Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 impact of trends in the number of (a) psychiatrists, (b) psychologists and (c) dietitians on the quality of eating disorder support provided by the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made with Cabinet colleagues on implementing the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review 2020.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Seven of the nine recommendations have been previously accepted by the Government, in full, in part, or in principle, and four of these have been successfully implemented, including:
- issuing an unreserved apology on behalf of the healthcare system;
- appointing Dr Henrietta Hughes as the first ever Patient Safety Commissioner in England in respect of medicines and medical devices; and
- establishing nine specialist mesh centres, which are in operation across England.
Work is ongoing in respect of the remaining recommendations, including working across the Government to consider the recommendations in the Hughes Report, which looked into and provided advice on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 promote awareness of early symptoms of Parkinson's disease amongst GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including of Parkinson’s disease, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients. All doctors registered in the United Kingdom are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence that doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.
The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors, set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, has to meet the standards set by the GMC. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they do emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding the Government provides for research into a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government’s responsibility for delivering Parkinson’s disease research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation. The Government spent a total of £79.06 million on research into Parkinson’s disease between the financial years 2019/20 and 2023/24.
As well as funding research itself, the NIHR invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England. Collectively, this forms the NIHR’s infrastructure. The NIHR’s infrastructure enables the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research into Parkinson’s disease. For example, in the financial year 2022/23, the NIHR Clinical Research Network enabled 114 studies related to Parkinson’s disease.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of consultants specialising in the treatment of Parkinson's disease required to meet current needs of patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
No such estimate has been made. We are committed to training the staff we need, including neurologists and consultants specialising in treating Parkinson’s Disease, to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
As of August 2024, there are 1,917 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England, which is 146, or 8.2%, more than a year ago, and 473, or 32.7%, more than five years ago. Of these, there are 975 FTE consultants, which is 47, or 5%, more than a year ago, and 179, or 22.5%, more than five years ago. In 2024, there are 367 doctors in the NHS in England in postgraduate specialty training for neurology. This is 44, or 13.6%, more than five years ago.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to encourage students to take up careers in neurology.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
No such estimate has been made. We are committed to training the staff we need, including neurologists and consultants specialising in treating Parkinson’s Disease, to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
As of August 2024, there are 1,917 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England, which is 146, or 8.2%, more than a year ago, and 473, or 32.7%, more than five years ago. Of these, there are 975 FTE consultants, which is 47, or 5%, more than a year ago, and 179, or 22.5%, more than five years ago. In 2024, there are 367 doctors in the NHS in England in postgraduate specialty training for neurology. This is 44, or 13.6%, more than five years ago.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his strategy for NHS workforce planning, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of shortages in the number of clinicians specialising in neurology on the adequacy of care for patients with (a) Parkinson's Disease and (b) other neurological conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Currently, there are no specific plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of shortages in the number of clinicians specialising in neurology on the adequacy of care for patients with Parkinson's disease or other neurological conditions.
As of July 2024, there were over 1,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.
The NHS workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised. We must be honest about the challenges we are facing. The NHS is broken but not beaten and together we will turn it around.
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).
The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the NHS to deliver care more equitably across the country. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 number of specialist Parkinson's Nurses required to meet the current needs of patients.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department does not hold data specifically on the number of people waiting for treatment for Parkinson’s disease in England. The Department does hold data on waiting times for neurology, but not broken down by specific conditions. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from September 2024, shows there were over 234,000 patients waiting for a neurology appointment, and that 54% of patients were seen by a neurologist within 18 weeks.
There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).
The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally, and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.
Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.
No specific assessment has been made of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses required to meet the current need of patients in England. While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the numbers working in the wider speciality of neurology. As of July 2024, there were over 1,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.
The NHS workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised. We must be honest about the challenges we are facing. The NHS is broken but not beaten and together we will turn it around.
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.
A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department currently holds on waiting lists for treatment for Parkinson's Disease in England.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department does not hold data specifically on the number of people waiting for treatment for Parkinson’s disease in England. The Department does hold data on waiting times for neurology, but not broken down by specific conditions. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from September 2024, shows there were over 234,000 patients waiting for a neurology appointment, and that 54% of patients were seen by a neurologist within 18 weeks.
There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).
The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally, and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.
Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.
No specific assessment has been made of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses required to meet the current need of patients in England. While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the numbers working in the wider speciality of neurology. As of July 2024, there were over 1,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.
The NHS workforce has been overworked for years, leading to staff becoming burnt out and demoralised. We must be honest about the challenges we are facing. The NHS is broken but not beaten and together we will turn it around.
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.
A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 increase public awareness of the symptoms of thoracic endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the significant challenges faced by women with endometriosis, and is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service. Information for the public on endometriosis symptoms and treatments can be found on the NHS YouTube channel and the NHS website, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABi1ncHorBY
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/
Although at present thoracic endometriosis is not specifically mentioned on these pages, the NHS website’s endometriosis page links to further resources, including the Endometriosis UK website. The Endometriosis UK website includes information on endometriosis outside the pelvis and highlights questions that a patient can ask in secondary care, as well as the option of referral for a second opinion. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/getting-diagnosed-0
The Endometriosis UK website also includes an informational video on thoracic endometriosis, which is available at the following link:
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/webinar/thoracic-endometriosis