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 accessibility of treatment for terminal lung condition idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is committed to improving outcomes for people with respiratory conditions, particularly through early and accurate diagnosis, which is a priority area under the NHS Long Term Plan.
A key component of an early and accurate diagnosis for a number of respiratory conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis, is the provision of quality assured spirometry. Additional funding has been made available to systems in 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25.
NHS England has worked with a range of partners, including Asthma and Lung UK, the British Thoracic Society, the Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology, and clinical network leads, to develop a package for systems containing the information and support required to help increase the number of people receiving early and accurate diagnosis for respiratory disease.
NHS England is investing in additional diagnostic capacity for respiratory pathways as part of the £2.3 billion 2021 Spending Review capital investment in diagnostics. Community Diagnostic Centres are being established to deliver additional, digitally connected diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with a coordinated set of diagnostic tests in the community, in as few visits as possible, enabling an accurate and fast diagnosis on a range of clinical pathways, including people with chronic respiratory disease.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
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 ensure that respiratory conditions are prioritised in the new 10 year plan for the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will consider the changes needed to meet the three health mission goals, which are: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers.
We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders, as we develop the plan.
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 increase the capacity of interstitial lung disease specialist centres, in the context of increased eligibility for antifibrotic treatment.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of interstitial lung disease (ILD) services and funds the high-cost, anti-fibrotic treatments. Access to these treatments was widened to people with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Technology Appraisal 747 in November 2021. NHS England outlines the requirements of a quality service in its ILD service specification, and requires the completion of quality metrics through the ILD Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. This helps ensure that ILD teams provide appropriate support to patients living with this condition. Earlier diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes for patients.
Moreover, the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group contains clinical members who are able to advise NHS England in relation to ILD services, and includes a member of a pulmonary fibrosis charity, Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis (APF), as one of its Patient and Public Voice members. APF has recently issued a report on patient experience, which is helping to inform pathway redesign as well as raise awareness of the condition.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2023 to Question 4959 on Respiratory Diseases: Health Services, how many Acute Respiratory Infection hubs were operating in winter 2023/24.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
During winter 2022/23, 363 Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) hubs were implemented by integrated care systems (ICSs). The Department does not hold recorded information on the number of ARI hubs in 2023/24, as this information is held instead by local health bodies. The ambition in the recovery plan for urgent and emergency care is that each local area that would benefit from an ARI hub, has one in place ahead of winter. Evaluations from NHS England suggest that ARI hubs may save general practitioner appointments and accident and emergency attendances.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis among (a) health professionals and (b) the public.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pulmonary fibrosis, although it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
Furthermore, community diagnostic centres are also being established to deliver additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with co-ordinated diagnostic tests in the community, on a range of clinical pathways, including pulmonary fibrosis. With the aim of raising the standard of care that people with this idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis receive, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also publishes quality standards that define best practice, and areas in need of improvement.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) care for people living with pulmonary fibrosis; and if she will make an assessment of the impact of waiting times on patient care.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pulmonary fibrosis, although it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.
Furthermore, community diagnostic centres are also being established to deliver additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity in England, providing patients with co-ordinated diagnostic tests in the community, on a range of clinical pathways, including pulmonary fibrosis. With the aim of raising the standard of care that people with this idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis receive, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also publishes quality standards that define best practice, and areas in need of improvement.
Found: The aim of the group is to help improve Scotland’s poor record on respiratory health and promote a more
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 the (a) availability and (b) quality of data on respiratory health.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Chronic respiratory diseases are the third biggest contributor to Years of Life Lost in England. The annual economic burden of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom is estimated as £3 billion and £1.9 billion, respectively. In total, all lung conditions, including lung cancer, directly cost the NHS in the UK £11 billion annually. Further information is available at the following link:
NHS England is working alongside a range of organisations with an interest in respiratory data, including Asthma and Lung UK, Health Data Research UK, and the British Thoracic Society, and have developed a collective vision for the future of high-quality respiratory data. The vision is due to be finalised in October 2024 and is supported by a working group of key stakeholders to take forward.
Mentions:
1: Lord Robathan (Con - Life peer) We know the impact on the economy, on mental health and particularly on children’s education that the - Speech Link
2: Lord Scriven (LD - Life peer) So could I ask the Minister to help with public health screening and planning? - Speech Link
3: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green - Life peer) , we also face the threat that I hope the Government are watching closely of H5N1 in terms of other respiratory - Speech Link
4: Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer) I can assure her also that preparedness will not just focus on respiratory means of passing on disease - Speech Link
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of respiratory conditions in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2034.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Chronic respiratory diseases are the third biggest contributor to Years of Life Lost in England. The annual economic burden of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom is estimated as £3 billion and £1.9 billion, respectively. In total, all lung conditions, including lung cancer, directly cost the NHS in the UK £11 billion annually. Further information is available at the following link:
NHS England is working alongside a range of organisations with an interest in respiratory data, including Asthma and Lung UK, Health Data Research UK, and the British Thoracic Society, and have developed a collective vision for the future of high-quality respiratory data. The vision is due to be finalised in October 2024 and is supported by a working group of key stakeholders to take forward.