Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 49 of the minutes of the meeting of 4 June 2014 of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), when his Department indicated to the JCVI that it would like the JCVI to confirm or revise its conclusions regarding the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine of choice for the UK; how his Department indicated its wish to the JCVI; whether he is satisfied that the JCVI has complied with his Department's request; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The request from the Department to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the United Kingdom was conveyed by Departmental officials via the JCVI secretariat within Public Health England in early 2014.
At its meeting on 4 June 2014, the minutes of which are available on GOV.UK, the JCVI concluded that PCV13 should remain the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine of choice for the United Kingdom at this time. We have accepted this advice.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been paid to Virgin Care to run the North Chelmsford NHS Healthcare Centre in Sainsburys in Springfield, Chelmsford in each year since it opened.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The information requested is not centrally held.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the Chief Executive of NHS England has not replied to the letter of 30 May 2014 from the right hon. Member for Chelmsford on behalf of his constituent Mr John McPhee; and when he expects a substantive response to the letter.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has advised that a response has now been sent to my Rt. hon. Friend. The earlier failure to acknowledge my Rt. hon. Friend’s correspondence was due to an administrative error within NHS England’s processes, which has now been rectified.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the right hon. Member for Chelmsford can expect a response from the Chief Executive of NHS England to his letter of 30 May 2014 on his constituent Mr John McPhee.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has confirmed that my Rt. hon. Friend’s correspondence is currently being actioned and apologise for not providing a response sooner.
The matters raised by the constituent are currently the subject of an ongoing complaint investigation with the Essex Area Team of NHS England. NHS England can reassure my Rt. hon. Friend that a complaints manager has been in contact with the constituent (who has also raised a complaint direct with NHS England) to discuss their concerns and agree a way forward for resolution.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) NHS staff, (b) pregnant women and (c) pensioners took up influenza vaccinations in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Data for England on the number of seasonal influenza vaccinations administered by primary care and National Health Service trusts to target groups have been derived from the Annual Influenza Vaccine Uptake Reports published by Public Health England (PHE).
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for healthcare workers (HCWs) (England) is reported in the following table. Influenza vaccination is offered to frontline healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care.
Influenza vaccine uptake for frontline HCWs with direct patient care | |||
Number of HCWs With Direct Patient Care | Number of Vaccines Administered | Vaccine Uptake (%) | |
2010/11 | 1,035,219 | 359,080 | 34.7 |
2011/12 | 1,023,679 | 456,542 | 44.6 |
2012/13 | 1,023,763 | 466,601 | 45.6 |
2013/14 | 974,632 | 534,090 | 54.8 |
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for pregnant women (England) are presented in the following table. Influenza vaccination has been offered to all pregnant women (includes those NOT in a clinical at-risk group and those IN a clinical at-risk group) since the 2010-11 flu season.
Influenza vaccine uptake for pregnant women | |||
Number of Patients Registered | Number of Vaccines Administered | Vaccine Uptake (%) | |
2010/11 | 318,562 | 121,164 | 38.0 |
2011/12 | 710,554 | 195,031 | 27.4 |
2012/13 | 713,740 | 287,561 | 40.3 |
2013/14 | 659,223 | 262,081 | 39.8 |
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for people aged 65 and over (England) are presented in the following table. Influenza vaccination is offered to this group.
Influenza vaccine uptake in those aged 65 years and over | |||
Number of Patients Registered | Number of Vaccines Administered | % Vaccine Uptake | |
2010/11 | 8,631,137 | 6,287,011 | 72.8 |
2011/12 | 9,138,632 | 6,764,364 | 74.0 |
2012/13 | 9,377,661 | 6,881,636 | 73.4 |
2013/14 | 9,646,433 | 7,062,210 | 73.2 |
Source: PHE Influenza Immunisation Vaccine Uptake Monitoring Programme
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, columns 27-8W, on pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, what payments have been made to the devolved administrations in the financial year 2014-15 to date; and what payments were made to the devolved administrations in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years under the iteration of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme which has applied from 1 January 2014.
Answered by Norman Lamb
To date, no payments have been made to the devolved administrations in respect of the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) in financial year 2014-15. Constructive discussions have taken place with the Department and the devolved administrations to identify a fair allocation of receipts received under the PPRS. Agreement on the allocations for financial year 2013-14 has been reached and the Department intends to make the payments for that financial year within the next month.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to the NHS was of providing free flu vaccinations in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England spent a total of £251 million on immunisation programmes in 2013-14. Of this, £89 million is identifiable as relating to the purchase of flu vaccines for adults and the administration of flu vaccines for both adults and children.
Vaccines for the national childhood immunisation programme, including for childhood flu immunisation from 2013-14, are purchased and managed by Public Health England on behalf of the Department and are not a cost for the National Health Service. The cost of the vaccine and its storage and distribution are commercially confidential.
Data for NHS spend for the years prior to 2013-14 is not held centrally.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons NICE has not recommended the treatment of abiraterone for use on the NHS; if he will place in the Library all correspondence NICE has received on the issue from (a) patient groups and (b) clinicians; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance in June 2012 which recommends abiraterone (Zytiga) in its licensed indication for the treatment of castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen, subject to a patient access scheme agreed between the Department and the drug's manufacturer.
NICE is currently appraising abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy and has not yet published final guidance for the National Health Service. We understand that NICE has recently consulted on its draft guidance for this indication, which can be found at:
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TAG/434/Consultation/Latest
NHS commissioners are legally required to fund those treatments recommended by NICE in its technology appraisal guidance.
In the absence of NICE technology appraisal guidance it is for the relevant NHS commissioner to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence. The NHS Constitution states that patients have the right to expect local decisions on the funding of drugs and treatments 'to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence'.
We understand that abiraterone as a first-line treatment is available through the Cancer Drugs Fund to NHS patients in England who could benefit from it.
We are unable to provide copies of the correspondence requested in the time available and this information will be placed in the Library in due course.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what payments his Department has made to the devolved administrations as a consequence of rebates paid to it under the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme in each of the last three years.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The following table provides details of payments made to the devolved administrations under the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) for the last three complete financial years.
PPRS payments made by the Department of Health to the devolved administrations in resource terms (£000s) | |||
Year | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales |
2011-12 | 3,388.4 | 6,218.8 | 3,464.7 |
2012-13 | 2,998.8 | 7,562.1 | 4,077.5 |
2013-14 | 2,852.5 | 6,865.2 | 3,827.8 |
Source: Department of Health
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current timetable is for the development of the HIV/STI national clinical audit.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) commissions and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme on behalf of NHS England. The HQIP has asked for expressions of interest from suitable providers who are able to design and complete a one year feasibility study to inform any future national clinical audit of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. The contract for the work will be awarded this summer. NHS England cannot disclose the number of expressions of interest that have been received at this stage as this is commercially sensitive information.