Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the results of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association survey on preparedness of pharmacists for Pharmacy First, published on 15 January 2024.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over 93% of community pharmacy contractors have signed up to deliver Pharmacy First when it launches on 31 January 2024.
A set-up fee will be paid to contractors that have signed up to recognise that they must ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy staff providing the service are competent to do so, which may involve training. Pharmacists and their teams will also need to familiarise themselves with the service specification, patient group directions and patient pathways, which have all been published. The fee structure that has been agreed with Community Pharmacy England recognises that both pharmacy teams and the public will build confidence in delivering and using the service over time.
In addition, Community Pharmacy England has developed a checklist and a range of support materials for both pharmacy owners and pharmacists, including locums, to help them get ready for the service. Contractors are supported by additional resources provided by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education to ensure participating pharmacists are clinically competent to deliver these services safely.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure training of pharmacy staff for implementation of the Pharmacy First Service.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over 93% of community pharmacy contractors have signed up to deliver Pharmacy First when it launches on 31 January 2024.
A set-up fee will be paid to contractors that have signed up to recognise that they must ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy staff providing the service are competent to do so, which may involve training. Pharmacists and their teams will also need to familiarise themselves with the service specification, patient group directions and patient pathways, which have all been published. The fee structure that has been agreed with Community Pharmacy England recognises that both pharmacy teams and the public will build confidence in delivering and using the service over time.
In addition, Community Pharmacy England has developed a checklist and a range of support materials for both pharmacy owners and pharmacists, including locums, to help them get ready for the service. Contractors are supported by additional resources provided by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education to ensure participating pharmacists are clinically competent to deliver these services safely.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 the General Medical Council on the provision of mental health support for patients who have sought a private diagnosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had any discussions with the General Medical Council (GMC) on the provision of mental health support for patients who have sought a private diagnosis. The GMC is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom, which sets and enforces the standards all doctors must adhere to.
To work in the UK, all doctors, including private doctors, must register with the General Medical Council (GMC), hold a licence to practise and meet the expected standards set out in the GMC’s guidance, Good medical practice. The guidance states that doctors must check that the care or treatment they provide for each patient is compatible with any other treatments the patient is receiving.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the publication by the British Medical Association entitled BMA position statement on physician associates and anaesthesia associates, published on 18 September 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department shares the British Medical Association’s view that all healthcare professionals must introduce themselves and explain their role to patients. This includes physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). There are no plans to change the title of either role.
The Department is clear that PAs and AAs are not doctors. The role of medical associates is to work with and support doctors, not to replace them.
Regulation will give the General Medical Council responsibility and oversight of doctors, PAs and AAs, allowing it to take a holistic approach to the education, training and standards of the roles. This will enable a more co-ordinated approach to regulation and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and doctors.
Regulation and growth of these roles will support plans to reduce pressure on frontline services and improve access for patients. As part of the work to deliver the Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England continues to work with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 26 June 2023, of a national lung screening programme, what proportion of the eligible population for targeted lung screening is already covered by the NHS targeted lung health check programme; by what date she plans to reach all the eligible population in Yorkshire; how the order of the programme rollout across England will be decided; and whether smoking cessation will be offered as an opt-out, integrated service in all lung screening appointments.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Targeted Lung Health Checks currently reach approximately 15% of the eligible population. The programme will be fully rolled out by 2028. Within that time frame the pace of roll out is designed at a local level by the cancer alliances. Smoking cessation will be an integral part of the programme as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and set out by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to encourage NHS Trusts to offer clinical staff the opportunity to work on research trials.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery (2021) sets out our commitment to create a research positive culture across the National Health Service and to a develop a sustainable and supported research workforce, offering rewarding opportunities and exciting careers for all healthcare and research staff of all professional backgrounds.
Funding provided through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure sustains a critical mass of people who are actively involved in conducting and delivering research in the NHS and other health and care settings. This enables clinicians and other health professionals working in the NHS to undertake research, by funding posts or reimbursing NHS trusts for the time their staff are engaged in research. In addition, via the NIHR Clinical Research Network, the NIHR funds front-line research delivery staff who work throughout the NHS and other health and care research settings.
In August 2023, NIHR also announced £30 million additional funding to support health and care professionals (HCPs) to include research in their careers and help them develop as highly skilled researchers and research leaders. The additional funding will strengthen and expand existing opportunities and introduce new initiatives. This will include new NIHR Regional Research Leadership offices to promote and coordinate research opportunities for HCPs at a regional level.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on the level of the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access tax rebate.
Answered by Will Quince
I met with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and other relevant trade associations in advance of negotiations for the successor to the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access starting on 4 May 2023.
Negotiations are being overseen by Sir Hugh Taylor who brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise. Government is seeking a deal that meets the three agreed objectives of supporting patient access to: innovative medicines; ensuring the affordability of National Health Service spend on medicines and; supporting the life sciences sector and the wider economy.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 alleviate ADHD diagnosis waiting times.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
NICE guidelines for ADHD diagnosis and management aim to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support people receive. The NICE guidelines do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD to receiving an assessment or a diagnosis. The Department is looking into options for improving data collection and reporting on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guidelines.
We know that children and young people often seek an ADHD diagnosis through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The NHS Long Term Plan commits an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England by March 2024.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reducing the minimum age for bowel cancer screening.
Answered by Will Quince
A recent assessment of reducing the minimum age for bowel cancer screening has been made, and since April 2021 NHS England have gradually reduced the age for screening towards 50 as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. Inclusion of people aged from 50 to 59 is being phased in over four years. 2024/25 should see the age extension reach 50-year-olds.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to support NHS staff affected by covid-19 following the withdrawal of additional sick pay benefits for that purpose.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department introduced temporary, non-contractual COVID-19 sickness guidance at the start of the pandemic to ensure National Health Service staff received full pay should they be advised to self-isolate or become ill with COVID-19. As we learn to live with COVID-19, this guidance has been withdrawn, and staff have been moved back to normal terms and conditions. As part of this, NHS staff have generous sick pay which can be up to six months of full pay and six months of half pay (depending on length of service).