Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Kidney Care UK entitled Left Out in the Cold, published on 30 March 2023; and if he will take steps to reduce the variance of home dialysis reimbursement payments made by NHS trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of standardising reimbursement for all types of home dialysis, or to reduce variance in payments. Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the national Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification, and reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients. Currently, information about patients seeking reimbursement costs is not collected centrally. Further information on the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available, respectively, at the following two links:
Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation Toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.
Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. The NHS England national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.
The renal clinical networks and the renal services clinical reference group are providing input into the Department’s 10-Year Health Plan development process. As part of this, it is highlighted that increasing home dialysis provision will reduce in-centre dialysis demand and this will shift care from a hospital to a community setting. Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme Toolkit’s recommendations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of standardising reimbursement for all types of home dialysis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of standardising reimbursement for all types of home dialysis, or to reduce variance in payments. Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the national Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification, and reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients. Currently, information about patients seeking reimbursement costs is not collected centrally. Further information on the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available, respectively, at the following two links:
Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation Toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.
Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. The NHS England national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.
The renal clinical networks and the renal services clinical reference group are providing input into the Department’s 10-Year Health Plan development process. As part of this, it is highlighted that increasing home dialysis provision will reduce in-centre dialysis demand and this will shift care from a hospital to a community setting. Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme Toolkit’s recommendations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase awareness among women with Neurofibromatosis type 1 that they are entitled to breast screening from the age of 40; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of GPs taking an increased role in (a) identifying and (b) referring such women for screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women between the ages of 50 and 71 years old to a screening every three years. However, women with an increased risk of breast cancer, such as those with neurofibromatosis type 1, are invited for screening from 40 years old.
Any woman who has neurofibromatosis type 1 and who hasn’t been referred for breast screening at 40 years old, or who has noticed changes to their breasts, should speak to their general practitioner.
The National Health Service website, available to the public and professionals, has information on neurofibromatosis and the increased risk of breast cancer, and advises breast screening from 40 years old.
In 2023, the England Rare Diseases Action Plan committed to improving the registration of national data for exemplar rare genetic conditions which cause an inherited predisposition to cancer, building on the success of the national Lynch syndrome registry.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to ensure that women with Neurofibromatosis type 1 are informed of their increased risk of breast cancer at an early age.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women between the ages of 50 and 71 years old to a screening every three years. However, women with an increased risk of breast cancer, such as those with neurofibromatosis type 1, are invited for screening from 40 years old.
Any woman who has neurofibromatosis type 1 and who hasn’t been referred for breast screening at 40 years old, or who has noticed changes to their breasts, should speak to their general practitioner.
The National Health Service website, available to the public and professionals, has information on neurofibromatosis and the increased risk of breast cancer, and advises breast screening from 40 years old.
In 2023, the England Rare Diseases Action Plan committed to improving the registration of national data for exemplar rare genetic conditions which cause an inherited predisposition to cancer, building on the success of the national Lynch syndrome registry.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people on home dialysis who do not receive reimbursement of the energy costs of that dialysis; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that number on the ability of his Department to shift care from hospital to community.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England, and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.
Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. NHS England’s national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.
Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home national service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification. Reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients, and therefore there is no central record of how many patients seek reimbursement. Further information on the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/paediatric-medicine-renal-service-specification/
Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme toolkit recommendations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to ensure a minimum of 20% of dialysis patients in renal centres receive home dialysis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England, and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.
Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. NHS England’s national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.
Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home national service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification. Reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients, and therefore there is no central record of how many patients seek reimbursement. Further information on the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/paediatric-medicine-renal-service-specification/
Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme toolkit recommendations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of patients receiving dialysis at home.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England, and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.
Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. NHS England’s national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.
Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home national service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification. Reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients, and therefore there is no central record of how many patients seek reimbursement. Further information on the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/paediatric-medicine-renal-service-specification/
Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme toolkit recommendations.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2024 to Question 20962 on NHS: Staff, whether the engagement on the NHS workforce plan will include (a) a formal consultation separate to that on the 10 year health plan and (b) health charities as a key stakeholder group.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and ensure patients get the treatment they need, when and where they need it.
No formal statutory public consultation is planned. In the development of the plan, we will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including health charities and trade unions, to ensure needs of staff and patients are considered.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help increase levels of awareness of the potential merits of switching to (a) vapes and (b) other alternatives to smoking among adult smokers, in the context of nicotine product display restrictions.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that vape flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, we recognise that vape flavours can also be a consideration for adult smokers seeking to quit smoking.
That is why it is important we strike the balance between restricting vape flavours to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst ensuring vapes remain available for adult smokers as a smoking cessation tool. Before laying any regulations in Parliament, we will undertake a full public consultation to ensure we get this balance right, and consider the views of a range of stakeholders. We will also undertake a full impact assessment on any future flavour restrictions.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes regulation making powers to limit how nicotine products are displayed. These are also subject to consultation. Adult smokers will still be able to access vapes as well as other alternative methods to stop smoking. Vapes are commonly used alongside behavioural support within local Stop Smoking Services, helping thousands of adults each year to live healthier lives. In addition, our national Swap to Stop scheme is supporting adult smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of deterring adults who might otherwise smoke cigarettes from using flavoured vapes on public health.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that vape flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, we recognise that vape flavours can also be a consideration for adult smokers seeking to quit smoking.
That is why it is important we strike the balance between restricting vape flavours to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst ensuring vapes remain available for adult smokers as a smoking cessation tool. Before laying any regulations in Parliament, we will undertake a full public consultation to ensure we get this balance right, and consider the views of a range of stakeholders. We will also undertake a full impact assessment on any future flavour restrictions.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes regulation making powers to limit how nicotine products are displayed. These are also subject to consultation. Adult smokers will still be able to access vapes as well as other alternative methods to stop smoking. Vapes are commonly used alongside behavioural support within local Stop Smoking Services, helping thousands of adults each year to live healthier lives. In addition, our national Swap to Stop scheme is supporting adult smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes.