Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 reduce waiting times for a dermatology appointment in England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We continue to support the National Health Service to increase activity to tackle waiting lists for treatment caused by the pandemic. We have provided £2 billion this year to reduce waiting times, including for patients waiting for dermatology appointments.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 support National Eczema Week.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Where appropriate, patients can be referred to specialists in psychodermatology. the treatment of skin diseases using psychological techniques, through a network of specialised clinicians. The specialised dermatology Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing the standards of care for psychodermatology, working closely with Psychodermatology UK. As part of the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, the Government is accelerating key commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, investing £110 million to expand Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT - Long Term Conditions services have been established across the country to support integrated pathways between IAPT services and physical health pathways for people with long term conditions, including eczema.
Whilst we had no specific events related to National Eczema Week, we recognise and commend the work of the voluntary and community sector organisations, who continue to raise awareness of eczema and the issues facing those living with the condition.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 increase mental health services for those suffering with eczema.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Where appropriate, patients can be referred to specialists in psychodermatology. the treatment of skin diseases using psychological techniques, through a network of specialised clinicians. The specialised dermatology Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing the standards of care for psychodermatology, working closely with Psychodermatology UK. As part of the Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, the Government is accelerating key commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, investing £110 million to expand Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT - Long Term Conditions services have been established across the country to support integrated pathways between IAPT services and physical health pathways for people with long term conditions, including eczema.
Whilst we had no specific events related to National Eczema Week, we recognise and commend the work of the voluntary and community sector organisations, who continue to raise awareness of eczema and the issues facing those living with the condition.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) the latest data on waiting times for a dermatology appointment in England and (b) comparable data for the last three years.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The following table shows the median waiting times in the last three years for National Health Service dermatology services in England.
Month | Median waiting time in weeks |
July 2018 | 6.1 |
August 2018 | 6.7 |
September 2018 | 7.2 |
October 2018 | 6.9 |
November 2018 | 6.9 |
December 2018 | 7.8 |
January 2019 | 7.6 |
February 2019 | 6.1 |
March 2019 | 6.2 |
April 2019 | 6.6 |
May 2019 | 6.9 |
June 2019 | 6.6 |
July 2019 | 6.5 |
August 2019 | 7.4 |
September 2019 | 7.6 |
October 2019 | 7.7 |
November 2019 | 8 |
December 2019 | 8.8 |
January 2020 | 8.7 |
February 2020 | 7.4 |
March 2020 | 8.9 |
April 2020 | 12.2 |
May 2020 | 14.9 |
June 2020 | 16.6 |
July 2020 | 12.9 |
August 2020 | 9.5 |
September 2020 | 9 |
October 2020 | 9 |
November 2020 | 8.7 |
December 2020 | 9.7 |
January 2021 | 10.5 |
February 2021 | 10.4 |
March 2021 | 8 |
April 2021 | 7.7 |
May 2021 | 7.7 |
June 2021 | 7.6 |
July 2021 | 8.4 |
Source:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of CT and MRI scans for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
No such assessment has been made.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to run a regular national audit of specialist dementia diagnostic services, extending beyond the existing National Memory Clinic Audit.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The National Memory Clinic Audit began this month and is managed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. There are currently no plans to run additional regular national audits of specialist dementia diagnostic services. However, regions may decide to undertake local audits independently.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is available for non-residential social care providers not covered by mandatory covid-19 vaccination requirements.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The Standard Operating Procedure for vaccination of frontline health and social care staff who do not work in a care home for older adults is available at the following link:
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support for prescription costs is available for women experiencing the menopause.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Women experiencing the menopause are not included in the list of people entitled to free prescriptions. Eligibility depends on having a qualifying medical condition, the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
However, people on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. People who need a number of prescriptions each month can buy a prepayment certificate which can help reduce costs significantly. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 increase the number of dermatologists in England.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The next Spending Review will set out further details of the Government’s spending plans for the National Health Service workforce, including dermatologists.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to ensure that in any booster vaccine programme third doses of covid-19 vaccines are prioritised for people who are immunosuppressed in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) other areas with a number of cases.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recognises that some individuals who are severely immunosuppressed due to underlying health conditions or medical treatment may not achieve the same full immune response to the initial two dose COVID-19 vaccination course as those who are not immunosuppressed. The committee has therefore advised on 1 September that as a precautionary measure those with severe immunosuppression at or around the time of their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccination should receive a third dose. The aim is to raise the level of immunity in these individuals closer to the level of immunity as the non-immunosuppressed achieve from two doses in Newcastle upon Tyne and other areas.
The Government has accepted this advice, which will be applied at a national level. Severe immunosuppression at the time of vaccination is defined using guidance and timings outlined at the following link:
The purpose of the separate potential booster programme is to maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 ahead of the winter months. The JCVI published interim advice on a potential Covid-19 booster vaccination programme on 30 June 2021, which is available at the following link:
Final decisions on the timing and scope and cohort eligibility of any COVID-19 vaccine booster programme will be confirmed once the JCVI has provided their final advice.
It is expected that severely immunosuppressed individuals will become eligible for a booster dose as part of any routine booster programme from around six months after their third dose, pending further advice.