Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many organ donations were made in England in each of the last five financial years by deceased individuals who were on the Organ Donor Register.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for organ donation and transplantation in the UK.
NHS Blood and Transplant have advised that the following table sets out information on the number of organ donors in England who were not registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) and the number of donors who were registered.
The table also shows the number of families approached who did not consent to organ donation for eligible donors who had not expressed a wish to donate on the ODR or the donation wish was not known at time of approach. Also shown is the number of families approached who have overridden express consent for donation for potential donors who had expressed a wish to donate on the ODR and it was known at time of approach.
| 2013/2014 | 2014/2015 | 2015/2016 | 2016/2017 | 2017/2018 |
Number of deceased organ donors: - who were not registered on the ODR | 653 | 597 | 640 | 660 | 692 |
- who were registered on the ODR | 451 | 469 | 504 | 507 | 662 |
Number of families approached but who did not give consent to organ donation for an eligible donor who had not expressed a wish to donate on the ODR or donation wish was not known at time of approach | 1,029 | 1,063 | 925 | 928 | 891 |
Number of families approached but who have overridden express consent to organ donation for an eligible donor who was on the ODR and this was known at time of approach | 85 | 80 | 85 | 67 | 72 |
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant, 2018
Note:
All figures are for England.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many organ donations were made in England in each of the last five financial years by deceased individuals who were not on the Organ Donor Register.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
NHS Blood and Transplant is responsible for organ donation and transplantation in the UK.
NHS Blood and Transplant have advised that the following table sets out information on the number of organ donors in England who were not registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) and the number of donors who were registered.
The table also shows the number of families approached who did not consent to organ donation for eligible donors who had not expressed a wish to donate on the ODR or the donation wish was not known at time of approach. Also shown is the number of families approached who have overridden express consent for donation for potential donors who had expressed a wish to donate on the ODR and it was known at time of approach.
| 2013/2014 | 2014/2015 | 2015/2016 | 2016/2017 | 2017/2018 |
Number of deceased organ donors: - who were not registered on the ODR | 653 | 597 | 640 | 660 | 692 |
- who were registered on the ODR | 451 | 469 | 504 | 507 | 662 |
Number of families approached but who did not give consent to organ donation for an eligible donor who had not expressed a wish to donate on the ODR or donation wish was not known at time of approach | 1,029 | 1,063 | 925 | 928 | 891 |
Number of families approached but who have overridden express consent to organ donation for an eligible donor who was on the ODR and this was known at time of approach | 85 | 80 | 85 | 67 | 72 |
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant, 2018
Note:
All figures are for England.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage closer multi-agency collaboration between those health and social care services providing universal services and services provided by other agencies that are funded from sources such as personal independence payments and the post adoption support fund.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is committed to public services which recognise every aspect of an individual’s needs including health, social care and employment support and approach these in a joined up way.
Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to produce a joint health and wellbeing strategy for their local populations. They must ensure services of the highest quality which promote health and wellbeing, narrow inequalities and improve outcomes for local residents. Collaborative, multi-agency working is at the heart of a HWBs function in order to make the best use of resources collectively available whilst helping to coordinate care and support around an individual’s needs, irrespective of the payment mechanism.
One example of a joined up approach is our commitment to see one million more disabled people in work by 2027. Integrated health and employment support is a key part of this, and our strategy is set out in the Command Paper Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability. The publication outlines the decisive action and wide ranging reforms we’re taking across three key settings: the welfare system, the workplace and health services. A copy of Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability is attached.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to designating facial injuries resulting from domestic violence as a notifiable condition.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The National Health Service provides care and support to victims of domestic violence and abuse through a range of healthcare and support services relating to physical and mental health needs.
Routine enquiry for domestic violence is already in place in maternity and mental health services, to improve earlier disclosure and support people to get the care that they need.
Notifiable conditions are often conditions such as contagious diseases and infections, hence facial injuries as a result of domestic violence would not be categorised as such
NHS Digital has begun implementation of the Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS). This dataset is currently being rolled out to Type 1 (major) accident and emergency departments during spring 2018 with the aim of capturing improved data around clinical codes. The new variables in ECDS relating to injury are:
- Place of injury (e.g. garden, street);
- Intent (e.g. accidental, self-inflicted);
- Activity status (e.g. working);
- Activity (e.g. gardening);
- Mechanism (e.g. knife); and
- Drug/Alcohol (details of specific drugs taken if known).
One of the potential benefits of this would be better information for safeguarding vulnerable patients, including those who have been victims of physical facial injury as a result of domestic violence.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access to mental health services for children in care.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is committed to improving the mental health of looked after children, many of whom are at an increased risk of having a diagnosed mental health disorder. That is why the Department of Health and the Department for Education commissioned the Social Care Institute for Excellence to convene an Expert Working Group to look at how to improve mental health and emotional wellbeing support for looked-after children. The findings of this group were published on 6 November and we are currently considering the recommendations.
NHS England is currently testing models for the use of personal budgets for looked after children, those at risk of entering care, adopted children and care leavers.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the law so that an assessment of the mental health of children in care accompanies the current requirement to regularly review their physical health.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 require regular assessment of mental and emotional health, as well as of physical health. Statutory guidance published in 2015 states that this case review must happen within 20 working days of the child starting to be looked after and must be done by a registered medical practitioner. In 2015, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence updated PH28, its public health guidance on looked-after children and young people. Recommendation 20 is that ‘all looked-after children and young people have their physical, emotional and mental health needs assessed by appropriately trained professionals.’
From 2018, the Department for Education will pilot new approaches to improve the quality of mental health assessments for looked-after children on entry to care.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many legal cases have been filed against the Department of Health about public health matters in each of the last five years; and how many are currently in progress.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department and the Government Legal Department do not categorise cases as specifically relating to ‘public health’. According to Government Legal Department records, the approximate total number of judicial review cases brought against the Department in each of the last five years is shown in the following table. 42 cases are recorded as active as of 15 September 2017.
Year | Number of cases brought |
2012/13 | 26 |
2013/14 | 16 |
2014/15 | 22 |
2015/16 | 25 |
2016/17 | 28 |
Total | 117 |
Source: Data from the Government Legal Department.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the guidance issued by NHS England to clinical commissioning groups in May stating that all areas of the country should have a system in place from September to ensure that all new GP referrals are subject to clinical peer review, how they define such reviews.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Clinical peer reviews are a simple way for general practitioners (GPs) to support each other and help patients get the best care, from the right person at the right time, without having to make unnecessary trips to hospital. More than half of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have already implemented some form of clinical peer review system and the NHS England guidance will help ensure best practice is shared to the remaining local commissioners.
There is flexibility in how local CCGs and their GPs implement prospective internal clinical peer review, but it should see GPs reviewing each other’s new referrals to provide constructive feedback in a safe learning environment. Delivering prospective internal peer review will help ensure that all patients get access to the optimum care pathway. It should not be established as an approval process and the referring GP retains responsibility for the patient and makes the final decision.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that the percentage of fat in cow's milk and human milk is the same at 3.5 per cent, what advice they have given to the public on whether they should consume whole milk, skimmed milk or semi-skimmed milk.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Milk is a valuable source of a range of nutrients, including calcium and protein. The Government recommends the consumption of lower fat milks for the general population aged over five years. This is because dairy products are a source of saturated fat which raises blood cholesterol and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recently published research stating that the consumption of one egg per day may lower the risk of stroke, whether they intend to review their advice that people should have no more than two eggs per week.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Eggs are included in the national food model, the Eatwell Guide. As part of this, the government recommends people eat some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein. Eggs are considered to make a valuable contribution to a healthy, balanced diet. A copy of the Eatwell Guide is attached.
There are no Government recommendations on a maximum intake of eggs. There are no plans to review current advice.