Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what further steps he will take to increase co-operation between his Department and the devolved Administrations.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department continues to work closely with its counterparts in the devolved administrations. There is regular Ministerial engagement across the four nations, involving the health ministers from the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Department of Health. Detailed and extensive collaboration between officials across the four nations is continuing, with engagement across a full range of policy issues.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
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 implementing a UK-wide scheme for the purchase and distribution of expensive drugs and medical supplies that are used to treat rare conditions.
Answered by Steve Brine
We have no plans to assess the potential merits of implementing a United Kingdom-wide scheme for the purchase and distribution of expensive drugs and medical supplies that are used to treat rare conditions. It is for the National Health Service in England and the devolved administrations to make decisions in the best interest of their patients, including those with rare diseases, to ensure access to the medicines and medical supplies they need.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
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 (a) how widespread social exclusion is in rural areas and (b) the effect of his Department’s policies on social exclusion in rural areas.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Public Health England (PHE) and the Local Government Association jointly published ‘Health and Wellbeing in Rural Areas’ in March 2017, which describes the inequality experienced by some rural communities; gives a steer for local authorities on issues to consider in meeting the needs of rural communities and provides examples of case studies of how local areas are addressing this. The report is available to view at the following link:
https://www.local.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing-rural-areas
Last October, the Government published England’s first Loneliness Strategy which lays the foundation for people to build better and more meaningful connections. The practical measures to reduce loneliness set out in the strategy can also help to address social exclusion across the country.
The Department welcomed the opportunity to draw on its own policies and programmes and its arm’s length bodies, including on primary care, public health, carers, mental health, social care and technology and digital support to inform the Loneliness Strategy, and remains committed to working alongside businesses, healthcare professionals, charities, community groups and local authorities to have a real and lasting impact on loneliness.