Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to conduct a review of blood donation rules for people over the age of 70.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England, and blood donor selection guidelines are prepared by the Joint United Kingdom Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC), with further information available at the following link:
https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/
JPAC is due to conduct a review of the upper age limit for new and returning donors in 2026, following analysis of adverse events over the preceding 12 months since NHSBT, and other UK blood services, adopted its updated guidelines for returning donors in 2024. A copy of the guidelines is attached.
The current maximum age of first-time donors was extended from 60 to 65 years old in line with Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 limits on the safe age range for new donors, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/50/contents
There is no age limit for regular donors, who may continue to give blood over the age of 72 years old if they remain in good health and have made at least one full donation in the last two years.
Returning donors, those who have given blood anywhere in the world without an adverse reaction, can return to donating up to, and on, their 72nd birthday, and then can continue to donate as long as they remain healthy
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is neutral on the passing of this Bill and the principle of assisted dying. Should it be the will of Parliament for this legislation to pass, the Government would address the issue of funding at the appropriate time.
In the meantime, I refer the hon. Member to the published impact assessment, which provides a range of potential cost estimates.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include primary progressive aphasia in the list of conditions requiring nationally commissioned services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to introduce nationally commissioned services for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia. We are committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.
Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the expectation that ICBs commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.
Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of Pharmacy First funding had been spent as of 26 November 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Verified data to the end of November 2024 shows that £82 million has been spent in the 2024/25 financial year on the seven common clinical pathways and associated incentive payments, and on expanding blood pressure and contraception services. A comprehensive view of all spending against the Pharmacy First budget will be available after the end of the financial year.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for ambulances in the SW13 postcode in each year since 2015.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information requested.
NHS England publishes monthly official statistics for ambulance response times at a national level and at ambulance trust level. This information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
In addition, since April 2023, information on ambulance response times to ‘Category 2’ incidents has been provided for each integrated care board (ICB) area.
The following table shows the average Category 2 response time information available in minutes and seconds for NHS South West London ICB, which SW13 is within:
2023/24 | 2024/25 to date (December 2024) |
32:26 | 35:07 |
Source: NHS England - https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-management-information/
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of people living in London that have recorded (a) physical and (b) mental illnesses linked to noise pollution.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
A specific estimate of the number of people living in London that have recorded physical and mental illnesses linked to noise pollution has not been completed.
In 2023, the UK Health Security Agency published the findings from a new study that maps the effects of transport noise on health and wellbeing across England, including London. It was estimated that transport noise in London was responsible for the equivalent of thirty-six thousand healthy life years lost in disability in 2018. This includes effects from roads, railways, and air traffic. This work was based on methods developed by the World Health Organization, with further information available at the following link:
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the funding allocated for Pharmacy First has been spent as of 15 January 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding for Pharmacy First is drawn from the additional pharmacy funding announced in January 2024, to cover activity delivered across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
The plan announced additional spend on blood pressure checks, contraception, and the introduction of seven clinical pathways for the supply of prescription only medicines where clinically appropriate.
NHS England and the Department are carefully monitoring the spend on all three elements that make up the full Pharmacy First service, which include minor illness referrals, urgent medicine supply, and the seven new clinical pathways.
Contractors can submit claims up to three months after delivering the activity. The Department therefore cannot provide the data requested.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will work with the care sector to establish a (a) National Care Agency to (i) set minimum standards of care and (ii) act as a regulator and (b) Royal College of Careworkers to (A) improve recognition, (B) deliver training and development and (C) ensure the highest professional standards.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of delivering a National Care Service and adult social care reform. The Secretary of State has invited representatives of the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Green Party to take part in cross-party talks on this to build consensus regarding the commission and what it will achieve. This will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families should expect from adult social care. The Commission will look at all aspects of the adult social care system, identifying the biggest challenges in adult social care and recommending practical changes to best meet the current and future needs of the population over the coming decades.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of uncompleted Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard applications per year since 2009.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The annual Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessments consist of data collected from local authorities in England, who are the supervisory bodies for authorising deprivations of liberty for adults in care homes and hospitals. The aim of this publication is to inform users about aspects of DoLS activity.
Since the Cheshire West court ruling in 2014, the definition of a ‘deprivation of liberty’ under DoLS widened, and so did the number of cases local authorities had to assess. The increase in cases has led to a backlog. The following table shows the number of Deprivation of Liberty Protection Safeguard applications received, completed, and not completed, each year from 2013/14 to 2023/24:
Year | Total number of applications received | Total number of completed applications | Total number of applications not completed |
2013/14 | 13,715 | 13,040 | N/A |
2014/15 | 137,540 | 62,645 | N/A |
2015/16 | 195,840 | 105,055 | 101,740 |
2016/17 | 217,235 | 151,970 | 108,545 |
2017/18 | 227,400 | 181,785 | 125,630 |
2018/19 | 240,455 | 216,005 | 131,350 |
2019/20 | 263,940 | 243,300 | 129,780 |
2020/21 | 256,610 | 246,025 | 119,740 |
2021/22 | 270,650 | 254,215 | 124,145 |
2022/23 | 300,765 | 289,150 | 126,100 |
2023/24 | 332,455 | 323,870 | 123,790 |
Source: data is published by NHS Digital, and is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-capacity-act-2005-deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-assessments
Data was not routinely collected on applications not completed prior to 2015/16.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard to be processed for standard authorisation per year since 2009.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The annual Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessments consist of data collected by NHS Digital from local authorities in England, who are the supervisory bodies for authorising deprivations of liberty for adults in care homes and hospitals. The aim of this publication is to inform users about the aspects of DoLS activity. NHS Digital collects data on the average length of time for all completed DoLS applications. The statutory deadline for a standard authorisation is 21 days, and seven days for an urgent authorisation. This data was not routinely collected prior to 2016/17.
The following table shows the number of granted authorisation of standard applications and the mean average number of days for standard authorisation of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications, each year from 2016/17 to 2023/24:
Year | Number of granted authorisations from standard applications | Mean duration of actual authorisation period in days for standard applications |
2016/17 | 30,865 | 226 |
2017/18 | 51,995 | 250 |
2018/19 | 63,020 | 264 |
2019/20 | 69,895 | 271 |
2020/21 | 75,995 | 270 |
2021/22 | 68,565 | 269 |
2022/23 | 75,065 | 270 |
2023/24 | 80,150 | 276 |
Source: data is published by NHS Digital, and is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-capacity-act-2005-deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-assessments