Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much NHS England has saved since over the counter medicines were taken off the prescription list in 2018.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In March 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement and NHS Clinical Commissioners published Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: Guidance for Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Since publication of this guidance, there has been a reduction in spend of £32 million on over the counter items. This reduction includes spending on over the counter items for conditions that are self-limiting and conditions which lend themselves to self-care, as well as vitamins, minerals and probiotics. This estimate is correct as at 10 July 2020.
The list of over the counter products is updated as new products become available.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have had to pay for an additional prescription each year if their medication has been recalled due to safety concerns in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, (4) 2018, and (5) 2019.
Answered by Lord Bethell
If a prescription item is recalled, the patient is issued with a new prescription for an alternative product which will then be dispensed as a separate item. The prescriptions data systems are unable to identify this as a replacement product; therefore, this information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what monitoring and evaluation they have undertaken to ascertain the compliance of NHS continuing healthcare (1) virtual assessments, and (2) associated services, delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic with (a) the national framework for NHS continuing healthcare, and (b) relevant legislation.
Answered by Lord Bethell
During the COVID-19 emergency period, National Health Service Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments have not been required due to changes made under section 14 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. Where CHC assessments have continued during the emergency period, these must be compliant with the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Regulations 2012 and the CHC National Framework.
CCGs may use a number of approaches to arrange Multidisciplinary Team assessments, including video conference. Preferences for how these are carried out should be indicated by the individual being assessed or their representatives.
To ensure the delivery of high-quality assessments, local assurance processes should be in place. There is also a detailed review process for eligibility decisions if an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to produce guidance on monitoring and evaluating the quality of virtual NHS continuing healthcare assessments.
Answered by Lord Bethell
During the COVID-19 emergency period, National Health Service Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments have not been required due to changes made under section 14 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. Where CHC assessments have continued during the emergency period, these must be compliant with the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Regulations 2012 and the CHC National Framework.
CCGs may use a number of approaches to arrange Multidisciplinary Team assessments, including video conference. Preferences for how these are carried out should be indicated by the individual being assessed or their representatives.
To ensure the delivery of high-quality assessments, local assurance processes should be in place. There is also a detailed review process for eligibility decisions if an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that virtual NHS continuing healthcare assessments are compliant with the Equality Act 2010 reasonable adjustments duty.
Answered by Lord Bethell
During the COVID-19 emergency period, National Health Service Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments have not been required due to changes made under section 14 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. Where CHC assessments have continued during the emergency period, these must be compliant with the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Regulations 2012 and the CHC National Framework.
CCGs may use a number of approaches to arrange Multidisciplinary Team assessments, including video conference. Preferences for how these are carried out should be indicated by the individual being assessed or their representatives.
To ensure the delivery of high-quality assessments, local assurance processes should be in place. There is also a detailed review process for eligibility decisions if an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their long-term plan for social care in England will focus on (1) whole system reform, or (2) protecting people from having to sell their homes to pay for care.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We recognise there is a need for long-term reform in social care. Therefore, we are reviewing options and have invited cross-party talks to find the best solutions to these complex questions. We will put forward a plan following those talks.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include people with Parkinson's disease on the list of those clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Expert doctors in England have identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. These were signed off by the United Kingdom Senior Clinicians Group, including the four UK Chief Medical Officers and clinical leadership at NHS England and NHS Improvement, NHS Digital and Public Health England. The list of conditions is kept under review and there are no plans at present to add Parkinson's disease to it.
General practitioners and hospital specialists are able to add individual people with Parkinson’s disease onto the shielded patients list on a case by case basis if it is their clinical judgement that the person is clinically extremely vulnerable.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they are putting in place to restart safely social care services that stopped because of social distancing measures, including (1) respite care, and (2) day centres; how any such plans are being communicated to users of social care services; and what guidance they have provided to local authorities on the safe restart of those services.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We recognise the crucial role that day services and respite care play to provide care, support and respite for carers.
Decisions on the running and re-opening of day services are made on a local basis.
We are working with the Social Care Institute of Excellence, local government and other key sector partners, to publish guidance soon which will support local authorities and providers to restart day services. In addition, Public Health England is developing guidance on the use of personal protective equipment in community settings, which will be applicable to day services.
Local authorities and service providers should have maintained contact with carers and service users throughout the lockdown. They will now be discussing arrangements to reintroduce care packages including where possible respite care and breaks.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from the rapid operation of COVID-19 clinical trials; and what plans they have to use that learning after the COVID-19 pandemic to speed up the approval process for all clinical trials.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the United Kingdom healthcare research and approvals system has the agility and flexibility to respond efficiently to a national crisis. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Health Research Authority (HRA) instigated procedures for rapid scientific advice, reviews and approvals for COVID-19 trials, prioritising these and authorising them in about one week.
As of 2 July, the MHRA has authorised a total of 61 trials for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in an average of nine days. A total of 50 trials for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 have been approved by both the MHRA and the HRA in an average of 12 days. Both the MHRA and the HRA have also produced guidance on regulatory flexibilities available to clinical trial sponsors and proportionate approaches so that trials could be run as efficiently as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that mental health services will be able to meet any excess demand from people with Parkinson's disease who have not been able to access psychological services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The National Health Service has issued guidance to services to support them in managing demand and capacity across inpatient and community mental health services and keeping services open for business.
There is broad consensus that there is the potential for an increase in demand and we are working with the NHS, Public Health England and other key partners to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts and plan for how to support mental health and wellbeing throughout the ‘recovery’ phase.