Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of creating a requirement for NHS trusts to maintain chain-of-custody records for the handling of miscarriage tissue.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with health leaders on the arrangements in place across NHS Trusts for overseeing incidents involving the handling of miscarriage tissue.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS leaders regarding the mandatory training required for staff involved in the handling of miscarriage tissue.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to establish a single national protocol governing the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue to parents.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to establish a single national protocol governing the handling and testing of miscarriage tissue.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the (a) advice and (b) approval that was given by NHS England in regard to (i) former CEO Jonathan Lofthouse leaving the Humber Health Partnership, (ii) former chair Sean Lyons leaving the Humber Health Partnership and (iii) the appointment of Lyn Simpson as interim CEO at Humber Health Partnership (Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust).

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which public body is paying the salary of Jonathan Lofthouse, director of turnaround and recovery for NHS England’s North East and Yorkshire region; and what salary is being paid to Mr Lofthouse.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action NHS England took following the findings of the review by JMM & Associates – People Matters into leadership issues at the Humber Health Partnership (Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust).

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what were the findings of the review by JMM & Associates – People Matters into leadership issues at the Humber Health Partnership (Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust).

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.