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Written Question
Asthma: Medical Treatments
Thursday 16th September 2021

Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies through (a) the severe asthma networks and (b) other services.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.

Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.


Written Question
Asthma: Medical Treatments
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what help is available for asthma sufferers to enable them to continue to self-administer their medication due to the pressures on the NHS during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma, along with urgent and emergency treatment for other serious complaints, have continued throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been able to receive their medication at home instead of having to attend hospital.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home delivery for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce the risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. The NHS England severe asthma ‘Accelerated Access Collaborative’ will continue to focus on the area of home administration.


Written Question
Asthma: Health Services
Wednesday 28th July 2021

Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the roll out of asthma diagnostic hubs, set out in NICE Guidance NG80.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Community Diagnostic Hubs (CDHs), which diagnose a number of conditions, will be launched in place of asthma diagnostic hubs. Diagnostics for respiratory conditions are part of the proposed ‘core’ services to be provided by CDHs. A review of diagnostics in the NHS Long Term Plan, highlighted that patients with respiratory symptoms would benefit from this facility due to the number of diagnostic tests that they use.

In 2021/22, £325 million has been allocated for diagnostic services. Discussions on how funding will be allocated are ongoing. Plans for mobilisation of CDHs from across England are currently under review. NHS England and NHS Improvement have approved the mobilisation of some early adopter sites from summer 2021 with more CDHs opening from autumn 2021.


Written Question
Asthma: Health Services
Tuesday 27th July 2021

Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to restore severe asthma referrals to pre-covid-19 levels.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon MP) on 7 July to Question 13943.


Written Question
Asthma: Health Services
Wednesday 7th July 2021

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 plans he has to ensure that referrals to care for people with asthma return to the level they were at prior to the covid-19 outbreak; and what his timeframe is for reaching that level of asthma referrals.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma have continued during the COVID-19 outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been supported through remote consultations and biologic medication has been delivered at home. We have made £1 billion available to the National Health Service in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective services, including referrals for patients with asthma. In secondary care, average waiting times have reduced by more than 40% since July 2020.


Written Question
Asthma: Health Services
Wednesday 7th July 2021

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 he has made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on referrals to secondary care and specialist asthma centres for people with asthma.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma have continued during the COVID-19 outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been supported through remote consultations and biologic medication has been delivered at home. We have made £1 billion available to the National Health Service in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective services, including referrals for patients with asthma. In secondary care, average waiting times have reduced by more than 40% since July 2020.


Written Question
Asthma: Health Services
Thursday 1st July 2021

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 he has made of the implications for his policies of the report published in November 2020 by the all-party Parliamentary group on Respiratory Health entitled Improving Asthma Outcomes in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

NHS England and NHS Improvement have considered the report, which sets out a balanced appraisal of asthma outcomes in the United Kingdom, including recommendations to achieve improvements.

In line with the report, the Academic Health Science Networks in England, in partnership with the Patient Safety Collaboratives, have been commissioned to work with provider organisations to improve the uptake of all elements as appropriate of the British Thoracic Society’s asthma care bundle for patients admitted to hospital due to asthma in England.

An update to the General Practitioner (GP) Contract for 2020-21 to 2023-24 includes an improved Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) asthma domain. This incorporates aspects of care positively associated with better patient outcomes and asthma control. Including, as advised in the report, an assessment of inhaler technique. The QOF also ensures that all GP practices establish and maintain a register of patients with an asthma diagnosis in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance. It includes improved respiratory indicators, as implemented from April 2021.


Written Question
Asthma: Drugs
Tuesday 22nd June 2021

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 he has made of the potential merits of extending the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative's (AAC) rapid uptake programme for asthma biologic therapies in response to the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on the work of the AAC.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Department, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and NHS England and NHS Improvement set the objective of reaching the upper quartile of uptake in relation to comparator countries for the five highest health gain categories during the first half of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, which was published in 2019. This objective is not intended as a target for the prescription of medicines. Medicines prescribing, including the highest health gain categories, remains a decision between the clinician and patient in line with guidance and recommendations made by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

When selecting the countries for international comparison of uptake of the five highest health gain categories, NHS England and NHS Improvement looked for countries with similar health systems and populations to England. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned an independent third party to develop an objective methodology to compare uptake rate between countries.

The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) worked closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement in the identification of potential five highest health gain categories for support through its Rapid Uptake Products programme. Following the open selection process, asthma biologics were selected for tailored support to increase their adoption in the National Health Service for the treatment of severe asthma as part of the 2021/22 programme. The Academic Health Science Networks are also providing leadership and support to NHS organisations to implement changes to transform severe asthma services locally and improve access to these medicines. Support for the programme will continue to be kept under review.


Written Question
Respiratory System: Drugs
Tuesday 22nd June 2021

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 the potential merits of selecting countries in the Office for Life Sciences Life Science Competitiveness Indicators to form the comparator countries as detailed in article 3.57 of the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access agreement within respiratory, relating to five highest health gains ambitions.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Department, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and NHS England and NHS Improvement set the objective of reaching the upper quartile of uptake in relation to comparator countries for the five highest health gain categories during the first half of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, which was published in 2019. This objective is not intended as a target for the prescription of medicines. Medicines prescribing, including the highest health gain categories, remains a decision between the clinician and patient in line with guidance and recommendations made by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

When selecting the countries for international comparison of uptake of the five highest health gain categories, NHS England and NHS Improvement looked for countries with similar health systems and populations to England. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned an independent third party to develop an objective methodology to compare uptake rate between countries.

The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) worked closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement in the identification of potential five highest health gain categories for support through its Rapid Uptake Products programme. Following the open selection process, asthma biologics were selected for tailored support to increase their adoption in the National Health Service for the treatment of severe asthma as part of the 2021/22 programme. The Academic Health Science Networks are also providing leadership and support to NHS organisations to implement changes to transform severe asthma services locally and improve access to these medicines. Support for the programme will continue to be kept under review.


Written Question
Respiratory System: Drugs
Tuesday 22nd June 2021

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, with reference to article 3.57 of the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access agreement within respiratory, relating to the five highest health gains ambitions, who is responsible for the delivery of increased uptake of that target, when that target is planned to be set, and whether Accelerated Access Collaborative is planned to be involved in that matter.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Department, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and NHS England and NHS Improvement set the objective of reaching the upper quartile of uptake in relation to comparator countries for the five highest health gain categories during the first half of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, which was published in 2019. This objective is not intended as a target for the prescription of medicines. Medicines prescribing, including the highest health gain categories, remains a decision between the clinician and patient in line with guidance and recommendations made by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

When selecting the countries for international comparison of uptake of the five highest health gain categories, NHS England and NHS Improvement looked for countries with similar health systems and populations to England. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned an independent third party to develop an objective methodology to compare uptake rate between countries.

The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) worked closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement in the identification of potential five highest health gain categories for support through its Rapid Uptake Products programme. Following the open selection process, asthma biologics were selected for tailored support to increase their adoption in the National Health Service for the treatment of severe asthma as part of the 2021/22 programme. The Academic Health Science Networks are also providing leadership and support to NHS organisations to implement changes to transform severe asthma services locally and improve access to these medicines. Support for the programme will continue to be kept under review.