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 (a) standard and (b) higher rate for NHS-funded nursing care is for 2016-17.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Following a recent review of the rate of NHS-funded Nursing Care (NHS FNC) in England, the Department has not yet announced the standard and higher rates of NHS FNC for 2016-17. We will make an announcement in due course.
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 recommendations of the report of the public inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust have not been implemented.
Answered by Ben Gummer
In 2010, Sir Robert Francis began his inquiry into failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the report of which was published in 2013. “Patients First and Foremost”, the Government’s initial response, was published shortly afterwards; followed later in the year with a more detailed response “Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First”.
These are available at:
In February 2015, the Government published “Culture Change in the NHS” (link), a consolidated account of the progress to date in implementing the recommendations committed to. These actions fell into a few broad categories – for example, improving professional regulation and oversight; introducing a professional duty of candour; developing a more integrated and collaborative approach to quality regulation; increasing co-operation with regulators across and outside the health and care sector; and addressing the urgent need for a different culture in the National Health Service, one with a greater emphasis on putting the patient at the heart of services, where professionals focus on learning from experience, and where accountability and transparency are valued and become an integral part of clinical practice.
In July 2015, the Government also published “Learning not Blaming” (link), our response to Sir Robert Francis QC’s “Freedom to Speak up” report (link), the report of Dr Bill Kirkup into events at Morecambe Bay (link), and the Public Administration Select Committee’s report into the investigation of clinical incidents (HC886, 27 March 2015), all of which had been published earlier that year. The themes identified in “Learning not Blaming” were similar to those found in Sir Robert Francis’s report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, in particular the repeated failure of professionals to heed the concerns of their patients and of their colleagues.
The Government has supported the health and care system in successfully making the culture changes that Sir Robert called for. Although the journey outlined in these reports is still under way, the system continues to make significant and worthwhile progress, which the Government wholeheartedly support, including:
- consolidating NHS provider regulation into one organisation – NHS Improvement (NHSI) – that will lead the development of a culture that focuses on improving outcomes, efficiency and fairness; and that, in doing so, emphasises learning from experience;
- locating the NHS patient safety function in NHSI, and creating a new Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, headed by an independent chief investigator;
- setting up the office of the Independent National Officer, to protect whistleblowers;
- reforming the system of midwifery supervision, to bring it into line with other professions;
- establishing a global movement to improve patient safety;
- leading the development of a more open and transparent approach to the handling of all feedback (including complaints) across the NHS;
- starting the process of improving the systematic recording and tracking of perinatal deaths; and
- further developing the use of data and insight to inspire improvement in quality and efficiency, and help hospital leaders at Board level to understand what more needs to be done in their organisation to earn the title of ‘learning organisation’.
The Government remains committed to creating the safest, highest quality care healthcare services. We have taken the actions necessary to support the health and care system in rising to the challenge of making the journey to putting patients first.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department last reported on what progress has been made implementing the recommendations of the report of the public inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Ben Gummer
In 2010, Sir Robert Francis began his inquiry into failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the report of which was published in 2013. “Patients First and Foremost”, the Government’s initial response, was published shortly afterwards; followed later in the year with a more detailed response “Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First”.
These are available at:
In February 2015, the Government published “Culture Change in the NHS” (link), a consolidated account of the progress to date in implementing the recommendations committed to. These actions fell into a few broad categories – for example, improving professional regulation and oversight; introducing a professional duty of candour; developing a more integrated and collaborative approach to quality regulation; increasing co-operation with regulators across and outside the health and care sector; and addressing the urgent need for a different culture in the National Health Service, one with a greater emphasis on putting the patient at the heart of services, where professionals focus on learning from experience, and where accountability and transparency are valued and become an integral part of clinical practice.
In July 2015, the Government also published “Learning not Blaming” (link), our response to Sir Robert Francis QC’s “Freedom to Speak up” report (link), the report of Dr Bill Kirkup into events at Morecambe Bay (link), and the Public Administration Select Committee’s report into the investigation of clinical incidents (HC886, 27 March 2015), all of which had been published earlier that year. The themes identified in “Learning not Blaming” were similar to those found in Sir Robert Francis’s report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, in particular the repeated failure of professionals to heed the concerns of their patients and of their colleagues.
The Government has supported the health and care system in successfully making the culture changes that Sir Robert called for. Although the journey outlined in these reports is still under way, the system continues to make significant and worthwhile progress, which the Government wholeheartedly support, including:
- consolidating NHS provider regulation into one organisation – NHS Improvement (NHSI) – that will lead the development of a culture that focuses on improving outcomes, efficiency and fairness; and that, in doing so, emphasises learning from experience;
- locating the NHS patient safety function in NHSI, and creating a new Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, headed by an independent chief investigator;
- setting up the office of the Independent National Officer, to protect whistleblowers;
- reforming the system of midwifery supervision, to bring it into line with other professions;
- establishing a global movement to improve patient safety;
- leading the development of a more open and transparent approach to the handling of all feedback (including complaints) across the NHS;
- starting the process of improving the systematic recording and tracking of perinatal deaths; and
- further developing the use of data and insight to inspire improvement in quality and efficiency, and help hospital leaders at Board level to understand what more needs to be done in their organisation to earn the title of ‘learning organisation’.
The Government remains committed to creating the safest, highest quality care healthcare services. We have taken the actions necessary to support the health and care system in rising to the challenge of making the journey to putting patients first.
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 Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 36036, for what reason the awareness campaign on the symptoms of serious infections in children is not being extended to all adults including those who are not parents.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Infections can be serious in both adults and children. Public Health England has been commissioned to develop a public awareness campaign for parents and families about serious infections in children, including meningitis, septicaemia and sepsis. Health Education England have been asked to work with National Health Service organisations to develop parallel professional awareness materials for healthcare professionals who work with both children and adults who have serious infections, including sepsis. A range of information materials for the public are also available on the UK Sepsis Trust website and NHS Choices.
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 information is provided to new mothers on spotting the signs and symptoms of sepsis in young children and infants.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Health visitors are able to provide information to parents on the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Public Health England (PHE) is working with health visiting professional organisations to ensure health visitors have easy access to up to date advice to share with parents.
General information about the signs and symptoms of sepsis is available on the NHS Choices website at:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Blood-poisoning/Pages/Introduction.aspx
NHS Choices also includes more specific information on the signs and symptoms of septicaemia caused by meningitis at:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Meningitis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
We have also asked PHE to develop an awareness campaign for parents that focuses on the symptoms of serious infections, including meningitis, septicaemia, and sepsis.
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 his Department exceeded its expenditure limit in 2015-16.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Confirmation of the spending outturn against all expenditure limits will be provided in the Department of Health’s Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16, due to be published in July 2016.
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 much funding his Department will make available for Public Health England's awareness campaign on the symptoms of serious infections; and what proportion of that funding will be spent on sepsis awareness.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department funds Public Health England to undertake a range of social marketing campaigns to support behaviour change and public awareness. This work will be funded within the annual budget as will the work on other infections, such as influenza, as well as non-infectious diseases. Further planning work will be undertaken to determine the budget for this activity.