Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will publish guidance to implement the Down Syndrome Act 2022; and if he will publish the current mandate to the guidance's drafting team.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are analysing all the responses to the Down Syndrome Act guidance call for evidence which ran from July to November 2022. The responses to the call for evidence will inform the development of the guidance, required by the Act, which will be consulted on at the earliest opportunity.
The Act places a duty on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to publish guidance for relevant authorities, including health, social care, education and housing, on the steps it would be appropriate to take to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. Guidance will cover these areas and others highlighted as important by the call for evidence. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and a working group will be set up in due course to support development of the guidance.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the backlog in NHS Genomics Medicines Service.
Answered by Will Quince
Minimising the time taken to deliver a genomic test is a key priority for NHS England. NHS England has implemented a monthly data collection and monitoring system across all seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) to better identify variation, implement service improvements and to ensure agreed national turnaround times are met in every region for all patients.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an ongoing impact on the genomic testing pathway. NHS England are providing the GLHs with additional funding to support recovery and reduce backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
GLHs are also undertaking clinical risk assessments on all cases waiting for results so that any can be prioritised for early reporting as needed.
Clinicians are also able to classify cases as ‘urgent’ when a patient has a deteriorating or unstable condition that requires a quicker diagnosis.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the process for genome testing in the NHS to address delays in getting diagnostic test results.
Answered by Will Quince
Minimising the time taken to deliver a genomic test is a key priority for NHS England. NHS England has implemented a monthly data collection and monitoring system across all seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) to better identify variation, implement service improvements and to ensure agreed national turnaround times are met in every region for all patients.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an ongoing impact on the genomic testing pathway. NHS England are providing the GLHs with additional funding to support recovery and reduce backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
GLHs are also undertaking clinical risk assessments on all cases waiting for results so that any can be prioritised for early reporting as needed.
Clinicians are also able to classify cases as ‘urgent’ when a patient has a deteriorating or unstable condition that requires a quicker diagnosis.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 trends in the number of A&E admissions of people with Parkinson's in (a) North East and North Cumbria ICS area and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by the Department.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 impact of waiting times for NHS Parkinson's care in England on people who provide unpaid care to their partners who have Parkinson's.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a carer’s assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. We have not made any assessment of the potential impact of waiting times for National Health Service Parkinson's disease care in England on people who provide unpaid care to their partners who have Parkinson's.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 4.24 of the Spring Budget 2023, HC1183, published on 15 March 2023, on Suicide Prevention Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Grant Fund, by what mechanism the grant fund will be allocated; and what his timescale is for allocation of the funding.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As the Chancellor announced in the Spring Budget, we will assign an extra £10 million over the next two years for a Suicide Prevention Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Grant Fund. Further information about the fund will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address gaps in the usage of insulin pumps between (a) people with diabetes living in the most deprived areas and (b) people with diabetes living in the least deprived areas.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England firmly supports and encourages local integrated care boards to adopt National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance in relation to the management of Type 1 diabetes, which includes recommended use of insulin pump.
NHS England is using the Core20PLUS5 approach to support the reduction of healthcare inequalities at both national and system level. A clinical focus for Core20PLUS5 for children and young people includes diabetes.
The approach targets populations living in 20% of the most deprived areas as identified by the national Index of Multiple Deprivation and identifies five focussed clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will (i) tackle social determinants of ill health and (ii) address the relationship between poverty and incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Major Conditions Strategy will include both immediate and long-term action to tackle major conditions.
The Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.
The Strategy will cover treatment and prevention for all six conditions and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in the coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer 31 January 2023 to Question 133742 on Health Services, which mental health conditions will be included in the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Major Conditions Strategy will cover prevention to treatment for six broad conditions including mental ill health and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact. No decisions have yet been made on which specific mental health conditions might be included in the strategy.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will include policies to (a) help tackle children's mental health needs and (b) support children's mental health services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We received over 5,000 submissions to our mental health and wellbeing call for evidence, and we appreciate the engagement work many stakeholders carried out with children and young people, to inform their responses. We have analysed these responses and we will consider them as part of the process for developing the mental ill health content in the Major Conditions Strategy.