Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in Leicestershire who (a) are estimated to be living with hepatitis C, (b) have been diagnosed with hepatitis C and (c) were able to access hepatitis C treatment in 2016-17.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Local authorities can estimate the hepatitis C prevalence (estimate how many people have hepatitis C), have been diagnosed and are eligible for treatment in their area using the hepatitis C template at the following link:
Exact data on the number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C by area is not collected centrally, however the estimated total infected population in Leicestershire is 1,495 of which approximately 60% are likely to be diagnosed.
To the end of March 2017, the Operational Delivery Network covering Leicester treated 264 individuals.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with hepatitis C who are engaged with specialist services but have not been initiated on to hepatitis C treatment.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Currently this information is not centrally collected. However, Public Health England produces an annual report of hepatitis in England which sets out estimates of diagnosed and undiagnosed hepatitis C and treatment activity. NHS England is working with Public Health England and National Health Service trusts leading Hepatitis C Operational Delivery Networks to develop a national registry of all patients with diagnosed hepatitis C. It is anticipated that following roll out of a national registry, improved data on patients with hepatitis C engaged with specialist services but not yet initiated on treatment will be available by the summer.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration he has given to the development of a national plan to increase the number of people tested for hepatitis C.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
A cross-government expert group on viral hepatitis is being established to provide strategic direction and advice around hepatitis C (and other viral hepatitides). This group will be a forum to explore operational and implementation issues and find the best ways to enact our commitments at local, regional and national level. It is anticipated that increasing testing will be considered along with ensuring linkage to care and treatment and provision of prevention services.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines are available to help raise awareness of, and testing for, hepatitis C infection in people at increased risk of infection.
Progress in tackling hepatitis C is summarised in Public Health England’s “Hepatitis C in the UK 2016 report - Working towards its elimination as a major public health threat.”
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS Choices plans to add Williams syndrome to its list of recognised conditions.
Answered by David Mowat
NHS Choices is currently being redeveloped and its resources are focussed on transforming the existing site content so that it better meets users’ needs and helps connect people to appropriate healthcare services.
This means that the creation of significant new content, including in relation to rarer conditions such as Williams syndrome, will be on hold for the foreseeable future.
As part of its transformation programme, NHS Choices is considering whether it might best cater for such conditions by referring users to existing reliable sources that already provide good quality information. In the case of Williams syndrome, this will be sites such as those provided by the National Organization for Rare Disorders and the Williams Syndrome Association.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the NHS has to ensure that doctors are made more aware of the symptoms of Williams syndrome and that appropriate medical care and support is offered to people with that disorder.
Answered by David Mowat
Individuals with Williams syndrome will need to be managed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists who can help support their medical, educational and social care needs.
The National Health Service allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) based on the needs of their population. Spending on specific conditions is down to local clinical priorities set by the CCGs themselves.
Higher Educational Institutions are responsible for ensuring the programmes they provide allow healthcare students to meet the outcomes set out by the regulators upon graduation.
The medical Royal Colleges have responsibility for developing postgraduate training curricula for doctors for approval by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Health Education England works with regulatory bodies such as the GMC, and the organisations that design curricula such as the medical Royal Colleges, to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.
Continuing Professional Development is the responsibility of individual practitioners and their employers.
The Government is working to improve the lives of all those affected by rare diseases through the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases published in November 2013. The Strategy includes specific recommendations related to raising awareness of rare diseases and genomics across the healthcare professions. The Government is committed to implementing the Strategy by 2020.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding and support the NHS makes available to Williams syndrome patients and their families.
Answered by David Mowat
Individuals with Williams syndrome will need to be managed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists who can help support their medical, educational and social care needs.
The National Health Service allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) based on the needs of their population. Spending on specific conditions is down to local clinical priorities set by the CCGs themselves.
Higher Educational Institutions are responsible for ensuring the programmes they provide allow healthcare students to meet the outcomes set out by the regulators upon graduation.
The medical Royal Colleges have responsibility for developing postgraduate training curricula for doctors for approval by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Health Education England works with regulatory bodies such as the GMC, and the organisations that design curricula such as the medical Royal Colleges, to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.
Continuing Professional Development is the responsibility of individual practitioners and their employers.
The Government is working to improve the lives of all those affected by rare diseases through the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases published in November 2013. The Strategy includes specific recommendations related to raising awareness of rare diseases and genomics across the healthcare professions. The Government is committed to implementing the Strategy by 2020.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the number of A&E admissions for respiratory conditions in each month of financial year (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15, (c) 2013-14, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2011-12.
Answered by David Mowat
The following table shows the number of attendances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments with a primary diagnosis of respiratory conditions in each month for the years between 2011-12 and 2015-16.
Count of the number of A&E attendances with a primary diagnosis of respiratory conditions, for each of the years between 2011-12 and 2015-16. |
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 |
April | 37,546 | 43,051 | 46,535 | 47,303 | 48,869 |
May | 33,758 | 43,899 | 42,281 | 46,452 | 45,873 |
June | 31,019 | 41,083 | 36,435 | 40,211 | 40,971 |
July | 31,026 | 45,978 | 35,884 | 37,353 | 40,622 |
August | 28,476 | 32,444 | 29,760 | 32,824 | 37,342 |
September | 33,524 | 40,523 | 41,191 | 40,228 | 49,217 |
October | 42,256 | 48,595 | 47,695 | 47,952 | 59,696 |
November | 47,571 | 53,660 | 52,254 | 58,368 | 66,932 |
December | 58,664 | 70,923 | 67,131 | 87,073 | 74,350 |
January | 49,206 | 55,213 | 51,542 | 60,793 | 71,509 |
February | 49,494 | 49,492 | 47,364 | 49,888 | 65,763 |
March | 48,286 | 54,158 | 50,249 | 54,256 | 74,935 |
Total | 490,826 | 579,019 | 548,321 | 602,701 | 676,079 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital
Notes:
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to provide funding to ensure that patient treatment is not affected during the assessment period for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy in the Commissioning through Evaluation process.
Answered by David Mowat
Commissioning through Evaluation is an innovative programme, established by NHS England, to gather new evidence on treatments that are currently not routinely funded by the National Health Service but nonetheless show significant potential promise for the future.
Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) has not been routinely funded by the NHS in England due to the currently limited evidence base on the clinical and cost effectiveness of the procedure. If new evidence becomes available and NHS England determines that SIRT should be made routinely available in the NHS in the future, it would formally assess any implementation requirements (including training, mandatory standards for commissioned centres etc.) at that point as part of the associated Commissioning Plan.
SIRT is available via Individual Funding Requests.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria NHS England uses to reach a decision on whether a procedure is included in the Commissioning through Evaluation process.
Answered by David Mowat
Commissioning through Evaluation is an innovative programme, established by NHS England, to gather new evidence on treatments that are currently not routinely funded by the National Health Service but nonetheless show significant potential promise for the future.
Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) has not been routinely funded by the NHS in England due to the currently limited evidence base on the clinical and cost effectiveness of the procedure. If new evidence becomes available and NHS England determines that SIRT should be made routinely available in the NHS in the future, it would formally assess any implementation requirements (including training, mandatory standards for commissioned centres etc.) at that point as part of the associated Commissioning Plan.
SIRT is available via Individual Funding Requests.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the (a) set-up and (b) training costs of the Selective Internal Radiation Therapy procedure.
Answered by David Mowat
Commissioning through Evaluation is an innovative programme, established by NHS England, to gather new evidence on treatments that are currently not routinely funded by the National Health Service but nonetheless show significant potential promise for the future.
Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) has not been routinely funded by the NHS in England due to the currently limited evidence base on the clinical and cost effectiveness of the procedure. If new evidence becomes available and NHS England determines that SIRT should be made routinely available in the NHS in the future, it would formally assess any implementation requirements (including training, mandatory standards for commissioned centres etc.) at that point as part of the associated Commissioning Plan.
SIRT is available via Individual Funding Requests.