Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of progress against the April 2016 NHS England General Practice Forward View plan to recruit an extra 3000 mental health therapists.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
NHS England has advised that its interim target of 800 extra Improving Access to Psychological Therapies therapists working in primary care by March 2018 has been met. NHS England is now analysing data to establish if the target to increase this number to 1,500 by March 2019 has been achieved.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of the potential side-effects of the drug metamizole among UK citizens and tourists in Spain.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Metamizole is a medicine used in some European Union countries to treat severe pain and fever. Metamizole magnesium is authorised in Spain, Portugal and Poland (as a generic medicine and under various brand names including Nolotil in Spain and Portugal and Pyralgina in Poland). The medicine has not been licensed for use in the United Kingdom.
As with all medicines, the safety of metamizole is kept under close review within the EU. A European review was conducted last year to assess all data available concerning the maximum daily dose and its contraindications on pregnancy and breastfeeding. This review was completed in December 2018 and led to agreement of harmonised information on the maximum dose to be used and that it should not be used during the third trimester of pregnancy. It was also recommended that use during breast-feeding should be avoided. As a result, consistent warnings will be available in the product information for patients and healthcare professionals within each country where authorised for use.
A recent evaluation by the European Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee noted reports of cases of agranulocytosis (lowered white blood cell count) which had occurred in UK residents in Spain. Agranulocytosis is a known risk of metamizole and is described in the product information for healthcare professionals. However, based on the review of available data, the Spanish Medicines Agency has taken further action to strengthen the warnings with regards to the risk of agranulocytosis. We are also aware that in October 2018 a communication was issued to healthcare professionals in Spain reminding them of this risk and the need to advise patients of the signs and symptoms and to avoid use in patients who have risk factors for agranulocytosis.
All medicines are supplied with information for patients which contain information on all known side effects and those signs and symptoms which they need to be aware of. Patients being treated with metamizole medicines who have any questions or concerns should talk to a healthcare professional.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with his Spanish counterpart on the effect of dispensing metamizole to (a) UK and (b) Spanish residents in Spain.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Metamizole is a medicine used in some European Union countries to treat severe pain and fever. Metamizole magnesium is authorised in Spain, Portugal and Poland (as a generic medicine and under various brand names including Nolotil in Spain and Portugal and Pyralgina in Poland). The medicine has not been licensed for use in the United Kingdom.
As with all medicines, the safety of metamizole is kept under close review within the EU. A European review was conducted last year to assess all data available concerning the maximum daily dose and its contraindications on pregnancy and breastfeeding. This review was completed in December 2018 and led to agreement of harmonised information on the maximum dose to be used and that it should not be used during the third trimester of pregnancy. It was also recommended that use during breast-feeding should be avoided. As a result, consistent warnings will be available in the product information for patients and healthcare professionals within each country where authorised for use.
A recent evaluation by the European Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee noted reports of cases of agranulocytosis (lowered white blood cell count) which had occurred in UK residents in Spain. Agranulocytosis is a known risk of metamizole and is described in the product information for healthcare professionals. However, based on the review of available data, the Spanish Medicines Agency has taken further action to strengthen the warnings with regards to the risk of agranulocytosis. We are also aware that in October 2018 a communication was issued to healthcare professionals in Spain reminding them of this risk and the need to advise patients of the signs and symptoms and to avoid use in patients who have risk factors for agranulocytosis.
All medicines are supplied with information for patients which contain information on all known side effects and those signs and symptoms which they need to be aware of. Patients being treated with metamizole medicines who have any questions or concerns should talk to a healthcare professional.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of the side-effects of the drug metamizole.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Metamizole is a medicine used in some European Union countries to treat severe pain and fever. Metamizole magnesium is authorised in Spain, Portugal and Poland (as a generic medicine and under various brand names including Nolotil in Spain and Portugal and Pyralgina in Poland). The medicine has not been licensed for use in the United Kingdom.
As with all medicines, the safety of metamizole is kept under close review within the EU. A European review was conducted last year to assess all data available concerning the maximum daily dose and its contraindications on pregnancy and breastfeeding. This review was completed in December 2018 and led to agreement of harmonised information on the maximum dose to be used and that it should not be used during the third trimester of pregnancy. It was also recommended that use during breast-feeding should be avoided. As a result, consistent warnings will be available in the product information for patients and healthcare professionals within each country where authorised for use.
A recent evaluation by the European Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee noted reports of cases of agranulocytosis (lowered white blood cell count) which had occurred in UK residents in Spain. Agranulocytosis is a known risk of metamizole and is described in the product information for healthcare professionals. However, based on the review of available data, the Spanish Medicines Agency has taken further action to strengthen the warnings with regards to the risk of agranulocytosis. We are also aware that in October 2018 a communication was issued to healthcare professionals in Spain reminding them of this risk and the need to advise patients of the signs and symptoms and to avoid use in patients who have risk factors for agranulocytosis.
All medicines are supplied with information for patients which contain information on all known side effects and those signs and symptoms which they need to be aware of. Patients being treated with metamizole medicines who have any questions or concerns should talk to a healthcare professional.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement, Government review confirms local authorities will continue to commission public health services, published by his Department on 7 June 2019, when he plans to publish the proposals in relation to the review of the commissioning arrangements for sexual and reproductive health set out in paragraph 2.4 of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the outcome of the review, confirming that local authorities will continue to take the lead in commissioning sexual and reproductive health, school nursing and health visiting services, at his Royal Society of Medicine lecture on 6 June.
The review consulted a range of stake-holders. Stakeholder forums were organised by the National Aids Trust and the Public Health Systems Group, to which many organisations were invited to express their views. Officials from the Department also met with a number of organisations, and the review received a number of written submissions.
The forthcoming Prevention Green Paper will provide an opportunity for people to give us their views on more we can do to encourage local authorities and National Health Service bodies to work well together in commissioning health services.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement, Government review confirms local authorities will continue to commission public health services, published by his Department on 7 June 2019 and paragraph 2.4 of the NHS Long Term Plan, in what form will the consultation into the proposals to improve co-commissioning developed in relation to the commissioning arrangements for sexual and reproductive health be conducted.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the outcome of the review, confirming that local authorities will continue to take the lead in commissioning sexual and reproductive health, school nursing and health visiting services, at his Royal Society of Medicine lecture on 6 June.
The review consulted a range of stake-holders. Stakeholder forums were organised by the National Aids Trust and the Public Health Systems Group, to which many organisations were invited to express their views. Officials from the Department also met with a number of organisations, and the review received a number of written submissions.
The forthcoming Prevention Green Paper will provide an opportunity for people to give us their views on more we can do to encourage local authorities and National Health Service bodies to work well together in commissioning health services.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.4 of the NHS Long Term Plan, what public consultation his Department undertook with the sexual and reproductive health sector on the review of the commissioning arrangements for sexual and reproductive health.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the outcome of the review, confirming that local authorities will continue to take the lead in commissioning sexual and reproductive health, school nursing and health visiting services, at his Royal Society of Medicine lecture on 6 June.
The review consulted a range of stake-holders. Stakeholder forums were organised by the National Aids Trust and the Public Health Systems Group, to which many organisations were invited to express their views. Officials from the Department also met with a number of organisations, and the review received a number of written submissions.
The forthcoming Prevention Green Paper will provide an opportunity for people to give us their views on more we can do to encourage local authorities and National Health Service bodies to work well together in commissioning health services.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of the Public Health Grant in (a) the current Spending Review Period and (b) the next Spending Review on the (i) level of quality of drug treatment services and (ii) number of drug-related deaths.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Government is concerned by the number of drug-related deaths, which is largely caused by an ageing cohort of heroin users. We are supporting local areas to develop a more joined up approach to commissioning and delivering the range of services that are essential to supporting recovery and preventing drug-related deaths. In October, the Home Office announced that there would be a major independent review of drug misuse. This will look at a wide range of issues, including the system of support and enforcement around drug abuse, to better inform our thinking about what more can be done to tackle drug harms including deaths. The review will inform our thinking about what more can be done to mitigate the harm caused through drug use.
Local authorities will receive £3.1 billion in 2019/20, ring-fenced exclusively for use on public health, including drug addiction. We are investing over £16 billion in local authority public health services over the five years of the 2015 Spending Review until 2020/21. Public health funding for 2020 onwards, including for addiction services, will be considered carefully in the next Spending Review, in the light of the available evidence.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes are rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in (a) Liverpool, (b) the North West and (c) England.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has provided the following data:
- | Number of active care homes with latest overall rating as ‘Inadequate’ | Total active care homes | Percentage1 of active care homes by latest overall rating |
Liverpool Local Authority | 1 | 89 | 1.1% |
North West Region | 20 | 1,915 | 1.0% |
England | 230 | 15,668 | 1.5% |
Notes: 1Percentages for each latest overall rating are as a proportion of total active care homes, including homes with no published rating to date.
The data provided can be used in accordance with the Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information by acknowledging the CQC as the data source.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral statement of 5 November 2018, Official Report, column 1269, what progress he has made on the structure of a health in all policies approach to policy-making.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
In the Prevention Vision document, ‘Prevention is Better Than Cure’, we committed to publishing a Prevention Green Paper setting out Government plans on prevention in more detail, including our approach to health in all policies. This Green Paper will be published in due course.