Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many leptospirosis cases were diagnosed in hospital settings in each of the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Whilst we do not report data on settings where cases were diagnosed, the following table shows the number of confirmed leptospirosis cases in England between 2019 and 2023:
Year | Number of confirmed leptospirosis cases in England |
2019 | 83 |
2020 | 50 |
2021 | 54 |
2022 | 52 |
2023 (up to 30 June) | 13 |
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the end-of-life modifier on cancer technology appraisals.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated manual for health technology evaluations in January 2022 and introduced several changes to make its methods and processes fairer, faster, and more consistent. This includes the introduction of a broader severity modifier in place of the end of life modifier. Analysis carried out by NICE in the development of the modifier indicates that the vast majority of cancer medicines that would be eligible for the end of life modifier would also be eligible for a weighting under the severity modifier.
Since the changes were introduced, 79% of NICE’s appraisals of cancer medicines carried out under the updated methods have recommended the use of the treatment for some or all of the eligible patient population, either for routine use or use through the Cancer Drugs Fund. The approval rate for all cancer appraisals carried out since 2009 when the end of life modifier was introduced is 78%.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on when it plans to conclude its appraisal of trastuzumab deruxtecan for treating HER2-low metastatic or unrespectable breast cancer after chemotherapy.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on trastuzumab deruxtecan for HER2-low metastatic or unresectable breast cancer after chemotherapy, and recently consulted on draft guidance that does not recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. NICE will carefully consider comments received in response to the consultation in developing its final guidance, which is currently expected to be published in January 2024.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
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 (a) awareness among and (b) training for primary healthcare professionals of menstrual health conditions.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambitions for all healthcare professionals to be well informed about women’s health and supported to provide women with the best care possible. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs to improve women’s access to essential services for menstrual problems and more.
Women’s health is a core competency for general practitioners (GPs) and is included in the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) curriculum for trainee GPs. The RCGP has developed a ‘Women’s Health Library’, drawing together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health, which is regularly updated so primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date information for their patients.
Additionally, the General Medical Council will introduce the Medical Licensing Assessment from the academic year 2024/2025, including several women’s health-related topics such as menstrual problems, encouraging a better understanding of menstrual health problems for doctors starting their careers.
NHS England recently published a decision support tool for managing heavy periods, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/decision-support-tool-making-a-decision-about-managing-heavy-periods/
This tool can be used by patients to prepare for their appointment and during their appointment with a healthcare professional.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the transparency data entitled Ministry of Justice data: ministers hospitality, gifts, travel and meetings, January 2023 to March 2023, for what reason a meeting on 13 January 2023 with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Lords on the New Hospitals Programme was removed from the release.
Answered by Will Quince
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
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 assessment of the potential merits of contracting (a) rehabilitation, (b) therapy and (c) other similar services for key workers.
Answered by Will Quince
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of contracting rehabilitation, therapy, and other services for key workers in the National Health Service. NHS England has developed a range of health and wellbeing initiatives, including a health and wellbeing guardian role, a focus on healthy working environments, empowering line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and a comprehensive emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support package.
NHS England has also published a ‘Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing Together’ strategy. This sets out a roadmap for the NHS and partner organisations to work together to develop and invest in occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff over the next five years.
To ensure there is a long-term sustainable approach to supporting staff, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has tasked integrated care systems with developing and implementing plans, in line with NHS England’s strategy, to invest in occupational health and wellbeing services.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a public health campaign to raise awareness of coeliac disease and its symptoms.
Answered by Will Quince
We have made no assessment of the potential merits of assisting primary healthcare professionals to carry out clinical audits for coeliac disease, or the effectiveness of dietetic-led services across the country for people with coeliac disease. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
In making commissioning decisions, we would expect ICBs to consider relevant guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the recognition, assessment, and management of coeliac disease [NG20]. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20
Whilst there are no current plans to instigate a public awareness campaign around coeliac disease, to help raise awareness, NICE promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Information for the public on coeliac disease is also published by the National Health Service and is available on the NHS.UK website.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of assisting primary healthcare professionals to carry out clinical audits for coeliac disease.
Answered by Will Quince
We have made no assessment of the potential merits of assisting primary healthcare professionals to carry out clinical audits for coeliac disease, or the effectiveness of dietetic-led services across the country for people with coeliac disease. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
In making commissioning decisions, we would expect ICBs to consider relevant guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the recognition, assessment, and management of coeliac disease [NG20]. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20
Whilst there are no current plans to instigate a public awareness campaign around coeliac disease, to help raise awareness, NICE promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Information for the public on coeliac disease is also published by the National Health Service and is available on the NHS.UK website.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
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 effectiveness of dietetic-led services across the country for people with coeliac disease.
Answered by Will Quince
We have made no assessment of the potential merits of assisting primary healthcare professionals to carry out clinical audits for coeliac disease, or the effectiveness of dietetic-led services across the country for people with coeliac disease. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
In making commissioning decisions, we would expect ICBs to consider relevant guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the recognition, assessment, and management of coeliac disease [NG20]. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20
Whilst there are no current plans to instigate a public awareness campaign around coeliac disease, to help raise awareness, NICE promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Information for the public on coeliac disease is also published by the National Health Service and is available on the NHS.UK website.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has sought meetings with (a) professional societies and (b) charities on education and training on coeliac disease in the past year.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department has not sought any meetings with professional societies and charities on education and training on coeliac disease in the past year.