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1714567

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Pancreatin
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the availability of Creon 25000 across the UK.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	David Linden
uin	24095
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We are aware of ongoing intermittent supply issues with Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules. These are due to manufacturing and active pharmaceutical ingredient constraints. The supplier has confirmed that stock of Creon 25000 gastro resistant capsules is now available, with further deliveries scheduled in May 2024. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals regarding treatment of patients, while there was disruption to the supply of Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules. We continue to explore all management options to manage this issue. We have asked the supplier to continue confirming their future forecasts, and to inform us of any further gaps in supply of Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules.</p><p>Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with the suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs), and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, so they can advise and support their patients.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson grouped question UIN 24096 question first answered 01/05/2024 16:00:34 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1714568

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Drugs: Shortages
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to (a) mitigate potential future shortages of (i) Creon 25000 and (ii) other essential medicines and (b) ensure that people affected by medicine shortages have access to alternative options.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	David Linden
uin	24096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We are aware of ongoing intermittent supply issues with Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules. These are due to manufacturing and active pharmaceutical ingredient constraints. The supplier has confirmed that stock of Creon 25000 gastro resistant capsules is now available, with further deliveries scheduled in May 2024. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals regarding treatment of patients, while there was disruption to the supply of Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules. We continue to explore all management options to manage this issue. We have asked the supplier to continue confirming their future forecasts, and to inform us of any further gaps in supply of Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules.</p><p>Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with the suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs), and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, so they can advise and support their patients.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson grouped question UIN 24095 question first answered 01/05/2024 16:00:34 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1714687

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Accident and Emergency Departments: Migrants
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department provides to NHS A&E departments to ensure staff are aware that A&E services are free of charge regardless of immigration status.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	24089
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department issues guidance to the National Health Service on charging overseas visitors for some NHS services. This guidance is reviewed regularly and makes it clear that some services, including accident and emergency, are free at the point of delivery for everyone. NHS England works with Overseas Visitor Managers in NHS trusts to operationalise this guidance effectively.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 01/05/2024 15:23:01 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1714080

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Gabapentin
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that people experiencing acute or chronic side effects from taking gabapentin do not have to wait for a (a) referral and (b) assessment by mental health services.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	23891
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>While we have no specific plans to do so, we are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England through the NHS Long Term Plan, so that more people, including those experiencing side effects from taking gabapentin, can get the mental health help and support that they need.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 01/05/2024 15:56:56 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1714081

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Alcoholic Drinks: Children and Young Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle under-age alcohol use.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	23892
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Guidance from England’s Chief Medical Officer for healthcare professionals is clear, an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. The Department promotes this through online platforms such as the NHS.UK website, and the Talk to FRANK online resource. Local authorities promote these guidelines as part of their public health duties.</p><p>The Department for Education’s statutory guidance, Relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education, became mandatory in September 2020. Through this, education on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco became compulsory at state-funded primary and secondary schools, teaching children and young people how to manage influences and pressures, and keep themselves healthy and safe.</p><p>To deter individuals selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 years old, the maximum fine for the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children was increased from £10,000 to £20,000, under s 147A(8) of the 2003 Licensing Act.</p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 01/05/2024 12:20:25 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1714123

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Shingles: Warrington
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase uptake of the shingles vaccine by people aged over 65 in Warrington.
tabling member constituency	Warrington South
tabling member printed	Andy Carter
uin	23963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that those who are eligible for the shingles vaccine should change, to allow individuals to be protected at an earlier age, particularly those that have a weakened immune system. Based on the evidence, they recognised that there may be more clinical benefit from starting shingles vaccinations at a lower age, with modelling indicating that a greater number of cases of shingles would be prevented with vaccination at 60 years old for immunocompetent individuals, and 50 years old for immunosuppressed individuals. The committee advised that the programme should be implemented in stages, starting with those that are over 50 years old with a weakened immune system and those turning 65 and 70 years old, then eventually moving down to those turning 60 years old. This is a similar pattern to the roll out of the shingles vaccine from 2013. This is why the vaccine offer has been expanded to all those turning 65 and 70 years old and all those over 50 years old with a weakened immune system, from 1 September 2023. The programme began on 1 September 2023 and will run until 31 August 2028, offering the vaccine to people as they turn 65 and 70 years old, until the offer has been made to all those aged 65 to 70 years old. It will then expand to offering the vaccine to all those that are turning 60 and 65 years old, from 1 September 2028.</p><p>The shingles vaccine is available through general practice (GP) surgeries in primary care, and GPs are required to identify and put in place a call or recall arrangement to offer the shingles vaccination to eligible patients. All eligible patients are contacted by their GP surgery to invite them for vaccination. The GP will then follow up with letters or with calls and text messages, to encourage eligible people that have not come forward to take up the offer.</p><p> </p><p>There is a wide range of public facing information to help increase uptake of the shingles vaccine, and to publicise the programme in GP surgeries and online, including display bunting, leaflets, and posters. GPs are also adding messages regarding shingles to their practice websites, prescription counterfoils, and social media banners. Public facing information regarding the shingles vaccination programme includes translations into over 20 different languages including braille, audio, large print, and British Sign Language. Information for healthcare professionals, including GP toolkits for improving uptake of shingles vaccination, has also been produced and published by local immunisation commissioning teams.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 01/05/2024 12:52:34 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4791 label Biography information for Andy Carter

1714172

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Ambulance Services: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce ambulance response times.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	23848
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Our Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services sets out the range of measures being taken to achieve our ambition of reducing average Category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes, across 2024/25. Further information on the delivery plan is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/B2034-delivery-plan-for-recovering-urgent-and-emergency-care-services.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/B2034-delivery-plan-for-recovering-urgent-and-emergency-care-services.pdf</a></p><p>Ambulance trusts received £200 million of additional funding in 2023/24 to increase deployed hours and reduce response times. We will maintain the improved ambulance service capacity from this additional funding in 2024/25, alongside the additional 5,000 permanent hospital beds delivered last year to improve patient flow through accident and emergency, and reduce ambulance capacity lost due to handover delays.</p><p>There have been significant improvements in performance across the country, with average Category 2 ambulance response times in 2023/24 over 13 minutes faster compared to the previous year, a reduction of over 27%.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 01/05/2024 15:29:18 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1713893

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Diagnosis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on autism assessments in each of the last five years; how much funding her Department has allocated to autism assessments in each of the next three years; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of that funding in meeting the target waiting time for such an assessment.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	23733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Information on the total spend on autism assessments is not held centrally. NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs), which are responsible for commissioning services using these core allocations to meet the needs of their local populations, including autism assessment services. The following table shows the total baseline expenditure in ICBs for learning disability and autism services over the last five years, disaggregated for autism services where possible:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Learning disability</p></td><td><p>Autism services</p></td><td><p>Unseparated learning disability and autism services</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>£1,809,200,000</p></td><td><p>£1,809,200,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>£2,285,600,000</p></td><td><p>£2,285,600,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>£85,800,000</p></td><td><p>£3,700,000</p></td><td><p>£2,268,300,000</p></td><td><p>£2,357,900,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022/23</p></td><td><p>£625,800,000</p></td><td><p>£27,100,000</p></td><td><p>£1,928,800,000</p></td><td><p>£2,581,700,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023/24</p></td><td><p>£926,000,000</p></td><td><p>£47,100,000</p></td><td><p>£1,928,800,000</p></td><td><p>£2,904,600,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>In addition, specific funding has been allocated to ICBs in 2023/4 and 2024/25 from the Service Development Funding, to improve autism assessment waiting lists and pathways. The following table shows information on the additional national funding allocated to ICBs by NHS England, over each of the last five years, to improve autism assessment waiting lists and pathways:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Service Development Funding via the NHS Long Term Plan Transformation Funding</p></td><td><p>Spending Review 2021 via the COVID-19 Recovery Fund</p></td><td><p>Total funding for autism assessment pathways</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>£2,500,000</p></td><td><p>£14,500,000</p></td><td><p>£17,000,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022/23</p></td><td><p>£5,000,000</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>£5,000,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023/24</p></td><td><p>£4,200,000</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>£4,200,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2024/25</p></td><td><p>£4,300,000</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>£4,300,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>the in-year pay uplift for 2023/24 is not reflected in the table;</li><li>the service development funding allocations shown in the table are in addition to the ICBs core funding allocations.</li></ol><p>The NHS Operational and Planning Guidance 2024/25 asks local systems to improve autism assessment pathways, through implementation of the NHS England autism assessment national framework. Allocations from 2025/26 onwards are subject to future decisions on spending. Further information on the operational and planning guidance and national framework is available respectively at the following links:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-25-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance-v1.1.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-25-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance-v1.1.pdf</a></p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/</a></p><p>A specific assessment of the adequacy of funding in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s waiting time standard for autism assessments has not been made. However, autism waiting times statistics are published on a quarterly basis. The total number of people with an open referral, where the diagnosis not yet completed, for suspected autism has increased by 47%, from 117,032 in December 2022 to 172,022 in December 2023. In December 2023, it was estimated that only 5.9% of patients whose referrals have been open in the system for at least 13 weeks received their first contact appointment within 13 weeks.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 01/05/2024 13:09:11 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield previous answer version 31577 answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1713997

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Screening
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what practical assistance is available for those with a physical or mental condition which prevents them from doing medical tests at home, such as bowel cancer screening, unaided.
tabling member printed	Baroness Merron
uin	HL4104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We are aware of the issues faced by some people with physical or mental health conditions that can make attending a screening appointment, or carrying out a home test, more difficult. Currently, national screening IT systems do not have the facilities to flag conditions for individuals which could make it more difficult to carry out the bowel cancer screening, fecal immunochemical test (FIT) at home. It is therefore recommended that individuals contact their general practice (GP) in these situations, so that GPs can work with the screening provider to arrange further support. For example, carrying out a FIT test at the GP or at home, with the support of a family member or community nurse.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England has started work to improve its national screening IT systems through the Digital Transformation of Screening programme. This will enable screening providers to flag heath issues that may make carrying out a FIT test at home more difficult, and to offer any appropriate support.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 01/05/2024 14:23:21 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
tabling member	347 label Biography information for Baroness Merron

1713998

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Bowel Cancer: Screening
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government which groups have a lower-than-average rate of participation in home-kit bowel cancer screening; and what plans they have to increase participation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Merron
uin	HL4105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The national IT system for the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme does not routinely collect data that could identify groups that have a lower-than-average uptake rate of the fecal immunochemical bowel cancer screening test.</p><p>Research has found that groups which are less likely to take part in bowel screening include men, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and people in more deprived areas. Physical or mental health conditions can also make carrying out a home test more difficult.</p><p>NHS England has started work to improve its national screening IT systems through the Digital Transformation of Screening programme. This will enable screening providers to record protected characteristics, to more accurately identify groups with the lowest uptake, and target initiatives to improve uptake.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 01/05/2024 14:23:51 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
tabling member	347 label Biography information for Baroness Merron