Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
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 potential impact of Government policies on ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009 on the sale of tobacco products in the black market.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
No assessment has been made. History shows whenever we introduce new tobacco control legislation and regulations, illicit tobacco has decreased, due to strong enforcement. Consumption of illegal tobacco has gone from 17 billion cigarettes in 2000/1 to three billion cigarettes in 2022/23.
As part of the smokefree generation announcement on 4 October 2023, the Government is also providing £30 million additional funding per year to support enforcement agencies such as trading standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue & Customs.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
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 potential impact of the unavailability of testing kits free of charge on the accuracy of national Covid-19 surveillance reports.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The data in the national COVID-19 and flu surveillance reports are accurate based on the data reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The changes in the availability of free COVID-19 testing have not affected the accuracy of data presented within UKHSA’s national COVID-19 and flu surveillance reports. Changes to testing policies over time have changed the volume and breadth of data included in the reports, and this needs to be considered when interpreting that information.
However, there continues to be a range of useful and accurate data available within the national COVID-19 and flu surveillance reports taken from other sources, including our ongoing surveillance programmes.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are accessing type one diabetes services in each Integrated Care System; and how many specialist health and care workers are trained to onboard patients onto diabetes technology in each Integrated Care System in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The following table shows the number of people accessing type one diabetes services in each Integrated Care Board (ICB). It is not possible to provide data on how many specialist health and care workers are trained to onboard patients onto diabetes technology in each ICB.
ICB | Patients with Type 1 Diabetes who attended specialist services |
NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB | 1,815 |
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB | 1,870 |
NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB | 290 |
NHS Black Country ICB | 1,475 |
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB | 140 |
NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB | 4,225 |
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB | 2,340 |
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB | 5,275 |
NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB | 60 |
NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB | 1,470 |
NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB | 2,990 |
NHS Devon ICB | 355 |
NHS Dorset ICB | 1,990 |
NHS Frimley ICB | 1,070 |
NHS Gloucestershire ICB | 85 |
NHS Greater Manchester ICB | 4,385 |
NHS Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB | 2,740 |
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB | 1,970 |
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB | 3,385 |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB | 3,555 |
NHS Kent and Medway ICB | 3,540 |
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB | 1,250 |
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB | 2,620 |
NHS Lincolnshire ICB | 2,125 |
NHS Mid and South Essex ICB | 1,340 |
NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB | 3,335 |
NHS North Central London ICB | 2,000 |
NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB | 8,440 |
NHS North East London ICB | 890 |
NHS North West London ICB | 3,005 |
NHS Northamptonshire ICB | 220 |
NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB | 1,975 |
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB | 135 |
NHS Somerset ICB | 1,100 |
NHS South East London ICB | 3,930 |
NHS South West London ICB | 2,095 |
NHS South Yorkshire ICB | 2,445 |
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB | 795 |
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB | 3,320 |
NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB | 2,155 |
NHS Sussex ICB | 4,685 |
NHS West Yorkshire ICB | 3,855 |
Notes:
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the Integrated Care Systems in England which do not have a formal commissioning policy for real-time continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with type 1 diabetes.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The National Health Service across the North East is dedicated to supporting patients in monitoring and managing their lifestyle with cutting edge technology. This has resulted in a high proportion of type 1 diabetic patients in the North East utilising the latest glucose monitors and insulin pumps to manage their condition. Local services are being redesigned to improve access to the latest technologies and reduce variation in care for vulnerable patients living with type 1 diabetes.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes, which considers their clinical and cost effectiveness.
TARGET DATE 26/05/2023
Should NICE recommend Hybrid Closed Loop and issue eligibility criteria, NHS England will then work with integrated care boards (ICBs)to support meeting their commitments.
It is not possible to list the ICBs in England which do not have a formal commissioning policy for real-time continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with type 1 diabetes as this information is not collected. ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential long-term financial merits of a move to hybrid closed loop technology for people with type one diabetes who are clinically eligible to access that therapy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The National Health Service across the North East is dedicated to supporting patients in monitoring and managing their lifestyle with cutting edge technology. This has resulted in a high proportion of type 1 diabetic patients in the North East utilising the latest glucose monitors and insulin pumps to manage their condition. Local services are being redesigned to improve access to the latest technologies and reduce variation in care for vulnerable patients living with type 1 diabetes.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes, which considers their clinical and cost effectiveness.
TARGET DATE 26/05/2023
Should NICE recommend Hybrid Closed Loop and issue eligibility criteria, NHS England will then work with integrated care boards (ICBs)to support meeting their commitments.
It is not possible to list the ICBs in England which do not have a formal commissioning policy for real-time continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with type 1 diabetes as this information is not collected. ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that Integrated Care Boards are able to implement the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's appraisals on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The National Health Service across the North East is dedicated to supporting patients in monitoring and managing their lifestyle with cutting edge technology. This has resulted in a high proportion of type 1 diabetic patients in the North East utilising the latest glucose monitors and insulin pumps to manage their condition. Local services are being redesigned to improve access to the latest technologies and reduce variation in care for vulnerable patients living with type 1 diabetes.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes, which considers their clinical and cost effectiveness.
TARGET DATE 26/05/2023
Should NICE recommend Hybrid Closed Loop and issue eligibility criteria, NHS England will then work with integrated care boards (ICBs)to support meeting their commitments.
It is not possible to list the ICBs in England which do not have a formal commissioning policy for real-time continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with type 1 diabetes as this information is not collected. ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve access to diabetes technologies across local diabetes services in the North East.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The National Health Service across the North East is dedicated to supporting patients in monitoring and managing their lifestyle with cutting edge technology. This has resulted in a high proportion of type 1 diabetic patients in the North East utilising the latest glucose monitors and insulin pumps to manage their condition. Local services are being redesigned to improve access to the latest technologies and reduce variation in care for vulnerable patients living with type 1 diabetes.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes, which considers their clinical and cost effectiveness
It is not possible to list the ICBs in England which do not have a formal commissioning policy for real-time continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with type 1 diabetes as this information is not collected
ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a national eye health strategy for England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
We recognise the challenges facing eye care services. In response, the Department and NHS England are already taking a strategic approach. Through the transformation programme, NHS England is considering how eye care services could be commissioned to ensure future sustainability. NHS England has appointed Louisa Wickham as a national clinical director for eyecare to oversee the recovery of eye care services and longer-term transformation. This sits alongside action already being taken to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of sight-threatening conditions.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to ensure all NHS commissioners offer primary care optometrists the opportunity to provide Minor Eye Care Services across England.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
In England, integrated care boards are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to meet local needs. This includes decisions on whether to commission locally enhanced services from primary eye care providers, such as minor eye conditions services. NHS England’s transformation programme is also considering how eye care services could be commissioned for the future, this includes considering a greater role for primary eye care providers.
In the Autumn Statement, the Department committed to an additional £3.3 billion per year until 2024/25 to respond to significant pressures facing the National Health Service. This is on top of the £8 billion already committed until 2025 to reduce waiting times across specialisms, including for ophthalmology.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to improve access to eye care services in (a) North Durham (b) all Integrated Health Board areas.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
In England, integrated care boards are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to meet local needs. This includes decisions on whether to commission locally enhanced services from primary eye care providers, such as minor eye conditions services. NHS England’s transformation programme is also considering how eye care services could be commissioned for the future, this includes considering a greater role for primary eye care providers.
In the Autumn Statement, the Department committed to an additional £3.3 billion per year until 2024/25 to respond to significant pressures facing the National Health Service. This is on top of the £8 billion already committed until 2025 to reduce waiting times across specialisms, including for ophthalmology.