Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of households with telecare devices still to transition from the public switched telephone network to the Digital Voice service.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
According to data from the Telecare Services Association (TSA) and Farrpoint, a digital consultancy, there are between 1.7 and 2 million telecare users in the UK; given that devices are readily available to purchase privately, we cannot provide an exact figure. Of these, the TSA estimates that c.500,000 devices are compatible with digital phone lines.
However, some analogue telecare devices may also work on digital networks. DSIT has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the telecare industry to raise awareness of the migration and to encourage the testing of analogue devices on digital phone lines. BT and other providers have also set up test labs for telecare suppliers or telecare service providers to test their equipment.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will provide financial assistance to vulnerable customers reliant on (a) monitoring and (b) emergency call services where their equipment has to be upgraded as a result of BT's digital switchover.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately owned network and the decision to replace it with digital landlines has been made by the telecoms industry. Government has no formal role in the switchover process. While BT owns the largest amount of PSTN lines, this upgrade is not just confined to that company. This migration is due to necessity, as the PSTN is old and increasingly prone to failure. Retaining customers on the PSTN would mean a significant long-term risk to individuals.
The switchover process means that certain devices and services which rely on analogue landlines, such as some telecare alarms, will need to be replaced. Upgrading these devices will ensure that they are compatible with a more secure underlying infrastructure.
Since the switchover is not led by Government, there is no designated funding available from DSIT. Where telecare devices are provided by local authorities or the NHS, these organisations will need to ensure that telecare users have compatible devices. Telecare users should contact the organisation providing their devices, to discuss what support is available to them. We also encourage concerned customers to contact their Communication Provider (such as BT or VMO2) to understand their approach to the switchover and what support is available.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the bilateral aid allocated to the Myanmar-UK Health Partnership programme to (a) support and (b) protect (i) nurses and (ii) healthcare workers targeted by the Junta regime in Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains committed to assisting nurses and healthcare workers in Myanmar. The Myanmar-UK Health Partnership has supported Myanmar health workers to establish pop-up clinics and provided crucial training to develop capacity in opposition-held areas. It supplies doctors and nurses in Myanmar with web-based learning materials and has provided more than 3,000 nurses with nursing training. The programme has also supported the provision of direct services through digital methods, such as telemedicine services. The programme is designed to ensure that Myanmar's population can access healthcare services despite access constraints, while reducing the risks to health workers.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 9 February (HL2132) where they stated that they are "inviting views from third parties on abortion statistics for England and Wales, including the future publication of abortion complications data", how they intend to (1) collect, (2) collate, (3) analyse, and (4) respond, to that data; and how they intend to share that information more widely to allow parliamentarians to scrutinise and measure the efficacy of current policy on telemedicine.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statistics used in the publication Complications from abortions in England are official statistics in development. In accordance with the Office for Statistics Regulation’s guidance, we have ensured that users are involved and can contribute to the future of this publication. We are currently collecting feedback via two methods: an anonymous online form; and our abortion statistics mailbox. Both are publicly advertised online, and anyone is welcome to respond.
We will collate and analyse feedback on an ongoing basis to ensure that we take account of the opinions of those using our statistics, as we develop them. Collation and analysis will be undertaken in line with the Government’s statistical standards.
Finally, the Office for Statistics Regulation advises a proportionate approach to feedback that is targeted on gathering the required information, which is why we have implemented the mentioned collection methods. The aim of these collection methods is to inform and update our abortion publications, and we do not plan on sharing this feedback externally.
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of outsourcing radiology scans to external teleradiology companies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
From the years 2018/19 to 2022/23, the National Health Service spent £1,096,083,822 on outsourcing radiology scans. Over this five-year period, 18 million outsourced radiology scans were provided, representing 7.9% of the total cost of all imaging services during this time.
The outsourcing of teleradiology scans by the NHS is used to help deliver targets on diagnostic waiting times and activity, including the diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer. Outsourcing allows the NHS to maintain important diagnostic activity whilst the Government continues to invest into building up diagnostic capacity, including through an increased number of community diagnostic centres. The following table shows the cost of outsourcing radiology scans to external teleradiology companies each year from 2018/19 to 2022/23 and in total, as well as the number of activities outsourced:
Financial year | Total Cost of Outsourcing | Total Activity Outsourced |
2022-23 | £368,858,838 | 3,742,396 |
2021-22 | £241,015,574 | 3,465,108 |
2020-21 | £170,131,115 | 2,498,008 |
2019-20 | £192,261,028 | 4,531,398 |
2018-19 | £123,817,267 | 3,940,574 |
Total | £1,096,083,822 | 18,177,484 |
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of outsourcing radiology scans to external teleradiology companies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the years 2018-2019 to 2022-23, the NHS spent £1,096,083,822 on outsourcing of radiology scans. This represents 7.9% of the total cost of all imaging services across the 5 year period.
Outsourcing of teleradiology scans by the NHS is being used to help deliver NHS targets on diagnostic waiting times and activity, including diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer. Outsourcing allows the NHS to maintain important diagnostic activity whilst the government’s investments to build up diagnostic capacity, including through an increased number of Community Diagnostic Centres, continue to progress.
Table 1: Total Cost of Outsourcing Radiology Scans to External Teleradiology Companies from 2018-19 to 2022-23.
Financial year | Total Cost of Outsourcing |
2022-23 | £368,858,838 |
2021-22 | £241,015,574 |
2020-21 | £170,131,115 |
2019-20 | £192,261,028 |
2018-19 | £123,817,267 |
Total | £1,096,083,822 |
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 22 January (HL1523), whether the complication rates referenced include the treatment of women as outpatients following telemedicine abortion complications arising from home use of early medical abortion pills.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The analysis of abortion complications data published by the Department compares Abortion Notification System (ANS) data on complications known to the abortion provider at the time of the patient’s discharge from the abortion service, and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) inpatient admissions data on abortion complications. It is not recorded on ANS whether the complications reported required inpatient or outpatient treatment.
The analysis does not include HES data on the treatment of women as outpatients following a termination. This is because HES data completeness is considerably higher for inpatient data than outpatient and accident and emergency data. Including the incomplete outpatient data in our analysis would have produced inaccurate results for this population.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her Department's policy is on the funding arrangements for new telecare devices for people who have telecare devices that are not compatible with new digital landlines.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects the telecoms industry to ensure that all consumers, particularly the most vulnerable including telecare users, are protected and prepared for the upgrade of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). DSIT receives regular updates from telecoms providers about the progress of their migration and any emerging challenges they face, including regarding the migration of telecare users.
On 14 December, DSIT Ministers convened the UK’s leading telecoms providers to discuss steps to protect the most vulnerable when upgrading their phone lines. These telecoms providers have now signed a Charter committing to concrete measures to protect vulnerable customers, including specific provisions on protecting telecare users. This is a positive step by industry to make sure safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover.
With regard to telecare systems, lifeline alarm systems or remote ringers, it can be difficult to provide general guidance given the range of devices and providers across these sectors. I therefore cannot state definitively which products will not function over digital landlines, and which will need modifications. Similarly, given there are a multitude of devices and services that rely on the digital connectivity and various ways they may be connected, Government does not have a definitive estimate regarding the cost of the switchover.
We encourage those with equipment that rely on the PSTN, such as businesses or local authorities, to audit their estate and understand if they need to upgrade their devices. DSIT has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the telecare industry to raise awareness of the migration and to help identify alternatives, while BT and other providers have set up test labs for manufacturers to test their equipment.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is taking steps to monitor the migration of telecare users from the public switched telephone network to digital phone lines.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects the telecoms industry to ensure that all consumers, particularly the most vulnerable including telecare users, are protected and prepared for the upgrade of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). DSIT receives regular updates from telecoms providers about the progress of their migration and any emerging challenges they face, including regarding the migration of telecare users.
On 14 December, DSIT Ministers convened the UK’s leading telecoms providers to discuss steps to protect the most vulnerable when upgrading their phone lines. These telecoms providers have now signed a Charter committing to concrete measures to protect vulnerable customers, including specific provisions on protecting telecare users. This is a positive step by industry to make sure safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover.
With regard to telecare systems, lifeline alarm systems or remote ringers, it can be difficult to provide general guidance given the range of devices and providers across these sectors. I therefore cannot state definitively which products will not function over digital landlines, and which will need modifications. Similarly, given there are a multitude of devices and services that rely on the digital connectivity and various ways they may be connected, Government does not have a definitive estimate regarding the cost of the switchover.
We encourage those with equipment that rely on the PSTN, such as businesses or local authorities, to audit their estate and understand if they need to upgrade their devices. DSIT has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the telecare industry to raise awareness of the migration and to help identify alternatives, while BT and other providers have set up test labs for manufacturers to test their equipment.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the compatibility of telecare products with digital landlines.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects the telecoms industry to ensure that all consumers, particularly the most vulnerable including telecare users, are protected and prepared for the upgrade of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). DSIT receives regular updates from telecoms providers about the progress of their migration and any emerging challenges they face, including regarding the migration of telecare users.
On 14 December, DSIT Ministers convened the UK’s leading telecoms providers to discuss steps to protect the most vulnerable when upgrading their phone lines. These telecoms providers have now signed a Charter committing to concrete measures to protect vulnerable customers, including specific provisions on protecting telecare users. This is a positive step by industry to make sure safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover.
With regard to telecare systems, lifeline alarm systems or remote ringers, it can be difficult to provide general guidance given the range of devices and providers across these sectors. I therefore cannot state definitively which products will not function over digital landlines, and which will need modifications. Similarly, given there are a multitude of devices and services that rely on the digital connectivity and various ways they may be connected, Government does not have a definitive estimate regarding the cost of the switchover.
We encourage those with equipment that rely on the PSTN, such as businesses or local authorities, to audit their estate and understand if they need to upgrade their devices. DSIT has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the telecare industry to raise awareness of the migration and to help identify alternatives, while BT and other providers have set up test labs for manufacturers to test their equipment.