Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help NHS hospitals with trends in the level of inflation on (a) soft service and (b) security contract costs.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has taken swift action in response to the inflationary pressures on the National Health Service, providing additional funding of £3.3 billion at the Autumn Statement in each of the next two years. In 2023/24 the funding issued to the NHS and reflected in the NHS payment scheme (i.e. tariff) cost uplift factor takes account of inflationary pressures in 2022/23 as well as further growth to account for expected non-pay inflation and energy price increases in 2023/24.
The Department has held webinar sessions with commercial colleagues from its Arms’ Length Bodies, which includes NHS England, to share information and effective commercial practices with regards to the use of different pricing models to reduce inflation risk at point of tender and effective contract management practices to respond to the impacts of inflation. NHS England meet regularly with regions, systems, and providers to review their financial positions, which includes considerations of inflation.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS leaders on trends in the level of inflation on (a) cleaning and (b) security contract costs.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has taken swift action in response to the inflationary pressures on the National Health Service, providing additional funding of £3.3 billion at the Autumn Statement in each of the next two years. In 2023/24 the funding issued to the NHS and reflected in the NHS payment scheme (i.e. tariff) cost uplift factor takes account of inflationary pressures in 2022/23 as well as further growth to account for expected non-pay inflation and energy price increases in 2023/24.
The Department has held webinar sessions with commercial colleagues from its Arms’ Length Bodies, which includes NHS England, to share information and effective commercial practices with regards to the use of different pricing models to reduce inflation risk at point of tender and effective contract management practices to respond to the impacts of inflation. NHS England meet regularly with regions, systems, and providers to review their financial positions, which includes considerations of inflation.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason women over the age of 55 are not being invited to participate in his Department's Reproductive Health Survey for England 2023.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The 2023 Women’s Reproductive Health Survey focuses on recent experiences of periods, prevention and planning of pregnancy, pregnancy experiences and menopause (which usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55), therefore many of the questions in the survey would not be relevant to the majority of women over 55 years of age.
Whilst exploring current and previous reproductive health experiences of women aged over 55 is outside of the scope of the 2023 Women’s Reproductive Health Survey, we recognise that some women experience menopausal symptoms and other reproductive health issues beyond this age. We remain committed to listening to the voices of women of all ages and there will be further research in due course that explores the health needs of different groups of women.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to include women over the age of 55 in his Department's Reproductive Health Survey for England 2023.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The 2023 Women’s Reproductive Health Survey focuses on recent experiences of periods, prevention and planning of pregnancy, pregnancy experiences and menopause (which usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55), therefore many of the questions in the survey would not be relevant to the majority of women over 55 years of age.
Whilst exploring current and previous reproductive health experiences of women aged over 55 is outside of the scope of the 2023 Women’s Reproductive Health Survey, we recognise that some women experience menopausal symptoms and other reproductive health issues beyond this age. We remain committed to listening to the voices of women of all ages and there will be further research in due course that explores the health needs of different groups of women.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of (a) training and (b) supervision for physician associates in GP practices.
Answered by Will Quince
Both in training, and subsequently qualified practice, physician associates (PAs) must work with a dedicated medical supervisor which will be a consultant, general practitioner, or other senior medical personnel.
PAs undertake two years of postgraduate training which involves supervised practice with real patients in clinical attachments. The dedicated medical supervisor is responsible for the supervision and management of a student’s educational progress throughout the clinical placements of the course. However, any professional in a placement location who is competent to do so may train, supervise, and assess a PA student in a particular skill, procedure, or competence. This includes practising PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
The Government is progressing the required legislation which will the enable the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate the PA role. We plan to lay legislation before the House at the end of 2023, which will allow the GMC to commence regulation by the end of 2024. Regulation by the GMC will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward legislation to regulate physician associates.
Answered by Will Quince
Both in training, and subsequently qualified practice, physician associates (PAs) must work with a dedicated medical supervisor which will be a consultant, general practitioner, or other senior medical personnel.
PAs undertake two years of postgraduate training which involves supervised practice with real patients in clinical attachments. The dedicated medical supervisor is responsible for the supervision and management of a student’s educational progress throughout the clinical placements of the course. However, any professional in a placement location who is competent to do so may train, supervise, and assess a PA student in a particular skill, procedure, or competence. This includes practising PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
The Government is progressing the required legislation which will the enable the General Medical Council (GMC) to regulate the PA role. We plan to lay legislation before the House at the end of 2023, which will allow the GMC to commence regulation by the end of 2024. Regulation by the GMC will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and (b) other types of neurodiversity receive the most effective (i) treatment and (ii) care for their conditions.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service trusts to have due regard to relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other types of neurodiversity such as autism when commissioning and providing services for people. It is the responsibility of ICBs to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with these NICE guidelines.
On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. These documents are aimed at helping to improve the experience of people referred for an autism assessment and include guidance on the provision of post-diagnostic support delivered shortly after diagnosis. This financial year, £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services and pre and post diagnostic support, including the continuation of the ‘Autism in Schools’ programme.
Additionally, each integrated care board is expected to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism to support them to deliver care and support for autistic people in their area. NHS England has recently published statutory guidance on these Executive Lead roles.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff of the closure of NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made on the closure of NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs.
Staff mental health and wellbeing hubs were established in October 2020 with funding subsequently extended to March 2023. They were funded on a non-recurrent basis in response to the pressure on the workforce from COVID-19. NHS England has identified further national funding to maintain support for staff mental health in 2023/24 on a regional basis, as part of the transition towards a sustainable model for staff health and wellbeing support, which is based on a preventative, local level approach. Integrated care systems (ICSs) are able to supplement this with their own investment locally.
To ensure there is a long-term sustainable approach to supporting staff, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has tasked ICSs with developing and implementing plans to invest in occupational health and wellbeing services.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons funding for NHS staff mental health and wellbeing hubs ended on 31 March 2023.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made on the closure of NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs.
Staff mental health and wellbeing hubs were established in October 2020 with funding subsequently extended to March 2023. They were funded on a non-recurrent basis in response to the pressure on the workforce from COVID-19. NHS England has identified further national funding to maintain support for staff mental health in 2023/24 on a regional basis, as part of the transition towards a sustainable model for staff health and wellbeing support, which is based on a preventative, local level approach. Integrated care systems (ICSs) are able to supplement this with their own investment locally.
To ensure there is a long-term sustainable approach to supporting staff, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has tasked ICSs with developing and implementing plans to invest in occupational health and wellbeing services.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with type 1 diabetes have access to new diabetes technology.
Answered by Will Quince
In March 2022 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that all adults and children with type 1 diabetes should have access on the National Health Service to continuous glucose monitoring. Both intermittent and real-time Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) are available to people with type one diabetes under the NHS. CGMs can be provided under NHS prescription and sensors collected from local pharmacies.
NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance, which considers clinical and cost effectiveness, on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes.
In 2022/23, funding worth £36 million was allocated to integrated care boards, weighted by local levels of deprivation, to support more people to receive all recommended diabetes care processes, alongside other NHS Long Term Plan diabetes commitments. The Diabetes Programme national and regional teams monitor progress and provide support to systems through national guidance and clinical networks.