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91450

registered interest
date	10/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Antenatal Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote the value of antenatal education to expecting mothers, expecting fathers and newborn babies.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208898
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>It is important that every woman receives high quality care and information, both during and after pregnancy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The provision of antenatal education is provided locally to meet the needs of the local community. Some maternity services provide antenatal classes free of charge or at a cost through private organisations, such as the NCT (formerly known as National Childbirth Trust). National Health Service classes are generally organised and run by midwives or health visitors and take place in health centres hospitals or Sure Start Children’s Centres. A woman will need to discuss with her midwife opportunities for antenatal education in her area.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>To support providers of antenatal education, ‘Preparation for Birth and Beyond: a resource pack for leaders of community groups and activities’ was launched on 19 October 2011. The pack is aimed at anyone involved in planning or running groups for expectant or new parents, such as midwives, health visitors, children’s centre staff and voluntary organisations. The pack is a practical tool which draws upon the best available evidence and aims to improve outcomes for babies and parents.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 13/10/2014 13:47:00 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91463

registered interest
date	10/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Brain: Tumours
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to secure earlier diagnosis of brain tumours in children; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p><em>Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer</em>, published on 12 January 2011, committed over £450 million over the four years up to 2014-15 to achieve earlier diagnosis of cancer, including supporting direct general practitioner (GP) access to key diagnostic tests such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans to support the diagnosis of brain cancer. The funding also covers subsequent testing and treatment in secondary care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To increase awareness of brain tumours amongst GPs the Department funded British Medical Journal Learning to provide an e-learning module for GPs on diagnosing osteosarcoma and brain tumours in children. The module helps GPs to understand the main types of brain tumours in children and young people, and their common presentations, and to recognise when patients need urgent referral.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of updating the <em>Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer</em> (2005) to ensure that it reflects latest evidence and can continue to support GPs to identify patients with the symptoms of suspected cancer, including brain tumours, and urgently refer them as appropriate. NICE’s anticipated publication date for the revised guidelines is May 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I have written to all health and wellbeing boards and the Department for Education about awareness-raising materials available for distribution, and Public Health England has written in similar terms to Directors of Public Health.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 13/10/2014 15:16:17 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91466

registered interest
date	10/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Dementia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will support the Dementia Friendly Parliament initiative.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department is supportive of the Dementia Friendly Parliament initiative, which is making an important contribution to our wider work on developing dementia friendly communities, as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia. I am already a Dementia Friend, as are a number of other Ministers in the Department, and we encourage all Members, Peers and parliamentary staff to become Dementia Friends.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 13/10/2014 13:43:53 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

90967

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Health Services: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding is being allocated to local authorities for their commissioning responsibility for the Healthy Child Programme from October 2015; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure a smooth transition to that commissioning responsibility.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>Local government will receive funding for its additional responsibilities in commissioning 0-5 services. The Department is aiming to set out 0-5 funding allocations later in the year. NHS England area teams and local authorities are currently scrutinising the figures for 2015-16, as part of the process for determining the allocations. The key principle behind the transfer of responsibility is to ensure that the Department does not place any additional burdens on local authorities. More information about finance issues relating to the transfer is available from the Local Government Association’s website:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6410150/Transfer+of+0-5+children's+public+health+commissioning+to+local+authorities+finance+issues/570e8a83-2e91-4cf0-887a-6bcf25674894</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the point at which local authorities take over responsibility for commissioning public health services for children aged 0-5, (including health visiting services), the Government is intending to mandate the delivery of the key child assessment elements of the Health Child Programme. The Department is working collaboratively with its partners locally and nationally on the transfer of commissioning responsibilities and the associated funding issues. It is supported in ensuring a smooth transition by the service specification, “Public Health Functions to be exercised by NHS England” published November 2013, sets out expectations for the commissioning and provision of services and how area teams can work with local authorities ahead of the transfer of commissioning responsibilities in 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the local level NHS England’s area teams and local authorities are working to develop plans, including timescales, for a smooth and effective transfer of the commissioning role. A programme of regional 0 to 5 years commissioning transfer events, organised in conjunction with the Local Government Association is underway, providing the means for local staff and key stakeholders to further develop their understanding of working together in respect of future arrangements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 13/10/2014 14:26:02 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91026

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Maternity Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the findings of the recent Royal College of Midwives report, Postnatal Care Planning; and what steps he is taking to address shortages of midwives and ensure that the care received is based on clinical need of the mother.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>All women should receive excellent maternity care that focuses on the best outcomes for them and their babies. We are committed to improving choice of place of birth, continuity of care and women’s experience of care. To assist, the Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop a quality standard for postnatal care, which was published in July 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To help achieve this, the Government is committed to increasing the number of midwives. The most recent data, October 2013, shows that the number of midwives has increased at twice the rate of the number of births, by more than 6%, since May 2010. The latest figures (21 August) show that there are currently 21,870 midwives, 1,738 more than in May 2010. Additionally, there are over 6,000 more midwives in training.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have committed to maintaining current training numbers for 2014-15 and 2015-16. We have also set out clear objectives for NHS England and for Health Education England in our mandates to them to ensure that the maternity workforce has the right knowledge and training to look after women’s health according to the best clinical practice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, every woman is able to give feedback on the quality of the maternity care they receive through the Friends and Family Test, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted a survey of women’s experience of maternity services, including postnatal care, in October last year. Providers and commissioners of maternity services will wish to use the results from the Friends and Family Test and the CQC survey to identify areas where further action is needed to improve services.</p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 11/09/2014 11:29:04 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91029

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Postnatal Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the quality and extent of postnatal care available during the first six to eight weeks after birth; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>We have made improving maternity services, including care during the postnatal period, a key objective in our Mandate to NHS England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standard for postnatal care (QS37, published July 2013) assists NHS England in the commissioning and provision of consistent postnatal care, whilst setting out the core care and support that every woman and their baby should have during the postnatal period.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In December 2013 the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, published the results of its latest Maternity Survey, which asked 60,000 women who gave birth in England in February that year about their experiences of maternity care. The survey found that women’s experiences of maternity care had improved overall compared with previous years, but that further progress was needed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since October 2013, the Friends and Family Test has been in use in all maternity services. Data is published monthly on the four stages of the maternity pathway, including scores for “postnatal ward” and “postnatal community provision”. By making these ratings public, we are giving patients the power to choose the best place for their care. This test gives a real time snap shot of the service and is helping drive up standards and make sure maternity care is truly focused on what mothers and families want.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 13/10/2014 14:34:32 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91030

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Midwives
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of Midwives 2020: Delivering Expectations, published in September 2010; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My honourable friend will be pleased to note that we have also increased the number of midwives by over 1,700 or 8.6 % since May 2010 and we have made a commitment to ensure that the number of midwives in training is matched to the birth rate. This is now happening and there are over 6,000 more midwives in training to qualify over the next three years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Midwifery 2020: Delivering Expectation</em> was consulted and compiled upon during 2009 prior to its publication in 2010, by the then Chief Nursing Officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The report is regarded as guidance rather than as policy document.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Of greater relevance to policy is the document <em>Midwifery Matters: Choice Access and Continuity of Care</em> in a Safe Service first published in 2007 and reviewed again in 2011. This document has its origins with the <em>National service framework: children, young people and maternity services</em> (2004) and provides a continuum with regards to the key principles also outlined in the <em>Midwifery 2020</em> document.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With the creation of the new National Health Service infrastructure, the NHS Mandate also outlines the central premise of choice and continuity of care and further underlines the requirement for women-centred care with the reference to personalised maternity services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Mandate between the Government and NHS England states that every woman should have a named midwife who is responsible for ensuring she has personalised, one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England is delivering this objective as part of its business priorities for 2014/15. All women will have access to a named midwife by March 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England has also introduced the Friend and Family Test across maternity services. This together with the NHS Outcomes Framework quality measures for maternity will drive quality improvement to better meet the needs of women.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department and NHS England are also making good progress in implementing the 6 core values, known as the 6Cs, in the <em>Compassion in Practice nursing and midwifery strategy</em>, published in December 2012. The majority of trusts have adopted the 6Cs as part of their nursing and midwifery strategies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Health Education England is leading the Personalised Maternity Care Project which is exploring how achievable the <em>Midwifery</em> 2020 vision is - both in the short term and by 2022. It triangulates the views of commissioners, service providers, the universities providing midwifery education, lay and user groups. Other professions working in maternity care have also contributed to this scoping project. Health Education England will publish the report later this autumn.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These initiatives are making good progress in achieving the principles of the Midwifery 2020 report, in England.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 11/09/2014 15:57:30 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91044

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Infant Mortality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of recent trends in annual statistics on unexplained deaths in infancy; what steps his Department is taking to encourage further reductions in the rates of such deaths; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Any death of a baby is tragic; unexplained deaths are especially distressing for the families.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is pleased the unexplained infant death rate has reduced and will continue to work to further reduce the risk of sudden infant death. The Department has included advice about the risk of sudden infant death in the Healthy Child Programme, the universal programme for all children from the start of life. Through the programme, health visitors provide advice and support to help parents care better for their child, including information on sudden infant death such as advice on sleeping positions and co-sleeping and room temperature. We are committed to having an extra 4,200 extra health visitors by 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, comprehensive advice for parents about reducing the risk of cot death is available on the NHS Choices website. The website provides a wealth of information relating to pregnancy, maternity and the early years, including an interactive Pregnancy Care Planner, the Birth to Five guide and a range of videos. This information is linked to by the Start4Life/NHS Information Service for Parents, a free digital service for parents which provides regular National Health Service and other quality assured advice for both mothers and fathers on a wide range of issues including how to reduce the risk of cot death.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have made reducing infant mortality an area of improvement for the NHS in the NHS Outcomes Framework. Reducing infant mortality is also highlighted as an outcome indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.</p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 11/09/2014 11:27:46 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

91046

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Midwives
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that all pregnant women have easy access to a midwife as a first point of professional contact.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	208603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>All pregnant women can have access to a midwife as their first point of professional contact. The 2013/14 Choice Framework offers women the choice of going directly to a midwifery service or of going to their general practitioner (GP) when they find out they are pregnant. If a woman’s first point of professional contact is their GP she will then be referred to a midwifery service of her choice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Trusts make information about direct access to maternity services available through a variety of means, for example via posters and leaflets in local pharmacies and GP practices, and by providing email access to midwives.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Encouraging early access to maternity care promotes greater choice for women and ensures women receive the right care at the right time, helping to tackle the negative impact of health inequalities from the start and improve the health and wellbeing of mother and baby.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To help achieve this, the Government is committed to increasing the number of midwives. There are now more than 1,700 full time equivalent midwives than in May 2010 and a record number, in excess of 6,000 in training.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 13/10/2014 14:07:32 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch

78733

registered interest
date	17/07/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Hormone Replacement Therapy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the cessation of manufacturing of the MSD Oestradiol implant in August 2011, what discussions his Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the licensing of a new HRT implant.
tabling member constituency	Chatham and Aylesford
tabling member printed	Tracey Crouch
uin	206499
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>We have had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is not responsible for the licensing of medicines, which is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency.</p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 22/07/2014 14:03:01 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
tabling member	3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch