Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 merits of increasing access to givinostat.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat, and its Appraisal Committee will meet to consider its recommendations in May 2025.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to require all emergency service vehicles to have defibrillators.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.
Department ministers regularly have discussions with colleagues across Government on issues of cross-departmental interest.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of requiring defibrillators to be placed in all new (a) social housing developments, (b) supermarkets and (c) other public buildings.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.
Department ministers regularly have discussions with colleagues across Government on issues of cross-departmental interest.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NICE on ensuring that patient access to treatment for very rare diseases is not delayed in circumstances where there is uncertainty on the incidence and prevalence of the disease by the consultation entitled Highly specialised technologies: NICE prioritisation board routing criteria.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including the criteria for routing topics to the Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme.
Decisions on whether medicines should be evaluated through the NICE’s HST programme are taken by the NICE against a set of published criteria that have been developed through public and stakeholder engagement. The NICE is currently reviewing the criteria and opened a consultation in December 2024, with a closing date for comments of 30 January 2025. The proposed criteria are intended to make routing decisions more predictable and transparent with the aim of making the process more timely and efficient. We encourage people to respond to the consultation.
The NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue draft guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing. The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund drugs recommended by the NICE, usually within three months of final guidance.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what direct funding his Department provides to support refugees with medical backgrounds with integrating into the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not currently provide financial support to any charities to assist refugees.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what charities his Department has supported to assist refugees into the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not currently provide financial support to any charities to assist refugees.