Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with NICE on the potential use of PEMGARDA to protect clinically vulnerable people against covid-19 in emergency situations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and efficacy. Pemivibart, sold under the brand name Pemgarda, for use in the prophylaxis of COVID-19 does not yet have a marketing authorisation. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for the relevant marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.
In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers all newly licenced medicines, those that have received a marketing authorisation, to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of Pemgarda seeks a licence from the MHRA, then the NICE may consider it through its technology appraisal programme.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to support ongoing research into Alzeimher's.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s responsibility for delivering research into Alzheimer’s disease is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The NIHR is delivering a wide range of research initiatives into Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the NIHR is investing nearly £50 million over five years into the Dementia Trials Network, which seeks to significantly expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities for dementia.
The NIHR also invests significantly in building the next generation of dementia researchers, which includes partnering with Alzheimer’s Society to fund and support a cohort of post-doctoral health and care researchers.
UKRI funds research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, across a broad portfolio of investments, including research projects, fellowships, and programmes of work within our institutes. Key recent investments in neurodegeneration research include the Dementia Research Institute, use of the Science Technology and Facilities Council’s facilities in Alzheimer’s research, an Innovate UK contribution to the Longitude Prize on Dementia, and £10 million of funding through the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund for a Neurological and Psychiatric Imaging Research and Therapeutics Hub at Kings College London.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that female-only medical conditions are included in medical training and research.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Medical Council (GMC) sets and enforces the standards that all doctors, Anaesthesia Associates, and Physician Associates must adhere to. The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the GMC, who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level. Individual medical schools set their own curricula, which must meet the standards and expected outcomes set by the GMC. The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment for the majority of doctors, including all medical students graduating from the 2024/25 academic year and onwards. Within this assessment are a number of topics relating to women’s health, including fibroids, endometriosis, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common health problems for women among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom.
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR expects to implement its sex and gender policy in spring 2025. Implementing such a policy will ensure that research accounts for sex and gender across every stage of the research cycle, thus facilitating both an assessment of the funding into topics that impact men and women and, crucially, a greater understanding of how women might be impacted differently.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
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 potential economic impact of seeking unlicensed products as an alternative to Creon to mitigate ongoing pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy shortages on pharmacies.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no assessment on the potential economic impact of seeking unlicensed products as an alternative to Creon.
The Department is continuing to engage with suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and special importers of unlicensed medicines to increase the availability of PERT to mitigate the supply issue. The supplier of Creon expects to receive increased quantities for 2025. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public-facing page which includes the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice, including advice on preserving available stock of alternative PERT for certain patient cohorts.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
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 effect of access to nutritious, appetising hospital food on patient's health, recovery and time spent in hospital; and what plans he has to introduce policies to improve access to that food.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Independent Review of Hospital Food, applicable to hospitals in England only, and published in October 2020, made a suite of recommendations for improving hospital food. The review made clear the positive effect on patient recovery and wellbeing of access to nutritious, healthy food.
In response to the Independent Review of Hospital Food, NHS England published their updated Food and Drink Standards in November 2022. These set out the expectations for National Health Service trusts regarding the food they provide to patients and staff. Emphasis is placed on providing healthy, nutritious food options.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
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 immunocompromised people with conditions that render them more vulnerable to covid-19 have timely access to effective (a) protective drugs and (b) support measures.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Since June 2023, the pathway for COVID-19 treatments has been delegated from the former national pandemic-specific arrangements to more routine local arrangements for assessment and treatment. Integrated care boards are now responsible for ensuring that local health systems understand local pathways and how to refer patients for assessment and treatment. Information on treatments for COVID-19 is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/treatments-for-covid-19/
This autumn, individuals who are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk will receive booster vaccinations, following the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The UK Health Security Agency supports engagement within its remit with the voluntary and community sector, including through the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Health and Wellbeing Alliance, the Immunocompromised Coalition, and organisations representing inclusion health groups.