Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 promote best practice across Clinical Commissioning Groups on the NICE 2017 guideline, NG77, on cataract surgery.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Department holds no information on the number of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017 guideline, NG77.
NICE clinical guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and are developed through engagement with stakeholders. They represent best practice and CCGs are expected to take them fully into account when planning and commissioning high-quality services healthcare services that meet the needs of their local population, including cataract surgery.
NHS England is responsible for holding CCGs to account to ensure they are commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations he has received from charities on travel insurance for disabled people and people with existing conditions in the event that the arrangements in place for the European Health Insurance Card come to an end after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019, I laid a written ministerial statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance on European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
The Department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the EHIC to be able to travel. In a no deal scenario, these may no longer be valid in some EU Member States, and in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states for those visitors not in scope of the EFTA Citizens’ Rights Agreements and travelling after exit day.
The United Kingdom Government has proposed to EU Member States and EFTA states that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements, including an EHIC type arrangement with similar benefits, in a no deal scenario until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals and EU and EFTA state citizens’ healthcare provision. However, it is not possible for the UK Government to guarantee access unilaterally to healthcare abroad, as this depends on reciprocity from Member States.
The Department has advised UK nationals living in or travelling to EU Member States to check up to date information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK and ensure they have taken the necessary steps to prepare. This information is available on the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
It is already the case that we advise people to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when working, studying or travelling to the EU and the rest of the world. This will remain our advice in all circumstances. When travelling abroad, individuals are responsible for ensuring their travel insurance covers their healthcare needs.
The Department has engaged closely with partners such as the Association of British Travel Insurers and organisations representing people with long-term health conditions, such as Kidney Care UK and the British Lung Foundation, to understand the impacts on some patient groups with long-term conditions, as well as to help develop the Healthcare (European Economic Area and Switzerland Arrangements) Act 2019. This legislation will provide us with the power to fund and implement comprehensive reciprocal healthcare arrangements after we leave the EU.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 ensure the affordability of travel insurance for (a) disabled people and (b) people with existing conditions in the event that UK citizens are no longer eligible for the European Health Insurance Card after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019, I laid a written ministerial statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance on European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
The Department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the EHIC to be able to travel. In a no deal scenario, these may no longer be valid in some EU Member States, and in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states for those visitors not in scope of the EFTA Citizens’ Rights Agreements and travelling after exit day.
The United Kingdom Government has proposed to EU Member States and EFTA states that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements, including an EHIC type arrangement with similar benefits, in a no deal scenario until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals and EU and EFTA state citizens’ healthcare provision. However, it is not possible for the UK Government to guarantee access unilaterally to healthcare abroad, as this depends on reciprocity from Member States.
The Department has advised UK nationals living in or travelling to EU Member States to check up to date information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK and ensure they have taken the necessary steps to prepare. This information is available on the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
It is already the case that we advise people to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when working, studying or travelling to the EU and the rest of the world. This will remain our advice in all circumstances. When travelling abroad, individuals are responsible for ensuring their travel insurance covers their healthcare needs.
The Department has engaged closely with partners such as the Association of British Travel Insurers and organisations representing people with long-term health conditions, such as Kidney Care UK and the British Lung Foundation, to understand the impacts on some patient groups with long-term conditions, as well as to help develop the Healthcare (European Economic Area and Switzerland Arrangements) Act 2019. This legislation will provide us with the power to fund and implement comprehensive reciprocal healthcare arrangements after we leave the EU.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2019 to Question 207547 on Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit, how much of the £71 million allocated to his Department for Brexit preparations in 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been allocated to preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Of the £71.1 million funding the Department has been allocated for 2018/19 and 2019/20, we are unable to provide a breakdown of the amount of funding allocated to ‘no deal’ preparations specifically, as this cannot be separated from European Union exit work as a whole across the Department.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
At Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury made an additional £3 billion of funding available over the next two years – £1.5 billion in each year – so that departments and the devolved administrations can continue to prepare effectively for European Union exit.
That is in addition to the £700 million previously made available to prepare for EU exit at Autumn Budget 2016.
In the Spring Statement on 13 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss MP) laid a Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, setting out the full Departmental allocations of the £1.5 billion for 2018/19.
HM Treasury approved £21.1 million of funding for the Department of Health and Social Care’s preparations for EU exit in 2018/19, including planning for ‘no deal’. Spend against this allocation for 2018/19 will be included in the 2018/19 financial accounts in due course.
The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016. This funding will help departments manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year, as well as ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared to seize the opportunities available when we leave the EU. The Department of Health and Social Care has been allocated £50 million from this budget, as set out in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1205, laid before Parliament on the 19 December 2018.
No written ministerial direction for expenditure on contingency planning for ‘no deal’ has been sought by the Accounting Officer for the Department.
The Department is preparing for all eventualities and the resources available to support preparations are kept under constant review.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's remarks in her conference speech on 3 October 2018 on improving early diagnosis of cancer, if his Department will develop a fully funded plan to address NHS staff shortages in services that diagnose bowel cancer.
Answered by Steve Brine
Health Education England published its first ever Cancer Workforce Plan in December 2017, which commits to the expansion of capacity and skills including an ambition to increase improved working practices, attracting qualified people back to the National Health Service through domestic and international recruitment. This will include 200 additional clinical endoscopists (in addition to 200 already committed to), 316 more gastroenterologists and 94 full time equivalent additional histopathologists to support an increase in the capacity for earlier diagnosis.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's remarks in her conference speech on 3 October 2018 on improving early diagnosis of cancer, if his Department will develop a fully funded plan to address NHS staff shortages in services that diagnose bowel cancer.
Answered by Steve Brine
Health Education England published its first ever Cancer Workforce Plan in December 2017, which commits to the expansion of capacity and skills including an ambition to increase improved working practices, attracting qualified people back to the National Health Service through domestic and international recruitment. This will include 200 additional clinical endoscopists (in addition to 200 already committed to), 316 more gastroenterologists and 94 full time equivalent additional histopathologists to support an increase in the capacity for earlier diagnosis.