Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 1 April 2019 to Question 237706 on Epilepsy: Drugs, and with reference to the publication entitled, Epilepsy Society Calls For Urgent Review Of Medicines Supply Chain, published by the Epilepsy Society on 8 April 2019, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of people with epilepsy that are unable to obtain epilepsy medication.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Department fully understands that maintaining access to epilepsy medications is vitally important to many people in this country.
The production of medicines is complex and must meet rigorous quality and safety standards. Disruption to the medicines supply chain is rare, but can occur due to manufacturing issues, supply of raw materials or batch failures.
The Department has well established processes to monitor the medicines supply chain, and to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time. In addition, from January this year, it became a legal requirement for pharmaceutical companies to report this information to us in a timely manner. The new requirements aim to address the ongoing concerns about medicine supply issues and to ensure that the Department has relevant information at the earliest point possible to help manage supply shortages and mitigate any potential impacts on patients.
The Department responded to concerns over medicines used in epilepsy by seeking specialist advice to develop a clinical management plan. The clinical management plan aims to ensure treatment for affected patients can be managed appropriately in the unlikely event of any disruption to supply. We communicated information about the supply issue and clinical management plan to the National Health Service and affected patients via patient groups.
We continue to work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply issues do arise.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will respond to the request from the Epilepsy Society for an urgent review of the medicines supply chain.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Department fully understands that maintaining access to epilepsy medications is vitally important to many people in this country.
The production of medicines is complex and must meet rigorous quality and safety standards. Disruption to the medicines supply chain is rare, but can occur due to manufacturing issues, supply of raw materials or batch failures.
The Department has well established processes to monitor the medicines supply chain, and to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time. In addition, from January this year, it became a legal requirement for pharmaceutical companies to report this information to us in a timely manner. The new requirements aim to address the ongoing concerns about medicine supply issues and to ensure that the Department has relevant information at the earliest point possible to help manage supply shortages and mitigate any potential impacts on patients.
The Department responded to concerns over medicines used in epilepsy by seeking specialist advice to develop a clinical management plan. The clinical management plan aims to ensure treatment for affected patients can be managed appropriately in the unlikely event of any disruption to supply. We communicated information about the supply issue and clinical management plan to the National Health Service and affected patients via patient groups.
We continue to work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply issues do arise.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 1832, on legalisation of medical cannabis.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Government is clear that the decision to prescribe a cannabis-based product for medicinal use should only be made where it is clinically appropriate and in the best interest of the patient. This will be subject to local National Health Service governance and funding arrangements for prescribing unlicensed medicines, and patients will not be able to be prescribed such products by their general practitioner – and would require referral to a specialist clinician on the basis of clinical need.
The evidence base for cannabis-based products for medicinal use is still developing. However, the changes to the law are designed to encourage further research and the National Institute for Health Research has issued two calls for research proposals to rapidly advance knowledge in this area and remains open to research proposals outside of these calls in this priority area.
Interim clinical guidance, issued by the Royal College of Physicians, British Paediatric Neurology Association and Association of British Neurologists is based on the best available international evidence and reflects clinical guidance that has been published in other jurisdictions. This guidance will be updated and replaced in October 2019 by that commissioned from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a response to Early Day Motion 2069 entitled Registration Fees at the Health and Care Professions Council.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is independent from Government and is funded by registrants’ fees on a cost recovery basis. Fees are set at an appropriate level to cover the cost of regulation.
The Government has no plans at this time to publish any further response relating to the HCPC’s proposed fee rise.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 establish a diagnostic and care pathway for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
To facilitate better and quicker diagnosis, patients with suspected Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) are eligible to be tested on the newly-established Genomic Medicine Service.
NHS England commissions services for patients who have EDS from specialist rheumatology centres. Some patients may also be seen in more local services, commissioned by clinical commissioning groups, including rheumatology, physiotherapy, and dermatology. NHS England also commissions a Complex EDS service through two expert centres that ensures accurate diagnosis for patients where this has been difficult. The Complex EDS service provides management plans for local care providers and communicates which allows the local health care professionals to implement the recommendations and monitor the patient’s progress.
We currently do not hold figures on the number of EDS diagnosis made in each of the last five years. However, Public Health England’s National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service have been working to develop a rare disease registry which will collect prospective data on EDS diagnosis in England.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in each of the last five years.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
To facilitate better and quicker diagnosis, patients with suspected Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) are eligible to be tested on the newly-established Genomic Medicine Service.
NHS England commissions services for patients who have EDS from specialist rheumatology centres. Some patients may also be seen in more local services, commissioned by clinical commissioning groups, including rheumatology, physiotherapy, and dermatology. NHS England also commissions a Complex EDS service through two expert centres that ensures accurate diagnosis for patients where this has been difficult. The Complex EDS service provides management plans for local care providers and communicates which allows the local health care professionals to implement the recommendations and monitor the patient’s progress.
We currently do not hold figures on the number of EDS diagnosis made in each of the last five years. However, Public Health England’s National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service have been working to develop a rare disease registry which will collect prospective data on EDS diagnosis in England.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 potential merits of testing expectant mothers for hypermobility.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
To facilitate better and quicker diagnosis, patients with suspected Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) are eligible to be tested on the newly-established Genomic Medicine Service.
NHS England commissions services for patients who have EDS from specialist rheumatology centres. Some patients may also be seen in more local services, commissioned by clinical commissioning groups, including rheumatology, physiotherapy, and dermatology. NHS England also commissions a Complex EDS service through two expert centres that ensures accurate diagnosis for patients where this has been difficult. The Complex EDS service provides management plans for local care providers and communicates which allows the local health care professionals to implement the recommendations and monitor the patient’s progress.
We currently do not hold figures on the number of EDS diagnosis made in each of the last five years. However, Public Health England’s National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service have been working to develop a rare disease registry which will collect prospective data on EDS diagnosis in England.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans are in place to ensure adequate supplies of epilepsy medication in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Leaving the European Union with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. However, as a responsible Government we must plan for every possible outcome including ‘no deal’. The Department has published guidance to industry and the health and care system to allow them to make informed plans and preparations. This is available on GOV.UK.
The Government has been working closely with industry to ensure the supply of medicines, including epilepsy medication, can continue uninterrupted in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.
The Department wrote to all suppliers of medicines to the United Kingdom on 26 March to advise them of the changes to EU exit dates, and ask them to continue with preparations to protect patients in all possible outcomes.
We are confident that, if everyone does what they need to do, the supply of medicines and medical products will be uninterrupted.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 sustainability of access to medication to control epilepsy, including access to tegretol.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department is responsible for the security of supply of medicines and ensuring continued access to medicines for all patients is a key priority. There is a team within the Department, which deals specifically with medicine supply issues arising both in the community and hospitals. It works 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 they do arise.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 14 February 2019 to Question 219481 on Secure Psychiatric Units, how many secure unit hospital services in England are run by private health care companies.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Adult secure learning disability and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services are provided by a range of organisations, including National Health Service and independent sector providers. The term ‘independent sector’ covers both private and charitable organisations.
All high secure services in England, including those for people with learning disabilities, are provided by NHS providers. There are currently six independent sector providers of adult medium and low secure learning disability and/or ASD services in England, delivering services through 14 units.