Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce new guidance on the duty in the Health and Care Act 2022 to commission palliative care services; and whether that guidance will be statutory.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England and NHS Improvement plan to introduce new statutory guidance to support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the duties under the Health and Care Act 2022, including the provision of palliative care. In addition to the statutory guidance, NHS England and NHS Improvement will work with stakeholders to consider how ICBs can be supported in the discharge of these duties. This includes determining any further additional technical guidance and tools required to support commissioners on the provision of palliative and end of life care services, according to the needs of the local population. All guidance developed will take account of appropriate best practice guidance, including the World Health Organization’s definition of palliative and end of life care and guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he plans to provide to Integrated Care Boards on the commissioning of palliative care in the context of the provision in the Health and Care Bill on that matter.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England will be responsible for issuing statutory guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to their commissioning functions. This includes the commissioning of palliative care, the definition of services and ensuring that ICBs fulfil their obligations in all their functions. Guidance currently available to commissioners for the provision of palliative and end of life care includes the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and quality standard, which was updated in September 2021.
The Bill does not provide a specific definition of the word ‘palliative’ and there are no plans to use the World Health Organization’s definition of ‘specialist palliative care’. The consistency of provision of health services in England will be achieved through NHS England’s oversight of ICBs fulfilling their commissioning obligations. In 2016, NHS England and NHS Improvement issued guidance to commissioners on specialist level palliative care for people with progressive, life-limiting illness and complex needs. The guidance will be kept under review and updated as required, to ensure it meets the needs of commissioners.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans take to ensure that Chairs of Integrated Care Boards fulfil the requirements of the provision in the Health and Care Bill on the commissioning of palliative care.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England will be responsible for issuing statutory guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to their commissioning functions. This includes the commissioning of palliative care, the definition of services and ensuring that ICBs fulfil their obligations in all their functions. Guidance currently available to commissioners for the provision of palliative and end of life care includes the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and quality standard, which was updated in September 2021.
The Bill does not provide a specific definition of the word ‘palliative’ and there are no plans to use the World Health Organization’s definition of ‘specialist palliative care’. The consistency of provision of health services in England will be achieved through NHS England’s oversight of ICBs fulfilling their commissioning obligations. In 2016, NHS England and NHS Improvement issued guidance to commissioners on specialist level palliative care for people with progressive, life-limiting illness and complex needs. The guidance will be kept under review and updated as required, to ensure it meets the needs of commissioners.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the provision in the Health and Care Bill on the commissioning of services or facilities for palliative care, if he will use the World Health Organisation definition of specialist palliative care services to ensure a consistent standard and provision of services across England.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England will be responsible for issuing statutory guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to their commissioning functions. This includes the commissioning of palliative care, the definition of services and ensuring that ICBs fulfil their obligations in all their functions. Guidance currently available to commissioners for the provision of palliative and end of life care includes the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance and quality standard, which was updated in September 2021.
The Bill does not provide a specific definition of the word ‘palliative’ and there are no plans to use the World Health Organization’s definition of ‘specialist palliative care’. The consistency of provision of health services in England will be achieved through NHS England’s oversight of ICBs fulfilling their commissioning obligations. In 2016, NHS England and NHS Improvement issued guidance to commissioners on specialist level palliative care for people with progressive, life-limiting illness and complex needs. The guidance will be kept under review and updated as required, to ensure it meets the needs of commissioners.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) provide statutory guidance to Integrated Care Boards on the requirement to commission specialist palliative care and (b) publish a timeframe for that guidance being available.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for issuing statutory guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to their commissioning functions. This includes in relation to the commissioning of palliative care, the definition of services and ensuring that ICBs fulfil their obligations in relation to all their functions.
There is currently a range of guidance available to commissioners regarding the provision of palliative and end of life care including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s evidence-based guidance and quality standard, which was updated in September 2021.
In 2016, NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance on specialist level palliative care for people with progressive, life-limiting illness who have complex needs. The guidance available will be kept under review and updated as required, to ensure it best meets the needs of commissioners.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to level up inequalities in respiratory health across the north of England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The NHS Long Term Plan includes respiratory disease as a national clinical priority. The Plan has a focus on interventions for respiratory disease, such as increasing the reach of pulmonary rehabilitation into less served communities through the National Respiratory Programme. NHS England and NHS Improvement have established 13 respiratory clinical networks to provide clinical leadership for respiratory services to reduce inequalities at local and regional level.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with representatives from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation Partnership to discuss their plans to deliver investment in respiratory research and development in the UK.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Departmental officials regularly engage with Asthma + Lung UK on a range of issues. My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also met with representatives of Asthma + Lung UK at COP26 in November 2021.
The Department invests £1.3 billion a year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR supports a range of research to improve outcomes in respiratory health. This includes funding for two dedicated NIHR Health Protection Research Units, specialising in respiratory infections and the health impacts of environmental exposures, such as air pollution.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 potential merits of continuing to provide free covid-19 lateral flow tests for care home visitors.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The regular free asymptomatic testing regimes after 1 April 2022 are currently under review, including for visitors to care homes. Further details on future adult social care testing provision and any changes to guidance will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department did not undertake a Child Impact Assessment on the Health and Care Bill.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Children were considered during the development of the combined impact assessments and the European Court of Human Rights Memorandum.
We have engaged with a range of stakeholders, particularly through the Children and Young People's Health Policy Influencing Group, which includes over 70 voluntary organisations, Royal Colleges and professional organisations. We have worked with these stakeholders to ensure that the Bill's proposals support integrated service provision for infants, children and young people.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 ensure that Government support for healthy eating focuses on a balanced diet rather than reduction of negative nutrients.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The United Kingdom’s healthy eating food model, the Eatwell Guide, shows the overall dietary pattern and the proportions of food and drink which contribute to a healthy, balanced diet.
The Eatwell Guide is promoted through platforms such as NHS.UK and social marketing campaigns. The Government’s reduction and reformulation programme challenges industry to make products healthier by lowering the amount of sugar, salt and calories to allow consumers to choose healthier food and drink.