Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on referrals for brain tumours; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The National Health Service is now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services. We are encouraging anybody with symptoms that could be indicative of cancer to contact their general practitioner (GP). GPs will continue to refer on to cancer pathways in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance so that patients can be managed appropriately. Cancer Alliances are working with the NHS to ensure diagnostic services are available to carry out necessary investigations.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department have made on rolling out the CARE brand.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In April 2020, the CARE brand was transferred to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from the CARE Badge Community Interest Company.
When this transfer took place, the Government purchased the remaining stock of badges held by the previous brand owner. These were distributed at no cost to social care providers or members of the workforce. Additional badges have been procured and we expect to be able to start delivering them in July.
We also launched the CARE app on 6 May, which provides the social care workforce with advice, guidance, and mental health and wellbeing support, amongst other things, during this difficult time.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on negotiations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals on access to Orkambi and Symkevi in England.
Answered by Jo Churchill
NHS England and NHS Improvement have been leading negotiations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and have made a revised and improved offer to Vertex that would provide immediate funding for Orkambi and Symkevi in advance of a positive assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This would be in addition to expanded access to Kalydeco which is already funded by the National Health Service for certain patients. However, Vertex has refused to engage with the NICE process and is yet to accept the NHS England and NHS Improvement offer.
The Government fully supports NICE and NHS England and NHS Improvement in seeking to ensure access for patients to effective and innovative medicines at a price that represents value to the NHS, and it is not for Ministers to intervene in this process. The Department’s approach remains to strongly urge Vertex to accept NHS England and NHS Improvement’s generous offer, but in the absence of a deal, we have asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to continue to explore all options to ensure patients can access treatments as soon as possible.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will be meeting the Chief Executive of Vertex again in the coming weeks to discuss what the barriers are to an agreement and how the situation can be resolved.