Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average payments to community pharmacies were in Sheffield Hallam in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.
Answered by Steve Brine
The average payments to community pharmacies in the Sheffield Hallam constituency were:
£632,488 per year in 2016/17; and
£628,579 per year in 2017/18.
These payments to pharmacies are to reimburse them for the cost of dispensed products and to remunerate them for the provision of nationally commissioned, advanced and enhanced services under the community pharmacy contractual framework, and some local services commissioned by NHS England.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the closure of community pharmacies.
Answered by Steve Brine
There remains good access to community pharmacies with 88% of the population able to access their local pharmacy on foot within 20 minutes. To help maintain access to face-to-face National Health Service pharmaceutical services in areas with fewer pharmacies the Government introduced a Pharmacy Access Scheme (PHAS), under which pharmacies eligible for the scheme receive a ‘top-up’ payment, thus requiring them to make smaller efficiency savings than other non-PhAS pharmacies.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to assess the quality of hospital-provided patient transport services.
Answered by Steve Brine
The eligibility criteria to receive patient transport services is set out in Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services (2007). The Department has not altered these criteria.
The provision of appropriate patient transport services is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners. Patient transport services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has altered the eligibility for patients receiving free transport to hospital.
Answered by Steve Brine
The eligibility criteria to receive patient transport services is set out in Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services (2007). The Department has not altered these criteria.
The provision of appropriate patient transport services is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners. Patient transport services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance the Government offers to local authorities on the effect of the provisions in the Care Act 2014 on the minimum number of residential care homes such authorities are required to offer.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Care Act 2014 does not specify the minimum number of residential care homes authorities are required to offer.
The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities in England to promote a diverse, sustainable, high quality market of care and support providers for people in their local area.
We have given local authorities in England an extra £2 billion over the next three years to maintain access for our growing aging population and allow councils to sustain a diverse care market including care home places.
In addition the Government has announced we will consult on plans to improve the social care system and to put it on a more secure financial footing.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the discount rate change on the indemnity costs of general practitioners.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department is aware that the rise in the cost of indemnity as a result of the change in the personal discount rate announced by the then Lord Chancellor (Rt. hon. Elizabeth Truss MP) in February 2017 is an area of concern for general practitioners (GPs).
The Department has been assessing the potential effect of the discount rate change by working closely with GPs and Medical Defence Organisations to ensure that appropriate funding is available to meet the additional costs to GPs, recognising the crucial role they play in the delivery of National Health Service care.
On 12 October 2017, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced that the Department is planning, subject to examination of relevant issues, the development of a state-backed indemnity scheme for general practice in England.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the care needs of stem cell transplant patients beyond the first 100 days of recovery.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
NHS England is responsible for commissioning and funding the transplant related care which takes place 30 days before transplant and continues until 100 days post-transplant. After 100 days post-transplant, commissioning responsibility for the routine follow-up of patients switches from NHS England to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), as outlined in the Manual.
The Manual for Prescribed Specialised Services describes which elements of specialised services are commissioned by NHS England and which are commissioned by CCGs is available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/prescribed-specialised-services-manual-2.pdf
In the event that transplant patients experience serious complications post-transplant, elements of their care would likely continue to be planned, organised and funded by NHS England specialised commissioning. For example, if a patient requires Extracorporeal Photophersis which is a treatment for acute and chronic graft versus host disease following transplantation, NHS England commissions this care post-transplant.
NHS England’s work in supporting the roll out of the Recovery Package for cancer patients, including those who received blood and marrow transplants, helps ensure patients have more personal care and support from the point they are diagnosed and once treatment ends. For patients this means working with their care team to develop a comprehensive plan outlining not only their physical needs, but also additional support, such as help at home or financial advice. By 2020 NHS England wants all cancer patients to have access to the Recovery Package.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information is available on support and self-help groups for patients recovering from a stem cell transplant.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Post-transplant care for patients is important. NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning team and Clinical Reference Group for blood and marrow transplants (BMT) are undertaking work mapping care post-day 100 days.
There are no current plans to review the responsibilities of services commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for BMT at this time, NHS England will be assessing BMT in more detail over the next 18 months and will take the opportunity to further support improved pathway planning and commissioning of services that it and CCGs fund.
NHS England’s work in supporting the roll out of the Recovery Package for cancer patients, including those who received BMT, helps ensure patients have more personal care and support from the point they are diagnosed and once treatment ends. For patients this means working with their care team to develop a comprehensive plan outlining not only their physical needs, but also additional support, such as help at home or financial advice. By 2020 NHS England wants all cancer patients to have access to the Recovery Package.
Information about specific support or self-help groups available for patients recovering from a stem cell transplant is not directly held by the Department or NHS England. However, we would expect treating clinicians/ clinical teams to provide any relevant information to their patients during the course of the treatment or upon discharge.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of care and support that stem cell transplant patients are able to access after leaving hospital.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
NHS England is responsible for commissioning and funding the transplant related care which takes place 30 days before transplant and continues until 100 days post-transplant. After 100 days post-transplant, commissioning responsibility for the routine follow-up of patients switches from NHS England to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), as outlined in the Manual. The Manual for Prescribed Specialised Services describes which elements of specialised services are commissioned by NHS England and which are commissioned by CCGs:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/prescribed-specialised-services-manual-2.pdf
In the event that transplant patients experience serious complications post-transplant, elements of their care would likely continue to be planned, organised and funded by NHS England specialised commissioning. For example, if a patient requires Extracorporeal Photophersis which is a treatment for acute and chronic graft versus host disease following transplantation, NHS England commissions this care post-transplant.
NHS England’s work in supporting the roll out of the Recovery Package for cancer patients, including those who received blood and marrow transplants, helps ensure patients have more personal care and support from the point they are diagnosed and once treatment ends.
For patients this means working with their care team to develop a comprehensive plan outlining not only their physical needs, but also additional support, such as help at home or financial advice. By 2020 NHS England wants all cancer patients to have access to the Recovery Package.