Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 the impact of supply chain issues surrounding the importing of Creon into the United Kingdom on patients with pancreatic diseases; and what steps he is taking to increase the amount of Creon being imported into the United Kingdom.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has been working with suppliers to address the current supply issues with Creon, which is a brand of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) used by patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues with Creon are impacting countries throughout Europe and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints to produce volumes needed to meet demand. These issues have resulted in knock-on supply disruptions of alternative PERT medications.
The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term by asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers of unlicensed medicine to understand whether they can source unlicensed imports of Creon to help mitigate this supply issue. Where such imports have been sourced, the Department has worked with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to expedite regulatory processes.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 merits of establishing a Medicines Shortages Task Force.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While there are no plans to establish a Medicines Shortages Task Force, there is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. They work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when shortages do arise.
The resilience of United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues, and avoid shortages for patients. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience. However, medicine shortages are a complex and global issue and everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in addressing them, as any action will require a collaborative approach.
There are approximately 14,000 medicines licensed for supply in the UK, and while most are in good supply, there can sometimes be supply issues with a limited number of medicines. Supply disruption is an issue which affects the UK, as well as the other countries around the world. High-profile medicine supply issues have been global in their nature.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 25 November 2024 to Question 15983 on General Practitioners: Kent, how much it cost to set up Bromleag Care Practice in 2019.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commenced the procurement process for an Enhanced Medical Support in Care Homes provider in May 2018.
Following the completion of that process, on 10 January 2019, the Bromley CCG primary care committee gave approval for the Alternative Provider Medical Services contract to be awarded to the Bromley GP Alliance, who run Bromleag Care Practice, for a term of five years, with an option to extend for a further five years.
The indicative financial envelope approved for the contract was £1.26 million. The costs of setting up the practice were included as part of that contract. The Bromleag Care practice was set up specifically to provide enhanced care for residents of nursing homes, residential homes, and those in extra care housing in Bromley.
To note, the total National Health Service payments paid to the Bromleag Care Practice in 2022/23 were reported as £5,317,351, which included payments received by the practice on behalf of the local Primary Care Network. The total NHS payments to general practice minus deductions was £1,434,316.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many private GP surgeries were set up in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Tunbridge Wells constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on the number of private general practice (GP) surgeries is not held centrally. The majority of GPs operate under the GP Contract, to provide National Health Service GP services. Private GP surgeries must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, and doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many private GP surgeries there are in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on the number of private general practice (GP) surgeries is not held centrally. The majority of GPs operate under the GP Contract, to provide National Health Service GP services. Private GP surgeries must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, and doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 27 November 2024 to Question 15347 on Pectus Excavatum: Surgery, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on the (a) mental and (b) physical health of children who fall below the Haller index threshold of not receiving that surgery.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2023, the National Health Service published an urgent policy statement for the clinical treatment of pectus excavatum and the eligibility criteria for surgical intervention.
Any physical or psychological assessment of children who fall below the eligibility threshold for surgery to treat pectus excavatum is the responsibility of their clinician. Pectus excavatum may also be treated by non-surgical interventions.
As part of its five long-term missions, the Government has begun work on a 10-year plan for change and modernisation, to make the NHS fit for the future, ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 negotiate an agreement between (a) AstraZeneca, (b) Daiichi Sankyo and (c) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure Enhertu can be prescribed on the NHS to women with breast cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and on the basis of the available evidence.
The NICE published guidance in July 2024 on the use of Enhertu for the treatment of HER-2 low metastatic and unresectable breast cancer, and was unfortunately unable to recommend it for routine NHS funding. I understand that the NICE and NHS England have sought to apply as much flexibility as they can in their considerations of Enhertu for HER2-low breast cancer, and have made it clear to the companies that their pricing of the drug remains the only obstacle to access.
Ministers recently met with the manufacturers of Enhertu, AstraZeneca, and Daiichi Sankyo, to encourage them to re-engage in commercial discussions with NHS England. Despite the NICE and NHS England offering unprecedented flexibilities, the companies were unable to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price. The NICE’s guidance, published in July, will therefore remain unchanged. Although the deadline for a rapid review has now passed, the NICE has reassured me that the door remains open for the companies to enter into a new NICE appraisal, if they are willing to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the name of the pharmacy most recently set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is; and when it was set up.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent pharmacy set up in Kent is Delmergate Ltd, located at Unit 4, Castle Hill Local Centre, 69 Cherry Orchard, Ebbsfleet, Kent, DA10 1AD. It’s opening date was 19 July 2021.
The most recent pharmacy set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is Carrs Pharmacy, located on 94 Caverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN21 2UN. It’s opening date was 1 February 2011.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the name of the pharmacy most recently set up in Kent is; and when it was set up.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent pharmacy set up in Kent is Delmergate Ltd, located at Unit 4, Castle Hill Local Centre, 69 Cherry Orchard, Ebbsfleet, Kent, DA10 1AD. It’s opening date was 19 July 2021.
The most recent pharmacy set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is Carrs Pharmacy, located on 94 Caverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN21 2UN. It’s opening date was 1 February 2011.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the last time a GP surgery was set up from scratch in England was.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information regarding the name and date of establishment for the latest GP surgery set up in England, Tunbridge Wells constituency, and Kent is as follows:
To note:
The data included has been taken from GP and GP practice related data - NHS England Digital (file epraccur.csv), and is labelled ‘GP Practices’, however this is not entirely accurate as it comes from NHS Prescribing Services and identifies cost centre codes for prescribing activity. This data wasn't created to list GP Practices; instead, it's meant to track prescribing activity and pay dispensing contractors. It has since been used as a reference for IT systems operations.