Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making laser treatment for prostate cancer available on the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has considered developing interventional procedures guidance on magnetic resonance imaging guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for early prostate cancer. However, it is awaiting publication of further evidence before being brought forward. The NICE has not made any recommendations on laser treatment for prostate cancer.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will introduce a national register of people with silicosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are no plans to introduce a national register of people with silicosis. Data on the diagnosis of, and deaths due to, silicosis is collected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Office for National Statistics. The HSE’s report, Silicosis and Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Statistics in Great Britain, contains the latest data of the estimated number of new cases and deaths.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support patients with inflammatory skin conditions to manage the impact of their condition on their mental health.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with long term physical health conditions such as inflammatory skin conditions. This is why, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, National Health Service spending on mental health has increased by £4.7 billion, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
The NHS continues to develop the NHS Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions services to ensure that people with a long-term physical health condition, such as an inflammatory skin condition, have access to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended psychological therapies.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to update the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures in relation to the potential risk surgical of fires.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In January 2023, following a consultation, the Centre for Perioperative Care published revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). These national standards specifically cover all invasive procedures, and include a requirement for local fire safety policies to minimise the risk of surgical fires and to contain a management plan in the event of one occurring. NHS England and the Department are not responsible for the NatSSIPs2 guidance, or further updates.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of people that have been diagnosed with glaucoma broken down by age in the last five years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table provides a count of Finished Admission Episodes where glaucoma was recorded as the primary diagnosis, broken down by age, each year from 2018/19 to 2022/23:
Age group | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
0 to 4 | 332 | 292 | 188 | 205 | 195 |
5 to 9 | 156 | 148 | 103 | 84 | 117 |
10 to 14 | 92 | 120 | 81 | 128 | 115 |
15 to 19 | 121 | 109 | 71 | 128 | 131 |
20 to 24 | 138 | 123 | 87 | 105 | 87 |
25 to 29 | 173 | 176 | 123 | 182 | 158 |
30 to 34 | 233 | 219 | 176 | 218 | 243 |
35 to 39 | 306 | 318 | 243 | 253 | 278 |
40 to 44 | 498 | 413 | 363 | 427 | 428 |
45 to 49 | 867 | 867 | 590 | 666 | 636 |
50 to 54 | 1,288 | 1,423 | 984 | 1,124 | 1,149 |
55 to 59 | 1,852 | 1,862 | 1,352 | 1,656 | 1,712 |
60 to 64 | 2,329 | 2,399 | 1,679 | 2,091 | 2,213 |
65 to 69 | 3,148 | 3,073 | 2,045 | 2,625 | 2,586 |
70 to 74 | 4,062 | 4,117 | 2,740 | 3,435 | 3,563 |
75 to 79 | 3,837 | 3,969 | 2,728 | 3,681 | 4,155 |
80 to 84 | 3,230 | 3,231 | 2,192 | 2,809 | 3,059 |
85 to 89 | 1,841 | 1,970 | 1,214 | 1,666 | 1,863 |
90 and over | 573 | 616 | 399 | 607 | 604 |
Age unknown | 72 | 96 | 51 | 77 | 71 |
Source: NHS Business Service Authority
Wider data on the total number of people diagnosed with glaucoma is not collected. The data does not include individuals diagnosed with glaucoma, where no admission to hospital was necessary, as this will include patients provided with eye drops for the management of their condition, the most common treatment. The data presented is not a count of people, as the same person may have been admitted to hospital on more than one occasion within any given time period.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of admissions to hospital due to alcohol poisoning in the last five years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of hospital admissions in England due to intentional self-poisoning by, and exposure to, alcohol, each year from 2017/18 to 2021/22:
Year | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Admissions | 25,330 | 26,970 | 25,640 | 24,010 | 19,000 |
Source: Alcohol Profile - Hospital admissions due to alcohol, from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles/supporting-information/admissions2
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has allocated to prostate cancer research in the last 5 years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is proud to invest £1.3 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was over £121.8 million for 2022/23, with more spent on cancer than any other disease group. In 2018, the Government announced £75 million towards clinical trials for prostate cancer, with a focus on improving early diagnosis, survival rates, and exploring options for different treatments for men affected by the disease.
Since April 2019, the NIHR has awarded £79.1 million across 49 prostate cancer research programmes. Research includes randomised controlled trials of different treatments for prostate cancer, a randomised controlled trial of different methods of biopsy for suspected prostate cancer, and survivors' rehabilitation evaluation after cancer.
On 19 November 2023, the Government and Prostate Cancer UK announced a £42 million screening trial to find ways of detecting the country’s most common male cancer earlier. Prostate Cancer UK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the Department. Additionally, the NIHR supported over 100 commercial and non-commercial clinical research studies in 2023/24, through the NIHR Research Delivery Network.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure equitable provision of Hormone Replacement Therapy for women.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The menopause is a priority area within the Women’s Health Strategy, and the Government and National Health Service are implementing an ambitious programme of work to improve menopause care, so all women can access the support they need, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
We have reduced the cost of HRT prescriptions through the HRT prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), which enables women who pay for their prescriptions to pay less than £20 for all their HRT prescriptions for a year. In the first year, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, 566,042 HRT PPCs have been purchased.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her timetable is for the rollout of Endo Barriers on the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The implantation of a duodenal–jejunal bypass liner, also known as an endo barrier, for managing type 2 diabetes, is not recommended by the NICE, and therefore not available on the National Health Service. Current evidence on the safety and efficacy of the device for managing type 2 diabetes is limited in quality and quantity. For this reason, the NICE recommends that the procedure should only be done as part of a research study. Further information on the NICE guidelines is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg518/chapter/1-Recommendations
The NICE may update the guidance, upon publication of further evidence. The NICE recommends that people with type 2 diabetes receive eight care processes at least annually, to support them to achieve three treatment targets to prevent diabetes related complications. The care processes include checks on blood glucose and body mass index, to support weight management. Delivery of all eight care processes is associated with reduced emergency admissions, amputations, and retinopathy. NHS England commissions two national lifestyle services to support adults with type 2 diabetes to manage their weight and improve their health and wellbeing. These are the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme. The NICE guidance for the care and management for adults with type 2 diabetes is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase public awareness of links between heart disease in women and alcohol consumption.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Health Check is England’s cardiovascular disease prevention programme. It aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia among adults aged 40 to 74 years old. Each year the programme engages over one million people, including women, and prevents approximately 400 heart attacks or strokes. The provision of an alcohol risk assessment, and brief advice about alcohol harm, is a requirement in the NHS Health Check. The guidance to practitioners sets out that people identified as drinking at higher-risk levels should be referred for a liver check, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. In addition, the United Kingdom’s Chief Medical Officer’s Low risk drinking guidelines and National Health Service guidance highlight that alcohol use is a risk factor for heart disease.