Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 reduce waiting times for ophthalmology patients following referral.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are taking action to recover elective services, including for patients waiting for National Health Service ophthalmology services by working towards the targets set out in the Elective Recovery Plan and providing the NHS with record levels of staffing and funding.
We are working together with NHS England to increase diagnostic capacity as quickly as possible including the continued rollout of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in 2023. The Government has also confirmed it is now on track to meet its target to open up to 160 CDCs by March 2025, and expects to achieve this a year early in March 2024. This includes an established CDC at Whitehouse Health Centre, to which general practitioners in Bedfordshire may be able to refer patients for key diagnostic checks, tests, and scans, including ophthalmology. The funding will also be used to increase capacity for imaging and improving digital diagnostics.
We are also transforming the way the NHS provides elective care by increasing activity through dedicated and protected surgical hubs, focusing on providing high volume low complexity surgery, such as ophthalmology. There are currently 95 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England as of 16 November 2023. These surgical hubs will help separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care. An additional £1.5 billion of capital funding has been approved to support the expansion of existing surgical hub sites as well as the creation of more hubs in all regions.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 help improve survival rates for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by Will Quince
Patients with pulmonary fibrosis are cared for by National Health Service regional specialist interstitial lung disease (ILD) services. These are commissioned by NHS England.
To be referred to a specialist service, patients need to be identified in primary and secondary care. Early and accurate diagnosis is a priority for NHS England, and the work to improve this area of clinical care is underway, which should have an impact on reducing delayed diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.
NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for ILD and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisal ‘Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases’ in November 2021.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 regional variation in the dementia diagnosis rate.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has been commissioned by NHS England to develop a resource to support investigation of the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates. The aim of this work is to provide context for variation and enable targeted investigation and provision of support at a local level to enhance diagnosis rates. The tool has been released and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 level of awareness of motor neurone disease patients of their right to a carer's assessment; and if he will take steps to (a) identify and (b) help tackle barriers to securing a carer's assessment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no plans to make an assessment of the level of awareness of motor neurone disease patients of their right to a carers’ assessment. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
The Health and Care Act 2022 includes provisions for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to assess the performance of local authorities’ delivery of their adult social care duties as set out in part one of the Care Act 2014, including local authorities’ responsibilities to undertake an assessment of a carer's needs of support. CQC's duties will commence from April 2023.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
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 whether the needs of patients with fibromyalgia are being met by the NHS.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made. The majority of patients with fibromyalgia can be cared for in primary care settings. To support healthcare professionals and commissioners in meeting the needs of patients, there is National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance available on the diagnosis and management of chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia.
The Fibromyalgia Association UK has also worked with healthcare professionals to develop a guidance for health professionals.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to promote greater awareness of fibromyalgia among (a) the medical profession, (b) government departments and (c) employers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no specific plans to promote greater awareness of fibromyalgia. There is National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance available on the diagnosis and management of chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia. NICE promotes guidance via its website, newsletters and other media. NICE guidelines represent best practice and health professionals, including general practitioners, are expected to take them fully into account.
There are also a range of initiatives to support greater employer awareness of health conditions such as fibromyalgia, including the Information and Advice Service which provides better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting and managing health and disability in the workplace.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on proposals for a review of (a) treatment and (b) guidance on best practice for patients with fibromyalgia.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department has had no such discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
NICE published its guideline on primary and secondary chronic pain in over 16 years old in April 2021. The guideline makes recommendations on pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of chronic primary pain, including fibromyalgia, which is classified as a type of chronic primary pain. The full recommendations are available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/resources/chronic-pain-primary-and-secondary-in-over-16s-assessment-of-all-chronic-pain-and-management-of-chronic-primary-pain-pdf-66142080468421.
NICE has no plans to update the guidance at this time, however their surveillance programme ensures that its published guidelines are up to date by exploring if there is any new evidence to contradict, reinforce or clarify the recommendations it makes.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of new research published on the treatment of fibromyalgia in the last two years.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations and guidance for the health and care system. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance and would consult on proposed changes with a wide range of stakeholders if significant new evidence was to emerge.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10 Year Cancer Plan will include a strategy to improve pancreatic cancer survival rates; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure improved survival rates from pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Holly Mumby-Croft MP) on 24 May 2022 to Question 3800.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to issue guidance to advertisers on the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill.
Answered by Maggie Throup
A post-implementation review will be undertaken within five years of the introduction of restrictions on the advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar on TV and paid for advertising online. The impact assessment published in June 2021 outlined variables that may be monitored in this review and is available at the following link:
We will shortly conduct a consultation, focusing on the clarity of definitions proposed in secondary legislation. We continue to work with regulators to prepare the relevant guidance and put in place the enforcement structures needed for industry to understand the new advertising restrictions ahead of implementation. We expect this guidance to be made available for consultation later this year. The exact timing is a matter for regulators.