Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with Public Health England on updating its report of 2014 on the effect of shale gas on public health.
Answered by Steve Brine
Public Health England (PHE) reviews the evidence base on the health impacts of chemical and radiological emissions associated with shale gas extraction as it emerges, considering the available evidence as a whole. Currently, PHE has not identified any significant new evidence that would make the Department change its view that the potential risks to public health from exposure to emissions associated with shale gas extraction will be low if operations are properly run and regulated. This means that good on-site management and appropriate regulation of all aspects from exploratory drilling, gas capture, use and storage of fracking fluid, and post-operations decommissioning are essential to minimise the risk to the environment and public health. If significant new evidence emerged this would be discussed with the Department of Health and other Government departments.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times ambulances called to attended incidents on the A583 at or outside Cuadrilla Resources' shale gas site in July 2017 transferred patients for further treatment in hospital.
Answered by Philip Dunne
We are advised by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust that there were two occasions in July 2017 when ambulances called to attend incidents on the A583 at or outside Cuadrilla Resources’ shale gas site transferred patients for further treatment in hospital.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times ambulances attended incidents on the A583 at or outside Cuadrilla Resources' shale gas site on that road in July 2017.
Answered by Philip Dunne
We are advised by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust that there were six occasions during July 2017 where ambulances attended incidents on the A583 at or outside Cuadrilla Resources' shale gas site.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times ambulances on (a) blue light response and (b) non-blue light response had to take an alternative route as a result of traffic disruption on the A583 in July 2017.
Answered by Philip Dunne
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what reports his Department has received of incidents of unreasonable behaviour towards North West Ambulance Service staff at or outside Cuadrilla Resources' shale gas site on the A583.
Answered by Philip Dunne
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 21 November 2016 to Questions 54021, 54017, 54073 and 54074, what steps Public Health England is taking on the recommendations of the Director of Public Health at Lancashire County Council's rapid health impact assessment of the shale gas exploratory stage at Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Director of Public Health (DPH) at Lancashire County Council rapid Health Impact Assessment report was subsequently published at:
http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=29552
The report included four recommendations with specific reference to Public Health England (PHE) as well as other Government Departments, Agencies or allied organisations (R2, R41, R43 and R45). PHE provided the DPH with an update on three of recommendations (R41, R43 and R45) in December 2016.
PHE’s ongoing work includes the provision of advice to planning bodies and regulators to ensure that local concerns and public health risks are adequately addressed; attending local public engagement events and where requested assisting local agencies and partners in the investigation of health related concerns. PHE is also scoping the feasibility of health surveillance projects. Any such studies or investigations will require careful design consideration and engagement with relevant stakeholders, as well as appropriate resourcing. PHE continues to review the evidence on the potential public health impacts of emissions associated with shale gas extraction and aims to develop health impact assessment tools and guidance for local public health teams.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 21 November 2016 to Questions 54021, 54017, 54073 and 57074, which recommendations of the Director of Public Health at Lancashire County Council's rapid health impact assessment of the shale gas exploratory stage at Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road are relevant to Public Health England's responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Director of Public Health (DPH) at Lancashire County Council rapid Health Impact Assessment report was subsequently published at:
http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=29552
The report included four recommendations with specific reference to Public Health England (PHE) as well as other Government Departments, Agencies or allied organisations (R2, R41, R43 and R45). PHE provided the DPH with an update on three of recommendations (R41, R43 and R45) in December 2016.
PHE’s ongoing work includes the provision of advice to planning bodies and regulators to ensure that local concerns and public health risks are adequately addressed; attending local public engagement events and where requested assisting local agencies and partners in the investigation of health related concerns. PHE is also scoping the feasibility of health surveillance projects. Any such studies or investigations will require careful design consideration and engagement with relevant stakeholders, as well as appropriate resourcing. PHE continues to review the evidence on the potential public health impacts of emissions associated with shale gas extraction and aims to develop health impact assessment tools and guidance for local public health teams.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of ophthalmology appointments were cancelled or delayed by hospitals in (a) NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group and (b) NHS Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group in 2015-16.
Answered by David Mowat
Data is not available in the format requested.
Information showing the counts and percentages of outpatient appointments with the treatment specialty ‘ophthalmology’, broken down by attendance type, for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) of treatment, NHS Blackpool CCG and NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG, in 2015-16, is shown in the following table.
CCG | ||||
NHS Blackpool | NHS Fylde and Wyre | |||
Attendance Type | Counts | Percentages | Counts | Percentages |
Attended | 52,532 | 64.8% | 252 | 66.0% |
Cancelled by provider | 12,871 | 15.9% | 14 | 3.7% |
Cancelled by patient | 10,792 | 13.3% | 42 | 11.0% |
Patient did not attend | 4,806 | 5.9% | 74 | 19.4% |
Not known | 88 | 0.1% | - | 0.0% |
Total | 81,089 | 100.0% | 382 | 100.0% |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital
Notes:
NHS Blackpool CCG:
- Whitegate Health Centre
- Inhealth Diagnostics (Glenroyd Medical Centre)
- Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Specsavers Hearcare – Lancashire – Blackpool
- Glenroyd Medical Practice
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Virgin Care Blackpool LLP
- Spire Fylde Coast Hospital
NHS Fylde and Wear CCG:
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Specsavers Hearcare – Lancashire - Kirkham
- Specsavers Hearcare – Lancashire - Fleetwood
- Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Specsavers Hearcare – Lancashire – St Anne’s
- Specsavers Hearcare – Lancashire - Cleveleys
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Director of Public Health for Lancashire's report, published on 6 November 2014, into the Potential Public Health Impacts of the Proposed Shale Gas Exploration Sites in Lancashire, how many of the 61 recommendations in that report his Department has acted on; and which of those recommendations have not been acted on by his Department and why.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Public Health England (PHE) report, published in June 2014, concluded that the currently available evidence indicates that the potential risks to public health from exposure to chemical and radiological emissions associated with shale gas extraction will be low if the operations are properly run and regulated. PHE continues to review the evidence on the potential public health impacts of emissions associated with shale gas extraction.
The Director of Public Health at Lancashire County Council, commissioned a rapid health impact assessment of the shale gas exploratory stage, specifically the proposed sites at Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road, which included an assessment of the baseline health profile for residents within the Warton and Westby ward of the Fylde district. The relevant recommendations for the health community fell broadly into four areas; public engagement, health surveillance, health impact assessment and research. PHE is taking forward the recommendations relevant to their responsibilities.
PHE engages regularly with Government partners and agencies in respect of the PHE review recommendations. Actions include continued engagement with the regulators, supporting public engagement events in areas where shale gas developments are proposed, and participating in a baseline environmental monitoring project led by a British Geological Survey consortium:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/groundwater/shaleGas/monitoring/yorkshire.html
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Public Health England report entitled Review of the Potential Public Health Impacts of Exposures to Chemical and Radioactive Pollutants as a Result of the Shale Gas Extraction Process, published in January 2014, how many of the recommendations made in that report his Department has acted on; and which recommendations have not been acted on by his Department and why.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Public Health England (PHE) report, published in June 2014, concluded that the currently available evidence indicates that the potential risks to public health from exposure to chemical and radiological emissions associated with shale gas extraction will be low if the operations are properly run and regulated. PHE continues to review the evidence on the potential public health impacts of emissions associated with shale gas extraction.
The Director of Public Health at Lancashire County Council, commissioned a rapid health impact assessment of the shale gas exploratory stage, specifically the proposed sites at Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road, which included an assessment of the baseline health profile for residents within the Warton and Westby ward of the Fylde district. The relevant recommendations for the health community fell broadly into four areas; public engagement, health surveillance, health impact assessment and research. PHE is taking forward the recommendations relevant to their responsibilities.
PHE engages regularly with Government partners and agencies in respect of the PHE review recommendations. Actions include continued engagement with the regulators, supporting public engagement events in areas where shale gas developments are proposed, and participating in a baseline environmental monitoring project led by a British Geological Survey consortium:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/groundwater/shaleGas/monitoring/yorkshire.html