Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he and (b) his Department has had discussions with representatives of the vaping industry since the general election.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since July 2024, no members of the Department have met with the vaping industry. This includes my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Details of ministerial meetings are updated quarterly in arrears, on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication in the North East.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.
We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We expect supply to improve in the UK throughout December 2024 and January 2025. However, we anticipate supply to be limited for some strengths, and we continue to work with all suppliers to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as soon as possible. To improve supply chain resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.
We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England is establishing to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.
To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the NHS, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically, or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.
To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. The SPS website also offers additional guidance from NHS England specialists to help systems and healthcare professionals manage ADHD supply disruptions.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, last updated on 8 November 2023, reflects his Department's current policy.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced into Parliament on 5 November, and will be the single biggest public health intervention since the banning of smoking in indoor public spaces.
This bill goes further than ever before. It will create the first smoke-free generation, gradually phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the country, enable the Government to strengthen the existing ban on smoking in public places to reduce the harms of passive smoking in certain outdoor settings, ban vapes and nicotine products from being promoted and advertised to children, and introduce tougher enforcement measures, including through providing powers to introduce a retail licensing scheme for tobacco and vapes.
This bill will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom, and forms part of our Health Mission to shift the health system from treatment to prevention.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to support community pharmacies in City of Durham constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. Previous plans did not go far enough. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.
The consultation with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25 has not yet been concluded, and we are looking into this as a matter of urgency.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce auto-enrolment for the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review. There have been no discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.
The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old, from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old. Healthy Start now supports over 355,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, the NHS Business Services Authority is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, we remain open to all viable routes to improve uptake.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 reduce inequalities in dietary health.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under our Health Mission we will move from a model of sickness to one of prevention, reducing health inequalities and closing the gap in healthy life expectancy, as well as delivering on our commitment to raise the healthiest generation ever. As part of this we are working with civil society, industry, and the public to address some of the biggest drivers of ill-health and health inequalities, including tackling obesity and poor diet, as obesity prevalence for children in deprived areas is double that of non-deprived areas.
To this end, we are rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, with an early adopter scheme launching in April 2025, so children start the day ready to learn, helping to break down barriers to opportunity and confront child poverty. All children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 in England’s state-funded schools are already entitled to universal infant free school meals, and disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools, as well as 16 to 18-year-old students in further education, receive free meals on the basis of low income.
In addition, our Healthy Food Schemes already provide support for those who need it the most. The Healthy Start scheme aims to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula, with beneficiaries also having access to free Healthy Start Vitamins.
We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years old, where we know average intakes of these drinks is highest among children from more deprived areas. Additionally, we are on track to ban junk food advertising to children from next year.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of nurses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Working with universities we are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more nurses, and will work closely with National Health Service trusts and their local education providers to do so and ensure nursing remains an attractive career choice.
Targeted retention work for nurses and midwives is being undertaken by NHS England and led by the Chief Nursing Officer. This includes the introduction of a nursing and midwifery retention self-assessment tool which shares evidence on retention interventions and allows employers to assess their local plans and actions; a national preceptorship framework which provides early career support for nurses and midwives as they transition from education to employment; mentoring schemes; strengthened advice and support on pensions and flexible retirement options; and the publication of menopause policies and guidance.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 nurses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Working with universities we are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more nurses, and will work closely with National Health Service trusts and their local education providers to do so and ensure nursing remains an attractive career choice.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make difluoromethylornithine available on the NHS for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We understand how important it is that cancer patients are able to benefit from rapid access to effective new treatments. We are aware that the manufacturer difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) has applied for a United Kingdom marketing authorisation through Project Orbis, which is an international partnership that allows the more rapid review and approval of promising new cancer treatments.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has already begun evaluating this treatment with the aim of publishing guidance for the National Health Service on its use as soon as possible, if it receives a UK licence.
We understand that the manufacturer of DFMO, Norgine, is setting up a ‘compassionate use’ programme, meaning it will be made available free of charge in the UK for individual patients upon a request from a UK prescribing clinician, before a decision is made on the UK marketing authorisation.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with third sector organisations on the inclusion of policies on prevention in the proposed ten-year plan for health and social care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we will launch a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed: moving healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
A core part of the development of the 10-Year Health Plan, including its approach to prevention, will be an extensive engagement exercise with the public, staff, and stakeholders, including the third sector. Further details on how to get involved will be set out in the coming weeks.