Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the prevention Green Paper before the summer recess.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Green Paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ was published on 22 July 2019.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patient organisations are involved in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s review of health technology assessment methods and processes.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
There are three patient/lay representatives on the methods working group with a wide range of experience, covering a range of topic areas, reflecting the programmes under review. Two of the patient/lay representatives also belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition.
Patient groups will be involved in the review of each of the specific methodological areas as detailed in the paper presented to the NICE board on 17 July 2019. Experts in the area will be invited to participate in topic specific methods task and finish groups.
NICE has established a dedicated patient working group. There are six patient organisation representatives on the group, including those who belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition. The group will work directly with patient/carer groups to coordinate the patient perspective on both methods and process. A stakeholder workshop with patient groups was held in January 2019 that included representatives from 22 patient organisations.
The patient working group has recently disseminated a survey to patient umbrella groups to develop a clear understanding of the patient perspective on both methods and processes. The survey runs until 5pm on Monday 12 August 2019. It will be promoted via social media and sent directly to groups working with NICE. Patient organisations can communicate with representatives on the methods working group and patient working group outside of this survey.
Patient organisations will have the opportunity to comment directly on proposals during the public consultation in summer 2020.
NICE is implementing other opportunities to encourage more patient group involvement throughout the review via provision of a subscription based bulletin for updates and information (which people can subscribe to via their website) and exploring arrangements of additional engagement sessions (i.e. webinars), as and when appropriate.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what opportunities patient organisations will have to make representations to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s review of health technology assessment methods and processes.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
There are three patient/lay representatives on the methods working group with a wide range of experience, covering a range of topic areas, reflecting the programmes under review. Two of the patient/lay representatives also belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition.
Patient groups will be involved in the review of each of the specific methodological areas as detailed in the paper presented to the NICE board on 17 July 2019. Experts in the area will be invited to participate in topic specific methods task and finish groups.
NICE has established a dedicated patient working group. There are six patient organisation representatives on the group, including those who belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition. The group will work directly with patient/carer groups to coordinate the patient perspective on both methods and process. A stakeholder workshop with patient groups was held in January 2019 that included representatives from 22 patient organisations.
The patient working group has recently disseminated a survey to patient umbrella groups to develop a clear understanding of the patient perspective on both methods and processes. The survey runs until 5pm on Monday 12 August 2019. It will be promoted via social media and sent directly to groups working with NICE. Patient organisations can communicate with representatives on the methods working group and patient working group outside of this survey.
Patient organisations will have the opportunity to comment directly on proposals during the public consultation in summer 2020.
NICE is implementing other opportunities to encourage more patient group involvement throughout the review via provision of a subscription based bulletin for updates and information (which people can subscribe to via their website) and exploring arrangements of additional engagement sessions (i.e. webinars), as and when appropriate.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure the broadest number of patient groups can participate in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s review of health technology assessment methods and processes.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
There are three patient/lay representatives on the methods working group with a wide range of experience, covering a range of topic areas, reflecting the programmes under review. Two of the patient/lay representatives also belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition.
Patient groups will be involved in the review of each of the specific methodological areas as detailed in the paper presented to the NICE board on 17 July 2019. Experts in the area will be invited to participate in topic specific methods task and finish groups.
NICE has established a dedicated patient working group. There are six patient organisation representatives on the group, including those who belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition. The group will work directly with patient/carer groups to coordinate the patient perspective on both methods and process. A stakeholder workshop with patient groups was held in January 2019 that included representatives from 22 patient organisations.
The patient working group has recently disseminated a survey to patient umbrella groups to develop a clear understanding of the patient perspective on both methods and processes. The survey runs until 5pm on Monday 12 August 2019. It will be promoted via social media and sent directly to groups working with NICE. Patient organisations can communicate with representatives on the methods working group and patient working group outside of this survey.
Patient organisations will have the opportunity to comment directly on proposals during the public consultation in summer 2020.
NICE is implementing other opportunities to encourage more patient group involvement throughout the review via provision of a subscription based bulletin for updates and information (which people can subscribe to via their website) and exploring arrangements of additional engagement sessions (i.e. webinars), as and when appropriate.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral statement of 1 July 2019, Official Report, column 929, on the NHS Long Term Plan: Implementation, what steps his Department is taking to achieve the target to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at stage 1 and 2 for less survivable cancers.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
To achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition, we are modernising our world-renowned cancer screening programmes by introducing faecal immunochemical testing into the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and human papillomavirus as the primary test in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
NHS England is establishing rapid diagnostic centres, which build on the 10 models piloted through the ‘Accelerate, Coordinate and Evaluate’ programme, which have focussed on diagnosing cancers where patients often present with non-specific symptoms and may go to their general practitioner (GP) many times before being sent for appropriate tests. These will be particularly important for the less-survivable cancers.
NHS England is extending lung health checks, targeting clinical commissioning groups with the lowest survival rates. In Greater Manchester introducing low dose CT health checks saw an almost five-fold reduction in stage 4 disease, with 80% of cancers diagnosed at an early stage.
There will also be efforts to continue to raise awareness cancer symptoms, lower the threshold for GP referrals and accelerate access to diagnosis and treatment.
As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan Implementation Framework, local systems are being asked to create their five-year strategic plans to deliver the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan. Plans should be created by November 2019. System plans will then be aggregated, brought together with additional national activity and published as part of a national implementation plan by the end of 2019. These plans will include the less survivable cancers.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral statement of 1 July 2019, Official Report, column 929, on the NHS Long Term Plan: Implementation, if he will publish his plans to achieve the target to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at stage 1 and 2 for less survivable cancers.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
To achieve the NHS Long Term Plan ambition, we are modernising our world-renowned cancer screening programmes by introducing faecal immunochemical testing into the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and human papillomavirus as the primary test in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
NHS England is establishing rapid diagnostic centres, which build on the 10 models piloted through the ‘Accelerate, Coordinate and Evaluate’ programme, which have focussed on diagnosing cancers where patients often present with non-specific symptoms and may go to their general practitioner (GP) many times before being sent for appropriate tests. These will be particularly important for the less-survivable cancers.
NHS England is extending lung health checks, targeting clinical commissioning groups with the lowest survival rates. In Greater Manchester introducing low dose CT health checks saw an almost five-fold reduction in stage 4 disease, with 80% of cancers diagnosed at an early stage.
There will also be efforts to continue to raise awareness cancer symptoms, lower the threshold for GP referrals and accelerate access to diagnosis and treatment.
As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan Implementation Framework, local systems are being asked to create their five-year strategic plans to deliver the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan. Plans should be created by November 2019. System plans will then be aggregated, brought together with additional national activity and published as part of a national implementation plan by the end of 2019. These plans will include the less survivable cancers.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Genomic Healthcare Strategy will include all types of cancer.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of cancer was a key part of the 100,000 Genomes Project and from 2019 the National Health Service will begin to offer WGS as part of clinical care for people with specific types of cancer, for which there is likely to be the greatest patient benefit from using WGS: sarcoma, and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), and children with cancer.
The Government is committed to making the United Kingdom home of genomic healthcare and the National Genomic Healthcare Strategy, which we plan to launch in autumn 2019, will set out how the genomics community can work together to make the UK the global leader. The strategy will look at how genomic analysis at system-wide level can continue to be optimised for the benefit of UK patients with a range of conditions, including cancer, but it will not seek to focus in each type of cancer individually.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the final NHS people plan will be published.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The interim People Plan was published on 3 June 2019. It sets out the actions the National Health Service will take now and over the long term to meet the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership.
A final People Plan will be published soon after the conclusion of the 2019 as intended Spending Review.
This final Plan will then be kept under regular review and updated on an annual basis, as part of the NHS taking a more open and collaborative approach to people issues.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who will hold responsibility for adding new tests to the National Genomic Test Directory.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The National Genomic Test Directory outlines which genomic tests are commissioned by the National Health Service in England, the technology by which they are available, and the patients who will be eligible to access to a test. The Directory will be updated on an annual basis and NHS England will implement a clear and transparent process, supported by a Clinical and Scientific Expert Panel, to determine which tests are available within the NHS. This will include reviewing any tests that may be retired or replaced by more modern technology, such as whole genome sequencing. As the price of whole genome sequencing falls and the clinical evidence improves, we envisage that it will be extended to more conditions and therefore more patients. More information on the Directory is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/
There is considerable variation in the reported costs of genomic analysis. For Genomics England, during the 100,000 Genomes project, these were in order of £2,500 per cancer patient. This included sequencing both the patient’s normal genome and their tumour, as well as the running costs of undertaking both the sequencing and bioinformatics for analysis and interpretation.
Health Education England established the Genomics Education Programme to support NHS staff to build the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver a whole genome sequencing service. This programme is being embedded into organisations to enable long-term sustainability of the multi-disciplinary clinical workforce.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost is of a single whole genome sequencing test for (a) blood cancers and (b) other cancer types.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The National Genomic Test Directory outlines which genomic tests are commissioned by the National Health Service in England, the technology by which they are available, and the patients who will be eligible to access to a test. The Directory will be updated on an annual basis and NHS England will implement a clear and transparent process, supported by a Clinical and Scientific Expert Panel, to determine which tests are available within the NHS. This will include reviewing any tests that may be retired or replaced by more modern technology, such as whole genome sequencing. As the price of whole genome sequencing falls and the clinical evidence improves, we envisage that it will be extended to more conditions and therefore more patients. More information on the Directory is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directories/
There is considerable variation in the reported costs of genomic analysis. For Genomics England, during the 100,000 Genomes project, these were in order of £2,500 per cancer patient. This included sequencing both the patient’s normal genome and their tumour, as well as the running costs of undertaking both the sequencing and bioinformatics for analysis and interpretation.
Health Education England established the Genomics Education Programme to support NHS staff to build the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver a whole genome sequencing service. This programme is being embedded into organisations to enable long-term sustainability of the multi-disciplinary clinical workforce.