Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what public appointments are made directly by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory basis for public appointments is set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2023, which lists public appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and includes those identified as being made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, listed as entries under the Department of Health and Social Care. A copy of the document is attached.
When the order is next updated by Cabinet Office, it will also include public appointments to the board of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, which are made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is also responsible for making the following public appointments, which are not regulated by the Commissioner:
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, chair and non-executive members;
- UK Health Security Agency, chair and non-executive members; and
- NHS Pensions Board, chair only.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was between submissions and decisions by the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for (a) general claims and (b) mandatory reversals in each year between 2019 and 2023.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department of Health and Social Care requested the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) transfer to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) from the Department for Work and Pensions from 1 November 2021. The average claim waiting times before November 2021 has therefore been calculated based on the data transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to NHSBSA.
Of the claims concluded in 2019, the average number of days for an outcome to be communicated to the claimant was 120. It was 159 days for claims concluded in 2020, 306 days in 2021, 288 days in 2022, and 298 days in 2023.
For mandatory reversals concluded in each year, the average number of days for an outcome to be communicated to the claimant was 75 in 2019, 67 in 2020, 103 in 2021, and 182 in 2023. There were no mandatory reversal requests that reached an outcome in 2022.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (a) claims and (b) mandatory reversals were successful in each year between 2019 and 2023.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department of Health and Social Care requested the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) transfer to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) from the Department for Work and Pensions from 1 November 2021. Average claim waiting times before November 2021 has therefore been calculated based on the data transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to NHSBSA.
Of the 27 VDPS claims concluded in 2019, none were successful. In 2020, of 26 claims concluded, none were successful. In 2021, of 41 claims concluded, none were successful. In 2022, of 480 claims concluded, 33 or 6.88% were successful. In 2023, of 4008 claims concluded, 128 or 3.19% were successful.
In 2019, of seven concluded requests for a mandatory reversal on a decision reached on a concluded VDPS claim, no claims were successful. In 2020, of two concluded mandatory reversals, one was successful. In 2021, of four concluded mandatory reversals, no claims were successful. In 2022, no mandatory reversals were concluded. In 2023, of 187 concluded mandatory reversals, seven claims or 3.74% were successful.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints her Department received about the (a) processing and (b) administration of GP pensions in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) administers the NHS Pension Scheme. NHS England act as the host board for general practitioners (GPs) and are responsible for local pension administration for GPs. This is provided through the Primary Care Support England contract they hold with Capita. Complaints about the processing and administration of GP pensions may be directed to the NHSBSA or NHS England. The NHSBSA and NHS England operate their own complaints processes.
The Department does not routinely receive complaints on GP pension matters, but it does receive items of correspondence on this issue. However, it is not possible to isolate items of correspondence relating to GP pension processing and administration from other items of correspondence relating to NHS Pension Scheme policy.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage people with (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety to self manage their conditions by engaging with work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is generally good for health. The Government therefore has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including depression, bad nerves and anxiety, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps his Department takes to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on clinically recognised approaches to treating (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety to design appropriate work-related interventions to tackle rates of long term sickness.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what guidance his Department provides to employers to help them manage employees who report (a) bad nerves, (b) depression and (c) anxiety to stay in work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what interventions have proved effective at helping people with (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
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 work with Cabinet colleagues to deliver a joined-up approach to suicide prevention.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published on 11 September 2023, is a multi-sector and cross-Government strategy, with actions from a wide range of organisations that will be delivered over the next five years. Suicide prevention is everybody’s business, and a joined-up approach is essential to achieving this. The strategy is a call for action for national and local government, the health service, the voluntary, community & social enterprise sector, employers and individuals to tackle suicide.
We have worked across Government departments to develop this strategy and will continue to do so in order to deliver the actions within it. As part of this, the Government will take a leading role in tackling methods of suicide, collaborating with partners across the world in policy, law enforcement and society more broadly to limit access, reduce awareness, and share research, evidence and lessons learned. We are also working with NHS England and professional bodies to improve suicide prevention signposting and support to people in contact with primary care services.
We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions in seeking opportunities to improve the Government’s role in supporting employers to improve the support they provide for the mental wellbeing of themselves and their employees.
In November 2023 we launched a new nationwide near real-time suspected suicide surveillance system that will improve the early detection of and timely action to address changes in suicide rates or trends.
We are also working together with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and local authorities to explore opportunities for improving data collection and data sharing in all areas.
More generally, we work closely with local government via the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ regional leads network, and we have set out our intention in the strategy to write guidance for local areas to support them to align their own strategies with the national strategy.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
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 work with local government to deliver a joined-up approach to suicide prevention.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published on 11 September 2023, is a multi-sector and cross-Government strategy, with actions from a wide range of organisations that will be delivered over the next five years. Suicide prevention is everybody’s business, and a joined-up approach is essential to achieving this. The strategy is a call for action for national and local government, the health service, the voluntary, community & social enterprise sector, employers and individuals to tackle suicide.
We have worked across Government departments to develop this strategy and will continue to do so in order to deliver the actions within it. As part of this, the Government will take a leading role in tackling methods of suicide, collaborating with partners across the world in policy, law enforcement and society more broadly to limit access, reduce awareness, and share research, evidence and lessons learned. We are also working with NHS England and professional bodies to improve suicide prevention signposting and support to people in contact with primary care services.
We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions in seeking opportunities to improve the Government’s role in supporting employers to improve the support they provide for the mental wellbeing of themselves and their employees.
In November 2023 we launched a new nationwide near real-time suspected suicide surveillance system that will improve the early detection of and timely action to address changes in suicide rates or trends.
We are also working together with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and local authorities to explore opportunities for improving data collection and data sharing in all areas.
More generally, we work closely with local government via the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ regional leads network, and we have set out our intention in the strategy to write guidance for local areas to support them to align their own strategies with the national strategy.