Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 adequacy of the powers of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to prevent the illegal online (a) marketing and (b) sale of (i) second generation GLP-1 weight management and (ii) other potentially hazardous medications.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the same powers available to other regulatory organisations and law enforcement agencies when addressing offending online. MHRA takes proportionate action, on a case-by-case basis, to enforce the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in respect of the illegal sale and supply of second generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications and other potentially hazardous medications. In cases of serious non-compliance, the agency has the power to undertake formal criminal investigations and, where appropriate and evidentially supported, prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.
As this is primarily an online threat, MHRA works closely with social media providers, search engines and the broader internet industry to prevent and disrupt illegal sales and to identify and bring those responsible into compliance with the regulations.
Through its #Fakemeds campaign, MHRA uses social media and other channels to share safety advice and guidance with the public. The aim is to help patients protect their health by offering quick and easy tools and resources to help them avoid fake medical products when shopping online. With practical tips on how to recognise illegally trading websites and case studies of commonly falsified medicines, it also aims to educate the public on the dangers of buying unlicensed or fake medicines and empower them to make the right choices for their health.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prosecutions have been brought against sellers of (a) second generation GLP-1 weight management medications and (b) other potentially hazardous medications on the internet over the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no prosecutions have been brought against those involved in the illegal sale of glucagon-like peptide 1 medicines although the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Humberside Police were involved in executive action as recently as 23 November 2023 following an MHRA investigation into the alleged illegal supply of these products. During the last 12 months, MHRA has completed nine investigations involving the online sale of hazardous medicines. These investigations are at different stages within the criminal justice system.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to incentivise overseas researchers to undertake clinical trials on dementia research in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), invests in world-class facilities, expertise and a skilled delivery workforce for clinical research in the National Health Service and wider health and care system. This infrastructure has been operational for many years as a centralised system, creating a unique offer in the United Kingdom for overseas researchers to undertake clinical trials, including in dementia. This includes the Dementia Translational Research Collaboration, which plays a critical role in coordinating UK dementia research in early phase clinical trials and the NIHR Clinical Research Network Dementias and Neurodegeneration Specialty, which supports patients, the public and health and care organisations across England to participate in dementia research spanning the full translational research pathway.
The multi-year Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery was published on 23 March 2021 and sets out our ambition to create a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally enabled clinical research environment. The Government also commissioned Lord O’Shaughnessy to conduct a review into commercial clinical trials following a drop in the UK’s performance during and following the pandemic. The Government published the full response to the Lord O’Shaughnessy review on 22 November 2023. The response provides an update on the significant progress we have made in recovering clinical trial performance and set out our plan, backed by up to £121 million, to strengthen the clinical trials ecosystem and make it quicker and easier for NHS patients to access the latest innovative treatments through clinical research.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had recent discussions with NHS Scotland on ensuring that newly-licensed Alzheimer's treatments are made available to patients as soon as possible in all regions of the UK.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has liaised with colleagues in the Scottish Government to discuss preparations for the introduction and potential adoption of new medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, should they receive regulatory approval.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that public access defibrillators are registered on The Circuit.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government’s £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators (AED) fund will provide an estimated 1,000 new defibrillators across England, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.
As of 22 September 2022, community organisations can now apply for a grant to fund an AED for their local area. Applications for funding will be submitted to Smarter Society and the London Hearts Charity, who will assess each application, ensuring that each AED is installed in areas where there is a clear need for the device such as high footfall areas or rural locations with extended ambulance response times. Priority will be given to applications that are considered a cardiac health hotspot with high levels of deprivation and low numbers of AEDs.
All AEDs granted by the fund must be registered on The Circuit, which is the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator database.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure equal access to defibrillators across the country.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government’s £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators (AED) fund will provide an estimated 1,000 new defibrillators across England, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.
As of 22 September 2022, community organisations can now apply for a grant to fund an AED for their local area. Applications for funding will be submitted to Smarter Society and the London Hearts Charity, who will assess each application, ensuring that each AED is installed in areas where there is a clear need for the device such as high footfall areas or rural locations with extended ambulance response times. Priority will be given to applications that are considered a cardiac health hotspot with high levels of deprivation and low numbers of AEDs.
All AEDs granted by the fund must be registered on The Circuit, which is the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator database.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking to steps to help increase public access to defibrillators in areas of deprivation with a high incidence of cardiac arrest.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government’s £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators (AED) fund will provide an estimated 1,000 new defibrillators across England, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.
As of 22 September 2022, community organisations can now apply for a grant to fund an AED for their local area. Applications for funding will be submitted to Smarter Society and the London Hearts Charity, who will assess each application, ensuring that each AED is installed in areas where there is a clear need for the device such as high footfall areas or rural locations with extended ambulance response times. Priority will be given to applications that are considered a cardiac health hotspot with high levels of deprivation and low numbers of AEDs.
All AEDs granted by the fund must be registered on The Circuit, which is the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator database.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 implications for his policies of the recommendation on introducing a network of brain health clinics in the report by Alzheimer’s Research UK entitled Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, published in September 2023.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia. Through partnerships with patients, researchers, funders, and charities we continue to play a significant role in global efforts against the disease.
NHS England has read Alzheimer’s Research UK’s report with great interest and had already been aware, through partnership discussions, of the suggestion outlined in the report to introduce a network of new brain health clinics to work alongside existing dementia services. This is a model that NHS England, and local leaders within integrated care boards, will be able to consider if, for example, new disease modifying treatments for use in early Alzheimer’s disease are licensed and recommended by NICE for routine adoption within the National Health Service.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the most recent metrics report for the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Answered by Will Quince
The metrics report for the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS) will be published according to standard timelines. VPAS metrics are published twice yearly following the VPAS Operational Review meeting with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The latest metrics were published on 11 August 2023 and are currently available through an internal Departmental collaboration tool, which is shared with stakeholders in the industry.
There are currently no plans to place a copy of the report in the House library.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which rare, actionable genetic conditions will be included in the planned Newborn Genomes Programme using whole genome sequencing.
Answered by Will Quince
Genomics England is working with NHS England and the NHS Newborns Clinical Assurance Group to finalise the list of conditions which will be included in the Generation Study, the new-born genome sequencing programme. A provisional list of conditions is expected to be published in early October 2023.