Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage by cohort of (a) people aged 50 to 64, (b) people aged 65 to 74, (c) people aged 75 and over, (d) pregnant women, (e) people aged 5 and over and at high risk from covid-19 due to a health condition or a weakened immune system, (f) people aged 5 and over who live with someone who has a weakened immune system, (g) people aged 16 and over and who are carers, either paid or unpaid, (h) people living or working in a care home for older people and (i) frontline health and social care workers who had taken up the offer of a free covid-19 booster vaccination by (A) 30 November 2022 and (B) 31 December 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not held. However, the following table shows the booster uptake in age group from 50 years old to 90 years old and over by 30 November 2022 and 31 December 2022.
| Age Group | Booster uptake 30 November 2022 (%) | Booster uptake 31 December 2022 (%) |
50-54 years old | 38.3 | 41.8 |
55-59 years old | 48.5 | 51.5 |
60-64 years old | 58.1 | 60.8 |
65-69 years old | 70.1 | 71.6 |
70-74 years old | 77.5 | 78.7 |
75-79 years old | 80.8 | 82.1 |
80-84 years old | 81.2 | 82.5 |
85-89 years old | 80.7 | 82.2 |
90+ years old | 77.9 | 79.9 |
Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations?areaType=nation&areaName=England
Data on vaccine uptake in pregnant women is published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in the Vaccine Surveillance Report, data is available up to June 2022. Of women who gave birth in June 2022, 67.3%, 24,933 of 37,037, had received 2 doses of the vaccine before they gave birth.
The National Health Service publishes data on the total number of people who have had an Autumn Booster dose to date, 12 January for Health Care Workers, immunosuppressed and those at risk in the age bracket, of five years old to 49 years old. Individuals identified as carers in their general practitioner record were included in this cohort but from 1 December 2022 carers are no longer included.
UKHSA publish monthly reports on seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in frontline healthcare workers. Data published to the end of November 2022 showed that in 165 NHS Trusts providing a return, 338,602 frontline healthcare workers had received a COVID vaccine since 1 September 2022, an uptake of 36.3 %.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms NHS England has in place to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fulfilling their statutory responsibility to commission certain health services to meet the reasonable requirements of the persons for whom it has responsibility in (a) the prescribing of medical nutrition according to NICE Clinical Guidance 32 2006 and (b) commissioning other health services in line with section 13(2) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
Answered by David Mowat
NHS England has a statutory duty to carry out an annual performance assessment of each clinical commissioning group (CCG) and, in 2016/17, introduced the CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework. This framework is aligned to delivery of the Five Year Forward View and NHS Planning Guidance.
The Framework brings together in one place NHS Constitution and other core performance and finance indicators, outcome goals and transformational challenges. CCGs are also assessed against a range of indicators that consider their delivery of commitments, improved health outcomes for their populations and whether they are well-led organisations. This provides assurance that CCGs are effective commissioning organisations.
Where necessary, NHS England is supported by legislation in exercising formal powers of direction if it is satisfied that a CCG is failing or is at risk of failing to discharge its functions.
It is a matter for CCGs to determine how best to commission services to meet the health needs of their local population, and they should have regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance in doing so.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the expiry of the National Stroke Strategy in 2017 on stroke patient outcomes.
Answered by David Mowat
No formal assessment has been made of the potential effect of the expiry of the National Stroke Strategy in 2017 on stroke patient outcomes. However the quality of stroke care is continually monitored by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.
The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes;
- ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;
- publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;
- a CVD collaborative group is being established to bring together relevant stakeholders in the field of CVD and provide a forum where relevant work being undertaken in this area and potential new initiatives can be discussed and responsibilities for action determined;
- NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke is working with Clinical Networks, Urgent and Emergency Care Networks, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints on how stroke care is best delivered to local communities;
- services for the management of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) are changing in many areas to meet the new standard that all TIA patients should be seen and assessed within 24 hours, not just high risk patients; and
- CCGs are being encouraged to increase the geographical coverage of early supported discharge services.
Prevention of stroke and CVDs is also a priority for NHS England, particularly attempting to reduce the very high prevalence of CVD in patients with mental health illness.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what objectives the National Stroke Strategy has remaining before its expiry in 2017.
Answered by David Mowat
No formal assessment has been made of the potential effect of the expiry of the National Stroke Strategy in 2017 on stroke patient outcomes. However the quality of stroke care is continually monitored by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.
The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes;
- ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;
- publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;
- a CVD collaborative group is being established to bring together relevant stakeholders in the field of CVD and provide a forum where relevant work being undertaken in this area and potential new initiatives can be discussed and responsibilities for action determined;
- NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke is working with Clinical Networks, Urgent and Emergency Care Networks, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints on how stroke care is best delivered to local communities;
- services for the management of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) are changing in many areas to meet the new standard that all TIA patients should be seen and assessed within 24 hours, not just high risk patients; and
- CCGs are being encouraged to increase the geographical coverage of early supported discharge services.
Prevention of stroke and CVDs is also a priority for NHS England, particularly attempting to reduce the very high prevalence of CVD in patients with mental health illness.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on funding research into improving the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The information requested is not available.
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent £25.5 million on respiratory disease research in 2014/15 (the latest available figure). Most of this investment (£16.6 million in 2014/15) is in infrastructure for respiratory research where spend on specific topics such as the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cannot be separated from total infrastructure expenditure. This infrastructure includes NIHR biomedical research centres and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
The NIHR manages the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme, which is funded by the Medical Research Council and NIHR. The programme is currently funding a £1.4 million efficacy and mechanism evaluation of treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with the addition of co-trimoxazole.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which areas have been chosen as test sites for the pre-exposure drug prophyaxis (PrEP); what selection criteria have been used to identify those test sites; and what measures his Department plans to use to assess the effectiveness of PrEP in the test sites over the next two years.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The planning of the process to select test sites, including timing and criteria for selection, will continue alongside NHS England’s review of its position on the commissioning of pre-exposure prophyaxis (PrEP).
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the evidential basis is for NHS England's decision not to fund the pre-exposure drug prophyaxis for HIV for the at-risk population.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has placed its position on the commissioning of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) under review. This review of the commissioning process will be undertaken by the Specialised Services Committee of NHS England in late May 2016. Depending on the outcome of that decision, a further decision taking account of the clinical evidence for PrEP, the evidence and demand for other new treatments not currently commissioned and NHS England's available funding and priorities is currently planned for June 2016.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget he plans to allocate to each clinical commissioning group in England to support the effective transfer of obesity surgery in April in a manner consistent with NICE's clinical guidelines.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England is not currently able to provide a figure for individual clinical commissioning groups on 1 April 2016 as the basis for calculating the figures is still being finalised.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18621, what further assessment he has made of levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England is supporting the transfer of commissioning responsibilities to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are fully prepared to assume the role working through collaborative commissioning forums.
NHS England have provided a commissioning information pack including a stocktake of local services, care pathways, waiting times and a quality overview for each local area. National clinical experts are currently finalising commissioning and clinical guidance on standards for the adult obesity surgery pathway.
The draft service specification reflects best practice and describes the standard providers will need to meet for the surgical service.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support NHS England plans to provide clinical commissioning groups relating to the transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities from NHS England after that transfer.
Answered by George Freeman
Although the transfer is effective from April 2016, the handover process will be agreed between specialised commissioning and individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), in line with their preparedness.
Specialised commissioning teams will continue to provide advice and support CCGs post-handover in line with the CCG’s need. CCGs already have mechanisms in place to monitor provider performance and quality through the existing quality assurance processes.