Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for (a) diagnosis of and (b) treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment or treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. NICE guidelines for ADHD diagnosis and management do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD, nor do they set out a timeframe within which treatment for ADHD should be provided, but it does explain the key considerations for clinicians when deciding whether to offer treatment.
In a recent Westminster Hall debate on 1 February 2023, I committed to look at how we can improve data on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guideline.
We are supporting ICBs to expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the health benefits of introducing a national lung screening programme.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) undertook a review of the evidence relating to the clinical effectiveness of screening for lung cancer in adults with a history of tobacco smoking. This found high quality evidence that screening in this group identified lung cancer earlier and significantly reduced deaths from lung cancer.
Following a public consultation, the UK NSC recommended that lung cancer screening should be implemented in the United Kingdom. The Department is currently considering the recommendation from the UK NSC with NHS England.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the average waiting time for diagnosis for someone who has been referred with suspected ADHD in by England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population including assessments and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ICBs and National Health Service trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. This NICE guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support that people receive.
While the NICE guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD or from assessment to the point of diagnosis, a diagnosis should be made as soon as possible, and we are clear that people should not have to face long waits. Consultant-led mental health services are covered by the NHS 18-week maximum waiting time.
We are supporting ICBs to generally expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a list of the circumstances in which a person is required by law to produce or show their birth certificate in a health setting.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are not aware of a legal requirement for a birth certificate as the only valid identification for services in the National Health Service.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 137735 on Brain: Diseases, if he will hold discussions with mental health trusts on whether they are excluding patients in need of community mental health care because they have organic brain disorders.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has no plans to hold discussions with mental health trusts on this issue.
NHS England has advised that it is not aware of any mental health trusts excluding patients in need of community mental health care because they have organic brain disorders. Trusts should operate according to clinical need. Mental health services should not be a first port of call for someone with an organic brain disease. However, if an individual with organic brain disease develops mental health issues, or has existing mental health issues, there should be no reason to exclude them from mental health services.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Association of British Insurers about the genetic discrimination against applicants for life insurance.
Answered by Will Quince
The Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance (the Code) is an agreement between the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Government which aims to prevent genetic discrimination and provide reassurance to the public about genetic testing and access to life, critical illness, and income protection insurance products.
Given advances in genetics and genomics, to ensure that the Code remains fit for purpose, the Government and the ABI agreed the Code should be reviewed, in a joint process, every three years. The first review of the Code, conducted by the Department and ABI, was published in December 2022. It sets out further steps which will be taken over the coming year to gather further information, via a call for evidence and stakeholder workshops, to ensure the Code remains mutually beneficial for both consumers and the insurance industry.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to extend opt-out HIV testing.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, NHS England has expanded opt-out HIV testing in accident and emergency departments in areas of extremely high diagnosed HIV prevalence, over five cases per 1,000 people, a proven effective way to identify new HIV cases. NHS England is investing £20 million over three years, 2022/25, to support this activity.
We will be considering the full evidence from the first year of opt-out testing, alongside the data on progress towards our ambition of ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030, to decide whether we further expand this programme to areas with high HIV prevalence that is two to five cases per 1,000 people. We will also share the findings from the opt-out testing programme with local health systems to inform local decisions on expansion.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the insurance industry on the premia for life insurance offered to people who have a family history of Huntington's disease but have a confirmed negative predictive test.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the insurance industry on prices for life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s with a negative predictive test and, has no plans to have such discussions. However the Department works closely with the Association of British Insurers on the Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance to ensure it remains fit for purpose. This has included discussions with the Huntington’s Disease Association during the recent three yearly review of the Code, which was published in December 2022.
While there are no plans to make a formal comparative assessment, we are aware of stakeholders raising concerns regarding access to life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s while having a negative predictive test and we will be working with ABI to understand this further.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with representatives of the insurance industry on the prices for life insurance offered to people who have a family history of Huntington's disease and also have a confirmed negative predictive test.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the insurance industry on prices for life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s with a negative predictive test and, has no plans to have such discussions. However the Department works closely with the Association of British Insurers on the Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance to ensure it remains fit for purpose. This has included discussions with the Huntington’s Disease Association during the recent three yearly review of the Code, which was published in December 2022.
While there are no plans to make a formal comparative assessment, we are aware of stakeholders raising concerns regarding access to life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s while having a negative predictive test and we will be working with ABI to understand this further.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the (a) terms and (b) prices offered to individuals who (i) had and (ii) did not have a family history of Huntington's disease by insurance companies for life insurance in each of the last three years.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the insurance industry on prices for life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s with a negative predictive test and, has no plans to have such discussions. However the Department works closely with the Association of British Insurers on the Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance to ensure it remains fit for purpose. This has included discussions with the Huntington’s Disease Association during the recent three yearly review of the Code, which was published in December 2022.
While there are no plans to make a formal comparative assessment, we are aware of stakeholders raising concerns regarding access to life insurance for people with a family history of Huntington’s while having a negative predictive test and we will be working with ABI to understand this further.