Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NICE Implementation Collaborative report, Supporting local implementation of NICE Technology Appraisal 325 on reducing alcohol consumption in adults with alcohol dependence, what progress his Department has made on implementing guidance on (a) encouraging the prescription of nalmefene and (b) reducing complexity in the provision of alcohol-treatment services within the NHS.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England is working with the Department and the devolved administrations to develop comprehensive United Kingdom guidelines for the clinical management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence. The guidelines are due to be published in 2021.
The aim of the guidelines is to develop a clear consensus on good practice and help services to implement interventions for alcohol use disorders that are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). More information on the development of the guidelines can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-alcohol-clinical-guidelines-development-begins
NICE undertook a surveillance review of its guideline on alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking (high-risk drinking) and alcohol dependence [CG115] in July 2019, and the decision was made to not update the guideline. While the review found several studies on naltrexone, NICE considered that the new evidence was unlikely to change the current guideline recommendations. Unless presented with new evidence, NICE has no immediate plans to review CG115.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NICE Guidance CG115 will be updated to reflect studies that conclude that naltrexone is (a) effective at reducing alcohol use and heavy drinking and (b) less effective at maintaining abstinence.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England is working with the Department and the devolved administrations to develop comprehensive United Kingdom guidelines for the clinical management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence. The guidelines are due to be published in 2021.
The aim of the guidelines is to develop a clear consensus on good practice and help services to implement interventions for alcohol use disorders that are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). More information on the development of the guidelines can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-alcohol-clinical-guidelines-development-begins
NICE undertook a surveillance review of its guideline on alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking (high-risk drinking) and alcohol dependence [CG115] in July 2019, and the decision was made to not update the guideline. While the review found several studies on naltrexone, NICE considered that the new evidence was unlikely to change the current guideline recommendations. Unless presented with new evidence, NICE has no immediate plans to review CG115.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Screening Committee in its review into the case for prostate cancer screening will make an assessment of the European Association of Urologists' recommendation, published in its 2019 position paper on the wide-scale adoption of population-based prostate cancer screening programmes.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) opened its three-month public consultation on screening for prostate cancer/ prostate-specific antigen testing in men over 50 on 25 June 2020.
As per the UK NSC’s evidence review process when examining the evidence for a condition, only published peer-reviewed evidence is taken into consideration in order to allow for robust population screening recommendations to be made. The evidence review process can be viewed at the following link:
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS funding spend on cancer is currently spent on prostate cancer.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The amount spent by the National Health Service on prostate cancer related services is not collected separately to the overall spend on cancer services.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on prostate cancer identification and diagnosis rates from March 2020 to July 2020.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The data is not currently available.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 had a diagnosis for bipolar disorder in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
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 GPs and commissioners follow the latest NICE guidance on the prescription of drugs for alcohol dependence.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance describe best practice and health and care commissioners are expected to take them fully into account. NICE guidance provides recommendations on best practice in terms of both the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions and services.
The Government has taken a robust approach to tackling alcohol harms. Between 2016 and 2020/21 we are investing more than £16 billion in local government public health services. In 2019/20 over £3 billion is to be used exclusively on public health including alcohol treatment services.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has plans to update is guidance on Naltrexone and opioid antagonists as a treatment for addiction.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed the evidence on naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence in November 2010 and found nothing new that affects the recommendations in this guidance. In line with NICE’s published procedures, this guidance will be considered for review again if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether hospice (a) staff and (b) patients are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We are rolling out millions of antibody tests to help us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country which will be vital for future decisions about how to best control the virus.
We are now testing National Health Service and care staff as well as patients where there is an identified clinical need. We expect that roll out will be expanded to other essential workers in due course.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which categories of health and social care providers are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We are rolling out millions of antibody tests to help us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country which will be vital for future decisions about how to best control the virus. We are now testing National Health Service and care staff as well as patients where there is an identified clinical need.
For care staff, the antibody testing programme is being rolled out in a phased way across regions in England.