Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of NHS Supply Chain's decision to reduce the number of wound care products and suppliers available to the NHS on Medtech supply chain resilience; and in what way those procurement activities align with the Government Life Sciences' vision to increase UK Medtech manufacturing capability and capacity.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS Supply Chain balance the needs of product availability, choice, supply resilience and delivering value for money. The most widely used products are held in stock in the United Kingdom within the NHS Supply Chain network and suppliers are contractually obligated to hold additional minimum stock levels to service the framework contract for wound care products within distribution networks.
Expert clinicians in the National Wound Care Strategy Programme have contributed to the development of appropriate high-quality specifications for products, including a classification system which support clinical decisions on the selection of wound care products. This will provide greater clarity to clinicians on comparable products, make alternative products easier to identify and adopt in the event of supply disruption and enhance supply chain resilience.
The NHS Supply Chain’s procurement activity is not designed to increase the UK’s manufacturing capability and capacity. The Office of Life Science’s Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund, launched in March 2022, encourages growth in the sector’s capacity and capability. The forthcoming Medical Technologies Directorate’s strategy will align with the Life Sciences Vision to support increased domestic manufacturing.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made by NHS Supply Chain in introducing value-based procurement into the provision of wound care products; and what impact it has had on the choice of products available.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS Supply Chain is currently exploring three forthcoming Value Based Procurement opportunities in the provision of wound care products. Initial NHS Supply Chain pilot tests have indicated potential benefits in areas such as waste reduction and number of products used, allowing patients to move from inpatient to day care, reduction in infection rates and operational productivity.
Specific discussions on the introduction of Value Based Procurement in the provision of wound care products are ongoing and further information, including on any expected impact on the choice of products available, will be available in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Medical Technology Group’s Manifesto report entitled Improving patient access to medical technology, published November 2021, if his Department will take steps in line with the recommendations of that report to (a) ensure that wound care technologies recommended by NICE guidance are taken up at pace and (b) introduce measures to hold Integrated Care Systems accountable for the implementation and uptake of that technology.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Medical supplies and equipment are procured via NHS Supply Chain, which ensures value for money. The National Wound Care Strategy Programme recognises that in certain instances, specific wound care materials are required which are not available via NHS Supply Chain. In these instances, alternative supply routes are being sourced.
There are no current plans for integrated care systems (ICSs) to be accountable for the implementation and uptake of this technology. However, it is expected that ICSs will make the appropriate procurement decisions to support the local population.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 introduce a NHS tariff price for ear wax removal services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We have no plans to do so. Decisions about the funding and provision of health services, including ear wax removal, are the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups, which plan services to meet the needs of local communities. Local commissioners should continue to ensure there is appropriate access to ear wax services.
If a clinician considers removal clinically necessary, informed by guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the procedure should either be undertaken at the practice or the patient should be referred to an appropriate local NHS service depending on the arrangements in that area.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of removing excess ear wax from a patient in (a) primary care and (b) in hospital departments.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Within hospital settings, the average cost of removing excess ear wax is £127. Information on the average cost in primary care is not held centrally. General practitioner (GP) practices are increasingly recommending self-care methods to support the safe removal of ear wax.
However, if a GP practice considers removal clinically necessary, the procedure should either be undertaken at the practice or the patient should be referred to an appropriate local NHS service depending on the arrangements in that area. Local commissioners are responsible for meeting the health needs of their local population and should continue to ensure there is appropriate access to ear wax services.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS patients who have been unable to access ear wax removal service in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No formal estimate has been made. General practitioner (GP) practices are increasingly recommending self-care methods as the primary means to support the safe removal of ear wax. However, if a GP practice considers removal clinically necessary, the procedure should either be undertaken at the practice or the patient should be referred to an appropriate local NHS service, depending on the arrangements in place in the local area. Local commissioners are responsible for meeting the health needs of the local population and should continue to ensure there is appropriate access to ear wax services.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 impact on general practice of transferring hospital outpatient elective follow-ups to general practice; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS England and NHS Improvement launched the National Outpatient Transformation Programme in April 2020. The programme supports patients through improving general practitioners’ access to specialist advice and guidance and empowering patients to initiate follow-up appointments when needed.
However, its aim is not to transfer hospital outpatient elective follow up appointments to general practice. NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned an independent evaluation to review primary care experiences of advice and guidance services. While qualitative reports showed that it placed time and resource demands on primary care, it can reduce waiting times for specialist input and unnecessary referrals.