Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of the level of statutory sick pay on public health.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government keeps Statutory Sick Pay policy under review.
I am clear that good work is good for you and our focus is on how we can keep people in work or get them back to work more quickly. That is why we are reforming the fit note process.
This is alongside our investment in Universal Support and Access to Work focussed on helping disabled people and those with health conditions return to and remain in work.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will undertake a review of the proportion of patients with communication needs who can access their health information in a format suitable to their personal needs.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no plans to undertake such a review. Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.
Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations are required to comply with the Accessible Information Standard. The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
The standard sets out that NHS organisations must ask people if they have any information or communication needs and take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand and receive communication support if they need it.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Your life and CF, published in June 2023 by Cystic Fibrosis Trust, if he will make an assessment of the impact of hospital car park charges on the proportion of appointments missed by people with (a) cystic fibrosis and (b) other long term conditions.
Answered by Will Quince
We have no current plans to make a specific assessment. Through the Government’s commitment, all trusts that charge for hospital car parking now provide free parking to in-need groups, which include National Health Service staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people and parents of children staying overnight in hospital. An assessment of in-need groups was undertaken during the development of this policy to capture as wide a range of patients as possible.
To minimise the risk of patients missing appointments owing to parking issues, NHS England advise trusts that they should consider installing ‘pay on exit’ or similar schemes so that drivers pay only for the time that they have used when they leave.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support a public health campaign to increase understanding of and reduce the stigma around conversations about death, dying and bereavement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no plans to run a public health campaign on bereavement. Bereavement is included as part of the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign under the ‘Life’s challenges’ section, helping to normalise the bereavement experience and signpost support. The Department and NHS England will also continue to support National Grief Awareness Week through their social media channels.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
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 help improve survival outcomes for children with sarcoma.
Answered by Will Quince
Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) are responsible for improving integration between children’s cancer services and improving the experience of care. The National Health Service is increasing participation in clinical trials, which is currently approximately two thirds of patients and tumour banking rates. It is improving the transition between children’s and teenager and young adult services, in particular ensuring that there is no age gap between different services and embedding genomic medicine within children’s cancer services.
In addition, sarcoma has been highlighted within the new specification as requiring a particular focus, relating to the development of clear access and referral arrangements and the agreement of treatment protocols in each ODN.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
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 increase public awareness of (a) sarcoma and (b) other childhood cancers.
Answered by Will Quince
On 1 March 2022, a phase of the ‘Help us help you’ campaign was launched to address some of the barriers which prevent people seeking advice on the potential symptoms of all cancers. NHS England is developing plans for future phases of the campaign to raise awareness of cancer symptoms during 2022/23.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plan her Department has to improve the level of awareness among primary care professionals of (a) sarcoma and (b) other childhood cancers.
Answered by Will Quince
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for maintaining their clinical knowledge and identifying learning needs through continuing professional development. This should include take account of new research and developments, such as guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice and promotes improved quality of care through improvements in clinical governance.
The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is determined by the relevant medical Royal College and must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions, it emphasises the skills and approaches a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what fiscal steps he is taking to help ensure that the necessary (a) health services, (b) therapies and (c) physical equipment is in place for disabled children and their families.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The forthcoming Spending Review will set out the Government’s spending plans for health and social care for future years. On 6 September 2021 we announced an additional £5.4 billion for the National Health Service to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children.
We are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health and care services for disabled children, including access to therapies and equipment. In 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance making clear that restoration of essential community services must be prioritised for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities aged up to 25 years old and who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or are going through an assessment.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of the Disabled Children’s Partnership’s report entitled Then There Was Silence, published on 10 September 2021, that nearly three quarters of disabled children had seen their progress managing their condition regress, what fiscal steps he is taking to help disabled children recover from delays to health and therapy services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
On 6 September 2021 the Government announced an additional £5.4 billion for the National Health Service to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children. The forthcoming Spending Review will set out the Government’s spending plans for health and social care for future years.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans are in place to support blind and visually impaired people to access their covid-19 vaccine with (a) braille inclusive vaccine information, (b) vaccine centre location assistance, (c) vaccine centre signage and lighting and (d) staff guidance.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
PHE (Public Health England) has published British Sign Language, braille, and large print versions of the guidance. The national booking letters are sent in size 16 font as standard, as defined by RNIB as large print and also provide 119 as an option.
PHE is currently working with RNIB to further disseminate our resources, identify any gaps, support RNIB’s teaching programme to the vaccination workforce and refine plans for the production of audio versions of our leaflets. All vaccination venues are accessible and will meet the needs of people with disabilities. Individuals and families are being encouraged to raise any need for a reasonable adjustment required ahead of vaccination appointments.