Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on the facilities proposed for the Christie Hospital in Manchester and at UCLH to offer treatment for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour with proton beam therapy.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is currently planning to deliver a national Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) service in the United Kingdom in 2018. Until then, it continues to fund all clinically appropriate patients on the Proton Overseas Programme. Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours are not currently included in the list of clinical indications for referral to PBT. However, the list of clinical indications for the new UK service is still in development.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects that funding for a research fellow post to research atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour for proton beam therapy will be confirmed; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is reviewing current international evidence and recent emerging findings to clarify future commissioning intentions. The relevant specialist clinicians within the Children’s and Cancer Leukaemia Group are assessing what data, including the possibility of a national audit of retrospective data, are needed. Following this, NHS England will consider the possibility of a research fellowship post.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the policy of the NHS is on providing hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The provision of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss is a matter for local commissioners and the level of provision is based on the needs of the local population.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received about the proposal from North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group to end the provision of NHS hearing aids.
Answered by Norman Lamb
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database identified 66 written representations received between 27 June 2014 and 2 September 2014 about North Staffordshire clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) proposals to decommission the funding of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate age-related hearing loss.
The provision of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss is a matter for local commissioners and is based on the needs of the local population.
As such the Department has made no representations to North Staffordshire CCG about this matter.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has made to North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group about its proposal to end the provision of NHS hearing aids.
Answered by Norman Lamb
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database identified 66 written representations received between 27 June 2014 and 2 September 2014 about North Staffordshire clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) proposals to decommission the funding of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate age-related hearing loss.
The provision of hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss is a matter for local commissioners and is based on the needs of the local population.
As such the Department has made no representations to North Staffordshire CCG about this matter.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the West Midlands Ambulance Service's system's indicators performance in 2012-13; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in that level of performance.
Answered by Jane Ellison
A copy of West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (FT) system indicators performance data for 2012-13 has been placed in the Library.
The Department is aware that West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS FT met all three response time targets for the full year in 2012-13; despite a challenging winter period; a 6.9% rise in emergency calls; and a delay to the launch of the 111 system by NHS Direct in the West Midlands.