Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a national eye health strategy for England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We recognise the challenges facing eye care services. In response, the Department and NHS England are already taking a strategic approach. Through the transformation programme, NHS England is considering how eye care services could be commissioned to ensure future sustainability. NHS England has appointed Louisa Wickham as a national clinical director for eyecare to oversee the recovery of eye care services and longer-term transformation. This sits alongside action already being taken to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of sight-threatening conditions.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure all NHS commissioners offer primary care optometrists the opportunity to provide Minor Eye Care Services across England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In England, integrated care boards are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to meet local needs. This includes decisions on whether to commission locally enhanced services from primary eye care providers, such as minor eye conditions services. NHS England’s transformation programme is also considering how eye care services could be commissioned for the future, this includes considering a greater role for primary eye care providers.
In the Autumn Statement, the Department committed to an additional £3.3 billion per year until 2024/25 to respond to significant pressures facing the National Health Service. This is on top of the £8 billion already committed until 2025 to reduce waiting times across specialisms, including for ophthalmology.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to improve access to eye care services in (a) North Durham (b) all Integrated Health Board areas.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
In England, integrated care boards are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to meet local needs. This includes decisions on whether to commission locally enhanced services from primary eye care providers, such as minor eye conditions services. NHS England’s transformation programme is also considering how eye care services could be commissioned for the future, this includes considering a greater role for primary eye care providers.
In the Autumn Statement, the Department committed to an additional £3.3 billion per year until 2024/25 to respond to significant pressures facing the National Health Service. This is on top of the £8 billion already committed until 2025 to reduce waiting times across specialisms, including for ophthalmology.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will publish the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
An interim report of the Major Conditions Strategy will be published in the summer.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of 15 March by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Official Report column 326WH, what the time frame is for the roll out of up to 90 mental health ambulances: and in which regions these ambulances will be based.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The specialised National Health Service mental health ambulances will be delivered in a phased manner from late 2023/24 and into 2024/25, split almost evenly across financial years. All regions except one have bid for and will receive mental health ambulances.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will published the findings of the call for evidence on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan, which closed on 7 July 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We received submissions for the Call for Evidence on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan from over five thousand respondents representing a broad range of voices across England. We have processed each response and we will be publishing a summary of our findings this spring.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter sent by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and the British Beauty Council concerning regulations on non-surgical aesthetic procedures on 26 October 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
A response to the letter was sent on the 17 January 2023.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to implement the recommendations of the NHS Health Check programme review, Preventing illness and improving health for all: a review of the NHS Health Check programme and recommendations, updated on 9 December 2021.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department is modernising the NHS Health Check to deliver the recommendations made in the review. This includes an evaluation of digital NHS Health Checks trialled in Cornwall to inform the development of a national programme.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to remove the requirement for care homes to recommend residents undergo PCR testing where more than two covid-19 cases inside a care setting have been confirmed.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s guidance on outbreak testing, where more than two COVID-19 cases inside a care setting have been confirmed, is informed by public health advice. This aims to ensure that positive cases of COVID-19 can be identified and to prevent transmission. We continue to keep this guidance under review.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December to Question 99757, what the reason is for the delay in publishing the Department's response.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are ensuring the response represents the latest Government position on the recommendations made by the Committee and we have written to the Chair to explain the delay.