Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to recent World Health Organisation updates and the addition of fetal valproate spectrum disorder to the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, what steps he is taking to (a) integrate that disorder into treatment and (b) ensure its diagnosis on the NHS.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
NHS England currently does not provide specialised treatment or a diagnostic service for patients suffering with symptoms of fetal valproate syndrome - treatment and diagnosis are integrated into existing services.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the GP to patient ratio for female patients between the ages of 15 and 45 years old with epilepsy in Bury South constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Data on the general practitioner (GP) to patient ratio for female patients between the ages of 15 to 45 years old with epilepsy is not available at national or regional levels.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he has allocated to (a) GPs and (b) technicians to support the prescribing and monitoring of Sodium Valproate to women of child-bearing potential.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
In 2019/20 a Quality and Outcomes Framework Quality Improvement (QI) domain on safer prescribing ran in general practice. It aimed to improve engagement with women of child-bearing age and pregnancy prevention for these patients. This QI module was worth around £44 million in 2019/20 nationally.
As part of a Pharmacy Quality Scheme community pharmacies were asked to complete a valproate safety audit. Pharmacists were asked to check the records of girls and women of childbearing potential for whom a prescription is dispensed for valproate, to ensure they have been advised on the risks of taking valproate in line with all the requirements as detailed in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Drug Safety Update 2018.
The valproate audit was one of three parts of the Medicines Safety Audits domain and each part had to be delivered to earn the points available. The 25 points available were then worth £1843.5 per pharmacy who completed this domain.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information NHS England holds on prescribing rates of sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing age in each clinical commissioning group; and if he will make it his policy to routinely publish that data.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information on prescribing of sodium valproate is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
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 ability in Bury South constituency for restored cancer services to deliver personalised cancer care commitments.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued further guidance to National Health Service cancer services on the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The states that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide these essential services.
This includes focussing on reducing the number of over 62-day waiters on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatment for those who have had their care delayed by the pandemic.
The NHS is now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services. We are encouraging anybody with symptoms that could be indicative of cancer to contact their general practitioner (GP).
GPs will continue to refer on to cancer pathways in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance so that patients can be managed appropriately.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support should continue by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that cancer treatment is provided in coronavirus-free hubs with the required (a) equipment, (b) covid-19 testing and (c) staff resources in (i) Bury South constituency and (ii) England.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued further guidance to National Health Service cancer services on the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The states that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide these essential services.
This includes focussing on reducing the number of over 62-day waiters on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatment for those who have had their care delayed by the pandemic.
The NHS is now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services. We are encouraging anybody with symptoms that could be indicative of cancer to contact their general practitioner (GP).
GPs will continue to refer on to cancer pathways in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance so that patients can be managed appropriately.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support should continue by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will put in place a plan to rebuild cancer services in Bury South to rapidly reduce the treatment backlog and avoid worsening outcomes for people living with cancer.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued further guidance to National Health Service cancer services on the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The states that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide these essential services.
This includes focussing on reducing the number of over 62-day waiters on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatment for those who have had their care delayed by the pandemic.
The NHS is now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services. We are encouraging anybody with symptoms that could be indicative of cancer to contact their general practitioner (GP).
GPs will continue to refer on to cancer pathways in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance so that patients can be managed appropriately.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support should continue by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to make available face masks from clear material to assist people in lip reading who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognise concerns about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks when it comes to people who lip read. The United Kingdom Government’s PPE procurement team has been working extremely hard to source clear facemasks which comply with UK safety standards and have signed a contract to supply stocks of clear masks into health and social care settings, to support those who need to lip read.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support he plans to provide for end-of-life care in community settings to support families and carers in (a) Bury South constituency and (b) England during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The funding and commissioning of end-of-life care is a local matter, over which individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have responsibility. CCGs are best placed to understand the needs of local populations and to commission services accordingly. During the pandemic, a range of additional support for end-of-life care in community settings has been put in place. This is to help commissioners and clinicians support patients with palliative and end-of-life care needs, as well as their families and carers.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of postponing the dental retention fee paid by dentists during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Dental Council (GDC) is an independent regulator and is therefore responsible for determining the level of the annual fee it charges for registration.
On 20 May 2020, the Chair of the GDC wrote to all registrants to advise that the GDC would not be making any changes to its Annual Retention Fee, or introducing an emergency payment by instalments scheme, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The GDC uses the income from fees to carry out its statutory duties. In October 2019, the GDC reduced its Annual Retention Fee for all dental professionals following a strategic review of its operating processes and costs and a public consultation on its three-year costed plan.