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 guidance her Department plans to issue to asthmatic people on projected high pollen levels this summer.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
At present, NHS England has no plans to issue guidance to asthmatic people on projected high pollen levels this summer. However, the National Health Service website contains advice on asthma, which includes advice on understanding and managing triggers, such as pollen. The NHS site also links to Asthma and Lung UK’s advice on asthma management, which contains more detailed information on managing triggers, and how best to reduce risk when pollen levels are high.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has new capabilities for monitoring real-time pollen levels for this year’s pollen season. This adds to the UKHSA’s Real-time Syndromic Surveillance, which includes the monitoring of presentations of asthma to the NHS. The UKHSA also provides weekly updates via publicly available surveillance bulletins, which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/syndromic-surveillance-systems-and-analyses.
In addition to this work, the Met Office provides alerts and advice when pollen levels are high. These alerts provide valuable information on pollen levels over the next five days for asthmatics and hayfever sufferers, so they can appropriately modify their planned future activities, and ensure they use or have their medication with them.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the dangers to some users of the asthma drug montelukast; and what discussions they have had with the montelukast UK action group, which has highlighted the risks of the drug.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma.
Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms, based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, to more fully describe the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019 to accompany the updated warnings.
Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the latest data. As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and listening to and learning from patients’ experiences.
The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety. Patient representatives from the UK action group, including parents of children and young people who had taken montelukast, were invited to the MHRA’s independent pharmacovigilance expert advisory group (PEAG), to share their lived experiences of dealing with the impact of the neuropsychiatric effects, including the impact of lack of awareness of the side effect. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of awareness by doctors of any dangers of the commonly prescribed drug montelukast, as highlighted by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2020, that the use of the drug resulted in “a wide variety of mental health side effects have been reported, including completed suicides".
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.
Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.
Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.
As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.
We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the use of montelukast in the UK, what assessment they have made of the US Food and Drug Administration's issuing a “black box warning” in March 2020 about serious mental health side effects of the drug and restricting its use for allergic rhinitis.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.
Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.
Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.
As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.
We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any dangers to some users of the commonly prescribed asthma drug montelukast.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.
Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.
Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.
As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.
We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.
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 steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle (a) health inequalities and (b) social deprivation for people with (i) asthma and (ii) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is undertaking several actions related to the causes of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and to tackle health inequalities and social deprivation faced by people with those conditions.
Firstly, the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of how we communicate air quality information to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have the information they need to protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. This review is being undertaken by the Air Quality Information Systems steering group, with the group’s recommendations being published in summer of 2024.
Furthermore, the Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport, including PM2.5, the most harmful pollutant to human health. The Environmental Improvement Plan sets out transport measures that will help reduce emissions of air pollutants as we approach a decarbonised transport system. Our transport decarbonisation plan will deliver improved air quality from reduced tailpipe emissions as we move towards a fully electrified vehicle fleet. Alongside this, we are investing in cutting-edge research to understand how to better measure and control brake and tyre emissions, including from zero tailpipe emission vehicles.
The Government also has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. These include work to further join up employment and health systems, including rolling out Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, expanding the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care initiative, and reforming Occupational Health provision.
Finally, the NHS England’s Core20Plus5 approach has been developed to support integrated care systems to reduce inequalities. The approach focuses on improving cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes in the poorest 20% of the population, along with ethnic minorities and inclusion health groups.
Asked by: Lord Woolley of Woodford (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly that approximately half of London’s recorded childhood asthma hospitalisations between 2021 and 2022 were from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of the findings of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly on childhood asthma hospitalisations in London. NHS London’s Children and Young People’s Asthma programme run a yearly #AskAboutAsthma campaign to raise the awareness of asthma across the whole system. The focus in 2022 was on health inequalities and asthma care for all, and to support the work around implementing Core20plus5 for children. This included raising awareness amongst asthma clinicians and commissioners to improve the care for children and young people from specific ethnic minority groups. As part of Core20plus5, NHS England has also worked with integrated care systems and their paediatric asthma networks to focus on these groups.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were rejected from joining the Armed Forces due to asthma in each year since 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the report from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology entitled Indoor Air Quality, published on 26 September 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department takes note of the report.
The Department is aware of the impacts of domestic cooking appliances on indoor air quality. In particular, we are currently considering the impacts of potential updates to Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for domestic cooking appliances, including the societal benefits of reduced asthma rates caused by an increased use of electric cooking appliances reducing amounts of NOx and small particulates in the home. The published report reinforces the importance of retaining these benefits as a key consideration in ongoing policy development in this area.
The Department is also a member of the cross-Government Working Group on indoor air quality which is led by Defra. We will continue to ensure that the Department is represented in that group.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of Asthma and Lung UK's report entitled Saving your breath, published in September 2023, if he will make it his policy to increase funding for respiratory research to £141 million per year by 2030.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds respiratory research through the National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR). It is not usual practice for the NIHR to ring-fence a proportion of its budget for research into particular topics or conditions. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including into respiratory conditions. These 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 all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.