Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to salary sacrifice schemes for NHS staff on lower pay-bands in the context of the increase in the minimum wage before the implementation of an NHS pay award for the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Employers in the National Health Service offer a broad range of salary sacrifice schemes, which have varying value. The interaction with the national minimum wage (NMW) must be considered for all employees that participate in one or more of these schemes, to ensure that participation does not breach HM Revenue and Customs’ rules. The Department is currently working with employers in the NHS to understand the potential impacts of the NMW increase on access to salary sacrifice schemes for all NHS staff.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure adequate availability of (a) atomoxetine, (b) lisdexamfetamine, (c) methylphenidate and (d) other Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medication within (i) NHS Wales and (ii) Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve those issues and expedite deliveries to boost supplies of medicines uses for the management of ADHD, as quickly as possible. We have been informed that these should largely be resolved by April or May 2024.
As a result of our ongoing activity and intensive work, some issues have been resolved. Certain strengths of lisdexamphetamine, guanfacine, and all strengths of atomoxetine capsules are now available. While supply issues remain for some ADHD medicines, we continue to escalate these issues with manufacturers to ensure action is taken to resolve regulatory issues and expedite deliveries, to alleviate these shortages as soon as possible.
Health is a devolved matter and as such decisions on availability of medicines in Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. However, the Department works closely with suppliers, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the devolved administrations, and other stakeholders to ensure patients continue to have access to the treatments they need.
The Department’s officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the Welsh Health and Social Services, including on the access to medicines. The Department has had no specific discussions with the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8042 on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs, whether it remains her Department's policy to resolve disruptions with the supply of ADHD medication by April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve those issues and expedite deliveries to boost supplies of medicines uses for the management of ADHD, as quickly as possible. We have been informed that these should largely be resolved by April or May 2024.
As a result of our ongoing activity and intensive work, some issues have been resolved. Certain strengths of lisdexamphetamine, guanfacine, and all strengths of atomoxetine capsules are now available. While supply issues remain for some ADHD medicines, we continue to escalate these issues with manufacturers to ensure action is taken to resolve regulatory issues and expedite deliveries, to alleviate these shortages as soon as possible.
Health is a devolved matter and as such decisions on availability of medicines in Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. However, the Department works closely with suppliers, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the devolved administrations, and other stakeholders to ensure patients continue to have access to the treatments they need.
The Department’s officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the Welsh Health and Social Services, including on the access to medicines. The Department has had no specific discussions with the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services on the availability of (a) atomoxetine, (b) lisdexamfetamine, (c) methylphenidate and (d) other ADHD medication.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve those issues and expedite deliveries to boost supplies of medicines uses for the management of ADHD, as quickly as possible. We have been informed that these should largely be resolved by April or May 2024.
As a result of our ongoing activity and intensive work, some issues have been resolved. Certain strengths of lisdexamphetamine, guanfacine, and all strengths of atomoxetine capsules are now available. While supply issues remain for some ADHD medicines, we continue to escalate these issues with manufacturers to ensure action is taken to resolve regulatory issues and expedite deliveries, to alleviate these shortages as soon as possible.
Health is a devolved matter and as such decisions on availability of medicines in Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. However, the Department works closely with suppliers, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the devolved administrations, and other stakeholders to ensure patients continue to have access to the treatments they need.
The Department’s officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the Welsh Health and Social Services, including on the access to medicines. The Department has had no specific discussions with the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) physical and (b) mental ability of NHS staff to work beyond the state pension age.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
No recent assessment has been made. National Health Service staff are not expected to work beyond state pension age, though some choose to do so. The NHS Pension Scheme is generous, and provides good pensions for retirement. The scheme offers a partial retirement option, which allows staff to draw down part of their pension and continue working in a more flexible way.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commits to going beyond statutory requirements in supporting and promoting flexible working opportunities. NHS England have produced guidance for employers on supporting their older workforce, together with a wide-ranging package of support for NHS staff. This includes tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their well-being, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress her Department has made on (a) reviewing the timing and appointment process for the NHS pay review bodies, (b) increasing NHS Staff Council input into NHS pay review bodies and (c) implementing the other non-pay elements of the 2023-24 NHS pay agreement relating to the future pay-setting process.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Government is committed to ensuring that the pay setting process and the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) operates effectively. As part of non-pay commitments from the Agenda for Change deal, we are working with stakeholders to explore four themes: the timing of rounds; the interaction between the Staff Council and the NHSPRB; common data sources between stakeholders; and how appointments are made to the NHSPRB.
The work to review these elements of the process is currently underway, and the outcomes will be agreed in due course. The Government will continue to engage constructively with trade unions and employers to deliver all of the non-pay commitments to support the National Health Service workforce, including the pay-setting process.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of requiring physician associates to work under a named registered medical practitioner.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Both in training, and subsequently qualified practice, physician associates (PAs) must work with a dedicated medical supervisor which will be a consultant, general practitioner, or other senior medical personnel.
Training to become a PA involves supervised practice with real patients in clinical attachments. The dedicated medical supervisor is responsible for the supervision and management of a student’s educational progress throughout the clinical placements of the course. However, any professional in a placement location who is competent to do so may train, supervise, and assess a PA student in a particular skill, procedure, or competence. This includes practising PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase staff recruitment and retention in the adult social care sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We have embarked on ambitious reforms for the care workforce, including a new career structure, creating new qualifications, and providing subsidised training places.
In addition, through grant funding we have made almost £2 billion available to Local Authorities over this year and next with a particular focus on workforce pay, recruitment and retention.
We have also relaunched the next phase of our “Made with Care” national recruitment campaign which promotes social care as a career.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on helping ensure all NHS England trusts provide bereavement services seven days a week by the end of 2023-24.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
In 2023/24, NHS England is investing £5.9 million to support the delivery of daily bereavement care services for women and families who suffer pregnancy/baby loss and growing the number of staff trained in bereavement care.
The commitment to ensure availability of bereavement services seven days a week by the end of 2023/24 is part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. National Health Service trusts are working to ensure appropriate services are available on a daily basis, in line with the essential actions outlined in the Ockenden review. NHS England has also included training for staff who encounter bereaved parents in our national core competency framework, which sets out the minimum expected training for all maternity units.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) stillbirths, (b) neonatal deaths, (c) maternal deaths and (d) brain injuries in babies occurring soon after birth there have been in each year since 2010.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The below tables contain data for the four metrics requested from 2010 up until the most recent year available. The metrics relate to England only, except for maternal deaths which covers the United Kingdom. The metrics are used to monitor the Government’s National Maternity Safety Ambition which aims to halve rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries by 2025 from their 2010 baseline. The ambition also aims to reduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6% by 2025.
The following table shows the number of stillbirths in England since 2010:
Year | Number | Rate per 1,000 total births |
2010 | 3,506 | 5.1 |
2011 | 3,619 | 5.2 |
2012 | 3,357 | 4.8 |
2013 | 3,103 | 4.6 |
2014 | 3,047 | 4.6 |
2015 | 2,952 | 4.4 |
2016 | 2,895 | 4.3 |
2017 | 2,679 | 4.1 |
2018 | 2,520 | 4.0 |
2019 | 2,346 | 3.8 |
2020 | 2,231 | 3.8 |
2021 | 2,451 | 4.1 |
2022 | 2,276 | 3.9 |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Births in England and Wales
Note: The definition of stillbirth used is a baby born after 24 or more weeks completed gestation and which did not, at any time, breathe or show signs of life.
The following table shows the number of babies with a brain injury occurring during or soon after birth in England since 2010:
Year | Number | Rate per 1,000 live births |
2010 | 2,594 | 4.3 |
2011 | 2,906 | 4.4 |
2012 | 2,950 | 4.2 |
2013 | 2,966 | 4.5 |
2014 | 3,097 | 4.7 |
2015 | 3,055 | 4.6 |
2016 | 3,074 | 4.6 |
2017 | 2,947 | 4.6 |
2018 | 2,872 | 4.6 |
2019 | 2,591 | 4.2 |
Source: Brain injury occurring during or soon after birth: annual incidence and rates of brain injuries to monitor progress against the national maternity ambition, 2018 and 2019 national data (Imperial College London).
Notes:
The following table shows the number of neonatal deaths in England since 2010:
Year | Number | Rate per 1,000 total births |
2010 | 1,329 | 2.0 |
2011 | 1,344 | 2.0 |
2012 | 1,269 | 1.8 |
2013 | 1,154 | 1.7 |
2014 | 1,075 | 1.6 |
2015 | 1,078 | 1.6 |
2016 | 1,059 | 1.6 |
2017 | 1,030 | 1.6 |
2018 | 947 | 1.5 |
2019 | 844 | 1.4 |
2020 | 733 | 1.3 |
2021 | 812 | 1.4 |
Source: ‘All data related to Child and infant mortality in England and Wales: 2021’, Office for National Statistics.
Note: Definition used: “A neonatal death is the death of an infant under 28 days for babies born at a gestational age of 24 weeks or over.”
The following table shows the number of maternal deaths in England since 2009:
Years | Number | Rate per 100,000 maternities |
2009-11 | 253 | 10.6 |
2010-12 | 243 | 10.1 |
2011-13 | 214 | 9 |
2012-14 | 200 | 8.5 |
2013-15 | 202 | 8.8 |
2014-16 | 225 | 9.8 |
2015-17 | 209 | 9.2 |
2016-18 | 217 | 9.7 |
2017-19 | 191 | 8.8 |
2018-20 | 229 | 10.9 |
2019-21 | 241 | 11.6 |
Source: “Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2019-21”, MBRRACE-UK
Notes: