Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a requirement for online sellers of testing kits for sexually transmitted infections to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Answered by Steve Brine
There is no requirement for online sellers of testing kits for sexually transmitted infections to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) unless the provider is registered with the CQC as a primary care service.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what duties online sexually transmitted infection testing services have to follow best practice in respect of safeguarding and child protection issues.
Answered by Steve Brine
Online sexually transmitted infection services are not offered to under 16s who would be advised to attend their local clinic where a proper safeguarding assessment can be undertaken in person.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the UK hospitals participating in the European Reference Networks on rare diseases will continue to participate in those Networks in the event of the UK withdrawing from the EU.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, stresses the importance of continued collaboration with European partners to ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world for science and innovation. European Reference Networks were cited in the paper as an example of a partnership that the UK believes should continue.
The diagnosis, treatment and management of rare diseases benefit from national and international collaboration because of the limited number of patients and scarcity of clinical and research expertise within a single country. The UK is recognised internationally for its expertise and excellence in the field of rare diseases.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the National Audit Office Report, Implementing the UK’s exit from the European Union, HC 593, published on 17 November 2017, if he will (a) list the 31 work streams in his Department identified by the National Audit Office in that report, (b) provide summaries of the issues covered and (c) detail the number of Officials of his Department contributing to those work streams.
Answered by Philip Dunne
As indicated in the National Audit Office report, the Department for Exiting the European Union had identified 313 Exit work streams across Government departments, including 31 from this Department. The development of work streams is part of ongoing cross-Government work to develop and assess potential policy options, and to understand the implications of EU Exit.
The report represents a snapshot of the number and type of work stream at the time of publication. Many of these will vary as time goes by, including the Department ones but these will be kept under regular review by all departments. We will not be listing any detail about the Department’s work streams.
We can confirm that we are equipping ourselves with the right people and the right skills across government to make a success of Brexit. This Department has identified the workforce it requires for operational and policy requirements and constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s commitment to leave the EU and get the very best deal for the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultation he has carried out with (a) NHS trusts, (b) NHS staff and (c) the public of his plans to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many expressions of interest he has received from potential joint venture partners in NHS Professionals; and what the names of those partners are.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what future contractual mechanisms he proposes to ensure that NHS Professionals meets the staffing needs of NHS trusts and delivers value for money to the taxpayer.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for selling a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on his plans to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital consultant posts are vacant; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is an adequate number of hospital consultants working in the NHS.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The number of hospital consultant posts that are vacant is not collected by the Department. The latest workforce data published by NHS Digital shows that as at September 2016 there are 106,131 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the National Health Service in England, of which 44,333 are consultants. This is an overall increase of almost 11,400 (FTE) more doctors since May 2010, of which over 8,400 (23.6%) are consultants.
Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient future supply of staff to meet the workforce requirements of the English health system, taking into account issues such as demographic changes.
In delivering its annual workforce plan for England HEE undertakes extensive discussions with NHS organisations, arm’s length bodies and Royal Colleges to understand future workforce requirements. HEE takes into account future demand for services in arriving at the final numbers it will commission.