Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 help introduce optimally staffed alcohol care teams in hospitals with high rates of alcohol dependence-related admissions.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The NHS England alcohol programme aims to establish optimal Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) in acute hospitals to improve the care provided to people who have alcohol-use disorders, mainly those who are alcohol dependent. NHS England has nationally funded the rollout of ACTs in areas of greatest need, alongside the commissioning of a quality improvement network, research evaluation, and a range of direct implementation support initiatives.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to ensure that living well with HIV is prioritised in local commissioning by integrated care boards.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
HIV services are open access, and any adults with a diagnosis of HIV can self-refer. Any service diagnosing HIV in adults can refer to any specialised HIV service provider.
As set out in the NHS England Roadmap, adult specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services have been identified by NHS England as key areas for greater integrated care systems (ICS) leadership and integrated care boards (ICBs). Integrating the commissioning of HIV treatment services with ICBs will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services through effective local partnerships, including psychosocial support and mental health services, for a more holistic approach to care.
The Service Specification for Adult HIV services (2013) sets out the standards of care that HIV providers are expected to meet. Services are expected to support people living with HIV to live well by collaborating with other health, social care, and community providers. Since most people living with HIV on suppressive antiretroviral therapy have a near normal life expectancy and may develop additional needs associated with an increased risk of other long-term conditions, providers are expected to ensure that people have access to relevant screening and assessment for long-term conditions, and are sign-posted to non-HIV services where appropriate.
ICBs are responsible for developing a plan for meeting the health needs of the population, managing the National Health Service budget, and arranging for the provision of health services in the ICS area.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 NHS supplies of (a) Methylphenidate, (b) Lisdexamfetamine, (c) Guanfacine and (d) other Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Shortages of medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, and guanfacine have primarily been driven by regulatory issues at key manufacturing sites and capacity constraints at third party manufacturing sites, compounded by steady increases in demand. These issues have resulted in global supply disruptions. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues including shortages of guanfacine have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.
We have well-established processes to manage supply issues and continue to work with the respective manufacturers and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.
We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues with ADHD medicine supply in the United Kingdom as soon as possible and to help ensure patients are able to access these medicines in the short and long term.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 global supply of (a) Methylphenidate, (b) Lisdexamfetamine, (c) Guanfacine and (d) other Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Shortages of medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, and guanfacine have primarily been driven by regulatory issues at key manufacturing sites and capacity constraints at third party manufacturing sites, compounded by steady increases in demand. These issues have resulted in global supply disruptions. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues including shortages of guanfacine have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.
We have well-established processes to manage supply issues and continue to work with the respective manufacturers and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.
We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues with ADHD medicine supply in the United Kingdom as soon as possible and to help ensure patients are able to access these medicines in the short and long term.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 the medication initiation waiting time for people who receive a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
With respect to referral and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), healthcare professionals, commissioners and providers should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. This guideline, updated in September 2019, aims to improve recognition and diagnosis, as well as the quality of care and support for people with ADHD. The guideline also covers considerations on pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for ADHD.
More specifically, the guideline states that for children aged five years old and over and for adults, medication should be offered if ADHD symptoms are still causing a significant impairment in at least one domain after environmental modifications have been implemented and reviewed. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87
Overall, the decision and timescale for initiating medication should be a clinical decision based on the individual patient.
We are aware of current disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of ADHD. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 increasing the maximum funding available through the Disabled Facilities Grant to take account of increases in the cost of living.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Local areas already have discretion to make grants above the current upper limit on a case-by-case basis, or in line with a locally published housing assistance policy. As with all aspects of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), the Government will continue to keep the upper limit under review.
The paper entitled Next steps to put People at the Heart of Care, published in April 2023, announced a further £102 million of funding for housing adaptation support, including £50 million in 2023/24 and £52 million in 2024/25. This is in addition to the £573 million per year which is already available for the DFG. The increase will enable local areas to fund supplementary services that are agile and help people stay independent, support hospital discharge, and make minor adaptations.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 introducing restrictions on the sale of high caffeine (a) drinks and (b) foods to under-16-year-olds.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on the sale of high caffeine foods to children under 16 years old. We have consulted on a proposal to end the sale of energy drinks, which are high in caffeine, to children in England and we will be setting out our full response to the consultation in due course.
Manufacturers currently must label foods to which caffeine is added for a physiological purpose: “Contains caffeine. Not recommended for children or pregnant women” and all drinks (except tea and coffee) containing over 150mg of caffeine per litre as “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 adequacy of access to (a) adult hearing loss services and (b) sight loss services in Bradford South constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department does not currently have any plans to make such an assessment. Commissioning of hearing and sight loss services takes place at a local level based on the needs of the local population, and we expect commissioners to follow relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. Regarding sight loss services, the development of integrated care systems and the National Ophthalmic Eye Care Recovery and Transformation Programme represents an opportunity to join up social and clinical care and ensure that there is an integrated approach to covering all aspects of eye care including access to sight loss services.
For hearing loss, the Action Plan on Hearing Loss (2015) sets out key objectives on hearing loss, including prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence and enabling people to take part in everyday activities. ‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ was published in July 2016. This framework supports the newly established integrated care boards in England to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.
Where sight or hearing loss leads to a social care need, local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for care and support.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 improve the waiting times for patients referred to NHS hospital trusts for (a) hearing and (b) sight loss.
Answered by Will Quince
We are taking action to recover elective services, including for patients with hearing and sight loss, by working towards the targets set out in the Elective Recovery Plan and providing the National Health Service with record levels of staffing and funding. To support elective recovery, we plan to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, supported by a £5.9 billion investment in capital, including for new beds, equipment, and technology.
This funding could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks and procedures, including for patients referred to NHS hospital trusts for hearing and sight loss, and a significant part of this funding will be invested in staff, both in terms of capacity and skills.
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services. The funding will also be used to increase capacity for imaging and improving digital diagnostics. Large CDC hubs provide ophthalmology and audiology tests.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
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 impact of regional disparities in the provision of fracture liaison services on patients.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government recognises the value of quality assured secondary fracture prevention services, including fracture liaison services (FLS). Within the 'Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework', under next steps for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, it sets out that, together with NHS England, we will explore supporting the provision of FLS. This could include identifying people at risk of further osteoporotic fragility fracture and implementing strategies to reduce risk of future fracture, including falls, and mortality.
Through its Getting it Right First Time Programme, with a specific workstream on MSK health, NHS England is exploring how best to support integrated care systems in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. This includes a focus on improving provision of and equity of access to high-quality, secondary fracture prevention services, such as FLS, which help to identify those most at risk and offer preventative support.
We are currently assessing the accessibility of FLS through data collected in the national Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme. This aims to identify any disparities in provision across England and to improve services.