Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities provided access to HIV self-sampling services in each year from 2015 to 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Access to and provision of HIV testing, including online and self-sampling services, is the responsibility of local authorities. There are no comprehensive data available on the number of local authorities that provide HIV self-sampling services.
To make the procurement of online HIV testing services easier for local authorities a number of frameworks are in place. Frameworks are agreements put in place with a provider or range of providers that enable local authority commissioners to purchase a self-sampling service, the specification of which has already been agreed, without running a full tendering exercise.
One such framework is the national HIV self-sampling service set up by Public Health England at the end of 2015. This framework was used by 87 local authorities in 2015/16, 87 local authorities in 2016/17, 81 local authorities in 2017/18 and 71 local authorities in 2018/19. Data for 2019/20 are not yet available. However, this is just one framework and there are many other examples of locally and regionally commissioned self-sampling services providing HIV testing.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they plan to make funding available for online HIV self-sampling services in all areas of England; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services, including the provision of HIV testing through self-sampling and online services. It is important that individuals and communities have information and support to access testing in a range of settings to facilitate earlier diagnosis and prevention of HIV transmission.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued guidance on increasing the uptake of HIV testing among people who may have undiagnosed HIV. We will explore what more can be done on testing as part of our work to develop the Sexual and Reproductive Health strategy and the HIV Action Plan.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when consultation on the Code of Practice issued under the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 will commence.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Following Royal Assent for the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019, the Department has been engaging across England and Wales with a range of key stakeholders from the health and social care sector and people with lived experience to co-produce the Code of Practice for the new Liberty Protection Safeguards. We plan to start public consultation in the new year and the Code will be laid before both Houses ahead of the new Liberty Protection Safeguards system coming into force.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the judgment in R (TT) v the Registrar General for England and Wales & Ors [2019] EWHC 2384 (Fam) on the (1) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, and (2) regulation of fertility treatment by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Court found that the scheme of birth registration for the children of trans men is lawful and proportionate. The Government welcomes the Court’s decision.
The Government’s view is that the judgment has no effect on the availability of regulated fertility treatment and will now consider whether there should be further guidance to clarify this position. The Government considers that regulated fertility treatment is currently, and will remain, equally available to all (trans) women and (trans) men under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Acts.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the judgment in R (TT) v the Registrar General for England and Wales & Ors [2019] EWHC 2384 (Fam) on members of the trans community who wish to access fertility treatment at a licensed clinic.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Court found that the scheme of birth registration for the children of trans men is lawful and proportionate. The Government welcomes the Court’s decision.
The Government’s view is that the judgment has no effect on the availability of regulated fertility treatment and will now consider whether there should be further guidance to clarify this position. The Government considers that regulated fertility treatment is currently, and will remain, equally available to all (trans) women and (trans) men under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Acts.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of Public Health England’s document, A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June, what steps they are taking to improve universal access to the full range of contraception choices.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Sexual health services are commissioned at a local level to meet the needs of the local population. The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services, including “advice on, and reasonable access to, a broad range of contraceptive substances and appliances”. In addition, NHS England commissions contraception provided as an additional service under the general practitioner contract. Prescriptions of long acting reversible contraception (LARC) in sexual and reproductive health services increased by 25% between 2012/13 and 2016/17 from 272,000 to 342,000. However, in primary care prescriptions of LARC decreased from 1.3 million to 1.2 million. Departmental officials are working with Public Health England to take forward actions on reproductive health following publication of their consensus statement and will consider ways to promote access to the full range of contraception through this work.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the use of long-acting reversible contraception in general practice.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Sexual health services are commissioned at a local level to meet the needs of the local population. The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services, including “advice on, and reasonable access to, a broad range of contraceptive substances and appliances”. In addition, NHS England commissions contraception provided as an additional service under the general practitioner contract. Prescriptions of long acting reversible contraception (LARC) in sexual and reproductive health services increased by 25% between 2012/13 and 2016/17 from 272,000 to 342,000. However, in primary care prescriptions of LARC decreased from 1.3 million to 1.2 million. Departmental officials are working with Public Health England to take forward actions on reproductive health following publication of their consensus statement and will consider ways to promote access to the full range of contraception through this work.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of Public Health England’s document, A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June, what steps they are taking to ensure that reproductive health decision-making is directly informed by women’s voices.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England (PHE) has created a user reference group made up of women from the community who have experienced severe reproductive health issues in order to ensure actions in the action plan reflect service users’ needs. The action plan is due to be published in March 2019.
PHE has asked women in the user reference group help determine how issues outlined in A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June could be addressed. Solutions suggested by women were then presented to PHE’s task and finish group made up of experts from across the sector including the Department, NHS England, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Brook and the Family Planning Association in order to help formulate actions for the action plan. PHE plans to continue this as an iterative process throughout the development, implementation and evaluation of the action plan.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Public Health England will consult external stakeholders during the development of the reproductive health action plan referenced on page 5 of Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England (PHE) has created a task and finish group made up of representatives from organisations across the sector including the Department, NHS England, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Gynaecology, Brook, and the Family Planning Association. The task and finish group will work together to inform the development and implementation of the reproductive health action plan. Alongside this, PHE is also working with a user reference group, made up of women who have experienced severe reproductive health issues in order to ensure the action plan reflects service users’ needs. The action plan is due to be published in March 2019.
In addition, PHE’s regional centres are developing an approach for localising the national research conducted and developing locally appropriate actions in addition to those being driven nationally. PHE are consulting with commissioners and providers in developing the action plan through workshops and presentations across the country and to ensure implementation of the action plan from 2019 onwards.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the proposals in Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England (PHE) has created a task and finish group made up of representatives from organisations across the sector including the Department, NHS England, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Gynaecology, Brook, and the Family Planning Association. The task and finish group will work together to inform the development and implementation of the reproductive health action plan. Alongside this, PHE is also working with a user reference group, made up of women who have experienced severe reproductive health issues in order to ensure the action plan reflects service users’ needs. The action plan is due to be published in March 2019.
In addition, PHE’s regional centres are developing an approach for localising the national research conducted and developing locally appropriate actions in addition to those being driven nationally. PHE are consulting with commissioners and providers in developing the action plan through workshops and presentations across the country and to ensure implementation of the action plan from 2019 onwards.