Asked by: Lord Crathorne (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to make colonoscopies available through the NHS as a method of screening for pre-symptomatic cancers.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Colonoscopy is currently used in the National Health Service bowel cancer screening programme as a diagnostic tool to look at the bowel following a positive screen test for bowel cancer and to remove any polyps (growths) if detected.
The aim of a screening programme is to offer a safe and simple test to a large defined population who are at an average risk of developing the condition and to provide early intervention. Colonoscopy is an invasive procedure which in some cases can cause bleeding and discomfort and does not meet the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s test criteria as noted.
Asked by: Lord Crathorne (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support small UK companies which are researching and trying to produce new antibiotics, in particular through the use of market entry rewards.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government has invested in a range of research to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Specific investments aimed at small and medium sized enterprises include a competition call worth £4 million in 2016/17 launched by Innovate UK to reinvigorate AMR research and innovation networks in the United Kingdom. This call particularly focused on the need for collaborative working with industry, including small and medium sized enterprises, to bring products to market. The UK is also spending £50 million in a Global AMR Innovation Fund which aims to invest in global research and development for the benefit of people living in low- and middle-income countries. As part of this, it will consider how to provide access to finance for those researchers who struggle to access traditional funding sources, including small and medium sized enterprises.
In response to the independent review on AMR chaired by Lord O’Neill, the Government committed to strengthening support for market entry rewards in international fora including the G7 and G20 to address market failure in antibiotics. The Department is currently working through the G20 to make tangible progress in developing market incentives.