Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
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 ensure that hospitals follow NICE guidelines on (a) suicide and (b) self-harm risk assessment (i) tools and (ii) scales.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Improving risk management and safety planning for suicide and self-harm prevention is a priority in the Government’s suicide prevention strategy. The strategy highlights the importance of compliance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines on risk assessment. NHS England is taking forward work in this area.
We would expect health professionals to have regard to guidelines from the NICE, which state that risk assessment tools should not be used to predict future suicide or repetition of self-harm.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of automatically notifying women with neurofibromatosis type 1 before their 40th birthday that they are eligible to attend breast cancer screening from the age of 40 years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Currently women with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who are considered at moderate or high risk of breast cancer, can be referred through clinical professionals such as specialists in genetics or oncology for annual breast screening which is managed at a local level.
An assessment has not made of the potential merits of automatically notifying women with NF1 before they are 40 years old that they are eligible to attend breast cancer screening from the age of 40 years.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken with NHS England to help raise awareness by (a) patients and (b) GPs of the increased risk of breast cancer in people with neurofibromatosis type 1.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department works with NHS England to raise awareness of cancers, including for people with increased risk of cancer. In January 2024, NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer awareness campaign, designed to increase earlier diagnosis by encouraging people to come forward with suspected signs of cancers.
For individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), who are at increased risk of breast cancer, the National Health Service in England recommends breast screening from the age of 40 years old. It is important that awareness of this is widespread among patients and general practices (GPs). Treatment for NF1 involves regular monitoring, and if a patient develops complex problems, their GP can usually refer them to one of two specialist NHS centres, so that a treatment plan can be drawn up. These centres are at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London, and at Manchester University Hospital.
We expect clinicians to keep themselves appraised of developments within conditions, and to refer to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance as part of their clinical decision-making process.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff were employed in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in public mental health national roles in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
National public mental health activity is delivered in a matrix, via a mixture of national and regional teams, drawing on public health, mental health, policy, project delivery, communication, marketing, and analytical expertise. The approach and scale of the contribution from the various teams in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department varies in line with the action being taken.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to (a) The Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health and (b) Every Mind Matters in each year since their inception.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Prevention Concordat programme has never been allocated funding. The funding for Better Health - Every Mind Matters, each year from 2019/20 to 2023/24, is as follows:
- £6,910,000 in 2019/20;
- £3,040,000 in 2020/21;
- £5,300,000 in 2021/22;
- £3,330,000 in 2022/23; and
- £3,350,000 in 2023/24.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2023 to Question 1672 on Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's statement of 1 September 2023 on a respiratory syncytial virus immunisation programme for infants and older adults.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Officials across the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England are continuing to develop options and plans based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice, regarding expanded respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programmes to protect infants and older adults.
This is taking into account clinical and operational factors, such as timing and coordination with other national immunisation programmes. As part of this work, the Government is engaging the market on its requirements for products that would enable RSV programmes to be implemented. A final decision on these programmes will be taken following the outcome of this process.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) adults and (b) children were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in the region covered by the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The following table shows child and adult hospital admission for dental extraction due to decay in the North East and North Cumbria footprint, based on the registered general practices, each year from 2019 to present:
Year | Adult | Child | Total |
2019/20 | 2,172 | 2,539 | 4,711 |
2020/21 | 924 | 1,434 | 2,358 |
2021/22 | 1,539 | 2,341 | 3,880 |
2022/23 | 1,747 | 2,376 | 4,123 |
2023/24 | 1,270 | 1,704 | 2,974 |
Total | 7,652 | 10,394 | 18,046 |
Source: Secondary Uses Service data is available on the NHS Digital website via the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/secondary-uses-service-sus
Note: Based on Primary diagnosis K02, Primary procedure, F09, F10.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of integrating mental health data with the mapping of predictions of extreme weather events.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has made no such assessment. It is important that the right support is in place, including for those affected by extreme weather events. NHS England has clinical guidelines on dealing with major incidents, including on providing psychosocial support for both patients and staff.
Talking therapies are available remotely so people can access help safely from home and the National Health Service is working to ensure the option of face-to-face support is provided to people with serious mental health illnesses across all ages where it is clinically safe to do so.
The UK Health Security Agency has published an Adverse Weather and Health Plan to provide information to assist health professionals and public agencies to understand and mitigate the mental health risks posed by adverse weather conditions. It is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
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 impact of extreme weather on suicide risk.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has made no such assessment on the impact of extreme weather on suicide risk.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people impacted by flooding.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has responded to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s inquiry into rural mental health. Further information on the inquiry is available at the following link:
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1627/rural-mental-health/
It is important that the right support is in place, including for those affected by flooding. NHS England has clinical guidelines on dealing with major incidents, including on providing psychosocial support for both patients and staff.
Talking therapies are available remotely so people can access help safely from home and the National Health Service is working to ensure the option of face-to-face support is provided to people with serious mental health illnesses, across all ages where it is clinically safe to do so.
The UK Health Security Agency has published flooding and health guidance to provide information to assist health professionals and public agencies to understand and mitigate the mental health risks posed by flooding. It is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/flooding-health-guidance-and-advice