Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the mental health of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service recognises that two-thirds of people with a common mental health problem also have a long term physical health problem, and that integrating talking and psychological therapy services with physical health services can provide better support and achieve better outcomes.
Local commissioners are expected to commission NHS talking therapies which are integrated into physical healthcare pathways. In Enfield North, mental health services are commissioned locally by the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board, which is best placed to commission services according to local need.
Asked by: Baroness Browning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of personal independence payments (PIP) to support the financial needs of people with Parkinson's disease since the introduction of PIP 10 years ago.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased because of a worsening condition.
PIP is a contribution to the extra costs arising from a disability or health condition. PIP is increased every April by at least the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index in September the previous year. PIP payments were uprated by 10.1% from April 2023.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 trends in the number of A&E admissions of people with Parkinson's in (a) North East and North Cumbria ICS area and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by the Department.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
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 prescription charges on people with Parkinson's in (a) the Humber and North Yorkshire area and (b) England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no current plans to make an assessment and no specific assessment has been made on the impact of prescription charges. Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with long term conditions may meet the eligibility criteria and be in receipt of free prescriptions.
In addition, those on a low income can apply for additional support through the NHS Low Income Scheme. This provides both full and partial help with a range of health costs, not just prescription charges. Those who do not qualify for low-income help may benefit from the purchase of a prescription pre-payment certificate. This caps the cost of prescriptions at £111.60 per year, helping people to get all the medicines they need for just over £2 a week.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of waiting times for NHS Parkinson's care in England on people who provide unpaid care to their partners who have Parkinson's.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a carer’s assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. We have not made any assessment of the potential impact of waiting times for National Health Service Parkinson's disease care in England on people who provide unpaid care to their partners who have Parkinson's.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the mental health of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service recognises that two-thirds of people with a common mental health problem also have a long term physical health problem, and that integrating talking and psychological therapy services with physical health services can provide better support and achieve better outcomes. All local commissioners are expected to commission NHS talking therapies integrated into physical healthcare pathways.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has a dedicated Parkinson's disease Nurse Specialist working as part of its Community Neurological Rehabilitation Team. They provide continuous care for people with Parkinson's disease and support with issues such as their mental health. The nurse can support people with mental health concerns via liaison or referral to specialist services, including general practitioners, the Neuropsychiatry Team at Salford Royal, clinical psychologists, neurologists, and the Mental Health Team at Pennine Care and Healthy Minds Stockport.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) reduce the waiting times for Parkinson’s diagnosis and (b) increase the number of Parkinson’s specialists in (a) Enfield North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Enfield.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To help reduce waiting times for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, in February 2022, NHS England published a delivery plan setting out a clear vision for how the National Health Service will recover and reduce waiting times for elective services, including prioritising diagnosis and treatment. The Government has also commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for the NHS workforce for the next 15 years.
The North Central London Integrated Care Board is reviewing community health services provided to residents living in Enfield. The aim of the review is to tackle the current variation in service provision and to set out the minimum expected level of service. For Enfield, this means that there will be additional investment in community services, including the Parkinson’s Service.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of avoidable A&E admissions of people with Parkinson's disease in (a) the area of the South West London Integrated Care System and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific estimate has been made. Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s disease can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 ensure the NHS workforce plan meets the needs of people with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) other long-term neurological conditions.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support the workforce as a whole we have commissioned NHS England to develop a Long Term Workforce Plan, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years. The Plan is for the whole of the National Health Service workforce, including those working with patients with Parkinson’s disease and other long-term neurological conditions.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to support the mental health of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service recognises that two-thirds of people with a common mental health problem also have a long term physical health problem, and that integrating talking and psychological therapy services with physical health services can provide better support and achieve better outcomes. All local commissioners are expected to commission NHS talking therapies integrated into physical healthcare pathways.
To support the mental health of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a movement disorders multi-disciplinary team covering Parkinson’s, which discusses patients’ mental health needs.