Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of (a) invasive pneumococcal disease and (b) pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia were diagnosed in each (i) NHS England local area team area and (ii) clinical commissioning group area in the last 12 months; and how many such cases involved people aged (A) under and (B) over 65.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Enhanced surveillance data on invasive pneumococcal disease for epidemiological year 2013-14 will not be available until the end of 2014 as the analysis and collation of data is conducted after the end of the relevant period to allow for reporting delays and follow of cases to obtain additional information. Data for the most recent available year (2012-13) is shown in the following table:
Current region name | 0-5 years | 6-15 years | 16-64 years | 65 years and over |
East Midlands | 9 | 4 | 132 | 144 |
East | 29 | 9 | 162 | 199 |
London | 57 | 16 | 252 | 254 |
North East | 12 | 3 | 92 | 117 |
North West | 33 | 8 | 299 | 358 |
South East | 41 | 16 | 273 | 323 |
South West | 22 | 12 | 172 | 208 |
West Midlands | 17 | 8 | 181 | 219 |
Wales | 12 | 5 | 147 | 139 |
Yorkshire & Humber | 42 | 11 | 229 | 256 |
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that women who have just given birth in hospital are not sent home between 11pm and 8am.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The Department does not draft policy or provide advice on specific limits on postnatal discharge periods, or the times that women can be discharged from hospital. The length of stay or discharge time in a maternity unit following delivery of a baby is a matter for the clinical judgement of the healthcare professionals involved in the mother’s care. This decision should be reached following discussion with the mother and take into account the health and well-being of the woman and her baby and the level of support available to her following discharge. This is in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on ‘Routine postnatal care of women and their babies’, published in 2006:
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG37/Guidance/pdf/English
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the benefits to the NHS of a preventative public health approach to musculoskeletal conditions.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) has limited data on the prevalence of all musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in England. However, Arthritis Research UK (AR-UK) in collaboration with PHE have developed a prevalence calculator that will provide estimates of the prevalence of the commonest groupings of MSK disease when it is launched later this year. PHE has contributed to local authority based briefings which AR-UK aim to publish shortly.
We know from the Global Burden of disease that in 2010 MSK was a major cause of years lived with disability in the United Kingdom. This was estimated at 30.5% (range 25.5—35.7%)
Hip and knee replacement surgery is common and MSK conditions are common in primary care so there is a significant direct cost to the National Health Service. However, there is no modelling that shows what the impact of different preventative approaches might have on MSK although we know that obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol are modifiable risk factors that contribute to the risk of specific MSK conditions.
PHE is playing its role through work across the life course to promote the healthy behaviours which reduce the risk of MSK through increasing physical activity, reducing obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption in the population.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many bed days were taken by people diagnosed with (a) pneumococcal disease and (b) pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (i) in total and (ii) in each age group, as recorded by the hospital episodes statistics database in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The information is attached.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of physical activity in reducing the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions.
Answered by Jane Ellison
In 2011, the four UK Chief Medical Officers jointly produced guidelines outlining the recommended levels of physical activity. The evidence led to the recommendations that children, young people and adults including older adults, should incorporate activities to strengthen muscle and bone, as this may help with the prevention of some musculoskeletal conditions.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his EU counterpart about their treatment strategy for those with scoliosis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Ministers of the Department of Health have had no meetings with their European Union counterparts about treatment strategies for scoliosis.
Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine to the sides but is not considered a disease and does not always require treatment. However, for those in which the condition causes a long-term problem, the Department in its mandate to NHS England sets out plans to enhance the quality of life for all patients with a long-term condition, including those affected by scoliosis.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in June 2014 which states that the ‘Magnetic Expansion Control System should be considered for children aged 2 and over with scoliosis, who need surgery to correct their curved spine’.
Information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis in the last five years is attached. It should be noted that these figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Data also capture a small number of no-surgical interventions, such as drug treatments.
The cost of treating a patient aged 19 years and over with scoliosis or other spinal deformity in one episode of care under a consultant is £1,368. This is the national average unit cost reported by NHS trusts and foundation trusts in 2012-13 reference costs submitted to the Department. This national average unit cost varies from £924 for patients with the lowest level of complications and comorbidities to £2,412 for patients with the highest level of complications and comorbidities.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of each operation for scoliosis.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Ministers of the Department of Health have had no meetings with their European Union counterparts about treatment strategies for scoliosis.
Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine to the sides but is not considered a disease and does not always require treatment. However, for those in which the condition causes a long-term problem, the Department in its mandate to NHS England sets out plans to enhance the quality of life for all patients with a long-term condition, including those affected by scoliosis.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in June 2014 which states that the ‘Magnetic Expansion Control System should be considered for children aged 2 and over with scoliosis, who need surgery to correct their curved spine’.
Information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis in the last five years is attached. It should be noted that these figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Data also capture a small number of no-surgical interventions, such as drug treatments.
The cost of treating a patient aged 19 years and over with scoliosis or other spinal deformity in one episode of care under a consultant is £1,368. This is the national average unit cost reported by NHS trusts and foundation trusts in 2012-13 reference costs submitted to the Department. This national average unit cost varies from £924 for patients with the lowest level of complications and comorbidities to £2,412 for patients with the highest level of complications and comorbidities.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines his Department issues to clinical commissioning groups; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The commissioning responsibilities of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are set out in the NHS Act 2006, The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and The National Health Service (Clinical Commissioning Groups— Disapplication of Responsibility) Regulations 2013, as amended.
NHS England has responsibility for issuing guidance to CCGs.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with scoliosis were operated on in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Ministers of the Department of Health have had no meetings with their European Union counterparts about treatment strategies for scoliosis.
Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine to the sides but is not considered a disease and does not always require treatment. However, for those in which the condition causes a long-term problem, the Department in its mandate to NHS England sets out plans to enhance the quality of life for all patients with a long-term condition, including those affected by scoliosis.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in June 2014 which states that the ‘Magnetic Expansion Control System should be considered for children aged 2 and over with scoliosis, who need surgery to correct their curved spine’.
Information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis in the last five years is attached. It should be noted that these figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Data also capture a small number of no-surgical interventions, such as drug treatments.
The cost of treating a patient aged 19 years and over with scoliosis or other spinal deformity in one episode of care under a consultant is £1,368. This is the national average unit cost reported by NHS trusts and foundation trusts in 2012-13 reference costs submitted to the Department. This national average unit cost varies from £924 for patients with the lowest level of complications and comorbidities to £2,412 for patients with the highest level of complications and comorbidities.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that NHS bursaries are funded for the full degree course; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The NHS bursary is available to students in each year of their degree. The only exception to this is medical and dental students where the responsibility for funding these courses is shared between the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department of Health. These students receive the standard student support package in the early years of study and the NHS bursary in the later years. Undergraduate students receive the bursary from their fifth year and graduate entry students from their second.
There are no plans to change the support that is made available.