Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North 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 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
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 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.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North 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 publish the consultation on the secondary regulations relating to 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.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what metrics he plans to use to measure the effectiveness of the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill on reducing levels of childhood obesity.
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.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of NHS dental services in North East Bedfordshire constituency; what steps his Department is taking to help increase the provision of NHS dental services; and what discussions he has had with Health Education England on the provision of (a) NHS dentists and (b) dental training places.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No recent formal assessment has been made. The provision of National Health Service dental services has been limited since 8 June 2020. Dental practices are currently focussing first on urgent care and vulnerable groups, including children, followed by overdue appointments. We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to increase activity levels as quickly as possible based on evidence on the levels of care that can be provided safely whilst protecting staff and patients from the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Health Education England has recently published their recommendations for improving training, education and recruitment of dental professionals in their Advancing Dental Care Review and are working with system partners to deliver those recommendations. The Department adjusted the number of dental school places for the 2021 academic year and we will ensure that numbers of dental school places are in line with England’s workforce requirements.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
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 11 October 2021 on Coronavirus: Drugs, whether his Department plans to make Ronapreve available for the treatment and prevention of covid-19 in immunocompromised patients; what the timeline is for Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's consideration of ADZ7442; and whether his Department plans to seek prioritisation of that appraisal.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 17 September, Ronapreve was made available to hospitalised patients through an interim NHS clinical policy. On 4 November 2021, the clinical policy was expanded. The clinical policy includes seronegative patients that are hospitalised for the management of acute COVID-19 infection and patients with hospital-onset COVID-19, if they are deemed to be at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19 or at risk of destabilising their condition or recovery from their procedure. This may include immunocompromised patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency needs to ensure that products such as AZD7442 are of acceptable quality, safety and efficacy. This is an independent process and approval can only be determined when the full data has been provided by the manufacturer.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North 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 the potential effect of including community pharmacies in IT systems that fully integrate health and care records on supporting effective transfers of care and improving health outcomes for patients.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework sets out the shared vision for community pharmacy to play an increased role in the delivery of primary care. There is consensus that community pharmacists having the ability to view and contribute to the medical records of patients, in whose direct care they are involved, is required to achieve this.
NHSX is developing interoperable National Health Service IT systems to integrate health and care records while considering issues such as patient consent and data security. This will allow clinicians across the NHS to access patients’ records, make informed clinical decisions and populate those records, ensuring transfers of care are safe and effective and improve health outcomes.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to the public on the status of the covid-19 vaccination branded Covishield; and whether there are any limitations on international travel for those in receipt of the Covishield vaccine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No specific guidance has been issued. No AstraZeneca doses branded as Covishield have been administered in the United Kingdom. All AstraZeneca vaccines in the UK are the same product and appear on the NHS COVID Pass as ‘Vaxzevria’, which has been permitted for international travel since May 2021.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in fulfilling the aims of the document entitled Long COVID: the NHS plan for 2021/22, published in June 2021.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
An additional £70 million has been allocated to expand ‘long’ COVID-19 services delivered through Post-COVID Assessment Clinics and integrated care systems have submitted their service expansion plans. £30 million has also been allocated for an enhanced service for general practice, with a specification published in June 2021 and a draft self-assessment template published in August.
Fourteen paediatric hubs have been established across England to provide advice and help coordinate care for children and young people up to the age of 18 years old. The online Your Covid Recovery service is also being improved to enhance its accessibility and promote its use.
The first monthly data publication on referrals and specialist assessments in post-COVID-19 services was published on 9 September and is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-post-covid-assessment-service/