Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on the rollout of the new NHS special schools eye care service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has been supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) with the roll out of the special schools’ sight testing service. NHS England hosted a series of webinars to talk ICBs through the nationally developed service specifications. Each ICB received a comprehensive information pack outlining the level of interest expressed by both educational settings and service providers.
NHS England has established reporting on ICB progress in commissioning services, and all have indicated that they are either actively commissioning services, preparing for procurement activities, or planning engagement with local schools. Whilst services are being commissioned, the proof of concept contractors continue to provide services across 83 special schools.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Leicester South to discuss the role of the optometry sector as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10 Year Health Plan for England will include primary care provision; and if he will make it his policy to work with (a) optometrists, (b) pharmacists and (c) dentists in delivering that plan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out to create a new model of care. It sets out to reinvent the National Health Service through three shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. At the core of the plan is the development of the provision of care closer to home through, through neighbourhood health services. The plan is clear that we need to expand the local services that are offered, many of which are currently provided by the four sets of primary care contractors alongside community health services. It will be imperative therefore that we work with all these sectors, both nationally and locally, as plans develop. We have already started that process. As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we ran a significant public engagement process to collect views and ideas from across the country, on order to help inform the plan. This engagement will continue as we seek to work with stakeholders from across primary care to deliver a service fit for the future.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10-Year Plan for Health will include primary care provision; and if he will work with (a) optometrists, (b) pharmacists and (c) dentists to deliver that plan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out to create a new model of care. It sets out to reinvent the National Health Service through three shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. At the core of the plan is the development of the provision of care closer to home through, through neighbourhood health services. The plan is clear that we need to expand the local services that are offered, many of which are currently provided by the four sets of primary care contractors alongside community health services. It will be imperative therefore that we work with all these sectors, both nationally and locally, as plans develop. We have already started that process. As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we ran a significant public engagement process to collect views and ideas from across the country, on order to help inform the plan. This engagement will continue as we seek to work with stakeholders from across primary care to deliver a service fit for the future.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide NHS email accounts to (a) optometrists and (b) other NHS contractors to support more (i) efficient and (ii) secure communication across services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS.net, formally NHSmail, provides licences for optometry practices in England, specifically for General Ophthalmic Services contractors with 10 or fewer sites. Eligible practices can receive one shared mailbox and up to three individual NHS.net accounts per site, enabling the secure communication of patient data. NHS.net also provides secure communication to other commissioned partners delivering healthcare across pharmacy, dentistry, social care, and other neighbourhood community providers.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
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 capacity in hospital eye services by expanding the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.
We recognise the importance of making better use of the optometry sector and the capabilities to support eyecare capacity in the community, in order to reduce pressures on hospital services whilst also providing care closer to home. In line with our 10-Year Health Plan, we are working to develop neighbourhood health services so that more care takes place in the community, including optometry.
Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their population and for commissioning primary and secondary care, such as eye and optometry services, to meet the populations’ needs.
NHS England is working with eyecare providers to consider how eyecare services should be commissioned to ensure future sustainability. This includes looking at how more patients can be triaged and managed in the community, freeing up capacity for those that need face to face specialist care.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on improving digital connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services through NHS England digital accelerator sites.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England’s digital accelerators pilots have provided the evidence to demonstrate the value of the digital integration of primary and secondary care through a refined single point of access model. The digitally enabled single point of access uses IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services to improve the referral and triage of patients, with patient data and images being assessed by clinicians to determine if patients need an appointment in secondary care. This was found to reduce unnecessary hospital appointments, the time from referral to treatment, and supports more patients being managed in the community. The learning from the pilots has been shared with integrated care boards.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
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 using existing high street optometry practices to deliver diagnostic services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
High street optometrists play a vital role in the early detection of a range of eye conditions. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services and can commission additional diagnostic services from high street optometrists based on providers and priorities in their areas, for example additional testing to support effective referrals to secondary care.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
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 expanding primary eye care services through high street optometry practices to support early detection of eye conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them.
ICBs already commission National Health Service sight testing services through high street optical practices. Regular sight tests, whether provided by the NHS or privately, play a vital role in the early detection of sight threatening eye conditions.
ICBs can also commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services. These services further support the identification and management of eye conditions to prevent avoidable sight loss.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
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 help increase the use of the optometry workforce in (a) early intervention and (b) prevention of avoidable sight loss.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them.
ICBs already commission National Health Service sight testing services through high street optical practices. Regular sight tests, whether provided by the NHS or privately, play a vital role in the early detection of sight threatening eye conditions.
ICBs can also commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services. These services further support the identification and management of eye conditions to prevent avoidable sight loss.