Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that veterinary practices in Northern Ireland are experiencing difficulties obtaining diagnostic equipment and replacement components.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has not received reports of any issues with the supply of diagnostic equipment or replacement components to veterinary practices in Northern Ireland.
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, whether her department will consider the establishment of national leadership to support alignment between NHS data initiatives in multiple sclerosis and neurology.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 his Department is taking to increase the number of consultant neurologists and specialist multiple sclerosis nurses in England.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 address variations in access to care for people with multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological conditions.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 his department is taking to increase capacity within NHS neurology services.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using pre appointment patient questionnaires via the NHS App for people with multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological conditions, to better understand patient need and ensure they are seen by the right service, at the right time.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 plans to take to increase the prioritisation of multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological conditions in national health policy.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 commit to maintaining support for the recently established Neuro Forum over the course of this Parliament.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 consider specialised neurology services as part of NHS England’s review of commissioning, including services for patients living with multiple sclerosis.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.
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 assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to people with multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological conditions.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to high‑quality care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other progressive neurological conditions.
Through NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme, a new model of integrated care has also been developed to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions, including MS. A toolkit was developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which includes components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England has published an updated service specification for specialised neurology services, including MS, which sets out clear expectations for proactive, coordinated care to reduce the risk of avoidable complications and emphasises early identification of clinical risks, personalised care planning, and timely access to multidisciplinary support, including specialist nurses, therapists, and community services.
In addition, the GIRFT Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the model of integrated neurology care developed through the Neurology Transformation Programme support greater consistency, coordination, and sharing of best practice across local systems and geographical areas. NHS England has developed national neurology dashboards, including an MS data dashboard and an interactive adult neurology dashboard, to support systems in monitoring service delivery, benchmarking performance, and understanding the quality of local neurology services.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of disease‑modifying therapies for MS, supporting clinicians to offer clinically- and cost‑effective treatments based on the best available evidence. ICBs are expected to have regard to NICE guidance to ensure patients can access high‑quality care and treatment. NHS England also supports the implementation of treatment algorithms to promote consistent prescribing and reduce unwarranted variation in access to high‑efficacy therapies.
The 10-Year Health Plan will also support improved care and outcomes for people with MS by focusing on earlier diagnosis, more timely access to specialist treatment, and more coordinated, community‑based care. It will prioritise reducing unwarranted variation in services and strengthening multidisciplinary support, helping people with MS to manage their condition more effectively and maintain their quality of life.
Finally, a UK-wide neuro forum has been convened, bringing together the governments, health services, and Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The forum will share learnings across the UK, and discuss important neurology services transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions.