Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with motor neurone disease have appropriate access to support and equipment in order for their communication needs to be met.
Answered by Norman Lamb
Since 1 April 2013 NHS England has been responsible for commissioning Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) aids for patients with complex disability whose needs require specialised assessment, including for patients with motor neurone disease. Commissioning of non-specialised AAC aids is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England has identified an additional £22.5 million funding for AAC and Environmental Controls in 2014-15. A process to identify appropriate providers, and ensure they were able to meet the AAC service specification and standards began in April this year as soon as the budget was confirmed. The specification can be found at:
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d01-com-dis-equ-alt-aug-comm-aids.pdf
The identification of providers was completed in August, and just under £15 million specifically for AAC was transferred to Local Area Team commissioners to agree contracts. During this process, NHS England worked closely with the Motor Neurone Disease Association to ensure that funding was equitably distributed in a fair and consistent manner. The 13 AAC providers selected are in the process of recruiting the required additional specialist therapy staff. Services are already accepting referrals and patients are being prioritised according to their clinical need, with priority being given to patients with life limiting conditions.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients resident in Wales are registered with GPs in England; and how many patients resident in England are registered with GPs in Wales.
Answered by Jane Ellison
As of 16 November 2014, 20,795 patients in England were registered with a Welsh Practice.
As of 4 November 2014, 14,832 patients in Wales were registered with an English Practice.
Source: Regular NHAIS System capitation extracts.
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 Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what the policy is of the Crown Prosecution Service in prosecuting cases of encouraging or assisting suicide.
Answered by Robert Buckland
When prosecuting cases of encouraging or assisting suicide, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors make decisions in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Director of Public Prosecutions Policy for Prosecutors in respect of cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide.
Following the recent Supreme Court Judgement in the case of ‘Nicklinson and others’, the policy was updated on the 16 October 2014 to clarify issues raised regarding healthcare professionals (and others with similar responsibilities for individuals).
A copy of the updated policy is available on the CPS website at: http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/assisted_suicide_policy.html
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.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the UK's security of energy supply.
Answered by Ed Davey
The UK enjoys a stable and secure energy supply, and we are working hard to ensure that it continues. As a Government, we are actively managing a number of risks to our current and future energy supplies, including the current challenges from Iraq, Russia and Ukraine. Our recent national gas risk assessment demonstrated that our gas infrastructure is robust. The measures recently announced by National Grid respond to the energy crunch that, owing to the legacy of under-investment and neglect, was predicted for this winter, but which will not now happen.
Asked by: Glyn Davies (Conservative - Montgomeryshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in other countries on tackling bovine TB in cattle and wildlife.
Answered by George Eustice
The success of the bovine TB eradication policies pursued in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the Republic of Ireland and France demonstrates the need to bear down on the disease effectively in both cattle and in wildlife.
There is no single solution.