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Written Question
Diseases: Clinical Trials
Tuesday 12th September 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

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 amend regulations to ensure patients' access to early-phase clinical trials for (a) all diseases and (b) diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Answered by Will Quince

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is introducing new legislation and guidance as part of a swathe of new measures that represent the biggest overhaul in United Kingdom clinical trials regulation in over 20 years.

The agency will introduce more streamlined and efficient application processes, making it easier to apply for trials in the UK, but without compromising on safety standards, including legislating for a combined MHRA/research ethics review. Internationally competitive approval timelines will also be introduced, with more flexibility for sponsors to respond to questions raised by regulators.

These changes will make the UK regulatory environment more attractive for sponsors to bring their trials to the UK, supporting more trials to be run on all kinds of medicines, including treatments for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

The new legislation will help patients access more trials by bolstering the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for innovative and ground-breaking trials of life-saving medicines.


Written Question
Diseases: Research
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that early career researchers are supported in engaging in research on (a) diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and (b) other similar diseases.

Answered by Will Quince

Brain tumour research, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and similar diseases, remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community. We are working closely with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) in hosting customised workshops for researchers, and training for clinicians. These actions will grow capacity for brain cancer research, attracting new researchers, developing the community, and supporting researchers to submit high-quality research funding proposals.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research and the TJBCM recently announced two appointments to the inaugural Tessa Jowell Fellowship programme. These 12-month fellowships will support high quality training in neuro-oncology clinical practice and research, to ensure clinicians are equipped with the relevant research skills needed to lead neuro-oncology trials that change practice.

Additionally, the TJBCM have designated 28 adult Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence within the National Health Service, which has created a world-class network of brain tumour treatment and research centres to provide the best care and share best practice.


Written Question
Care Homes: Energy
Tuesday 20th December 2022

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support his Department plans to make available for off-grid care homes on increased energy costs.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has announced the Alternative Fuel Payments (non-domestic), which will provide off-grid businesses and non-domestic consumers using alternative fuels, such as care homes, with a one-off fixed payment of £150 through electricity suppliers.


Written Question
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Wednesday 15th September 2021

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence postponed the publication of the guidelines on (a) myalgia encephalomyelitis, (b) chronic fatigue syndrome and (c) post viral fatigue syndrome.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued a statement on their decision to pause the publication of the guideline on myalgia encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/nice-pauses-publication-of-updated-guideline-on-diagnosis-and-management-of-me-cfs

NICE is not currently developing a guideline on post viral fatigue syndrome.


Written Question
Doctors: Migrant Workers
Thursday 27th February 2020

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doctors have been recruited by the NHS from overseas in each last five years.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following tables show people with a non-United Kingdom nationality joining the National Health Service, not people who have been recruited directly from abroad.

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.

The following table shows the number of doctors with a nationality other than British joining NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).

September 2014-15

September 2015-16

September 2016-17

September 2017-18

September 2018-19

European Union

2,259

2,262

2,087

2,117

2,088

European Economic Area (EEA)

43

36

44

46

38

Rest of World

3,161

3,374

3,872

4,675

6,670

Unknown

791

807

1,143

931

713

The following table shows the number of nurses with a nationality other than British joining the NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).

September 2014-15

September 2015-16

September 2016-17

September 2017-18

September 2018-19

EU

5,817

5,941

2,779

2,313

2,328

EEA

21

17

12

17

18

Rest of World

2,161

2,782

2,993

4,325

7,068

Unknown

1,417

1,817

1,167

1,078

733


Written Question
Nurses: Migrant Workers
Thursday 27th February 2020

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nurses have been recruited from overseas in each last five years.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following tables show people with a non-United Kingdom nationality joining the National Health Service, not people who have been recruited directly from abroad.

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.

The following table shows the number of doctors with a nationality other than British joining NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).

September 2014-15

September 2015-16

September 2016-17

September 2017-18

September 2018-19

European Union

2,259

2,262

2,087

2,117

2,088

European Economic Area (EEA)

43

36

44

46

38

Rest of World

3,161

3,374

3,872

4,675

6,670

Unknown

791

807

1,143

931

713

The following table shows the number of nurses with a nationality other than British joining the NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).

September 2014-15

September 2015-16

September 2016-17

September 2017-18

September 2018-19

EU

5,817

5,941

2,779

2,313

2,328

EEA

21

17

12

17

18

Rest of World

2,161

2,782

2,993

4,325

7,068

Unknown

1,417

1,817

1,167

1,078

733


Written Question
Doctors and Nurses: Migrant Workers
Monday 24th February 2020

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of overseas (a) doctors and (b) nurses have indefinite leave to remain.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested.


Written Question
Cannabis: Medical Treatments
Wednesday 5th February 2020

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on the availability of medicinal cannabis; and if he will list the medical conditions that the NHS treats with medicinal cannabis.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 1 November 2018, the law was changed to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Specialist Register to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interests of patients. The law does not restrict the medical conditions for which these products may be used, and the decision of whether to prescribe is ultimately one for clinicians to make on a case by case basis.

Two reviews have taken place since this change in the law:

- On 8 August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its review into barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/barriers-to-accessing-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-on-nhs-prescription/

- On 11 November 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following a review of the available evidence, published guidance on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144

This demonstrates a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines for intractable nausea and vomiting; chronic pain; spasticity; and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.

We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for cannabis-based medicines and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s review.


Written Question
Cannabis: Medical Treatments
Wednesday 5th February 2020

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to review his policy on the prescribing of medicinal cannabis.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 1 November 2018, the law was changed to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Specialist Register to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interests of patients. The law does not restrict the medical conditions for which these products may be used, and the decision of whether to prescribe is ultimately one for clinicians to make on a case by case basis.

Two reviews have taken place since this change in the law:

- On 8 August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its review into barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/barriers-to-accessing-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-on-nhs-prescription/

- On 11 November 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following a review of the available evidence, published guidance on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144

This demonstrates a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines for intractable nausea and vomiting; chronic pain; spasticity; and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.

We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for cannabis-based medicines and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s review.