Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
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 awareness of Group B Strep in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) London and (c) England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Midwives are a key source of information for new and expectant parents on Group B Strep (GBS), so it is critical that they are well-informed, and this awareness will help eliminate these serious, yet often avoidable, infections in new-born babies.
NHS England published a revised Core Competency Framework in May 2023; it covers the mandated training for all maternity services which now includes GBS. Undertaking this training will increase awareness and understanding of GBS, enabling midwives and doctors to be better informed when speaking to families about the risk of GBS in labour. The Core Competency Framework is incentivised through the maternity incentive scheme administrated by NHS Resolution.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has an evidence-based i-learn module on GBS that is freely available to RCM members. It would be beneficial for as many midwives as possible to take the training to increase awareness of GBS.
Screening for GBS is not routinely offered to all pregnant women in the United Kingdom. However, if it is detected during pregnancy through routine testing, it will be managed in accordance with Trust protocol and information leaflets will be provided on treatment and any associated risks. GBS testing is usually only offered to women who have had GBS in a previous pregnancy, in which case, testing will be carried out by the Trust providing care.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and NHS England continue to work with system partners across England on the Group B Strep trial, which is currently underway as a multi-centre randomised controlled trial with 71 hospital sites included. It is looking at whether routine testing of women for GBS, either in late pregnancy or during labour, reduces the occurrence of early-onset neonatal sepsis, compared to the current risk factor-based strategy.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on doctors and midwifes informing families of Group B Strep.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Midwives are a key source of information for new and expectant parents on Group B Strep (GBS), so it is critical that they are well-informed, and this awareness will help eliminate these serious, yet often avoidable, infections in new-born babies.
NHS England published a revised Core Competency Framework in May 2023; it covers the mandated training for all maternity services which now includes GBS. Undertaking this training will increase awareness and understanding of GBS, enabling midwives and doctors to be better informed when speaking to families about the risk of GBS in labour. The Core Competency Framework is incentivised through the maternity incentive scheme administrated by NHS Resolution.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has an evidence-based i-learn module on GBS that is freely available to RCM members. It would be beneficial for as many midwives as possible to take the training to increase awareness of GBS.
Screening for GBS is not routinely offered to all pregnant women in the United Kingdom. However, if it is detected during pregnancy through routine testing, it will be managed in accordance with Trust protocol and information leaflets will be provided on treatment and any associated risks. GBS testing is usually only offered to women who have had GBS in a previous pregnancy, in which case, testing will be carried out by the Trust providing care.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and NHS England continue to work with system partners across England on the Group B Strep trial, which is currently underway as a multi-centre randomised controlled trial with 71 hospital sites included. It is looking at whether routine testing of women for GBS, either in late pregnancy or during labour, reduces the occurrence of early-onset neonatal sepsis, compared to the current risk factor-based strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the recommendations contained in the Infection Management Coalition White Paper, published in February 2022, which recommends action to (1) address infection prevention, (2) provide rapid treatment of sepsis, (3) address antimicrobial stewardship, and (4) pandemic preparedness, with a single-policy approach.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Several of the recommendations in the Infection Management Coalition’s White Paper are being addressed under the Government’s ‘UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024’, including infection prevention, improving antimicrobial stewardship, and treatment of infections, including sepsis. This wide-ranging programme of work covers activity relating to tackling antimicrobial resistance and addressing infections generally, including sepsis. A copy of the action plan is attached.
The Department continually assesses preparedness plans for infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics to ensure that they remain as robust as possible. This assessment includes, as appropriate, incorporating lessons learnt from exercises that test the readiness of our plans, and from our experience in responding to pandemics, disease outbreaks, and other types of incidents in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they are allocating to rehabilitation for (1) sepsis survivors, and (2) cancer survivors; and whether there are any planned changes to that funding.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold figures on funding allocated to rehabilitation for specific diseases. People who have experienced sepsis and cancer have access to follow-up pathways with options for personalised healthcare to suit their individual needs, including a needs assessment, rehabilitation, and other services, such as physiotherapy, as deemed appropriate by their healthcare provider. NHS England is working closely with NHS@Home to ensure patients have the option to be monitored from the place they call home, including care homes, using virtual wards.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to increase public awareness of sepsis since their 2016 campaign Helping parents spot the signs of sepsis.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England provides ‘easy read documents’ on its website detailing how to prevent, spot the signs and symptoms of, and manage problems after, incidence of sepsis. Local NHS trusts can also decide to run local public awareness campaigns on sepsis, including for symptoms and management in adults and children. The Government continues to work closely with the UK Sepsis Trust who play a pivotal role in influencing public awareness of sepsis through wide ranging campaigns, online resources, and events.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase clinical awareness of sepsis.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improved awareness and clinical recognition of acute deterioration has led to an increase in the number of people identified and diagnosed as at risk of sepsis. Health Education England (HEE) has launched multiple sepsis training toolkits, including training for general practitioner reception staff to spot deteriorating patients. NHS England encourages healthcare providers to adopt the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) as a screening tool for the recognition and treatment of sepsis in clinical settings. The NEWS2 tool has been rolled out across 98.4% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England.
To update and improve national guidance in line with new evidence, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are working with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) to implement their published recommendations for sepsis diagnosis and treatment from the ‘Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of Sepsis’, published in May 2022, which provides clinicians with a strong framework for clinical judgement and diagnosis of sepsis, ensuring antibiotics are used in a targeted and measured way. NICE is expected to publish the updated sepsis guideline, reflecting AoMRC’s recommendations, imminently.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the incidence of sepsis in the UK in 2022; and what were the mortality rates for sepsis in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, and (4) 2022.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on the incidence of sepsis in the United Kingdom in 2022 has not been validated and cannot yet be published. Information on the mortality rates for sepsis is not held, however the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published the number of death registrations where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales between 2001 and 2021. The number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales was 21,458 for 2019, 19,324 for 2020, and 21,947 for 2021. ONS has not yet published the number of death registrations for sepsis for 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they are allocating to (1) sepsis research, and (2) cancer research; and whether there are any planned changes to that funding.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including sepsis research and cancer research.
As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. The level of research spend in a particular area, is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that healthcare professionals receive training on recognising sepsis in children.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government recognises the importance of training healthcare professionals to recognise sepsis in children. In May 2018, Health Education England launched ‘Think Sepsis’ a learning package designed to help clinicians spot the early sign of sepsis in children and infants. This is important as 70% of sepsis cases develop within primary care.
The National Health Service is working with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Nursing to develop a single England-wide paediatrics early-warning system for children which will help NHS staff to rapidly identify acutely unwell children and respond appropriately. The aim is to develop a consistent approach and common language to promptly recognise and respond to signs of acute illness which may include sepsis.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has (a) funded and (b) commissioned on identifying sepsis in children.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2018 the NIHR has funded 10 research projects on sepsis in children with a combined total funding value of over £14 million.