Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure the health and independence of UK thalidomide victims.
Answered by Norman Lamb
On 20 December 2012, I announced a new 10-year grant to the Thalidomide Trust. The grant will be paid on an annual basis, uprated in line with inflation, which means that over the 10-year period it will be worth in the region of £80 million.
The grant is intended to enable investment in adaptations and preventative measures to improve health and wellbeing and to help minimise further deterioration for this unique group of people.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides for research into better diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis among people with Parkinson's.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not currently funding any research on this specific topic. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues about early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis among people with Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Department has made no assessment of the possible links between Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis. However, we are aware of a number of studies citing such a link, the most recent being published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry in March this year, which suggested that patients with Parkinson’s disease were at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. A number of possible risk factors are identified, such as instability and a deteriorating physical condition.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline, Osteoporosis: assessing the risk of fragility fracture, sets out best practice for clinicians in the assessment of fragility fracture risk in patients. The guideline highlights a set of patients who are at risk of developing secondary osteoporosis, which includes those with, ‘immobility (due for example to neurological injury or disease)’. The guidance can be found at following link:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg146/resources/guidance-osteoporosis-assessing-the-risk-of-fragility-fracture-pdf
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of possible links between Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Department has made no assessment of the possible links between Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis. However, we are aware of a number of studies citing such a link, the most recent being published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry in March this year, which suggested that patients with Parkinson’s disease were at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. A number of possible risk factors are identified, such as instability and a deteriorating physical condition.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline, Osteoporosis: assessing the risk of fragility fracture, sets out best practice for clinicians in the assessment of fragility fracture risk in patients. The guideline highlights a set of patients who are at risk of developing secondary osteoporosis, which includes those with, ‘immobility (due for example to neurological injury or disease)’. The guidance can be found at following link:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg146/resources/guidance-osteoporosis-assessing-the-risk-of-fragility-fracture-pdf
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Welsh Government on the operation of the new Welsh law on presumed consent for organ donation for English residents who are patients in Wales and Welsh residents who are patients in England.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Discussions with the Welsh Government have confirmed that Welsh deemed consent legislation will only apply to people "ordinarily resident" in Wales for at least 12 months and who die in Wales. It will not apply to anyone under the age of 18 or to Welsh residents who die outside Wales.