Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NHS England to embed knowledge of Congenital Hyperinsulinism among medical professionals and associations responsible for neo-natal, post-natal and paediatric care, to ensure urgent diagnosis to prevent neurological harm.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for commissioning Highly Specialised Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) Specialist Centres in London, Manchester, and Liverpool to provide a range of treatments for this condition. Care includes long-term monitoring of the glycaemic status of children with CHI to avoid hypoglycaemic incident and subsequent neurological harm. Additionally, the Specialist Centres engage with parents in the long-term care of children who also receive regular follow up at the centres with the involvement of a patient’s local healthcare provider to support care closer to home management. All patients with CHI are referred to and have access to these centres.
The Department has not had specific discussions with NHS England on Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Whilst no assessment has been made for prioritising early diagnosis thereof, it is acknowledged by the National Health Service and by practitioners involved in routine paediatric health assessment, surveillance and subsequent treatment, that the early diagnosis of CHI is important and that children usually start to show symptoms of CHI within the first few days of life, although very occasionally symptoms may appear later in infancy. The Specialist Centres also provide advice, education and support to local health care providers on CHI and the management of patients with CHI.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for prioritising early diagnosis of Congenital Hyperinsulinism to prevent Hypoglycaemic incident and subsequent neurological harm in babies and children.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for commissioning Highly Specialised Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) Specialist Centres in London, Manchester, and Liverpool to provide a range of treatments for this condition. Care includes long-term monitoring of the glycaemic status of children with CHI to avoid hypoglycaemic incident and subsequent neurological harm. Additionally, the Specialist Centres engage with parents in the long-term care of children who also receive regular follow up at the centres with the involvement of a patient’s local healthcare provider to support care closer to home management. All patients with CHI are referred to and have access to these centres.
The Department has not had specific discussions with NHS England on Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Whilst no assessment has been made for prioritising early diagnosis thereof, it is acknowledged by the National Health Service and by practitioners involved in routine paediatric health assessment, surveillance and subsequent treatment, that the early diagnosis of CHI is important and that children usually start to show symptoms of CHI within the first few days of life, although very occasionally symptoms may appear later in infancy. The Specialist Centres also provide advice, education and support to local health care providers on CHI and the management of patients with CHI.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken (1) to offer children with Congenital Hyperinsulinism continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in order to avoid Hypoglycaemic incident and subsequent neurological harm, and (2) to ensure equality of funding for children with Hyperinsulinism regardless of geographical location in England.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for commissioning Highly Specialised Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) Specialist Centres in London, Manchester, and Liverpool to provide a range of treatments for this condition. Care includes long-term monitoring of the glycaemic status of children with CHI to avoid hypoglycaemic incident and subsequent neurological harm. Additionally, the Specialist Centres engage with parents in the long-term care of children who also receive regular follow up at the centres with the involvement of a patient’s local healthcare provider to support care closer to home management. All patients with CHI are referred to and have access to these centres.
The Department has not had specific discussions with NHS England on Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Whilst no assessment has been made for prioritising early diagnosis thereof, it is acknowledged by the National Health Service and by practitioners involved in routine paediatric health assessment, surveillance and subsequent treatment, that the early diagnosis of CHI is important and that children usually start to show symptoms of CHI within the first few days of life, although very occasionally symptoms may appear later in infancy. The Specialist Centres also provide advice, education and support to local health care providers on CHI and the management of patients with CHI.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of (1) paediatric, and (2) adult, cystic fibrosis centres in England had a (a) social worker, and (b) clinical psychologist, vacancy for more than six months for each year since 2015.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of the forthcoming medicines update of the NG28 Type 2 Diabetes Guideline; and how long it will take for updated guidance to be produced.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the updated guidance Type 2 diabetes in adults: management on 31 March 2022. A copy of the guidance is attached. NICE made new recommendations on the use of medicines for adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in November 2021 and for adults with type 2 diabetes in February 2022. NICE is also updating its recommendations on medicines for type 2 diabetes in children and young people and expects to publish updated guidance in January 2024.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support patients to access (1) new, and (2) cost-effective, medicines as quickly as possible through robust oversight of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) processes.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s capacity to continue producing respected clinical guidance, based on up-to-date medical evidence, in order to support the best health outcomes for all patients.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to achieve its core purpose of improving health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision making.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the research published on 19 May by NHS England which found that higher blood glucose levels and obesity increased the risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19 for people with diabetes, what steps they are taking to ensure that the care of people with diabetes is prioritised to address these modifiable risk factors.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an analysis of diabetes risk, NHS England has worked with partners to publish guidance which includes how to safely maintain essential diabetes services, conduct remote diabetes reviews and methods to prioritise the review of patients as part of local recovery efforts.
Extra measures have also been put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic so that people living with diabetes can continue to access support, including commissioning services to help people with diabetes of all ages self-manage their condition using online digital structured education programmes. To address the effect that COVID-19 had on referrals into the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, NHS England will use a ‘direct to consumer’ model to sit alongside Public Health England and NHS England health marketing proposals.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the NHS to identify people with diabetes (1) whose care has been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) who have refrained from seeking clinical support, and (3) who require improvements in their diabetes control.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an analysis of diabetes risk, NHS England has worked with partners to publish guidance which includes how to safely maintain essential diabetes services, conduct remote diabetes reviews and methods to prioritise the review of patients as part of local recovery efforts.
Extra measures have also been put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic so that people living with diabetes can continue to access support, including commissioning services to help people with diabetes of all ages self-manage their condition using online digital structured education programmes. To address the effect that COVID-19 had on referrals into the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, NHS England will use a ‘direct to consumer’ model to sit alongside Public Health England and NHS England health marketing proposals.