Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether physician (a) associates and (b) assistants are permitted to (i) discuss (A) Do Not Resuscitate and (B) Respect forms with patients at (1) NHS trusts and (2) GP surgeries and (ii) initiate conversations on end of life.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. With regard to palliative care and end of life care, this must include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care. This is also known as advance care planning (ACP). ACP is a voluntary process of person-centred discussion between an individual and their care providers about their preferences and priorities for their future care. ReSPECT is one tool that can be used to support wider ACP conversations. NHS England has published Universal Principles for ACP, which facilitate a consistent national approach to ACP in England. Further information on the Universal Principles for ACP is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/universal-principles-for-advance-care-planning/
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) decision policies are determined locally by organisations providing National Health Service care. The Resuscitation Council UK, British Medical Association, and the Royal College of Nursing have jointly produced guidance on decisions about CPR. It states that the overall clinical responsibility for decisions about CPR, including Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation decisions, rests with the most senior clinician responsible for the person’s care, as defined explicitly by local policy.
The Government commissioned Professor Gillian Leng CBE to lead an independent review of the physician and anaesthesia associate professions. The review considered the safety of the roles and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
The review has now concluded and will be published shortly. The conclusions of the review will inform the workforce plan to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as future Government policy.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the (a) impact, (b) economic and (c) equalities assessments for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill before 8 May 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government expects to publish the impact assessment and equalities impact assessment before Members consider the Bill on Report.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
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 two year survival rate for patients with bowel cancer in Walsall; and what assessment he has made of the impact of levels of availability of robotics for cancer operations on that figure.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department has not made a specific estimate on the two-year survival rate for patients with bowel cancer in Walsall, however, the Department is focused on improving survival rates for all cancers, and on meeting all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so no patient waits longer than they should.
No specific assessment has been made on the impact of the levels of availability of robotics for cancer operations. However, there is a robotic assisted surgery clinical strategy for the Black Country Provider Collaborative which has increased robotic surgery access for all patients in the Black Country, particularly for renal service.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
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 adequacy of the level of robotics capability for cancer operations at Walsall Manor Hospital.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
No specific assessment is planned. There is a robotic assisted surgery clinical strategy for the Black Country Provider Collaborative which has increased robotic surgery access for all patients in the Black Country, particularly for renal service.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with (a) UK Biobank and (b) UK Biobank funders on the adequacy of the proportion of UK Biobank participants from BAME backgrounds.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The scientific and ethical impacts of cohort diversity on the generalisability of research findings is part of ongoing conversations on health data, including with UK Biobank. As a funder, the Government routinely engages in discussions about diversity with UK Biobank through the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research. The Department is committed to increasing participation of ethnic minority groups in health and social care research, and is working in partnership with diverse communities to ensure they have a stronger voice in shaping priorities for research, the design and delivery of research, inclusive recruitment into studies, and the mobilisation of evidence into practice.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will have discussions with (a) the National Institute for Health Research and (b) other NHS funding streams on the potential merits of increasing the level of funding made available to the South Asian Biobank to help monitor (i) disease diagnoses and (ii) health outcomes from that project among people from South Asian backgrounds.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The South Asian Biobank, originally funded by the Wellcome Trust, is an international research study designed to prevent the high risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer among South Asian people. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research via a range of programmes, with eligibility criteria to support applicants to decide where to apply. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR has provided funding for research projects associated with the South Asian Biobank through open competition, and welcomes any future applications. In addition, the NIHR provides funding to NIHR research infrastructure through open competition. The NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the Clinical Research Network have provided support for the South Asian Biobank.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of funding allocated to the South Asian Biobank.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The South Asian Biobank, originally funded by the Wellcome Trust, is an international research study designed to prevent the high risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer among South Asian people. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research via a range of programmes, with eligibility criteria to support applicants to decide where to apply. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR has provided funding for research projects associated with the South Asian Biobank through open competition, and welcomes any future applications. In addition, the NIHR provides funding to NIHR research infrastructure through open competition. The NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the Clinical Research Network have provided support for the South Asian Biobank.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much revenue the health surcharge for migrants generated in each year from 2018 to 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) income data is published annually in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.
Please note that the IHS figure is made up of both Retained Income and Consolidated Funds. The IHS amounts for financial years from 2018 to 2022 inclusive are as follows:
- 2017/18: £240,483,000
- 2018/19: £297,927,000
- 2019/20: £597,677,000
- 2020/21: £480,822,000
- 2021/22: £1,423,284,000
- 2022/23: £1,706,112,000
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of trends in the level of pharmacy students in Walsall South constituency.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion to fund additional education and training places over the next five years, sets out the ambition to increase training places for pharmacists across England by nearly 50% to around 5,000 by 2031/32, and to grow the number of pharmacy technicians. Increasing training places will increase the number of pharmacy students, including those choosing to study in schools of pharmacy in proximity to Walsall South constituency.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
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 providing free prescriptions for immunosuppressants for transplant patients.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
There are no plans to provide free prescriptions for immunosuppressants for transplant patients. Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge in community pharmacies and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which transplant patients may meet the eligibility criteria and be in receipt of free prescriptions.
In addition, those on a low income can apply for additional support through the NHS Low Income Scheme. This provides both full and partial help with a range of health costs, not just prescription charges. Those who do not qualify for low-income help, may benefit from the purchase for prescription pre-payment certificate. This caps the cost of prescriptions at £111.60 per year, helping people to get all the medicines they need for just over £2 a week.