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, with reference to the letter of 14 June 2023 from the Minister of State for Social Care to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, when he plans to publish a revised Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Last year, the Government ran a public consultation on an updated Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice, including the Liberty Protection Safeguards. Although the implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards has been delayed beyond the life of this Parliament, the Department still intends to publish a summary of the consultation responses and work with the Ministry of Justice to make further revisions to the Code, to ensure all those who work with the Act and those who are affected by it have access to accurate practical guidance. The revised Code will be published as soon as practicable and the sector will be updated further in due course.
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 19 June 2023 to Question 188896 on Patients: Mental Capacity, when he plans to publish a response to his Department's consultation on Changes to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice and implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards has been delayed beyond the life of this Parliament. However, the Department is working with the Ministry of Justice on a response to the consultation on Changes to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice and implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards to summarise the feedback received, and to outline next steps for taking recommendations forward. This will be published as soon as practicable and the sector will be updated further in due course.
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 assessment he has made of the impact of the 2023-24 NHS pay offer on NHS recruitment.
Answered by Will Quince
Recruitment data is not yet available following the acceptance of the Agenda for Change pay deal, therefore no direct assessment has been made.
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 he will make an assessment of the potential impact on the health of people who use medical equipment which impacts their energy usage of advice being given by their energy suppliers to limit the use of that equipment to save energy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Department has not conducted an assessment of the potential health impact of energy saving advice given by energy suppliers to users of energy-dependent MedTech.
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 20 December 2022 to Question 104356 on Endometriosis: Health Services, what recent progress the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made on updating sections in its guideline on (a) diagnosing endometriosis, (b) surgical management and (c) surgical management if fertility is a priority.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently updating its guideline on endometriosis, which will update its recommendations on diagnosing endometriosis, surgical management and surgical management if fertility is a priority. Although intelligence identified a need for addressing mental wellbeing and support for women with endometriosis, NICE’s review of the current guideline on endometriosis found no evidence that would support specific recommendations in this area.
The current guideline recognises that endometriosis can have a significant physical, sexual, psychological and social impact and that people with endometriosis may have complex needs and require long-term support. NICE currently recommends assessment of the individual support needs of people with suspected of confirmed endometriosis, taking into account their circumstances, symptoms, priorities, desire for fertility, aspects of daily living, work and study, cultural background, and their physical, psychosexual and emotional needs.
Additionally, NICE has published separate guidance on the recognition and management of depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem. NICE will also further explore the topic of mental wellbeing and support for people with endometriosis as part of its topic suite on women’s and reproductive health.
NICE is currently recruiting to the expert Guideline Committee that will be responsible for developing its suite of guidelines related to women’s and reproductive health, including the endometriosis guideline, and will publish further information about timescales on its website in due course.
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 20 December 2022 to Question 104356 on Endometriosis: Health Services, what progress the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made on assessing the needs and provision of mental wellbeing support for people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently updating its guideline on endometriosis, which will update its recommendations on diagnosing endometriosis, surgical management and surgical management if fertility is a priority. Although intelligence identified a need for addressing mental wellbeing and support for women with endometriosis, NICE’s review of the current guideline on endometriosis found no evidence that would support specific recommendations in this area.
The current guideline recognises that endometriosis can have a significant physical, sexual, psychological and social impact and that people with endometriosis may have complex needs and require long-term support. NICE currently recommends assessment of the individual support needs of people with suspected of confirmed endometriosis, taking into account their circumstances, symptoms, priorities, desire for fertility, aspects of daily living, work and study, cultural background, and their physical, psychosexual and emotional needs.
Additionally, NICE has published separate guidance on the recognition and management of depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem. NICE will also further explore the topic of mental wellbeing and support for people with endometriosis as part of its topic suite on women’s and reproductive health.
NICE is currently recruiting to the expert Guideline Committee that will be responsible for developing its suite of guidelines related to women’s and reproductive health, including the endometriosis guideline, and will publish further information about timescales on its website in due course.
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 his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring health boards to establish specific agreements to treat functional neurological disorders.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made. As health is largely devolved, this is a matter for Welsh Government.
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 his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring health boards to accept referrals for treatment for functional neurological disorder.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made. As health is largely devolved, this is a matter for Welsh Government.
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 his Department plans to take steps to help support hospices that are unable to afford their energy bills.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
As palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs, any assessment of further financial support should be made at a local level.
At a national level, NHS England have released £1.5 billion additional funding to ICBs to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices. This is in addition to the support provided by government through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme.
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 he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) Energy Bill Relief Scheme and (b) Energy Bill Discount Scheme on the affordability of energy in the hospice sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
No assessment has been made.