Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce a overarching national campaign against obesity as part of their Child Obesity Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
We are committed to reviewing the measures set out in both chapters of our childhood obesity plan and will continue to monitor progress and emerging evidence carefully. Where progress is not being delivered, we will consider what further action can be taken.
Both chapters of our plan demonstrate an overarching campaign to tackle obesity. In addition, Public Health England encourages the population to follow a healthy balanced diet through the 5 A Day campaign, Change4Life and OneYou social marketing campaigns.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are preparing a third chapter of the Child Obesity Strategy; and if so, when that chapter will be published.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
We are committed to reviewing the measures set out in both chapters of our childhood obesity plan and will continue to monitor progress and emerging evidence carefully. Where progress is not being delivered, we will consider what further action can be taken.
Both chapters of our plan demonstrate an overarching campaign to tackle obesity. In addition, Public Health England encourages the population to follow a healthy balanced diet through the 5 A Day campaign, Change4Life and OneYou social marketing campaigns.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their report Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2017, published on 22 November, what assessment they have made of the roll out of Designated Senior Leads and mental health support teams; and what timetable has been set for the roll out of those initiatives to all schools in England.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
We remain committed to rolling out our new approach as set out in the Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health, including creating Designated Senior Leads in schools and new mental health support teams, to at least a fifth to a quarter of the country by the end of 2022/23. The first wave of trainees who will staff the mental health support teams start training in January 2019. The first wave of mental health support teams will be fully operational by the end of 2019.
We will test and pilot the implementation of the Green Paper plans to ensure we learn as we go. Data about the prevalence of mental health conditions in Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2017 will be used as part of the evidence base to inform all planning and activity around children and young people’s mental health, including the roll-out of the Green Paper plans. The precise roll-out will also be informed by the evaluation of the initial trailblazers.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the prevalence of obesity among young people aged 12 to 15 is increasing or declining.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Health Survey for England collects data on the proportion of children aged two to 15 years old who were obese by survey year from 1995 to 2016, the latest year of data available. Data is only available for the age group 11-15 years.
The prevalence of obesity among children aged 11-15 years increased from 15% to 25% between 1995-2004. Since 2005 the prevalence of obesity has remained at around 19%.
However, there was an increase in obesity among children and young people aged 11 to 15 in 2016 from the previous year, but this one-year increase does not affect the overall trend which fluctuates around 19%.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS Foundation Trusts promote private healthcare to NHS patients.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a dedicated programme of follow-up action for young people aged 12 to 15 who are identified as overweight or obese.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There is no dedicated programme of follow-up action aimed specifically at young people aged 12 to 15 who are identified as overweight or obese. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning effective lifestyle weight management programmes for children and young people, according to the needs of their local populations. Therefore, programmes vary across the country and are delivered by a range of organisations, in different locations, covering different age groups.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many young people who were surveyed in the National Health Survey for England in (1) 2011, (2) 2015, and (3) 2016 were aged (a) 12, (b) 13, (c) 14, (d) 15; what proportion of those were overweight or obese; and what portion had weight problems of sufficient concern for them to be invited to see a health professional.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to engage directly with obese children and their parents to raise their awareness of obesity, offer encouragement, and support them to lose weight.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England’s (PHE’s) Change4Life and Start4Life programmes continue to engage directly with obese children and families with information on leading a healthy lifestyle, including inspiring them to eat well and move more.
PHE is currently exploring how digital technology could help to extend access of behavioural approaches to children and families who might benefit the most from support to adopt healthier lifestyles and achieve a healthier weight. PHE is taking a user centred approach to this programme and is working with families to understand their needs and develop approaches collaboratively.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they track the weight of school children between the ages of 12 and 16; if so, how this is done; and how the results are communicated to all the parents of the children so measured.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The weight of school children between the ages of 12 and 16 is not tracked nationally.
Data is collected on the height and weight of children aged 2-15 in the Health Survey for England (HSE). Around 2,000 children (aged 0-15) take part in the survey each year. Information is collected through an interview and, if participants agree, a visit from a specially trained nurse. In 2016 the sample contained 2,056 children of which 1,117 children had a nurse visit.
The HSE is a sample survey for the purposes of providing statistical information on the health and lifestyles of people across England. It is not designed to report back to parents on their child’s weight.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how amendments to the NHS Constitution Handbook are communicated to patients.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
In accordance with the Health Act 2009 we are currently reviewing the handbook that accompanies the NHS Constitution and will publish a revised version in summer 2018. As the handbook is an explanatory document, and cannot alter the NHS Constitution itself, this is a technical update that will bring the handbook up to date with policy developments since it was last published in 2015. Changes will be based largely on contributions provided from within the Department, from NHS England and from Public Health England.
As we set out in response to recommendations on National Health Service sustainability made by the House of Lords, we are looking particularly closely at the section in the handbook that explains patient responsibilities in the NHS Constitution. We will include a stronger statement about the role that patients and the public can play in supporting NHS sustainability by looking after their own health, adopting healthy behaviours, and making appropriate use of NHS resources. We will also point out where there is further information on the NHS website.
When the revised handbook is published, we will encourage NHS England, Public Health England and other stakeholders – including Healthwatch England as the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services – to promote it through their extensive networks. We will also publicise it through the NHS Constitution Twitter and Facebook accounts.