Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to establish a taskforce to consider issues faced by people with neurological conditions; and if he will meet with representatives from the Neurological Alliance to discuss the potential merits of creating this taskforce.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department received the petition calling for the establishment of a neurological taskforce from the Neurological Alliance and other stakeholders in June 2023. We are considering that petition. Policy colleagues regularly meet with the Neurological Alliance and have worked closely together to develop an Acquired Brain Injury Strategy, due to be published later this year.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 ensure the Major Conditions Strategy improves outcomes for people with a less survivable form of cancer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Major Conditions Strategy will look at all cancer types, covering the patient pathway from prevention, through treatment, to follow-up care. The strategy will look at a wide range of interventions and enablers to improve outcomes and experience for cancer patients.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with Hospice UK on the impact of the cost of energy on the hospice sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is regular engagement with Hospice UK and other palliative and end of life care stakeholders at both ministerial and official level to understand the issues they face, such as the impact of the cost of energy on the hospice sector.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of (a) ordinary and (b) named-day written questions their Department answered on time in 2022.
Answered by Will Quince
For the period of 4 January 2022 to 28 April 2022, the Department answered 48.06% of Named Day Written Questions on the named day, and 74.0% of Ordinary Written Questions within a timeframe of five working days.
For the period of 10 May 2022 to 21 July 2022 inclusive, the Department answered 66.11% of Named Day Written Questions on the named day, and 73.5% of Ordinary Written Questions within a timeframe of five working days.
As the Table Office is still collating the on-time answering statistics for the period commencing 22 July 2022 up to the end of that year, it is not possible at this stage to provide an official figure for the entire of 2022.
The Department receives the most Written Questions amongst all government departments, and we continue to progress our on-time performance through a post-pandemic recovery strategy.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 8 November 2022 to Question 77355 on Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates: Regulation, for what reason his Department did not publish the public consultation on the draft legislation aimed at enabling the General Medical Council to regulate physician associates and anaesthesia associates by the end of 2022.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department’s focus remains on addressing National Health Service winter pressures and ensuring that patients have access to the services that they need. The work to regulate Anaesthesia Associates and physician associates continues to be progressed and we plan to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation in early 2023.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 2 November 2022 to Question 77355 on Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates: Regulation, if it is still his intention to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation aimed at enabling the General Medical Council to regulate physician associates and anaesthesia associates by the end of 2022.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government remains committed to the work which will enable the General Medical Council to regulate Anaesthesia Associates and physician associates. We plan to publish the public consultation on the draft legislation early in 2023.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department collects on the effect of rising living costs on mental health; what steps he will take to monitor the effect of rising living costs on mental health; and what steps he will take with Cabinet colleagues on monitoring the impact of any deterioration in mental health on the UK economy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
While specific data is not collected, changes in the prevalence of mental ill-health in children and young people is monitored through the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey. The latest survey published in 2021 is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2021-follow-up-to-the-2017-survey
The prevalence of mental ill-health in adults is monitored through the NHS Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, with the latest survey expected to be published in 2024. We also routinely monitor changes to National Health Service mental health service demand. The Office for National Statistics is undertaking analysis on the cost of living and depression in adults, which is due to be published on 6 December 2022.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 effect of the cost of living crisis on levels of mental health.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tooting (Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP) on 1 November 2022 to Question 68566.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the cost of living crisis on mental health.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including the impact of the rising cost of living on mental health.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make additional funding available to the NHS to help address the effect of the rising costs of living on mental health.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
NHS England has released a further £1.5 billion to integrated care systems to address the rising costs of energy and inflation. Integrated care boards will determine how this funding will be allocated to meet the needs of local populations.