Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Integrated Care Systems have used the NHS England Core20PLUS5 framework and associated resources for initiatives to improve uptake of routine breast cancer screening from communities less likely to attend breast cancer screening; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
NHS England have advised that a national plan has been developed in collaboration with key stakeholders to improve uptake within the breast screening programme in 2023 and beyond, noting the 2028 Cancer Early Detection targets. The plan sets out the priorities, interventions and monitoring of impact and outcomes to improve uptake. Using the Core20PLUS5 principles, the plan outlines the use of evidence-based and evaluated interventions to address inequalities and barriers to accessing breast screening.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 6 June 2023 to Question 186779 on Health Services, what proportion of additional NHS funding (a) in 2023/24 and (b) 2024/25 will be spent on delivery of the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Will Quince
Funding for the development of the Major Conditions Strategy will come out of Department’s existing funding allocation. This funding is not separately identified.
The funding provided at the Autumn Statement comes on top of the Spending Review 2021 settlement, which provided a 33% total cash increase of £43.9 billion when compared to 2019/20, when our budget outturn was £133.5 billion.
As part of the Strategy, we will identifying innovative actions to help alleviate pressure on the National Health Service, such as maximising use of new technologies to screen individuals for conditions.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to deliver an online and NHS app booking system for breast cancer screening appointments as part of the Digital Transformation of Screening programme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has approved an investment of £68 million in the digital transformation of screening (DToS) programme. The main focus of DToS, which is being led by NHS England, will be to develop digital products to support the invitation of and communication with the public.
The first two national screening programmes to receive these products will be the National Health Service breast screening programme and the diabetic eye screening programme. Subsequently the product will be adapted for use by other existing and new national screening programmes.
The products are planned to support online and app booking as well as call centre booking for those who do not wish to use digital products. DToS will also explore the extent to which the app can be used for other communications with individual members of the public related to their screening requirements.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many breast cancer rescreening units use an open invitation model as of 1 September 2023; what the average uptake is of breast cancer screening in areas where (a) an open invite and (b) timed appointment model is used; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
The decision to have timed or open appointments in the National Health Service breast screening programme is the responsibility of providers with agreement from commissioners.
Information on the average uptake of breast screening categorised by areas that use open and timed appointments is not held centrally by NHS England.
NHS England has commissioned a series of national evaluative projects as part of the Uptake Improvement Plan, including on the impact on screening uptake using different invitation methodologies.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 12 June 2023 to Question 187027 on Medical Equipment: Energy, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the report by Marie Curie entitled One charge too many, published 15 July 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
As set out in the autumn statement, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including organisations representing people with in-home medical equipment to assess the impact of energy prices on households.
The Department of Health and Social Care is supporting the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with this. The NHS England specialised commissioning team is working to support Departmental colleagues with identifying energy-reliant medical devices used in patients' homes, and identifying clinical expert nominees, to advise more widely, as part of their operational response.
The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 12 June 2023, to Question 187027 on Medical Equipment: Energy, what support the Department of Health and Social Care has provided for the forthcoming consultation on consumer protection in the energy markets.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
As set out in the autumn statement, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including organisations representing people with in-home medical equipment to assess the impact of energy prices on households.
The Department of Health and Social Care is supporting the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with this. The NHS England specialised commissioning team is working to support Departmental colleagues with identifying energy-reliant medical devices used in patients' homes, and identifying clinical expert nominees, to advise more widely, as part of their operational response.
The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the overall (a) administrative and (b) enforcement costs of (i) charging for prescriptions and (ii) the Prescription Penalty Charge in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
We have made no such estimate. The NHS Business Services Authority is responsible for administering prescription services including charging, exemptions, and Penalty Charge Notices. The Department understands that prescription charge revenue offsets the costs of administering and enforcing the system.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to abolish charges for prescriptions in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has no plans to abolish prescription charges in England.
Approximately 89% of National Health Service prescription items are dispensed free of charge due to the comprehensive prescription exemption arrangements we already have in place, including exemptions for those on qualifying benefits.
Prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) are available to reduce costs for those who need regular or many prescriptions. The cost of a 12-month PPC remains at £111.60 which can be paid in instalments, to allow people receive their required medicines for just over £2 a week. A three-month PPC and a PPC for hormone replacement therapy medicines are also available. People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for help with prescription charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the funding allocations for the Renal Clinical Networks for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Answered by Will Quince
National specialised commissioning funding for clinical networks is recurrent and, as with all other financial allocations, is reviewed on an annual basis and at a regional level.
NHS England does not publish the funding allocations for specialised commissioning services such as the Renal Clinical Network. It does however intend to ring-fence the overall level of funding available for clinical networks to enable the continued support and development of key specialised services post-full delegation to integrated care boards.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training clinicians receive on the needs of families where a parent has mental health difficulties; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that their staff are trained and competent to carry out the role for which they are employed, and for making decisions about the ongoing professional training and development requirements of their staff.
In addition, regulated healthcare professionals will need to meet the standards of education and training set by their profession’s regulator, all of which include communicating with patients who come to seek their help, including those where a carer may have mental health issues.