions from prescription charges which those with sickle cell disease may be eligible for and be in receipt of free prescriptions. In 2022/23, prescription charges have been frozen, which applies to the single prescription charge and prescription pre-payment certificates.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of pharmacies in (a) Lewisham East constituency and (b) the London Borough of Lewisham which have closed since 2017.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Since June 2017, there have been two pharmacy closures in Lewisham East and six closures in the borough of Lewisham. One pharmacy has opened since 2017. These closures do not include changes of ownership or change of premises. Lewisham Borough Council has recently consulted on its statutorily required Pharmaceutical Need Assessment for 2022. The draft conclusions of the assessment state that there is adequate provision in the area.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
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 Saving Brains report published by the Stroke Association in October 2022.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has noted the Stroke Association’s report on the delivery of thrombectomy services. Working with the General Medical Council, the National Health Service aims to increase the number of specialists qualified to provide mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke through extended accredited training.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of stroke patients treated by the Greenwich & Lewisham NHS Trust received thrombectomy treatment in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increase the delivery of mechanical thrombectomy for suitable ischaemic stroke patients by 10%. Thrombectomy is available in 24 centres in England, with two non-neuroscience centres currently under development to improve access. The latest data shows that 2.8% of patients are receiving a thrombectomy following a stroke.
Information on stroke patients requiring thrombectomy treatment in Lewisham East is not held in the format requested. In 2020/21, no stroke patients treated by the Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust received thrombectomy treatment.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of stroke patients in Lewisham East constituency requiring thrombectomy treatment in each year since 2018.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increase the delivery of mechanical thrombectomy for suitable ischaemic stroke patients by 10%. Thrombectomy is available in 24 centres in England, with two non-neuroscience centres currently under development to improve access. The latest data shows that 2.8% of patients are receiving a thrombectomy following a stroke.
Information on stroke patients requiring thrombectomy treatment in Lewisham East is not held in the format requested. In 2020/21, no stroke patients treated by the Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust received thrombectomy treatment.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to introduce mechanical thrombectomy treatment for suitable ischaemic stroke patients.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increase the delivery of mechanical thrombectomy for suitable ischaemic stroke patients by 10%. Thrombectomy is available in 24 centres in England, with two non-neuroscience centres currently under development to improve access. The latest data shows that 2.8% of patients are receiving a thrombectomy following a stroke.
Information on stroke patients requiring thrombectomy treatment in Lewisham East is not held in the format requested. In 2020/21, no stroke patients treated by the Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust received thrombectomy treatment.