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 ensure that people with diabetes can continue to access the care and treatment they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 improve secondary prevention of health complications associated with diabetes in the light of the impact of COVID-19.
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 assessment they have made of the findings of the recent survey by the Neurological Alliance, Restarting services for people with neurological conditions after the COVID-19 pandemic and planning for the longer term, published on 7 July, that (1) 47 per cent of those surveyed had had their appointments with a neurologist delayed because of COVID-19, and (2) almost 39 per cent of those who were due to see a neurologist were not given a future date for their delayed appointment; and when all NHS services for people with neurological conditions will reopen.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Neurological Alliance report, Restarting services for people with neurological conditions after the COVID-19 pandemic and planning for the longer term, was published on 7 July 2020 and surveyed the views of over 1,600 people. Although no specific assessment of that survey has been made, the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are of course aware that the need to take pressure off NHS services, to enable it to respond to pandemic, did have an impact on the provision of routine patient care.
Early in the pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement advised that in-person consultations should only take place when absolutely necessary. As a result, providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority, including for those with neurological conditions.
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 case for increasing public health funding in the light of the COVID-19 crisis; and whether future statements to Parliament on COVID-19 will address any such increase of that funding.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The public health grant to local authorities is £3.279 billion in 2020-21. This is in addition to what the National Health Service spends on public health, which included over £1.3 billion in 2019-20 on national public health programmes such as immunisations and screening.
The Government has also provided £4.3 billion of additional funding for local government to help them respond to COVID-19 pressures across the services they deliver. Local authorities will take spending decisions based on local priorities, and the Government is keeping the position under review.
Funding beyond 2020-21 will be set out at the next spending review.
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 increase funding for public education campaigns about smoking in order (1) to encourage people who have quit smoking during the COVID-19 lockdown to remain smoke-free, and (2) to motivate people to quit smoking in coming months.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has committed £70,000 to support the ‘Today is the Day’ campaign which is targeted at localities with high smoking prevalence. Public Health England’s annual Stoptober campaign will be held in October 2020 and will take account of the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 data included in Statistics on Women's Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: England Quarter 4, 2019–20, published on 7 July, what assessment they have made of Greater Manchester’s Smokefree Pregnancy programme; and what plans they have to implement a national smoke-free pregnancy incentives programme along the lines of that programme.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has a track record of reducing the harms caused by tobacco and is committed to achieving its ambition to reduce the rate of smoking in pregnancy to 6% or less by 2022.
The Government is aware of the work undertaken in Greater Manchester, although we have not made a formal assessment of it. The programme will be considered by officials when exploring further ways that we can protect babies and their parents from the consequences of smoking in pregnancy.
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, if any, to increase the use of digital technology in care pathways for people with diabetes.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken several steps to promote access to digital self-management support for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
They are currently working to widen access including by redeveloping and supporting implementation of an online, self-management support tool called ‘Healthy Living for People with Type 2 diabetes’ and are actively considering ways to educate the public on the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle. They are also investing in the wider adoption of several digital interventions and commissioning a package of new online self-management courses to help people living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
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 benefit of offering digital (1) coaching, (2) education, and (3) weight management, programmes to people with type 2 diabetes.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken several steps to promote access to digital self-management support for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
They are currently working to widen access including by redeveloping and supporting implementation of an online, self-management support tool called ‘Healthy Living for People with Type 2 diabetes’ and are actively considering ways to educate the public on the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle. They are also investing in the wider adoption of several digital interventions and commissioning a package of new online self-management courses to help people living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
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 ensure that services and treatment for patients with cancer return to the level provided before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In response to COVID-19, 21 Cancer Alliances across England now have arrangements in place for cancer hubs. These are hospitals dedicated to cancer care away from hospitals dealing with the virus to keep often vulnerable cancer patients safe.
Essential and urgent cancer treatment has continued throughout the pandemic period, and we are now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services.
As part of the restoration of services, NHS services will continue to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer, as well as delivering treating patients in cancer hubs, to ensure that referrals, diagnostics and treatment are brought back to pre-pandemic levels.
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 deal with the backlog of cancer treatments that have been delayed or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In response to COVID-19, 21 Cancer Alliances across England now have arrangements in place for cancer hubs. These are hospitals dedicated to cancer care away from hospitals dealing with the virus to keep often vulnerable cancer patients safe.
Essential and urgent cancer treatment has continued throughout the pandemic period, and we are now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services.
As part of the restoration of services, NHS services will continue to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer, as well as delivering treating patients in cancer hubs, to ensure that referrals, diagnostics and treatment are brought back to pre-pandemic levels.