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Written Question
Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques
Monday 14th November 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider the potential merits of introducing mandatory accreditation of restraint and seclusion training in mental health services.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

The coalition government published ‘Positive and Proactive Care; reducing the need for restrictive interventions’ and ‘A Positive and Proactive Workforce’ in April 2014. Both guidance documents are clear that corporate training strategies to manage violence and aggression should include clear learning outcomes about effective use of de-escalation techniques, the risks associated with restrictive interventions and safe implementation of restrictive physical interventions.


Written Question
Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques
Monday 14th November 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been injured in mental healthcare settings through the use of inadequate restraint practices in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

The information requested is not collected centrally.


Written Question
Midwives: Age
Tuesday 8th November 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the age profile of midwives working in the NHS in England was in (a) the most recent year for which figures are available, (b) 2010 and (c) 2005.

Answered by Philip Dunne

NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the following table shows the age profile of midwives working in the National Health Service in England at 30 September 2005, 2010 and 2015. Data for July 2016 is also provided as this is the latest available.

The data is headcount because equality data relates to individuals.


Written Question
NHS: Reorganisation
Tuesday 14th June 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the proportion of each Sustainability and Transformation Plan area's total place-based target allocation was calculated.

Answered by George Freeman

The proportion was calculated by adding together the place-based target allocation in 2020/21 for each of the clinical commissioning group (CCG) areas within a Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprint, and expressing that total as a percentage of the total national place-based target allocation in 2020/21.

Figures by CCG area for place-based target allocations are available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/total-place-allocations.pdf


Written Question
NHS: Reorganisation
Tuesday 14th June 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what accountability mechanics are in place related to decisions in Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints.

Answered by George Freeman

Each Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprint is convened by a senior leader who has agreed to chair and lead the meetings on behalf of their peers. Each footprint has agreed its own governance and representation, depending on local circumstances and to ensure that all relevant National Health Service bodies and partners are included. An STP footprint supports organisations to come together to agree how best to improve and sustain services and health for their local populations.

The local, statutory architecture for health and care remains. The arm's length bodies Regional Directors will retain accountability for delivery in their regions. Existing accountabilities for Chief Executives of provider organisations and Accountable Officers of Clinical Commissioning Groups are unchanged.


Written Question
NHS: Reorganisation
Monday 13th June 2016

Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the legal status is of the changes to health and social care proposed in Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

Answered by George Freeman

The Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP) has no legal basis. Any plans submitted will be proposals that will form the basis for discussion. Depending on the level of local and national agreement, they may form the basis for further plans and actions that will be subject to the same legal and best practice requirements that govern the National Health Service.

The local, statutory architecture for health and care remains, as do the existing accountabilities for Chief Executives of provider organisations and Accountable Officers of clinical commissioning groups. Organisations are still accountable for their individual organisational plans, which should form part of the first year of their footprint’s STP.

The June STP submissions will be work-in-progress, and as such we do not anticipate the requirement for formal approval from boards and/or consultation at this early stage. Plans have no status until they are agreed. When plans are ready, normal rules around engagement and public consultation will apply.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 08 Jun 2016
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

"I applaud the hon. Lady on securing this debate and on her excellent speech. In just about any other organisation, such a searing indictment of the board and, by implication, its executives would have resulted in their resigning. Is she surprised that they did not simply stand down and accept …..."
Andrew Smith - View Speech

View all Andrew Smith (Lab - Oxford East) contributions to the debate on: Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 08 Jun 2016
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

"I congratulate the hon. Member for Fareham (Suella Fernandes) on securing this vital debate and on her work with the all-party group on Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Everything that has come out or been dragged out since the tragically avoidable death of Connor Sparrowhawk, “Laughing Boy”, has highlighted the …..."
Andrew Smith - View Speech

View all Andrew Smith (Lab - Oxford East) contributions to the debate on: Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 08 Jun 2016
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

"I very much agree with the hon. Lady, my neighbour and friend, on that important point. I look forward to the Minister’s response as to what the independent oversight will be to ensure security in future.

It will be helpful if the Minister can update us on progress in relation …..."

Andrew Smith - View Speech

View all Andrew Smith (Lab - Oxford East) contributions to the debate on: Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 08 Jun 2016
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

"Is it not the case that following the gathering of that further evidence and, indeed, of other leaked reports of what Southern Health knew at an earlier stage, which had not previously been apparent, the police are now reviewing the case for prosecution?..."
Andrew Smith - View Speech

View all Andrew Smith (Lab - Oxford East) contributions to the debate on: Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust