Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value of contracts awarded to non-NHS providers was for the provision of clinical services in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2020-21 financial years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - 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.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent on private sector contracts for the provision of clinical services in the most recent financial year for which data is available.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - 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.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in relation to the commitment in the Rare Disease Action Plan for England 2024 to review the criteria for determining whether a medicine should be routed to its Highly Specialised Technologies programme.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to the criteria for routing topics to the highly specialised technologies programme. The aim of any change to the criteria would be to clarify the type of medicine that would be eligible for the programme, in line with the vision set out in the NICE’s published topic selection manual. The NICE will consult publicly on any proposed changes to the criteria.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence plans to launch a public consultation to take forward the commitment in the 2024 Rare Disease Action Plan for England to review the criteria for its Highly Specialised Technologies programme for very rare diseases.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to the criteria for routing topics to the highly specialised technologies programme. The aim of any change to the criteria would be to clarify the type of medicine that would be eligible for the programme, in line with the vision set out in the NICE’s published topic selection manual. The NICE will consult publicly on any proposed changes to the criteria.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 ensure the (a) experiences and (b) specialist needs of young people with cancer are reflected in the work of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Supporting children and young people affected by cancer remains a priority for the Government. The scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, including stakeholder engagement, will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, currently planned to start from Spring 2024.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is being set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This is dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people and will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing, treatment, and research and innovation.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to consult young people with cancer affected by cancer during the development of the Children and Young People Taskforce.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Supporting children and young people affected by cancer remains a priority for the Government. The scope of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, including stakeholder engagement, will be determined once the work of the taskforce begins, currently planned to start from Spring 2024.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce is being set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This is dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people and will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing, treatment, and research and innovation.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the rate of public satisfaction with the NHS was in (a) February 2024 or (b) the most recent month and year that data has been collected.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Data regarding the rate of public satisfaction with the National Health Service is publicly accessible, and is available at the following link:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/institution/NHS
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care takes public perceptions of the NHS into account in her policy decisions. We have published recovery plans for elective services, urgent and emergency care, primary care and dental care, to improve access and performance of crucial NHS services.
Furthermore, we have made a great deal of progress in putting patients at the heart of care, through our recently announced programmes to expand choice, advanced care planning conversations, personal health budgets, and by providing more information to patients.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of public satisfaction with the NHS.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Data regarding the rate of public satisfaction with the National Health Service is publicly accessible, and is available at the following link:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/institution/NHS
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care takes public perceptions of the NHS into account in her policy decisions. We have published recovery plans for elective services, urgent and emergency care, primary care and dental care, to improve access and performance of crucial NHS services.
Furthermore, we have made a great deal of progress in putting patients at the heart of care, through our recently announced programmes to expand choice, advanced care planning conversations, personal health budgets, and by providing more information to patients.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 impact of discontinuing funding for T1DE pilot schemes on the health and well-being of patients living with type 1 diabetes with disordered eating.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has provided funding for eight integrated care boards (ICBs) across the country to support the development and establishment of Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating (T1DE) services in every National Health Service region. Funding has been provided on a pump prime basis, and the responsibility for the longer-term sustainable provision of care for these patients sits with the relevant integrated care system.
A nationally commissioned evaluation has shown the positive impact that the provision of T1DE services can have for patients, including reductions in HbA1c, which is linked to reduced rates of diabetes complications, and reduced rates of emergency admissions.
It’s the role of the ICBs to consider the health needs of their populations, in making decisions about the care that is provided. It is expected that ICB leads consider these evaluation findings alongside the risk to patient health and wellbeing of the discontinuation of service provision, as well as other local contextual factors in making decisions about the future provision of T1DE services.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS consultants carried out work in the private sector in the most recent financial year for which data is available.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information requested.