Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of directing people to self care for self-treatable conditions.
Answered by Steve Brine
No specific assessment has been made. However, there is a growing body of evidence for the benefits of self-care both in improved patient outcomes and reductions in demand on the National Health Service. ‘Self-care’ covers a broad spectrum of interventions and is defined in different ways in different situations.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report on the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts consultation by NHS Litigation Authority, published in October 2016, what progress has been made in assessing the methodology used to determine contributions setting to the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts from NHS and non-NHS health providers.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The NHS Litigation Authority (NHS LA), known as NHS Resolution since 1 April 2017, handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.
NHS Resolution has provided the following response.
Following the consultation on the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) in 2016, NHS Resolution has begun work on the findings. Two main areas of research have been whether staffing and activity are an appropriate measure of exposure to risk. NHS Resolution found that, amongst other providers of clinical negligence indemnity cover internationally, activity levels are a key feature of quantitative pricing approaches. An assessment of numbers of types of staff and their experience were more likely to be used in a qualitative review to adjust the price charged to providers of clinical care.
NHS Resolution also looked at maternity-related data sets to refine the approach to exposure so that it reflects indicators of safety. Studies of several available data sets were made, but were not found to be reliable indicators of exposure to risk to inform CNST pricing arrangements. An approach focused on incentivising the delivery of actions considered good practice by the NHS England Maternity Champions, other arm’s length bodies and the Royal Colleges, was developed and implemented from December 2017.
Since the consultation, other adjustments have been made to the CNST pricing methodology with respect to experience and exposure factors, the treatment of older and larger liabilities, and the appropriateness of breaking down the risk pool between smaller groups in line with the consultation response. Research to assess the efficacy of excesses has not been progressed.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report on the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) consultation by NHS Litigation Authority, published in October 2016, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is no gap in CNST cover when a patient is treated by an independent provider on behalf of the NHS.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The NHS Litigation Authority, known as NHS Resolution from 1 April 2017, handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.
NHS Resolution has provided the following response.
Independent providers of NHS healthcare became eligible to join the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, administered by NHS Resolution on behalf of the Secretary of State, from 1 April 2013 in respect of their NHS work. Membership is not compulsory and providers may still purchase commercial insurance cover against clinical negligence liabilities if they wish to do so. It is the obligation of commissioners to ensure that providers have adequate indemnity or insurance cover.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
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 ensure that children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis are transitioned to adult rheumatology care; and what guidance his Department issues to the NHS to ensure the adequacy of that transition.
Answered by Steve Brine
In February 2016, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on the ‘Transition from children’s to adults’ services for young people using health or social care services’. This includes several recommendations on the overarching principles of transition, transition planning, support for before and after transition and the supporting infrastructure. One of the main focuses of the guidance is ensuring that young people and their carers are involved and supported throughout transition and that the support provided is appropriate to the individual person and their needs.
Further information can be found via the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng43
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with health departments of governments overseas on the development of research into heat-not-burn products.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Government has committed Public Health England (PHE) to annually reviewing the evidence on e-cigarettes and novel tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products, until the end of Parliament in 2022. PHE’s current review was published in February 2018. The review looked at the latest available evidence on heated tobacco products and, based on that evidence, concluded that these products were less harmful than cigarettes, but more harmful than e-cigarettes. This is in agreement with the Committee on Toxicity (CoT), who concluded in December 2017 that there is a likely reduction in risk for smokers switching to heated tobacco products.
Both PHE and CoT identified shortcomings in the current evidence base: there are no long term studies as these products are relatively new, and a majority of the research is carried out by the tobacco industry. The Department will review and consider where there are gaps in evidence for further independent research, and continues to collaborate and share knowledge both in the United Kingdom and internationally to help develop the research base and understanding of these products. The UK Government is also represented on the Global Tobacco Regulators' Forum, which brings together a number of countries, as well as the European Union and World Health Organization, to discuss regulatory issues of common interest, including research into heated tobacco products.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what gaps his Department has identified in the available independent research into the safety of heat-not-burn products.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Government has committed Public Health England (PHE) to annually reviewing the evidence on e-cigarettes and novel tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products, until the end of Parliament in 2022. PHE’s current review was published in February 2018. The review looked at the latest available evidence on heated tobacco products and, based on that evidence, concluded that these products were less harmful than cigarettes, but more harmful than e-cigarettes. This is in agreement with the Committee on Toxicity (CoT), who concluded in December 2017 that there is a likely reduction in risk for smokers switching to heated tobacco products.
Both PHE and CoT identified shortcomings in the current evidence base: there are no long term studies as these products are relatively new, and a majority of the research is carried out by the tobacco industry. The Department will review and consider where there are gaps in evidence for further independent research, and continues to collaborate and share knowledge both in the United Kingdom and internationally to help develop the research base and understanding of these products. The UK Government is also represented on the Global Tobacco Regulators' Forum, which brings together a number of countries, as well as the European Union and World Health Organization, to discuss regulatory issues of common interest, including research into heated tobacco products.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
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 ensure the availability of a reliable body of independent research on heat-not-burn products.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Government has committed Public Health England (PHE) to annually reviewing the evidence on e-cigarettes and novel tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products, until the end of Parliament in 2022. PHE’s current review was published in February 2018. The review looked at the latest available evidence on heated tobacco products and, based on that evidence, concluded that these products were less harmful than cigarettes, but more harmful than e-cigarettes. This is in agreement with the Committee on Toxicity (CoT), who concluded in December 2017 that there is a likely reduction in risk for smokers switching to heated tobacco products.
Both PHE and CoT identified shortcomings in the current evidence base: there are no long term studies as these products are relatively new, and a majority of the research is carried out by the tobacco industry. The Department will review and consider where there are gaps in evidence for further independent research, and continues to collaborate and share knowledge both in the United Kingdom and internationally to help develop the research base and understanding of these products. The UK Government is also represented on the Global Tobacco Regulators' Forum, which brings together a number of countries, as well as the European Union and World Health Organization, to discuss regulatory issues of common interest, including research into heated tobacco products.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
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 develop new indicators for the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework to enable better scrutiny of choice and quality in end of life care.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The NHS England End of Life Care team, its partners and stakeholders regularly seek to identify suitable indicators to better measure choice and quality in end of life care. The NHS England End of Life Programme Board and the Ambitions Partnership for Palliative and End of Life Care meet on a regular basis throughout the year. The review and assessment of the effectiveness of datasets and metrics relating to palliative and end of life care features frequently on the agenda for both groups.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with which stakeholders his Department will consult to develop new indicators on end of life care for inclusion in the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The NHS England End of Life Care team would consult with their Ambitions Partners (which includes professional bodies and third sector colleagues) as well as their clinical network colleagues across the country in such development. Information about the Ambitions Partners can be accessed at the following link:
http://endoflifecareambitions.org.uk/partners/
The current plan is to understand the outcomes from the indicator on proportion of people with three or more emergency admissions in 90 days of life before looking at further indicators for End of Life Care in the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework.
Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the launch of the new national survey of bereaved people.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Since 2012 the National Survey of Bereaved People (VOICES) survey has provided valuable insight into the quality of care delivered to people in the last three months of their lives, highlighting variations in the quality of care delivered in different areas of the country and to different groups of patients.
Following publication of the last set of survey results in June 2016, NHS England held a consultation on the future of the VOICES survey to seek views on the approach and relevance of the survey to ensure that it remained fit for purpose. Whilst the response showed that the VOICES survey remained a valuable tool, key amongst its findings were that the majority of respondents indicated that the VOICES survey would be more helpful if the sample size were made large enough to report at a local commissioner level. Following this, work was undertaken to revise the survey and consider approaches to a larger sample size and then put in place arrangements to re-commission the VOICES survey. NHS England has been involved in discussions with the Office for National Statistics, which collects the death registration data used to identify survey recipients, about arrangements for access to the data for the new survey. Changes to the safeguarding arrangements on data-sharing, designed to ensure any concerns about care raised via the survey can be appropriately investigated, have resulted in delays to commencing the new VOICES survey.
Work is ongoing to resolve this matter, and a timetable for the publication of the next survey cannot be provided at this time. In the meantime NHS England is exploring the piloting of experience measures, including use of the VOICES survey, at a local level, in a number of National Health Service end of life care demonstrator sites.