Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equitable access to cancer treatment and care across different regions of the UK; and what steps they are taking to improve cancer survival rates.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer treatment is a priority for this Government as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as this is a key contributor to reducing cancer health inequalities. People in deprived areas are at greater risk of contracting cancer, more likely to have a cancer diagnosed at a later stage and suffer from higher cancer death rates and poorer survival. Survival rates have been improving for almost all cancers and across all demographics, with 74.6% people surviving a year after diagnosis, up from 65.6% in 2005, and 55.7% surviving five years, up from 47.9% in 2005.
The National Health Service has rolled out Targeted Lung Health Checks, prioritising more deprived areas, so that people in the most deprived quintile are now more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage, namely stage one or two, than those in the least deprived quintile, giving them a much greater chance of survival.
On 14 August 2023, the Government published a strategic framework for the Major Conditions Strategy to consider the six conditions, including cancer, that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England, including cancer. The Major Conditions Strategy will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address regional disparities in health outcomes, supporting the levelling up mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve treatment and care for patients with Alzheimer's.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
We want a society where every person with dementia, their families and carers, receive high quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life. To improve care for patients with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, NHS England's RightCare team is refreshing the RightCare Dementia Scenario. The scenario works through the dementia well pathway journey from diagnosing well through to dying well, detailing optimal and sub optimal approaches, with associated costings for each. The RightCare team is developing a dementia model pathway based on data for each component of the dementia well pathway to provide a high-level view of what dementia care activity looks like for local areas and will support targeted support where appropriate.
There are also several potential new disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease in development. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England and the Department are working closely to ensure that arrangements are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatment for dementia as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve mental health support services for military veterans, including those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Service Personnel who have been assessed and diagnosed with a mental health need are able to access the Ministry of Defence community mental health services for up to six months after discharge, to provide continuity of care during the transition period, until appropriate handover to the National Health Service and other services can be completed as required.
In April 2023, NHS England commissioned Op COURAGE which is the veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service providing a comprehensive mental health treatment pathway to respond to veterans’ needs. Access to Op COURAGE is via referral or by direct contact from veterans. There is ever increasing investment in this area with the highest level to date in 2023/2024 with planned spend of £23.5 million. Following the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, an additional £2.7 million was pledged over three years until March 2025, to expand Op COURAGE services to support those experiencing complex mental and/or physical trauma or alcohol and substance misuse.
The Government is providing an additional £10 million to support the Veterans’ Places, People and Pathways Programme to increase support to a significant community of vulnerable veterans throughout the United Kingdom and enable it to become self-sustaining.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about processes for supporting patients presenting at GP surgeries with mental health issues related to potential gambling habits.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Primary care services play an important role in supporting people with mental health conditions, including in helping them to access the most appropriate services for their needs.
As set out in the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan, 15 new National Health Service specialist problem gambling clinics will be opened by March 2024. This will include piloting provision for children under 18 years old. Twelve of these clinics are already operational with the remaining three expected to open by the end of the year. Through the clinics, representing every region of England, the NHS will be able to treat up to 3,000 people experiencing gambling-related harm each year.
In April 2023, the Government published its white paper, High Stakes – gambling reform for the digital age. This announced the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators to fund research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. Once operational, the levy will help to expand and improve existing treatment and support service to ensure those in need are able to access the right care at the right time. A copy of the white paper is attached.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the quality of NHS care for veterans and their families.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
We have no current plans to make a specific assessment. NHS England regularly review their service provision. This is done through a range of key performance indicators including waiting times and number of referrals and through engagement exercises when procuring new services. As health is a devolved matter, it will be for the devolved administrations in conjunction with the National Health Service to determine which services and the quality of those services, should be assessed in their jurisdiction.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of funding delivered to community mental health projects in the last two years.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
While no formal assessment has been made, we have committed to invest at least an additional £2.3 billion a year to expand mental health services in England by 2023/24, including community mental health support.
In 2020/21, we provided £500 million to accelerate plans to improve National Health Service mental health provision. This included £15 million for prevention and early intervention in over 250 local projects promoting better mental health and wellbeing in 40 of the most deprived local authority areas in England. We also provided an additional £10.2 million to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and the Campaign Against Living Miserably in response to the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of autism support services.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made. However, in 2021/22 we have invested £10.5 million to improve autism diagnostic and post-diagnostic pathways. In 2022/2023, we will develop guidance and support to embed effective post-diagnostic pathways.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) level, and (2) quality, of (a) Alzheimer’s, and (b) dementia, clinical research in England.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
No recent assessment has been made. However, between 2015/16 and 2019/20, the Government’s expenditure on all types of dementia research, including for Alzheimer’s disease, was approximately £420 million. We will set out plans for dementia in England for future years in a new strategy to be published later this year. The strategy will include the ambitions for all types of dementia research
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to end geographical disparities in (1) Alzheimer's, and (2) dementia, care.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for services and support for people with dementia. We would expect CCGs to commission services which take into account the relevant guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines and the dementia care pathway, which provides standards to improve the delivery and quality of care. Following a dementia diagnosis, patients should receive information on local services and access to relevant advice and support.
In 2021/22, the Government allocated £17 million to NHS England and NHS Improvement to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. This funding was made available to CCGs in June 2021. Later this year, we will set out plans for dementia in England.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what long-term support they are providing for (1) people with, and (2) carers of people with, dementia; and what steps they are taking to ensure those with dementia are diagnosed quickly.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
In 2021/22, the Government allocated £17 million to NHS England and NHS Improvement to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. This funding was made available to clinical commissioning groups in June 2021.
Following a dementia diagnosis, patients should receive information on local services and access to relevant advice and support. We will continue to support carers to provide care as they would wish and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing, access to education, employment and life choices. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any carer who appears to have a need for support.
Later this year, we will set out plans for dementia in England. The new strategy will include a focus on improving the experience of being diagnosed and living with dementia, both for people with dementia and their carers.