Asked by: Lord Dubs (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many multiple sclerosis specialist nurses work in the NHS; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure all people with multiple sclerosis have access to a specialist nurse.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Data on the number of multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist nurses working in the National Health Service is not held centrally. Services for adults with MS are part of local neurology services commissioned by clinical commissioning groups. NHS England is leading a programme to develop optimal neurology pathways including, MS services. The MS pathway includes access to specialist nurses for all patients diagnosed with MS.
NHS England commissions a highly specialised service for children with MS across seven centres. All children with MS have access to a specialist paediatric nurse with an expertise in paediatric MS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advises a multidisciplinary approach and recommends the involvement of professionals to best meet the needs of the patient, including MS nurses.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the digitisation of the process for applying for driving licences through the DVLA.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to transact with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
The DVLA is continuing to expand its driver application online services over the next year. This will allow customers to upload their own photograph and signature instead of using one from a UK passport, as the current service requires. The DVLA is also working with the Home Office to create an electronic link to its View and prove your immigration status service. This will allow those with a non-UK passport to be authenticated online and use the DVLA online application service.
Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition are also able to renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
Asked by: Holly Mumby-Croft (Conservative - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of (a) the support available to help people with multiple sclerosis to succeed in the labour market and (b) further measures that could be taken to help improve this support.
Answered by Chloe Smith
A range of government initiatives, including schemes in partnership with the health system, are currently supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with multiple sclerosis, to live independent lives and start, stay and succeed in employment. These include the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work and Disability Confident. The response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, published last year, set out actions to minimise the risk of ill-health related job loss.
The last Spending Review and departmental funding allocation process assessed the current support available to help disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with multiple sclerosis, to succeed in the labour market and set future plans. Over the next three years, this government will invest £1.3bn in employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions. This will build up our provision further, including extending and expanding contracted employment support.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the backlog of applications at the DVLA on drivers with disabilities.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The DVLA is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible for all drivers, including those with health conditions. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham. These measures are having a positive impact and customers should continue to see an improving picture in terms of waiting times for paper applications.
The DVLA recognises the impact of delays on drivers who have medical conditions or disabilities which may require them to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
The length of time taken to deal with an application depends on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from medical professionals. The majority of those renewing their licence will be able to
continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing repeat disability assessments for people with progressive conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Through the Severe Conditions criteria, we have stopped repeat assessments on ESA/UC for people with the most severe and lifelong conditions.
We have committed to testing a new Severe Disability Group (SDG) for people who have severe and lifelong conditions that will not improve. These people could then benefit from a simplified process without ever needing to complete a detailed application form or go through an assessment. We will consider these test results once complete to influence thinking on the next stages of this work.
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, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of psychological support for people living with MS and other neurological conditions.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The NHS RightCare progressive neurological conditions toolkit states that patients with a neurological condition will be offered a regular review of their emotional and psychological status and supported to access information and mental health services when needed. Support may include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, written advice or a neuro-psychological specialist if required. In addition, people living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions may be referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service.
We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24. The Mental Health Recovery Action Plan also provided £500 million of targeted investment in 2021/22. This will enable an extra two million people in England to access National Health Service-funded mental health support, with an additional 27,000 mental health professions recruited to support this expansion.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the rising cost of living on the adequacy of (a) personal independence payments and (b) universal credit for people with fluctuating conditions including Multiple Sclerosis.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) is the main measure of UK inflation. CPI in the year to September (published by the Office for National Statistics in October) is the latest figure that the Secretary of State can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year. From April 2022 benefits and pensions will increase by 3.1%, in line with the CPI.
Disability benefits are not means–tested, non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. PIP and DLA were not subject to the benefits freeze.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the disability benefits assessment process for people with progressive and fluctuating conditions including Multiple Sclerosis.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Health and Disability Green Paper explored how we can improve assessments, including how they capture the impact of fluctuating conditions and how we reduce unnecessary assessments for people whose conditions are unlikely to improve. We are now analysing the over 4,500 responses we received and will be bringing forward a White Paper with detailed proposals later this year.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve the health assessments process for people with (a) multiple sclerosis and (b) other relapsing and progressive conditions.
Answered by Chloe Smith
We recognise that improvements could be made to the assessment process for health and disability benefits and are committed to making changes in this area.
In the Shaping Future Support Green Paper published last year we set out several areas we wish to explore, taking in account feedback from a wide range of stakeholders including disabled people, disability charities, academics and thinktanks to better understand what needs to change, and how.
We will follow up on the responses to this Green Paper with a White Paper later this year to outline the changes we want to make.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to instruct the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to expedite the processing of driving licenses in instances where the applicant has a medical or physical need for a car.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The DVLA is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible for all drivers, including those with health conditions. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly due to a medical condition and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this process.
The length of time taken to deal with an application depends on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from medical professionals. The majority of those renewing their licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here.