Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 implications for his policies of the volume of salt in processed meat.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Processed meats are generally high in salt and, on average, meat and meat products contribute approximately 27% of salt intakes. A high intake of salt increases the risk of high blood pressure which, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease or a stroke. Reducing salt in foods by 1 gram per day, for example, could prevent 1,500 premature deaths each year, saving the National Health Service over £140 million.
To reduce salt levels in foods, the voluntary salt reduction programme sets targets for different food and drink product categories that contribute to salt intakes, including processed meats such as ham, bacon, and sausages. Businesses across all sectors of the food industry are required to work towards these targets. Separate targets on a meal basis have been set for the out of home sector, which includes processed meats where appropriate.
The targets were first set in 2006 and have been revised downwards five times to continually reduce salt content, with the most recent targets published in 2020. Businesses are expected to achieve the latest levels set by the end of 2024.
The most recent assessment of industry progress suggests that small reductions in salt content were seen in some meat products between 2017 and 2018. Salt intakes decreased from 9.38 grams to 8.4 grams a day between 2000 and 2018/19.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of treatment for Endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No specific assessment has been made. Care for menstrual problems and gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, is a top priority for my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as part of the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy in 2024. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
An Office for National Statistics research project is investigating the impact of endometriosis on women’s participation and progression in the workforce. This vital project will improve our understanding, and inform future Government policy.
Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published updated recommendations on treatment of endometriosis, when fertility is a priority. The NICE is also updating its guidance on diagnosing endometriosis, and this is due to be published later this year. NHS England is also updating the service specification for severe endometriosis, which will improve standards of care for women with severe endometriosis.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Strangford on 30 April 2024, Official Report, columns 49WH and 50WH, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures in independent sector treatment centres on (a) public spending and (b) patient wellbeing.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
Combined treatment for glaucoma and cataracts can already be considered when clinically appropriate, taking into account the patient’s wishes and the best available evidence. However, glaucoma is a chronic condition that requires long-term management and monitoring. For patient safety, all glaucoma or ocular hypertension surgery should be performed within units that are providing the full range of services, including diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients. This also includes offering a full range of medical and surgical treatments that can include drops, laser treatments, and a full range of surgical procedures. This ensures that patients receive the right care, appropriate for the stage and type of glaucoma, and that inappropriate surgical interventions are not undertaken that compromise the long-term management of the patient’s condition.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Strangford on 30 April 2024, Official Report, columns 49WH and 50WH, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures in independent sector treatment centres.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
Combined treatment for glaucoma and cataracts can already be considered when clinically appropriate, taking into account the patient’s wishes and the best available evidence. However, glaucoma is a chronic condition that requires long-term management and monitoring. For patient safety, all glaucoma or ocular hypertension surgery should be performed within units that are providing the full range of services, including diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients. This also includes offering a full range of medical and surgical treatments that can include drops, laser treatments, and a full range of surgical procedures. This ensures that patients receive the right care, appropriate for the stage and type of glaucoma, and that inappropriate surgical interventions are not undertaken that compromise the long-term management of the patient’s condition.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Strangford on 30 April 2024, Official Report, columns 49WH and 50WH, what steps she plans to take to increase the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
Combined treatment for glaucoma and cataracts can already be considered when clinically appropriate, taking into account the patient’s wishes and the best available evidence. However, glaucoma is a chronic condition that requires long-term management and monitoring. For patient safety, all glaucoma or ocular hypertension surgery should be performed within units that are providing the full range of services, including diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients. This also includes offering a full range of medical and surgical treatments that can include drops, laser treatments, and a full range of surgical procedures. This ensures that patients receive the right care, appropriate for the stage and type of glaucoma, and that inappropriate surgical interventions are not undertaken that compromise the long-term management of the patient’s condition.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of people that have been (a) diagnosed with and (b) treated for bladder cancer in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Whilst the Department will not make a specific estimate, the following link shows the number of diagnoses of bladder cancer in England for 2019 and 2020, the most recent years for which NHS Digital holds publicly available data:
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce excess deaths as a result of patients waiting longer than 12 hours for emergency care.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer by age in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The following link shows the numbers of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer by age in England, each year between 2019 and 2021, the most recent year for which we have data:
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last three years, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Data relating to the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in England and Wales is captured by the National Diabetes Audit Report. The most current figures published cover the period 2017-18 to 2021-22, which have been published online and can be found on the NHS Digital website:
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve diagnosis of anaemia in women.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
There is information available from NHS Choices to support the identification of symptoms related to anaemia, which advises individuals to seek general practitioner (GP) advice should they experience those symptoms.
GPs exercise their clinical judgement with support from relevant guidance to arrange appropriate tests and investigations that may lead to a diagnosis, such as blood tests to assess the full blood count, which may highlight indicators of anaemia. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summaries website also provides guidance on testing and treatment of all types of anaemia.