Patient confidentiality is of vital importance to retain patients\u2019 trust in sexual health services, and to encourage access to advice, testing, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).<\/p>
A public consultation seeking views on proposals to amend the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 was held between 12 July and 15 November 2023. This included the proposal to add specific STIs to schedule 2 of the regulations to strengthen surveillance. The consultation asked for views on the consequences of this change, including whether it could negatively impact public trust in the confidentiality of sexual health services and data and risk creating a barrier to accessing sexual services.<\/p>
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency are considering the responses to the consultation and are grateful for stakeholders\u2019 continued engagement on this topic.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T13:28:20.747Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sexually Transmitted Infections: Notifiable Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010: proposed amendments which closed on 15 November 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the inclusion of (a) gonorrhoea and (b) syphilis in the list of notifiable diseases on the (i) principle of confidentiality for sexual health service users and (ii) willingness of individuals to access sexual health services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"} ], "uin" : "19850"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697848", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697848/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Patient confidentiality is of vital importance in sexual health to retain patients\u2019 trust in services, and to encourage access to advice, testing, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. A public consultation seeking views on proposals to amend the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations (HPNR) 2010 was held between 12 July and 15 November 2023. This included a commitment that any decision on adding specific sexually transmitted infections to schedule 2 of the regulations would be shaped by consultation responses and engagement with stakeholders.<\/p>
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency are considering the responses to the consultation and are grateful for stakeholders\u2019 continued engagement on this topic.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T13:36:20.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sexually Transmitted Infections: Notifiable Diseases"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to consult key sector stakeholders before final decisions are taken on proposed sexual health reporting amendments included in her Department's consultation entitled Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010: proposed amendments which closed on 15 November 2023.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"} ], "uin" : "19851"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697887", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697887/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There were 10,558 community pharmacies in England on 29 February 2024, including 405 distance selling pharmacies. These contractors are independent private businesses contracted to provide services within the National Health Service. While the Department does not monitor their stock levels, it does have a role in managing supply at a national level to help ensure stocks are available from manufacturers to meet demand from patients across the country. We are often made aware of supply issues. Thankfully the vast majority can be managed with no impact to patients.<\/p>
We work with the industry, the NHS, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others working across the supply chain to manage issues and we provide guidance for health care professionals about medicines that are experiencing supply issues on how to manage patients during a disruption where necessary.<\/p>
The Medicine Supply Tool is designed to provide information and guidance for healthcare professionals, rather than members of the public. However, a public-facing page on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicine supply is available at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd/<\/a><\/p> Any patient who is worried about the supply of their medication should speak to their clinician, in the first instance.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "19916"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T15:22:10.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to give patients access to information on stock levels of ADHD medication at high street pharmacies; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of giving patients access to the Medicines Supply Tool.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4510", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Hayes"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dulwich and West Norwood"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Hayes"}
], "uin" : "19915"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697888", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697888/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There were 10,558 community pharmacies in England on 29 February 2024, including 405 distance selling pharmacies. These contractors are independent private businesses contracted to provide services within the National Health Service. While the Department does not monitor their stock levels, it does have a role in managing supply at a national level to help ensure stocks are available from manufacturers to meet demand from patients across the country. We are often made aware of supply issues. Thankfully the vast majority can be managed with no impact to patients.<\/p> We work with the industry, the NHS, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others working across the supply chain to manage issues and we provide guidance for health care professionals about medicines that are experiencing supply issues on how to manage patients during a disruption where necessary.<\/p> The Medicine Supply Tool is designed to provide information and guidance for healthcare professionals, rather than members of the public. However, a public-facing page on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicine supply is available at the following link:<\/p>