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Written Question
Restaurants: Allergies
Tuesday 6th December 2022

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that standards on (a) food labelling and allergens and (b) staff training on allergens in restaurants are (i) maintained and (ii) enhanced.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

Information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food. The United Kingdom maintains high standards on the information provided on food labelling to ensure consumer confidence. The Government food strategy sets out further action on consumer information and transparency.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to reduce harm to people with food hypersensitivity and ensure that related food safety standards are maintained. This includes improving the provision of information for people with allergies and working with food businesses to increase allergen training in the sector. The FSA’s programme on food hypersensitivity is focused on policy, research and evidence to support enforcement and engaging with consumers and businesses.


Written Question
Care Homes: Nurses
Tuesday 6th December 2022

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

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 improve the quality of nursing in care homes.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I created the post of Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care. Deborah Sturdy is providing outstanding leadership for social care nursing in this role. She has been raising the profile of social care nursing and increasing the recognition of excellence in social care. As we take forwards our social care reforms, social care nurses and care workers are front and centre of our workforce ambitions.


Written Question
Health: Age
Tuesday 19th June 2018

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

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 support healthy ageing.

Answered by Caroline Dinenage

The Prime Minister recently outlined that the first mission of the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, as announced in the Industrial Strategy, would be to ensure people enjoy at least five extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035, whilst narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest. The Department is leading work across Government to deliver on this ambition, working closely with key partners across industry, civil society and local government.


Written Question
General Practitioners: Insurance
Thursday 15th September 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from general practitioners on the affordability of personal medical indemnity in England.

Answered by David Mowat

The Department and NHS England committed in the recently published General Practice Forward View to review the current arrangements for indemnity cover for general practitioners (GPs).

To take this review forward, a General Practice Indemnity Steering Group was established by the Department with NHS England to look at the rising cost of indemnity, which resulted in an announcement that NHS England would provide a financial support package this year and next to assist GPs with rises they may be facing in their indemnity premia. NHS England also committed to run a winter indemnity scheme in 2016-17, and to provide support to GPs experiencing indemnity inflation as a result of their out-of-hours activity. A number of other measures to address the root causes of rising indemnity costs were also announced.

This review gathered evidence about the impact of the rising cost of indemnity on GPs, and specifically sought representations from GPs via a survey which asked about their personal experiences of indemnity costs and how this had affected them. The survey received over 4,500 responses from individual GPs. The review also held several discussions with GP representative groups.

The survey of GPs suggested that indemnity costs rose, on average, by around 7% per annum in the last five years. Data published by the medical defence organisations, who provide indemnity cover to GPs, suggested that this inflation was closer to 10% per year. The review judged the latter figure to be more accurate. The review also considered funding for expenses as part of the GP contract, which in 2016-17 was topped up by £33 million specifically for increased indemnity costs. The review concluded that overall, in the last five years, GP indemnity costs have risen as a proportion of GP income.

The Department holds no data on the number of GPs who have ceased practising in the last five years as a result of the costs of personal medical indemnity in England and each English region.

The survey of GPs indicated that the rising cost of indemnity may sometimes deter GPs for taking on additional sessions, and some GPs told the review that the cost of indemnity may also influence their willingness to join the profession, to remain in the profession, or to increase their workload.


Written Question
General Practitioners: Insurance
Thursday 15th September 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department holds data on the number of general practitioners who have ceased practising in the last five years as a result of the costs of personal medical indemnity in (a) England and (b) each English region.

Answered by David Mowat

The Department and NHS England committed in the recently published General Practice Forward View to review the current arrangements for indemnity cover for general practitioners (GPs).

To take this review forward, a General Practice Indemnity Steering Group was established by the Department with NHS England to look at the rising cost of indemnity, which resulted in an announcement that NHS England would provide a financial support package this year and next to assist GPs with rises they may be facing in their indemnity premia. NHS England also committed to run a winter indemnity scheme in 2016-17, and to provide support to GPs experiencing indemnity inflation as a result of their out-of-hours activity. A number of other measures to address the root causes of rising indemnity costs were also announced.

This review gathered evidence about the impact of the rising cost of indemnity on GPs, and specifically sought representations from GPs via a survey which asked about their personal experiences of indemnity costs and how this had affected them. The survey received over 4,500 responses from individual GPs. The review also held several discussions with GP representative groups.

The survey of GPs suggested that indemnity costs rose, on average, by around 7% per annum in the last five years. Data published by the medical defence organisations, who provide indemnity cover to GPs, suggested that this inflation was closer to 10% per year. The review judged the latter figure to be more accurate. The review also considered funding for expenses as part of the GP contract, which in 2016-17 was topped up by £33 million specifically for increased indemnity costs. The review concluded that overall, in the last five years, GP indemnity costs have risen as a proportion of GP income.

The Department holds no data on the number of GPs who have ceased practising in the last five years as a result of the costs of personal medical indemnity in England and each English region.

The survey of GPs indicated that the rising cost of indemnity may sometimes deter GPs for taking on additional sessions, and some GPs told the review that the cost of indemnity may also influence their willingness to join the profession, to remain in the profession, or to increase their workload.


Written Question
General Practitioners: Insurance
Thursday 15th September 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on general practitioners of the affordability of personal medical indemnity.

Answered by David Mowat

The Department and NHS England committed in the recently published General Practice Forward View to review the current arrangements for indemnity cover for general practitioners (GPs).

To take this review forward, a General Practice Indemnity Steering Group was established by the Department with NHS England to look at the rising cost of indemnity, which resulted in an announcement that NHS England would provide a financial support package this year and next to assist GPs with rises they may be facing in their indemnity premia. NHS England also committed to run a winter indemnity scheme in 2016-17, and to provide support to GPs experiencing indemnity inflation as a result of their out-of-hours activity. A number of other measures to address the root causes of rising indemnity costs were also announced.

This review gathered evidence about the impact of the rising cost of indemnity on GPs, and specifically sought representations from GPs via a survey which asked about their personal experiences of indemnity costs and how this had affected them. The survey received over 4,500 responses from individual GPs. The review also held several discussions with GP representative groups.

The survey of GPs suggested that indemnity costs rose, on average, by around 7% per annum in the last five years. Data published by the medical defence organisations, who provide indemnity cover to GPs, suggested that this inflation was closer to 10% per year. The review judged the latter figure to be more accurate. The review also considered funding for expenses as part of the GP contract, which in 2016-17 was topped up by £33 million specifically for increased indemnity costs. The review concluded that overall, in the last five years, GP indemnity costs have risen as a proportion of GP income.

The Department holds no data on the number of GPs who have ceased practising in the last five years as a result of the costs of personal medical indemnity in England and each English region.

The survey of GPs indicated that the rising cost of indemnity may sometimes deter GPs for taking on additional sessions, and some GPs told the review that the cost of indemnity may also influence their willingness to join the profession, to remain in the profession, or to increase their workload.


Written Question
Kidney Diseases: Drugs
Monday 29th February 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on (a) resourcing of kidney and dialysis care in Plymouth Hospitals and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trusts and (b) care for kidney patients from South East Cornwall of the recent NICE ruling on provision of immune-suppressant drugs.

Answered by George Freeman

We have made no such assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet published its final updated guidance on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in adults (review of TA85) or on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in children and young people (review of TA99). NICE is developing resource impact reports to support implementation of its guidance which will be published alongside its final technology appraisal guidance.


Written Question
Transplant Surgery
Monday 29th February 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimates he has made of the additional resources needed and the cost of providing additional dialysis capacity for those patients who will no longer be suitable for a kidney transplant and for those patients whose transplant graft fails due as a result of restrictions in the range of immunosuppressant agents that will be introduced if the recommendations of the NICE review of TA 85 [ID456] are upheld at appeal.

Answered by George Freeman

We have made no such assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet published its final updated guidance on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in adults (review of TA85) or on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in children and young people (review of TA99). NICE is developing resource impact reports to support implementation of its guidance which will be published alongside its final technology appraisal guidance.


Written Question
Kidney Diseases: Drugs
Monday 29th February 2016

Asked by: Sheryll Murray (Conservative - South East Cornwall)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on (a) resourcing of kidney and dialysis care in Plymouth Hospitals and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trusts and (b) care for kidney patients from South East Cornwall of the recent NICE ruling on provision of immune-suppressant drugs.

Answered by George Freeman

We have made no such assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet published its final updated guidance on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in adults (review of TA85) or on the use of immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in children and young people (review of TA99). NICE is developing resource impact reports to support implementation of its guidance which will be published alongside its final technology appraisal guidance.