Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support her Department is providing to NHS staff in Clinical Support Units (CSU) to allow them to transfer to other jobs within the NHS following the planned closure of CSUs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Activity is under way to ensure all services provided by commissioning support units (CSUs), along with all CSU staff, are mapped and destinations clarified, where a function will continue. Governance arrangements are in place across NHS England and the CSUs to oversee the transition of functions and the safe closure of CSUs.
Staff are being supported through this transition. The CSU Leadership Team hold regular all staff briefings where information on the transition and closure of the CSUs is cascaded. The CSUs are actively involving the trade unions. A job hub has been established to support existing CSU staff to find suitable alternative employment opportunities. A voluntary redundancy scheme has been completed within the CSUs that mirrors that within NHS England, and exits are being planned.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
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 ensure adequate availability of oestrogen and testosterone implants for women who are unable to use any other form of hormone replacement therapy.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are continuing to work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure safe access to these products. We have reached out to specialist importers who can source unlicensed medicines in order to find alternative sources of both oestrogen and testosterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) implants, which are not licenced in the United Kingdom. We are aware of a specialist importer who is able to source unlicensed testosterone implants. The decision to prescribe an unlicensed imported medicine sits with the prescriber.
We are also engaging with companies globally to source supplies of HRT implants for UK patients. The MHRA is working closely with current importers of the product and encouraging applications to supply products through the licenced medicines route.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for her assessment of the adequacy of the availability of oestrogen and testosterone implants.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are continuing to work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure safe access to these products. We have reached out to specialist importers who can source unlicensed medicines in order to find alternative sources of both oestrogen and testosterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) implants, which are not licenced in the United Kingdom. We are aware of a specialist importer who is able to source unlicensed testosterone implants. The decision to prescribe an unlicensed imported medicine sits with the prescriber.
We are also engaging with companies globally to source supplies of HRT implants for UK patients. The MHRA is working closely with current importers of the product and encouraging applications to supply products through the licenced medicines route.