Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 tackle equipment waste in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2020, NHS England set out its commitment to reducing its environmental impact, including by increasing the reuse and recycling of medical equipment. This commitment is then applied locally, taking into account local priorities, through local Green Plans.
NHS England also collaborates with NHS Supply Chain to increase availability of reusable products and supports local NHS organisations through the publication of guidance and resources to help with implementing changes.
The Department is also currently considering further opportunities for more efficient and sustainable use of medical technology. We look forward to updating the House at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 improve support for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021.
The Department funds research into ME/CFS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR, together with the Medical Research Council, is funding the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes or an increased risk of developing the condition. A decision on the next steps for ME/CFS at the national level will be taken in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Bite Back entitled Fuel us, don't fool us, published in February 2024, what steps she is taking to implement the 9 pm watershed restriction of unhealthy food and drink adverts online and on television.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
On 1 October 2025, the Government will introduce a United Kingdom-wide 9pm TV watershed for less healthy products and a restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online. The Government and regulators are now carrying out crucial processes to prepare for implementing and enforcing the regulations by 1 October 2025. The Government welcomes Bite Back’s report, Fuel Us Don’t Fool Us and will consider its wider recommendations.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of people that have reported symptoms of long covid since March 2023.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government does not currently routinely record the total number of people with long COVID, or new cases identified. However, the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023: 1.9 million people, or 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing long COVID symptoms; 83,000 people first had, or suspected they had, COVID-19 less than 12 weeks previously; 1.73 million people had symptoms for 12 or more weeks, 1.3 million people for at least a year and 762,000 for at least two years; and 1.5 million people reported day-to-day activities adversely affected. Of these, 381,000 people reported that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been limited a lot.
On 25 April 2024, the ONS will be publishing additional analysis from the fortnightly Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, including data on trends in ongoing symptoms of COVID-19. This article will expand on the existing analysis published in the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study’s data tables, to look more in depth at trends in self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, including ongoing symptoms and associated risk factors.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the potential impact of the draft non-statutory guidance on abortion clinic safe access zones on (a) patients and (b) medical professionals.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care are in regular contact with officials at the Home Office about the draft non-statutory guidance on abortion clinic safe access zones. To ensure the balance of the guidance is right, the Home Office launched a public consultation on 11 December 2023, to which all those with an interest, including patients and medical professionals, are encouraged to respond.
No recent discussions have been held at ministerial level with the Secretary of State for the Home Office on the potential impact of the draft guidance on patients and medical professionals.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time taken for eligible applicants to receive an immigration healthcare surcharge refund was in each of the past six months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The reimbursement scheme covers those working in the health and care sector and those eligible under certain of the United Kingdom’s reciprocal healthcare arrangements. The following table shows the average mean time taken for eligible applicants to receive an Immigration Health Surcharge refund for the last six months, noting that December 2023 data is incomplete accounting for claims up to 13 December 2023:
Month | Average mean time (days) |
June 2023 | 32 |
July 2023 | 34 |
August 2023 | 39 |
September 2023 | 50 |
October 2023 | 30 |
November 2023 | 19 |
December 2023 | 13 |
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 ensure that the procurement process for NHS England’s federated data platform (a) is transparent, (b) ensures equality of treatment for all potential suppliers and (c) does not advantage incumbents.
Answered by Will Quince
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase funding for palliative care services.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of National Health Service-funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, locally, and they are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.
While the NHS has always been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of the population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, the Government added palliative care services to the list of services an ICB must commission, to clarify this responsibility.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 increasing funding for (a) screening and (b) treating ovarian cancer.
Answered by Will Quince
There is currently no screening programme for ovarian cancer. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence for ovarian cancer screening in 2017 and found that screening did not reduce the number of women who died from ovarian cancer, and therefore the Department has no plans to make an assessment on the merits to increase funding for this.
The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR has funded six research projects into screening for ovarian cancer since 2018, with a combined total funding value of £3.8 million, including looking at the impact and effectiveness of different kinds of testing and screening and effectiveness of treatment options. The overall goal is to improve diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes.
To improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment, including for ovarian cancer, the Government has committed to funding of £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This is supported by £5.9 billion capital funding for new beds, technology and equipment, from which 123 community diagnostic centres and 94 surgical hubs have already been rolled out to support elective activity, including for cancer.
NHS England also funded a series of community engagement events coordinated by a cluster of gynaecological cancer charities, led by Target Ovarian Cancer. These events were held to raise awareness of the importance of seeking help and encouraged people to see their general practitioner if they had symptoms such as stomach discomfort, bloating or pain, as the earlier the cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 increase access to cannabis-based medicinal products on the NHS.
Answered by Will Quince
Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely available on the National Health Service. However, clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines.
Funding of unlicensed products is subject to local NHS decisions on a case-by-case basis. These decisions follow clearly developed procedures that ensure equitable distribution of funding, prioritising those medicines that have proved their safety, quality and clinical and cost effectiveness.
We continue to call on manufacturers to conduct research to prove if their products are safe and effective and we are working with regulatory, research and NHS partners to establish clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these products.