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Written Question
Diabetes: Health Services
Thursday 18th April 2024

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.


Written Question
NHS: Standards
Thursday 18th April 2024

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.


Written Question
NHS: Standards
Thursday 18th April 2024

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.


Written Question
Health Services: Consultants
Wednesday 17th April 2024

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.


Written Question
Diabetes: Health Services
Wednesday 17th April 2024

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 she (a) has made and (b) plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of funding options to ensure the sustainability of T1DE services beyond the pilot phase.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Evaluation by the National Health Service of the initial Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating service (T1DE) pilot sites, in London and Wessex, demonstrated a mean reduction in HbA1c of between 2.3% to 2.5%. Assuming that this level of reduction is maintained, the lifetime quality-adjusted life year gain of these services was estimated at 1.49, which would be cost effective up to a net lifetime cost of £29,800-£44,800.

In response to these initial evaluation findings, NHS England expanded the T1DE programme, supporting provision of new services in an additional five sites from September 2022, expanding coverage to more areas of the country. It is expected that these services will generate further evaluation data to consolidate these early findings, which can be used to inform national and local policy decisions.

NHS England is drawing on learning from existing T1DE services, other emerging evidence and the findings of the recent parliamentary inquiry, to ensure all areas of the country are supported to improve care for those identified as having T1DE. The emergence of these future plans are subject to future spending review settlements for the NHS and level of funding from the NHS England budget allocated to T1DE.

NHS England are also working closely with the first wave of pilot sites including London to ensure that the newer services can benefit from their learning and experience when considering local funding options in advance of March 2025, when the national funding for the five new sites will come to an end.

NHS England is assisting integrated care boards to develop local funding arrangements through the provision of evaluation data, a national programme of support workshops, and an online platform to share learning and good practice.


Written Question
Diabetes: Health Services
Wednesday 17th April 2024

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 her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the cost-benefit analysis of the T1DE pilot schemes carried out by NHS England.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Evaluation by the National Health Service of the initial Type 1 Diabetes with Disordered Eating service (T1DE) pilot sites, in London and Wessex, demonstrated a mean reduction in HbA1c of between 2.3% to 2.5%. Assuming that this level of reduction is maintained, the lifetime quality-adjusted life year gain of these services was estimated at 1.49, which would be cost effective up to a net lifetime cost of £29,800-£44,800.

In response to these initial evaluation findings, NHS England expanded the T1DE programme, supporting provision of new services in an additional five sites from September 2022, expanding coverage to more areas of the country. It is expected that these services will generate further evaluation data to consolidate these early findings, which can be used to inform national and local policy decisions.

NHS England is drawing on learning from existing T1DE services, other emerging evidence and the findings of the recent parliamentary inquiry, to ensure all areas of the country are supported to improve care for those identified as having T1DE. The emergence of these future plans are subject to future spending review settlements for the NHS and level of funding from the NHS England budget allocated to T1DE.

NHS England are also working closely with the first wave of pilot sites including London to ensure that the newer services can benefit from their learning and experience when considering local funding options in advance of March 2025, when the national funding for the five new sites will come to an end.

NHS England is assisting integrated care boards to develop local funding arrangements through the provision of evaluation data, a national programme of support workshops, and an online platform to share learning and good practice.


Written Question
Cancer: Health Education
Wednesday 21st February 2024

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 merits of targeted awareness campaigns for young people on the five main warning signs and symptoms of cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation.

NHS England is focused on accelerating earlier and faster cancer diagnosis to achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of people at an early stage by 2028. NHS England’s comprehensive strategy includes raising awareness of cancer symptoms, tackling barriers to help-seeking, and encouraging people to get checked. Targeted awareness campaigns such as Help Us, Help You are a crucial component of this work. The campaigns address specific symptoms, including those linked to common, rare, and less-common cancers, cancer screening, and the fear-related barriers to seeking help from the National Health Service across all cancer types.


Written Question
Cancer: Young People
Wednesday 21st February 2024

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 improve awareness of the (a) signs and (b) symptoms of cancer in young people.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been set up to progress the Government’s mission to deliver world-leading cancer services. This dedicated work focusing on cancers affecting children and young people will explore detection and diagnosis, including improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, as well as genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation.

NHS England is focused on accelerating earlier and faster cancer diagnosis to achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of people at an early stage by 2028. NHS England’s comprehensive strategy includes raising awareness of cancer symptoms, tackling barriers to help-seeking, and encouraging people to get checked. Targeted awareness campaigns such as Help Us, Help You are a crucial component of this work. The campaigns address specific symptoms, including those linked to common, rare, and less-common cancers, cancer screening, and the fear-related barriers to seeking help from the National Health Service across all cancer types.


Written Question
Blood Diseases: Medical Treatments
Wednesday 21st February 2024

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 (a) NICE and (b) NHS England on encouraging the adoption of new treatments for (i) sickle cell disease and (ii) beta-thalassaemia.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department regularly discusses a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), related to patient access to new treatments.

The NICE appraises all new licensed medicines, and its recommendations are developed independently in line with its established methods and processes, on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NHS England is legally required to fund treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance.


Written Question
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: Medical Treatments
Wednesday 21st February 2024

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 (a) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the application of NICE's evaluation methods to support value assessment for one-off curative treatments for which health gains are accrued over time.

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) and HM Treasury. The NICE is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop its recommendations, and concluded a comprehensive review of the methods and processes it uses for health technology evaluation, in January 2022. The NICE carried out the review through extensive engagement with stakeholders, including officials within the Department. The NICE introduced a number of changes that make its methods fairer, faster, more consistent, and appropriate to the evaluation of emerging new technologies, such as cell and gene therapies.

The NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future, including a planned update focussed on health inequalities in 2024. The NICE has been able to recommend several advanced therapeutic medicinal products, including one-off gene therapies, for National Health Service funding that are now available to NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.