Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether prescriptions collected using the pre-payment certificate are recorded in their statistics as prescriptions that are dispensed free of charge; and if so, what percentage of free prescriptions are collected using the pre-payment certificate.
Answered by Baroness Manzoor
The information is not available in the format requested. Information collected by the NHS Business Services Authority relates to prescription items dispensed in the community.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of all paid for prescriptions are paid for (1) on collection, and (2) by the prescription prepayment certificate.
Answered by Baroness Manzoor
The information is not available in the format requested. Information collected by the NHS Business Services Authority relates to prescription items dispensed in the community.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to timely and appropriate support for people with Parkinson's disease who are experiencing anxiety or depression.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
As set out in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health the expansion of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services will focus on people with long term conditions, including neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, and/or medically unexplained symptoms. New psychological therapy provision will see physical and mental health care provision co-located. Therapy will be integrated into existing medical pathways and services – either primary care, or secondary care services including neurology.
Although the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care, NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 24 specialised neurological treatment centres across England. Within these centres neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, clinical nurse specialists, psychologists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.
The Neurology Advisory Group will ensure that there is system alignment and a national approach when considering the recommendations, which will be of benefit to patients.
NHS England is also working with the Neurological Alliance, following the publication on 5 July 2017 of their report on mental health and neurological conditions, Parity of esteem for people affected by neurological conditions: meeting the emotional, cognitive & mental health needs of neurology patients.
A copy of the report is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 4 April (HL7369), when the policy team is expected to report back on key aspects of the work on neurology and how those aspects can be taken forward through alternative mechanisms and partners; and whether or not that report will be published.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
As previously set out, NHS England has been reviewing its National Clinical Director (NCD) resource. This review has been designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement.
Whilst there will no longer be a specific NCD role for neurology, NHS England will continue to secure expert clinical advice through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges.
More information on these arrangements will be available in June 2016. There is no specific report being published.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - 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 on the NHS of NHS England cutting the role of National Clinical Director for Adult Neurology, and the end of national funding for neurological work by clinical networks.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result of the review, NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future, streamlining and strengthening its clinical advisory mechanisms in support of the Five Year Forward View and the National Health Service’s key improvement priorities.
Whilst there will no longer be a specific NCD role for neurology, NHS England will continue to secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. Access to advice will be through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place shortly.
During 2016/17, the focus of NHS England’s improvement efforts delivered through Strategic Clinical Networks will be on a smaller range of key national priorities, including cancer, mental health, diabetes, maternity and urgent and emergency care (with a focus on cardiovascular disease transformation). Whilst there is no additional funding nationally, clinical and local networks of care can determine what can be done at a local or regional level if it is considered a local or regional system priority. Nationally, the policy team is considering how key aspects of the work on neurology can be taken forward through alternative mechanisms and partners.
In addition, the Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology related health intelligence. PHE currently funds the on-going design, development and management of the NIN.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England regarding delays in the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group's consideration of specialised treatments and the impact on people who cannot currently access treatments recommended by their clinician.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
NHS England has advised that a meeting of its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group has been delayed whilst further work is undertaken to refine the overall decision making process. NHS England remains committed however, to ensuring that a timely decision is made about a range of investment proposals that have been put forward for the 2015-16 financial year.
At the November public meeting of the NHS England Board it was agreed to create a new Specialised Services Committee of the Board, and as a consequence to review the current governance arrangements covering this aspect of NHS England’s work.
It was decided to undertake a public consultation on the future approach to prioritising new treatments and interventions within specialised commissioning. This was considered at the December NHS England Board meeting and it was agreed that a 90 day consultation will be carried out in early 2015.
NHS England has advised that the short postponement of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group meeting will have no impact on the decision making timetable for commissioning NHS services from April 2015 onwards.
Existing treatments will continue to be commissioned in the meantime, ensuring that support for patients is maintained.
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 people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease have access to a full range of treatment options.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2006 sets out a range of treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.
Treatments for Parkinson’s disease are largely drug based. The NICE guidance states that patient preference should be taken into account, once they have been informed of the short and long-term benefits and drawbacks of the different types of drugs available. The guidance makes it clear that other supportive treatments may also be appropriate. These can include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about access to Duodopa for people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease; and what responses they have made.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
We have received a number of representations from hon. Members, noble Lords, patient groups and members of the public about access to Duodopa for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease on the National Health Service.
Our responses have made clear that NHS England has responsibility for commissioning adult specialist neurosciences services, including the majority of services for patients with Parkinson’s disease and have set out NHS England’s position on this issue at the time of writing.
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 in England with (1) Parkinson’s, and (2) other conditions, have been prescribed Amantadine in each of the last five years.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines or the medical condition being treated. However, information is available on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England.
The following table shows the number of prescription items dispensed for amantadine hydrochloride in the latest available five year period.
Number of prescription items for amantadine hydrochloride written in the United Kingdom and dispensed, in the community, in England | |
Year | Items (000s) |
2009 | 95.4 |
2010 | 99.7 |
2011 | 105.5 |
2012 | 111.2 |
2013 | 113.4 |
Source: Prescription Cost Analysis provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are involving people with Parkinson's in the Department of Health's Dementia Challenge.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
We are working closely with a wide range of organisations on the implementation of the Challenge, including the Dementia Action Alliance; the Alliance includes organisations representing people with Parkinson’s such asParkinson’s UK.
By October 2013, 108,000 National Health Service staff had received Tier 1 training on dementia, enabling them to spot the early symptoms of dementia, know how to interact with people with dementia and ensure that patients receive the most appropriate care. The Government’s refreshed Mandate to Health Education England, published on 1 May 2014, builds on this by setting an ambition for a further 250,000 NHS staff to receive Tier 1 training on dementia by March 2015, with the tools and training opportunities being made available to all staff by the end of 2018.
Over 100,000 social care workers have received some form of dementia awareness training through workforce development funding from local authorities and care providers.