Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that ICBs are providing clear and consistent guidance on help for deaf children in developing language and communication skills.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local populations, including services for non-hearing children. NHS England supports ICBs to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care to non-hearing children.
In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and providers who support children and young people with hearing loss. The guide provides practical advice on ensuring non-hearing children receive the support they need. In July 2016, NHS England published Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups. This framework supports ICBs to make informed decisions about what is good value for the populations they serve and to provide more consistent, high quality, integrated care, including for children with hearing loss. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) prioritisation board considered childhood hearing loss as a potential guideline topic last August, but concluded that there is limited evidence available in this area and that the NHS England Action Plan on Hearing Loss addresses care for this population. Later this year, the NICE’s prioritisation board will consider if it should develop a guideline on paediatric audiology following a topic suggestion. It will also consider if the NICE should update its technology appraisal guidance on cochlear implants for children and adults.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 the adequacy of the guidance on services for children with hearing loss.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local populations, including services for non-hearing children. NHS England supports ICBs to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care to non-hearing children.
In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and providers who support children and young people with hearing loss. The guide provides practical advice on ensuring non-hearing children receive the support they need. In July 2016, NHS England published Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups. This framework supports ICBs to make informed decisions about what is good value for the populations they serve and to provide more consistent, high quality, integrated care, including for children with hearing loss. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) prioritisation board considered childhood hearing loss as a potential guideline topic last August, but concluded that there is limited evidence available in this area and that the NHS England Action Plan on Hearing Loss addresses care for this population. Later this year, the NICE’s prioritisation board will consider if it should develop a guideline on paediatric audiology following a topic suggestion. It will also consider if the NICE should update its technology appraisal guidance on cochlear implants for children and adults.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue Severe Shortage Protocols for (a) methylphenidate, (b) dexamfetamine, (c) atomoxetine, (d) lisdexamfetamine, (e) guanfacine, (f) oestrogel, (g) buproprion and (h) lamotrigine.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) enable community pharmacists to supply a specified medicine or device in accordance with a protocol rather than a prescription, with the patient’s consent, and without needing to seek authorisation from the prescriber. SSPs are additional tools that have been used in recent years, alongside a range of other mechanisms, to manage and mitigate medicine and medical devices shortages. SSPs are not introduced unless sufficient supplies of the alternative product to be supplied in accordance with the SSP are available to support the market.
Furthermore, SSPs are not suitable for all medicines and patients. For example, patients with complex health needs may not be considered suitable for a supply in accordance with an SSP. In these cases, patients would always be referred back to the prescriber for any decision about their treatment before any therapeutic or generic alterative is supplied. SSPs are not issued for controlled drugs in Schedule II, such as methylphenidate, except under very restricted circumstances.
The Department is aware of a supply issue affecting methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. These supply issues are taking longer to resolve than the Department originally anticipated, and the Department is working with the respective suppliers to further improve the United Kingdom’s supply for the short and long-term as soon as possible. There are no plans to issue a SSP for methylphenidate.
The Department is currently unaware of any medicine supply issues affecting dexamfetamine, atomoxetine, lisdexamfetamine, guanfacine, oestrogel, bupropionand, lamotrigine. Therefore, there are no plans to issue SSPs for these medicines.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on companies involved in supplying PPE which was subsequently marked as do not supply due to being unsuitable for use in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department holds all pertinent contractual detail on those companies who provided personal protective equipment (PPE) products that were considered unsuitable for use. Between 1 November 2023 and 30 September 2024, approximately 432,700 pallets of unusable PPE have been disposed of.
It currently costs approximately £200,000 per week to store PPE unsuitable for National Health Service use. The figure is dynamic because the stock is reducing. NHS Supply Chain manages PPE product supply and logistics and they lease storage for PPE from the following companies GXO and Visku (Bis Henderson).
A programme of work is underway to reduce our excess stock. This work will significantly reduce the cost of our storage network and is due to be complete by January 2025 through sales, donations, recycling, and energy from waste.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse is of storing PPE unsuitable for NHS use; and which companies are contracted to provide such storage services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department holds all pertinent contractual detail on those companies who provided personal protective equipment (PPE) products that were considered unsuitable for use. Between 1 November 2023 and 30 September 2024, approximately 432,700 pallets of unusable PPE have been disposed of.
It currently costs approximately £200,000 per week to store PPE unsuitable for National Health Service use. The figure is dynamic because the stock is reducing. NHS Supply Chain manages PPE product supply and logistics and they lease storage for PPE from the following companies GXO and Visku (Bis Henderson).
A programme of work is underway to reduce our excess stock. This work will significantly reduce the cost of our storage network and is due to be complete by January 2025 through sales, donations, recycling, and energy from waste.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much unusable PPE has been disposed of since November 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department holds all pertinent contractual detail on those companies who provided personal protective equipment (PPE) products that were considered unsuitable for use. Between 1 November 2023 and 30 September 2024, approximately 432,700 pallets of unusable PPE have been disposed of.
It currently costs approximately £200,000 per week to store PPE unsuitable for National Health Service use. The figure is dynamic because the stock is reducing. NHS Supply Chain manages PPE product supply and logistics and they lease storage for PPE from the following companies GXO and Visku (Bis Henderson).
A programme of work is underway to reduce our excess stock. This work will significantly reduce the cost of our storage network and is due to be complete by January 2025 through sales, donations, recycling, and energy from waste.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has (a) made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the Liberty Protection Safeguards and (b) had discussions with relevant stakeholders on a timetable for replacing the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards with the Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards was paused by the previous government. The previous government decided to focus on other priorities. No assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing the Liberty Protection Safeguards and there have been no discussions about a timetable to replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards at this time.
We do, however, recognise the vital importance of protecting the rights of people who lack mental capacity to consent to their care arrangements, and we are determined to tackle the challenges facing adult social care and to stabilise the system. In addressing these challenges, we will engage a wide range of adult social care stakeholders including people with lived experience of care and their families.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 pathways of care for young people with ADHD in Oxfordshire.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and care pathways.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD care pathways, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England is establishing to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.
The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire ICB advises that it has implemented a new assessment model within its neurodevelopmental conditions service to enable the team to carry out additional assessments. It has also commissioned a Living Well with Neurodivergence offer for children and young people with diagnosed or suspected ADHD, launched a parent peer support network for families waiting for assessment, and partnered with Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum to provide a range of workshops for parents.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of establishing permanent Early Liver Disease Diagnostics centres to deliver non-invasive diagnoses (a) in Oxfordshire and (b) nationally.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Early detection of liver disease is vital to enable interventions and encourage behavioural change that can potentially lead to recovery. The Community Liver Health Check programme was established in June 2022 and aims to support the early detection and diagnosis of liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), the most common liver cancer. As of the end of July 2024, the programme has delivered over 66,000 FibroScans and referred over 4,700 people into six-monthly liver ultrasound surveillance. Across Thames Valley, which includes Oxfordshire, 1,430 FibroScans have been delivered, with 5% of people identified to be at risk of HCC.
The Community Liver Health Check programme has an evaluation underway, with the final report due in Spring 2025. The results of the evaluation will be considered by NHS England when deciding on next steps.
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing diagnostic centres specifically for the early diagnosis of liver disease, for either Oxfordshire or nationally. However, the National Health Service is continuing to roll out Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), many of which will have testing capability to support the early diagnosis of liver disease, including some CDCs that offer FibroScans. There are currently plans for 14 CDCs to offer FibroScans by the end of this financial year, 10 of which are currently providing the test, and have delivered 2,144 tests in 2024/25.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the pilot scheme for the Community Liver Health Check Programme.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Early detection of liver disease is vital to enable interventions and encourage behavioural change that can potentially lead to recovery. The Community Liver Health Check programme was established in June 2022 and aims to support the early detection and diagnosis of liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), the most common liver cancer. As of the end of July 2024, the programme has delivered over 66,000 FibroScans and referred over 4,700 people into six-monthly liver ultrasound surveillance. Across Thames Valley, which includes Oxfordshire, 1,430 FibroScans have been delivered, with 5% of people identified to be at risk of HCC.
The Community Liver Health Check programme has an evaluation underway, with the final report due in Spring 2025. The results of the evaluation will be considered by NHS England when deciding on next steps.
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing diagnostic centres specifically for the early diagnosis of liver disease, for either Oxfordshire or nationally. However, the National Health Service is continuing to roll out Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), many of which will have testing capability to support the early diagnosis of liver disease, including some CDCs that offer FibroScans. There are currently plans for 14 CDCs to offer FibroScans by the end of this financial year, 10 of which are currently providing the test, and have delivered 2,144 tests in 2024/25.