Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on reaching the national target of 66.7 per cent for dementia diagnosis rates.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
As of August 2022, the dementia diagnosis rate was 62.1%. In 2021/22, the Government made £17 million available to clinical commissioning groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses.
This included identifying areas of good practice in dementia diagnosis and provision of pre and post diagnostic support, which will be shared with dementia clinical networks and stakeholders.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with local health systems on returning dementia care plan reviews to pre-pandemic levels.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There have been no specific discussions.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of (a) podiatry vacancy rates in the NHS in East Ham constituency and (b) the impact these vacancies will have on patient treatment for diabetic foot complications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
No specific assessment has been made as this information is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the number of private patients with long-term health conditions who have been unable to undertake (a) treatments and (b) therapies due to the cost of living; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
No specific assessment has been made as data regarding private healthcare patients is not held centrally.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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 extent of compliance in the NHS with NICE guidance that Sickle Cell patients should receive pain relief within 30 minutes of admittance to Accident and Emergency care; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
As part of this years’ World Sickle Cell Day, NHS England launched a new sickle cell disease awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease, aimed at urgent and emergency care staff and those living with the condition and their carers.
There have been recent improvements to the haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease and thalassemia now described in the curriculum as core competencies. Health Education England (HEE) provides e-learning which includes content on sickle cell disease. HEE has held discussions with the Royal Colleges of Pathology and Physicians to ensure this curriculum is deliverable to all four nations, in line with General Medical Council’s (GMC) standards. The Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres also provide network development, leadership, learning and education.
The Sickle Cell Society and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia report ‘No One’s Listening’ highlighted the lack of awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals. Officials are considering the report’s recommendations. NHS England estimates that awareness amongst accident and emergency medical and nursing staff, specifically of conditions such as sickle cell disease, is high across England and in areas where there is a higher prevalence of the condition. However, NHS England and other bodies continue with further awareness raising.
No specific assessment has been made regarding the extent of compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on pain relief for sickle cell patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers evidence of how registered persons have met fundamental standards through its regulatory approach. The CQC will consider the processes providers have to ensure that best practice is implemented for quality standards, including NICE’s guidelines.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of awareness among NHS ambulance and A and E staff of the need for urgency in dealing with a Sickle Cell crisis.
Answered by Will Quince
As part of this years’ World Sickle Cell Day, NHS England launched a new sickle cell disease awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease, aimed at urgent and emergency care staff and those living with the condition and their carers.
There have been recent improvements to the haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease and thalassemia now described in the curriculum as core competencies. Health Education England (HEE) provides e-learning which includes content on sickle cell disease. HEE has held discussions with the Royal Colleges of Pathology and Physicians to ensure this curriculum is deliverable to all four nations, in line with General Medical Council’s (GMC) standards. The Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres also provide network development, leadership, learning and education.
The Sickle Cell Society and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia report ‘No One’s Listening’ highlighted the lack of awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals. Officials are considering the report’s recommendations. NHS England estimates that awareness amongst accident and emergency medical and nursing staff, specifically of conditions such as sickle cell disease, is high across England and in areas where there is a higher prevalence of the condition. However, NHS England and other bodies continue with further awareness raising.
No specific assessment has been made regarding the extent of compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on pain relief for sickle cell patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers evidence of how registered persons have met fundamental standards through its regulatory approach. The CQC will consider the processes providers have to ensure that best practice is implemented for quality standards, including NICE’s guidelines.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to (a) increase awareness of Sickle Cell disease and (b) improve the training for dealing with that disease among (i) nurses and doctors in training and (ii) practising NHS nurses and doctors.
Answered by Will Quince
As part of this years’ World Sickle Cell Day, NHS England launched a new sickle cell disease awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease, aimed at urgent and emergency care staff and those living with the condition and their carers.
There have been recent improvements to the haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease and thalassemia now described in the curriculum as core competencies. Health Education England (HEE) provides e-learning which includes content on sickle cell disease. HEE has held discussions with the Royal Colleges of Pathology and Physicians to ensure this curriculum is deliverable to all four nations, in line with General Medical Council’s (GMC) standards. The Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres also provide network development, leadership, learning and education.
The Sickle Cell Society and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia report ‘No One’s Listening’ highlighted the lack of awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals. Officials are considering the report’s recommendations. NHS England estimates that awareness amongst accident and emergency medical and nursing staff, specifically of conditions such as sickle cell disease, is high across England and in areas where there is a higher prevalence of the condition. However, NHS England and other bodies continue with further awareness raising.
No specific assessment has been made regarding the extent of compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on pain relief for sickle cell patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) considers evidence of how registered persons have met fundamental standards through its regulatory approach. The CQC will consider the processes providers have to ensure that best practice is implemented for quality standards, including NICE’s guidelines.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase research into treatments for sickle cell disease.
Answered by James Morris
The Department funds research into sickle cell disease through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the last five years, the NIHR has funded nine studies into sickle cell disease with a total award value of £9,173,716 and supported the delivery of studies via its Clinical Research Network.
The NIHR spends over £1 billion on research each year, with research proposals in all areas competing for the funding available. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to increase the number of paediatric palliative care consultants in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are currently no nationally planned targeted recruitment campaigns for paediatric palliative care consultants. Individual National Health Service trusts are responsible for the recruitment of local staff, including medical consultants. In 2022, 98.5% of specialty training posts in paediatrics have been filled by Health Education England.
We have increased the number of medical school places in England by 25% from 6,000 to 7,500 per year, to ensure a sustainable supply of paediatric palliative care consultants in future years. In February 2022, there were 9,562 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in the specialty group of paediatrics in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups in England. This is an increase of 33%) since February 2010 and includes 3,957 FTE consultants, an increase of 65.9% since February 2010.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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 implications for his policies of the request from the Woven Network for a transitional arrangement pending implementation in the UK of the EU Novel Food regulations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Woven Network promotes the sale of edible insects for human consumption. European Union law provided for a period of transition for insect products to allow time for applications for these novel foods to be submitted and an EU decision on authorisation. No decisions were made before the end of the Transition Period, so no insects are currently authorised in Great Britain. The Food Standards Agency (FSA), as the policy owner for novel foods, is considering options on insects, including those proposed by the Woven Network pending an authorisation under national law. A decision on next steps will be made in due course. In the meantime, the FSA welcomes new applications for edible insects under the novel foods pre-market authorisation process.