Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to publication entitled Government and Agenda for Change trade unions offer in principle, published by NHS Employers on 16 March 2023, whether it remains his Department's policy to implement the measures listed under the sub-section of that document entitled Pay setting process.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is progressing work on all non-pay commitments covered in the 2023/24 Agenda for Change pay deal, including reviewing aspects of the pay setting process. Recommendations from this work will be considered at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the cap on adult social care costs on the cost of adult social care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We inherited a commitment to implement charging reform in October 2025, which included the cap on care costs. The full policy would have cost government an additional £4bn by 2030 on adult social care spend per year.
Public finances are in their worst position since the Second World War. Funding was not guaranteed by the previous government and preparations for full rollout were not on track, therefore the cap on care costs would have been impossible to deliver by next October.
We are committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service based on consistent national standards. We will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including cross-party and people with lived experience of care.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to review levels of pharmacy reimbursement funding, in the context of recent trends in levels of closures of local pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Community Pharmacy funding is kept under regular review. The Department and NHS England consult with the sector on a quarterly basis on reimbursement rates, as well as monthly on concessionary prices. Consultations are held each year about service fee levels and what the sector will deliver for the available funding.
Department officials are working at pace to conclude the consultation on the Community Pharmacy contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25. The Department also continues to monitor patient access to pharmaceutical services closely.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on the allocation of Government Car Service cars to senior officials; what the policy was on 24 May 2024; and which senior officials have been granted access to the service since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to Government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles.
The arrangements relating to the using of vehicles in the GCS are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. There has been no change in this policy since the 2024 General Election.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of effectiveness of the Government’s procurement strategy for (a) health and (b) social care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The role of the Department’s Commercial Directorate is to provide the Department and wider health system with the appropriate commercial strategy, leadership, insight, and advice to enable delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, consistently maximising value for money. The directorate is responsible for oversight and assurance of procurement activity in the Health Family, including Arms Length Bodies like NHS England and The UK Health Security Agency, which encompasses approval of high-value or high-risk business cases.
The directorate is also responsible for ensuring that procurement policy is aligned to Cabinet Office requirements, and that Health Family commercial compliance and performance is continually assessed for improvement against the Government’s Commercial Functional Standards, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-commercial-function
The directorate sets an annual commercial savings target against contracts the Department awards and manages. For 2023/24, the directorate has delivered £44.6 million worth of commercial savings and benefits through procurement and contract management activity within the Department.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on access to the RSV vaccination for people over 80.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is currently no advice on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination for those aged over 80 years old to discuss with stakeholders. The Department accepted the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI is not a stakeholder but the independent expert committee that advises the Government on matters to do with immunisation.
In June 2023, the JCVI advised an RSV immunisation programme for older adults aged 75 years old and above. The committee suggested an initial programme to potentially vaccinate a cohort aged from 75 to 80 years old, and then for those turning 75 years old in subsequent years, and this is the current policy for the programme. In the JCVI’s statement summarising the advice for the RSV programme, the committee stated that an extension to the initial programme would be considered when there is more certainty about protection in the very elderly and the real-world impact of the programme in 75 to 80 year olds.
In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes to protect older adults and newborn babies, via maternal vaccination, began on 1 September 2024 in England. The Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation as the committee continues to keep the evidence under review.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an estimate of the potential savings to the public purse from increased levels of malnutrition (a) screening and (b) treatment.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages, across all communities, and in all health and care settings. Most cases of malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition, which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink. All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32
This sets out the recommendations, based on best available evidence, of the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and communities. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients should be screened for malnutrition on admission, as well as all outpatients at their first clinic appointment. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.
All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.
NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018. This previous guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf
A National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board was established in June 2023, providing strategic advice, direction, and oversight across the review, codesign, and development of the policy.
There is no current estimate on the savings that could be made as a result of increasing the screening and treatment of malnutrition. However, efforts to prevent malnutrition and to treat it early could potentially reduce both the clinical and economic burden to the healthcare system. Malnourished patients spend on average 30% longer in hospital than patients who are not malnourished.
Integrated care systems, made up of local partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector, and others, are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for their local population. Integrated care systems and providers will be responsible for implementation and delivery of the refreshed National Nutrition and Hydration policy.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
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 ensure that NHS patients receive appropriate (a) screening and (b) treatment for malnutrition.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Malnutrition is a clinical condition affecting all ages, across all communities, and in all health and care settings. Most cases of malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition, which may impact on nutritional needs or a person’s ability to eat and drink. All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32
This sets out the recommendations, based on best available evidence, of the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and communities. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients should be screened for malnutrition on admission, as well as all outpatients at their first clinic appointment. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.
All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.
NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018. This previous guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf
A National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board was established in June 2023, providing strategic advice, direction, and oversight across the review, codesign, and development of the policy.
There is no current estimate on the savings that could be made as a result of increasing the screening and treatment of malnutrition. However, efforts to prevent malnutrition and to treat it early could potentially reduce both the clinical and economic burden to the healthcare system. Malnourished patients spend on average 30% longer in hospital than patients who are not malnourished.
Integrated care systems, made up of local partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector, and others, are responsible for planning and commissioning health services for their local population. Integrated care systems and providers will be responsible for implementation and delivery of the refreshed National Nutrition and Hydration policy.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of Baroness Merron of 11 September 2024, House of Lords, Official Report, column 1565, what steps he is taking to engage with people who have been diagnosed with HIV but who have not accessed HIV care in the last year.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are making progress in ending new transmissions of HIV within England by 2030 but we know more work needs to be done to achieve our ambitions. The Department, the UK Health and Security Agency, NHS England and a broad range of system partners are working together to develop a new HIV Action Plan, including a focus on HIV care, and retention and reengagement, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.
NHS England’s Service Specification for Adult Specialised Services for People Living with HIV requires all service providers to have a policy describing how they aim to ensure retention in care, and re-engage those lost to care. This service specification is available at the follow link:
Commissioning responsibility for adult specialist services for people living with HIV has been delegated by NHS England to integrated care boards (ICB) in the East of England, the Midlands and the North West regions of England from April 2024, with the South West, South East, London, and the North East regions of England to follow in April 2025. NHS England National Specialised Commissioning does not have specific details on the activities of individual ICBs regarding any funded programmes for HIV services to find and re-engage with people living with HIV who have not accessed HIV care in the last year.
We are making excellent progress with the blood borne virus opt-out testing programme in the highest HIV prevalence areas, helping us reach those who do not typically engage with sexual health services and those who are not engaged in care. In its first 28 months, the programme has identified 1,360 undiagnosed or untreated HIV cases, and over 5,000 cases of untreated or undiagnosed hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any Integrated Care Boards fund programmes which (a) find and (b) re-engage with people living with HIV who have not accessed HIV care in the last year
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are making progress in ending new transmissions of HIV within England by 2030 but we know more work needs to be done to achieve our ambitions. The Department, the UK Health and Security Agency, NHS England and a broad range of system partners are working together to develop a new HIV Action Plan, including a focus on HIV care, and retention and reengagement, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.
NHS England’s Service Specification for Adult Specialised Services for People Living with HIV requires all service providers to have a policy describing how they aim to ensure retention in care, and re-engage those lost to care. This service specification is available at the follow link:
Commissioning responsibility for adult specialist services for people living with HIV has been delegated by NHS England to integrated care boards (ICB) in the East of England, the Midlands and the North West regions of England from April 2024, with the South West, South East, London, and the North East regions of England to follow in April 2025. NHS England National Specialised Commissioning does not have specific details on the activities of individual ICBs regarding any funded programmes for HIV services to find and re-engage with people living with HIV who have not accessed HIV care in the last year.
We are making excellent progress with the blood borne virus opt-out testing programme in the highest HIV prevalence areas, helping us reach those who do not typically engage with sexual health services and those who are not engaged in care. In its first 28 months, the programme has identified 1,360 undiagnosed or untreated HIV cases, and over 5,000 cases of untreated or undiagnosed hepatitis B and hepatitis C.