Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the consistent child identifier as set out in Section 179 of the Health and Care Act 2022.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department for Education are leading a cross-Government programme to meet the legislative commitment in the Health and Social Care Act 2022 for the Government to report to Parliament by summer 2023 on its policy on information sharing in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The report will include a consideration of the use of a consistent child identifier across agencies.
The Child Protection Ministerial Group (CPMG) brings together Ministers from the Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Justice to provide oversight of the programme. The CPMG last met in April, and the consistent child identifier was discussed at that meeting.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to section 179 of the Health and Care Act 2022, whether he is taking steps to support cross-departmental work to prepare the report required under subsection (1); and whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential use of a consistent child identifier to facilitate the sharing of information.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department for Education are leading a cross-government programme to meet the legislative commitment in the Health and Social Care Act 2022 for the Government to report to Parliament by summer 2023 on its policy on information sharing in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The report will include a consideration of the use of a consistent child identifier across agencies.
The Child Protection Ministerial Group (CPMG) brings together junior Ministers from Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Justice to provide oversight of the programme. The CPMG last met in April, and the consistent child identifier was discussed at that meeting.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of a consistent child identifier for children with complex health needs.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Every child is assigned a National Health Service number at birth or the first time they have contact with NHS services. The NHS number acts as a unique patient identifier and is used to share information within electronic healthcare records. This contributes to improved health outcomes for children including those with complex health needs, by ensuring that health professionals identify patients correctly and have access to information to inform the delivery of appropriate care.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of the availability of data on children’s health and care needs.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the correspondence from the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 6 September 2022 and 1 November 2022, for what reason (a) he will not meet Evusheld campaigners and (b) his correspondence of 15 December 2022 did not refer to the request for a meeting.
Answered by Will Quince
On 15 December 2022, we wrote to patient groups and to MPs, to provide an update on COVID-19 treatments this winter. This correspondence did not refer to Evusheld campaigners’ request for a meeting because the purpose of this letter was to provide an update on the Department’s latest position on Evusheld. The Department has met with Evusheld campaigners on multiple occasions and appreciate their continued engagement.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to achieve the lowest national suicide rate ever recorded via the new suicide prevention plan; and when he plans to publish that plan.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government held a call for evidence earlier this year to inform long-term priorities for mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention. We are currently considering the responses received and further information will be available in due course. In addition, we are working with stakeholders, national and local government, the voluntary sector and academics to consider aims for the reduction of suicide prevention rates.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 number of people under the age of 25 (a) receiving and (b) awaiting inpatient treatment for eating disorders in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
As of 30 April 2022, there were 519 children and young people and 171 adults aged 24 years old and under with an eating disorder occupying an inpatient bed. No estimate has been made of the number of people awaiting inpatient treatment for an eating disorder.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 proportion of the (a) adult and (b) under 18 population of England suffering from an eating disorder; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The ‘2019 Health Survey for England’ indicated that 16% of adults aged 16 years old and over in England received a positive screen for a possible eating disorder or reported that their feelings about food had a significant negative impact on their life.
Data is not held for all those aged under 18 years old. However, for children and young people aged 11 to 16 years old, the ‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021 - wave 2 follow up to the 2017 survey’ found that 13% screened positive for possible eating problems. For those aged 17 to 19 years old, 58.2% screened positive. However, a positive screening result does not confirm that the child or young person had an eating disorder but indicated an increased likelihood of problems with eating.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many inpatient beds for patients with eating disorders were commissioned by the NHS in (a) NHS hospitals and (b) the independent sector in each of the last five years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The information requested is not currently held in the format requested. While NHS England and NHS Improvement collect data on the number of inpatient beds commissioned for patients with eating disorders, this information has not been centrally validated.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 potential impact on (a) GP and (b) NHS capacity of the end of provision of free covid-19 lateral flow tests on 1 April 2022; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing free lateral flow testing for NHS staff to help tackle staff shortages.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are unable to provide the information requested on specific assessments as this relates to the development of Government policy. However, we continue with the National Health Service to assess the impact of the end of free universal testing on primary, community and acute healthcare settings. From 1 April 2022, our testing strategy is focussed on protecting the most vulnerable population groups and settings, continuing surveillance to identify variants of concern and maintaining the ability to respond to potential new variants. We will continue to provide some asymptomatic testing in NHS services during periods of higher prevalence, including for staff and patients.