Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 a new Women’s Health Strategy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy was published on 20 July 2022.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has commissioned research into variations in the effectiveness of Hormone Replacement Therapy on women from ethnic minorities.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department has not commissioned this specific research. However, the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including hormone replacement therapy. While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions, the NIHR’s funding is available through open competition and we encourage researchers to submit applications in this area.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to recommence data collection through the National Diabetes Foot Care Audit in 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic there were significant reductions in rate of lower-limb major and minor amputations compared with the same period in the previous three years. As of January 2022, these rates have not yet increased.
The biennial National Diabetes Foot Care Audit has continued throughout the pandemic. The latest report was published on 11 May 2022 for the period July 2014 to March 2021 and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 prevalence of diabetic foot complications during and following the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic there were significant reductions in rate of lower-limb major and minor amputations compared with the same period in the previous three years. As of January 2022, these rates have not yet increased.
The biennial National Diabetes Foot Care Audit has continued throughout the pandemic. The latest report was published on 11 May 2022 for the period July 2014 to March 2021 and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to ensure diabetic foot screening within primary care returns pre-covid-19 pandemic levels.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The ‘2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance’ asks integrated care systems (ICSs) to restore diabetes care processes to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022/23. In 2022/23, £36 million has been allocated to ICSs to support the restoration of routine diabetes care, including foot checks. Each ICS will set out its recovery activity in a one year operational plan.
In April 2022, performance-based payments for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) were reinstated in full. Alongside other indicators promoting the management of patients with diabetes, the 2022/23 QOF includes an indicator which promotes an annual foot examination of registered patients with diabetes.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS hospitals will be permitted to retain unused covid-19 testing kits after the end of the free provision of those kits to the public.
Answered by Maggie Throup
National Health Service hospitals are permitted to retain unused COVID-19 testing kits following the end of free access to universal testing for the general public. It is at the discretion of hospitals on how remaining stock is distributed, which may include routine NHS staff testing or pre-admission testing. Free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing is available in the health and social care sector, based on clinical risk factors.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is aware of equipment with constituent parts made through forced labour having entered UK supply chains since January 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Suppliers appointed to NHS Supply Chain framework contracts, which provide the majority of medical goods and services to the National Health Service, must comply with the Labour Standards Assurance System or they can be removed from consideration for future procurement opportunities.
If there is an allegation of modern slavery practices against a company supplying medical goods or services into the United Kingdom, these are investigated. The Department is not aware of any breaches of the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 since January 2020. Information is not held centrally on procurement undertaken by NHS trusts and foundation trusts, which takes place at a local level.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with community pharmacists on how that profession can (a) support GPs and (b) help relieve the pressures on GP waiting lists.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We are currently negotiating with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on the expanded and additional services to be introduced in the fourth year of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. The Framework sets out the ambition for community pharmacy to be better integrated and provide more clinical services, such as treatment for minor illnesses, to relieve pressures elsewhere in the NHS.
A number of new clinical services have been introduced including the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, where staff in general practices and NHS111 can refer patients to community pharmacies for advice and treatment of minor illnesses.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on delivering more sustainable funding for community pharmacies.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Officials have regular discussions with HM Treasury on community pharmacy funding. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework commits £2.592 billion every year to community pharmacy from 2019 to 2024. Negotiations on what the sector will deliver in 2022/23 within this funding are ongoing. Additional funding has been available to community pharmacies for flu vaccination and COVID-19 services, including the medicines delivery service, vaccinations and Pharmacy Collect.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 online and in-person sexual and reproductive health services in England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No national assessment has been made. However, services have remained open throughout the pandemic through the increase of digital services, including telephone and internet consultations, in addition to continuing face-to-face appointments for urgent or complex cases. The forthcoming Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy will set out plans to work with system partners to ensure the availability of a blended service delivery model, including consistent and appropriate access to online and face-to-face services.