Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking as part of the social care strategy to promote to all people over the age of 60 the NICE Guideline NG16 that sets out that it is possible to "delay or prevent ... dementia, disability and frailty in later life".
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department has prioritised prevention and through the Care Act 2014 it has required local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support.
The Challenge on Dementia 2020 commitments included action on risk reduction, and messaging has been incorporated in the NHS Health Check for all eligible adults in England aged 40-74 to increase dementia awareness and motivate people in midlife to make positive changes.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether public-sector pension boards, pension companies and insurance companies are involved in the social care strategy.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government will consult with a range of sectors, including the financial services industry, when considering social care reforms.
The Government’s priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that this does not reduce the need for a long-term action plan for social care. Putting social care on a sustainable footing, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, is one of the biggest challenges that we face as a society.
There are complex questions to address, which is why we have invited cross-party talks. These will take place at the earliest opportunity in light of the current circumstances. The Government will then bring forward a plan for social care for the longer term.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the West Midlands Ambulance Service are downgrading the role of Community First Responders in Staffordshire.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Ambulance services have operated with Community First Responders (CFRs) for many years in mainly rural areas and they play a vital role in responding to the highest priority 999 calls whilst paramedics are en-route.
West Midland Ambulance Service (WMAS) recognise that Community First Responders (CFRs) play a key role in protecting local communities and they want to enhance that by increasing the number of CFRs, using a consistent model of response, so that even more lives can be saved.
Since the introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme, ambulance services have a clearer indication of the severity of each 999 call and so can assign the most appropriate response to that call, which may include the dispatch of a CFR, to ensure that each patient receives the right response for their clinical need.
WMAS plan to use their CFRs to target the most seriously ill patients, in the way that CFR schemes were originally set up.
The Government are content with the approach WMAS are taking regarding CFRs and have no concerns regarding their future plans.
In 2015, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives published a document on the use of CFRs. The document seeks to reduce national variation in the governance of CFR schemes and aims to addresses the deployment of CFRs across all categories of calls. A copy of Volunteer Responders Governance Framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons given by West Midlands Ambulance Service for downgrading the role of Community First Responders in Staffordshire.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Ambulance services have operated with Community First Responders (CFRs) for many years in mainly rural areas and they play a vital role in responding to the highest priority 999 calls whilst paramedics are en-route.
West Midland Ambulance Service (WMAS) recognise that Community First Responders (CFRs) play a key role in protecting local communities and they want to enhance that by increasing the number of CFRs, using a consistent model of response, so that even more lives can be saved.
Since the introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme, ambulance services have a clearer indication of the severity of each 999 call and so can assign the most appropriate response to that call, which may include the dispatch of a CFR, to ensure that each patient receives the right response for their clinical need.
WMAS plan to use their CFRs to target the most seriously ill patients, in the way that CFR schemes were originally set up.
The Government are content with the approach WMAS are taking regarding CFRs and have no concerns regarding their future plans.
In 2015, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives published a document on the use of CFRs. The document seeks to reduce national variation in the governance of CFR schemes and aims to addresses the deployment of CFRs across all categories of calls. A copy of Volunteer Responders Governance Framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration was given by the West Midlands Ambulance Service to upgrading the role of Community First Responders in other parts of its area to bring the roles into line with the role in Staffordshire before the decision was taken to downgrade the role of Community First Responders in Staffordshire and bringing that role into line with other parts of the West Midlands Ambulance Service area.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Ambulance services have operated with Community First Responders (CFRs) for many years in mainly rural areas and they play a vital role in responding to the highest priority 999 calls whilst paramedics are en-route.
West Midland Ambulance Service (WMAS) recognise that Community First Responders (CFRs) play a key role in protecting local communities and they want to enhance that by increasing the number of CFRs, using a consistent model of response, so that even more lives can be saved.
Since the introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme, ambulance services have a clearer indication of the severity of each 999 call and so can assign the most appropriate response to that call, which may include the dispatch of a CFR, to ensure that each patient receives the right response for their clinical need.
WMAS plan to use their CFRs to target the most seriously ill patients, in the way that CFR schemes were originally set up.
The Government are content with the approach WMAS are taking regarding CFRs and have no concerns regarding their future plans.
In 2015, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives published a document on the use of CFRs. The document seeks to reduce national variation in the governance of CFR schemes and aims to addresses the deployment of CFRs across all categories of calls. A copy of Volunteer Responders Governance Framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the current enhanced role of Community First Responders in Staffordshire has proved more effective in terms of (1) quality, and (2) safety, when compared to the work of Community First Responders in other parts of the West Midlands Ambulance Service area.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Ambulance services have operated with Community First Responders (CFRs) for many years in mainly rural areas and they play a vital role in responding to the highest priority 999 calls whilst paramedics are en-route.
West Midland Ambulance Service (WMAS) recognise that Community First Responders (CFRs) play a key role in protecting local communities and they want to enhance that by increasing the number of CFRs, using a consistent model of response, so that even more lives can be saved.
Since the introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme, ambulance services have a clearer indication of the severity of each 999 call and so can assign the most appropriate response to that call, which may include the dispatch of a CFR, to ensure that each patient receives the right response for their clinical need.
WMAS plan to use their CFRs to target the most seriously ill patients, in the way that CFR schemes were originally set up.
The Government are content with the approach WMAS are taking regarding CFRs and have no concerns regarding their future plans.
In 2015, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives published a document on the use of CFRs. The document seeks to reduce national variation in the governance of CFR schemes and aims to addresses the deployment of CFRs across all categories of calls. A copy of Volunteer Responders Governance Framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide on the role of Community First Responders.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Ambulance services have operated with Community First Responders (CFRs) for many years in mainly rural areas and they play a vital role in responding to the highest priority 999 calls whilst paramedics are en-route.
West Midland Ambulance Service (WMAS) recognise that Community First Responders (CFRs) play a key role in protecting local communities and they want to enhance that by increasing the number of CFRs, using a consistent model of response, so that even more lives can be saved.
Since the introduction of the Ambulance Response Programme, ambulance services have a clearer indication of the severity of each 999 call and so can assign the most appropriate response to that call, which may include the dispatch of a CFR, to ensure that each patient receives the right response for their clinical need.
WMAS plan to use their CFRs to target the most seriously ill patients, in the way that CFR schemes were originally set up.
The Government are content with the approach WMAS are taking regarding CFRs and have no concerns regarding their future plans.
In 2015, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives published a document on the use of CFRs. The document seeks to reduce national variation in the governance of CFR schemes and aims to addresses the deployment of CFRs across all categories of calls. A copy of Volunteer Responders Governance Framework is attached.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish their response to the report by the Independent Commission on Adult Acute Psychiatric Care in England Old Problems, New Solutions, published in February 2016; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
NHS England intends to publish a formal response to the Independent Commission on Adult Acute Psychiatric Care in England as soon as the contents of the acute mental healthcare pathway have been finalised.
An acute mental health care pathway for adults, including best practice case studies, has been developed. This is currently being reviewed to ensure that it is in line with and supports the wider Five Year Forward View for Mental Health and the long-term plan for the National Health Service (which is currently in development following the Government’s announcement of a new five-year funding settlement for the NHS, which would deliver an average annual growth of 3.4% over the next five years). The aim is to ensure that the pathway provides the most helpful and relevant guidance to both commissioners and providers within the current context.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 50 per cent of Clinical Commissioning Groups in England are planning to reduce the proportion of their budgets spent on mental health support in 2017–18, compared to 2016–17.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to determine the level of spend on specific services. CCGs are required to achieve the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS) - i.e. to increase their spend on mental health services in excess or equal to the growth in their programme allocation and to deliver on the operational targets laid out in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.
NHS England now publishes CCG mental health spend. Over 80% of CCGs met the MHIS in 2016/17 and are forecast to achieve the standard in 2017/18. Assurance processes are in place centrally and regionally to review and to validate reported spend. For 2018/19 all CCGs will be required to meet the MHIS and this will be subject to confirmation by their auditors.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Clinical Commissioning Groups are allocating the additional investment promised by Her Majesty's Government for mental health to mental health services.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to determine the level of spend on specific services. CCGs are required to achieve the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS) - i.e. to increase their spend on mental health services in excess or equal to the growth in their programme allocation and to deliver on the operational targets laid out in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.
NHS England now publishes CCG mental health spend. Over 80% of CCGs met the MHIS in 2016/17 and are forecast to achieve the standard in 2017/18. Assurance processes are in place centrally and regionally to review and to validate reported spend. For 2018/19 all CCGs will be required to meet the MHIS and this will be subject to confirmation by their auditors.