Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procedures are in place to record the number of patients offered (a) evening and (b) weekend appointments at GP surgeries.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Data on the number of patients offered evening and weekend appointments is not collected or held centrally.
Data on extended access appointments is collated by an internal monitoring survey by quarterly submissions from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). CCGs collect data on the number of appointments available, booked and ‘Did Not Attends’ for each day of the reporting month and what practices offer online consultations. This does not include data on the number of patients offered evening and weekend appointments.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procedures are in place to record the number of patients offered (a) evening and (b) weekend appointments at GP surgeries.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
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 local surgeries in Southampton are not understaffed.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is to ensure that people who require repeat prescriptions are able to have access to the medicine they require.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Government does not distinguish between acute and repeat prescriptions. Over two million prescription items – acute and repeat - are dispensed in England alone every day. Medicine supply problems can occur for a wide variety of reasons, and the Department has well established routine procedures to deal with shortages, from whatever cause, working closely with manufacturers, the National Health Service and patient groups.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of free repeat prescriptions in each of the last three years.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Whether a prescription is a repeat or not is not indicated on the prescription. Therefore, the cost to the public purse of free repeat prescriptions is not recorded centrally. However, we know, for the past three years, that around almost 90% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are registered for repeat prescriptions.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Whether a prescription is a repeat or not is not indicated on the prescription therefore it is not recorded centrally.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
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 adequacy of the availability of naproxen on the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department is aware that supplies of naproxen tablets were limited during January and early February due to a manufacturing issue with the active pharmaceutical ingredient. During this time, we worked closely with all suppliers of naproxen tablets to expedite further deliveries.
Supplies of naproxen tablets are currently available in volumes sufficient to meet national requirements. We will continue to work closely with all manufacturers of naproxen tablets to monitor the overall supply situation to ensure supplies continue to remain available. We have provided updates about the naproxen supply situation to the National Health Service via primary and secondary care networks and will continue to do this.
We understand that naproxen, and other medicines, are vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union to ensure that the supply of medicines for patients is not disrupted.
The Department is unable to discuss the specific arrangements for naproxen, because to reassure companies engaging in our contingency plans, we have committed to treating all information received confidentially, securely and to using it only for the purposes of the Department’s programme.
A comprehensive plan has been put in place in the form of a multi-layered approach to minimise any supply disruption:
- securing, via the Department for Transport, additional roll on roll off freight capacity (away from the short straits) for goods to continue to come into the UK from 29 March;
- buffer stocks and stockpiling (where this is practical) or asking industry to build up buffer stocks in the UK before 29 March;
- buying extra warehouse space for the additional stock to be held in;
- supporting companies in booking space on aircraft for products which require an immediate shipment due to short shelf-life or specific storage conditions;
- making changes to, or clarifications of, certain regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK even if we have ‘no deal’; and
- strengthening the processes and resources used to deal with shortages in the event that they do occur.
No one of these measures will work on its own. A combination of securing freight, buffer stocks, stockpiling and warehousing, regulatory flexibility, and clinical assessment and decision making, will be required help to ensure the continuation of medical supplies.
Throughout enacting our plans, the response from pharmaceutical companies has been hugely positive. Companies share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines’ supply for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
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 adequacy of stocks of naproxen held by the NHS in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department is aware that supplies of naproxen tablets were limited during January and early February due to a manufacturing issue with the active pharmaceutical ingredient. During this time, we worked closely with all suppliers of naproxen tablets to expedite further deliveries.
Supplies of naproxen tablets are currently available in volumes sufficient to meet national requirements. We will continue to work closely with all manufacturers of naproxen tablets to monitor the overall supply situation to ensure supplies continue to remain available. We have provided updates about the naproxen supply situation to the National Health Service via primary and secondary care networks and will continue to do this.
We understand that naproxen, and other medicines, are vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union to ensure that the supply of medicines for patients is not disrupted.
The Department is unable to discuss the specific arrangements for naproxen, because to reassure companies engaging in our contingency plans, we have committed to treating all information received confidentially, securely and to using it only for the purposes of the Department’s programme.
A comprehensive plan has been put in place in the form of a multi-layered approach to minimise any supply disruption:
- securing, via the Department for Transport, additional roll on roll off freight capacity (away from the short straits) for goods to continue to come into the UK from 29 March;
- buffer stocks and stockpiling (where this is practical) or asking industry to build up buffer stocks in the UK before 29 March;
- buying extra warehouse space for the additional stock to be held in;
- supporting companies in booking space on aircraft for products which require an immediate shipment due to short shelf-life or specific storage conditions;
- making changes to, or clarifications of, certain regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK even if we have ‘no deal’; and
- strengthening the processes and resources used to deal with shortages in the event that they do occur.
No one of these measures will work on its own. A combination of securing freight, buffer stocks, stockpiling and warehousing, regulatory flexibility, and clinical assessment and decision making, will be required help to ensure the continuation of medical supplies.
Throughout enacting our plans, the response from pharmaceutical companies has been hugely positive. Companies share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines’ supply for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2019 to Question 205406 on Naproxen, what progress has been made on securing additional deliveries of naproxen.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department is aware that supplies of naproxen tablets were limited during January and early February due to a manufacturing issue with the active pharmaceutical ingredient. During this time, we worked closely with all suppliers of naproxen tablets to expedite further deliveries.
Supplies of naproxen tablets are currently available in volumes sufficient to meet national requirements. We will continue to work closely with all manufacturers of naproxen tablets to monitor the overall supply situation to ensure supplies continue to remain available. We have provided updates about the naproxen supply situation to the National Health Service via primary and secondary care networks and will continue to do this.
We understand that naproxen, and other medicines, are vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union to ensure that the supply of medicines for patients is not disrupted.
The Department is unable to discuss the specific arrangements for naproxen, because to reassure companies engaging in our contingency plans, we have committed to treating all information received confidentially, securely and to using it only for the purposes of the Department’s programme.
A comprehensive plan has been put in place in the form of a multi-layered approach to minimise any supply disruption:
- securing, via the Department for Transport, additional roll on roll off freight capacity (away from the short straits) for goods to continue to come into the UK from 29 March;
- buffer stocks and stockpiling (where this is practical) or asking industry to build up buffer stocks in the UK before 29 March;
- buying extra warehouse space for the additional stock to be held in;
- supporting companies in booking space on aircraft for products which require an immediate shipment due to short shelf-life or specific storage conditions;
- making changes to, or clarifications of, certain regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK even if we have ‘no deal’; and
- strengthening the processes and resources used to deal with shortages in the event that they do occur.
No one of these measures will work on its own. A combination of securing freight, buffer stocks, stockpiling and warehousing, regulatory flexibility, and clinical assessment and decision making, will be required help to ensure the continuation of medical supplies.
Throughout enacting our plans, the response from pharmaceutical companies has been hugely positive. Companies share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines’ supply for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2019 to Question 209362, what further discussions his Department has had with the health sector on the supply of Naproxen.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department is aware that supplies of naproxen tablets were limited during January and early February due to a manufacturing issue with the active pharmaceutical ingredient. During this time, we worked closely with all suppliers of naproxen tablets to expedite further deliveries.
Supplies of naproxen tablets are currently available in volumes sufficient to meet national requirements. We will continue to work closely with all manufacturers of naproxen tablets to monitor the overall supply situation to ensure supplies continue to remain available. We have provided updates about the naproxen supply situation to the National Health Service via primary and secondary care networks and will continue to do this.
We understand that naproxen, and other medicines, are vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union to ensure that the supply of medicines for patients is not disrupted.
The Department is unable to discuss the specific arrangements for naproxen, because to reassure companies engaging in our contingency plans, we have committed to treating all information received confidentially, securely and to using it only for the purposes of the Department’s programme.
A comprehensive plan has been put in place in the form of a multi-layered approach to minimise any supply disruption:
- securing, via the Department for Transport, additional roll on roll off freight capacity (away from the short straits) for goods to continue to come into the UK from 29 March;
- buffer stocks and stockpiling (where this is practical) or asking industry to build up buffer stocks in the UK before 29 March;
- buying extra warehouse space for the additional stock to be held in;
- supporting companies in booking space on aircraft for products which require an immediate shipment due to short shelf-life or specific storage conditions;
- making changes to, or clarifications of, certain regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK even if we have ‘no deal’; and
- strengthening the processes and resources used to deal with shortages in the event that they do occur.
No one of these measures will work on its own. A combination of securing freight, buffer stocks, stockpiling and warehousing, regulatory flexibility, and clinical assessment and decision making, will be required help to ensure the continuation of medical supplies.
Throughout enacting our plans, the response from pharmaceutical companies has been hugely positive. Companies share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines’ supply for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.