I have been engaging with NHS Improvement, NHS England and the ambulance service to support improved ambulance performance.<\/p>
<\/p>
To help meet pressures this winter and beyond, on 6 July we announced £36.3 million of investment in the ambulance service that will be used to purchase 256 state-of-the art ambulances at five ambulance trusts, and to develop vehicle preparation hubs in the East of England and Yorkshire, which will see specialist staff quickly restock, refuel and clean ambulances, getting them back on the road faster.<\/p>
<\/p>
Additionally, following a rigorous independent evaluation, we have introduced an improved national performance framework for ambulances. These changes prioritise responses to the sickest patients, while helping to reduce long waits for ambulance responses; ensure patients receive the response they need, first time; and improve the efficiency and resilience of the ambulance service in the face of rising demand.<\/p>
<\/p>
Challenged ambulance trusts, including the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), are receiving tailored support to meet the new national response time standards. This includes comprehensive cross-system reviews led by regional directors, and the implementation of performance improvement plans. Further actions to deliver improvement at EEAST include additional funding for 330 new staff and 160 new ambulances, alongside the implementation of recommendations from the recently published governance review of the Trust. This will ensure the Trust has appropriate capacity and governance processes in place to meet demand and deliver high quality ambulance responses to patients.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4095", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Barclay"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Cambridgeshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Barclay"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-07-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-07-24T16:24:37.067Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Ambulance Services"} , "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 he has taken to ensure support for ambulance trusts during winter 2018-19.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4066", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Priti Patel"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Witham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Priti Patel"} ], "uin" : "906626"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946760", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946760/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Commissioning high quality social care is the responsibility of local government who are best placed to understand the needs of local people and communities, and how best to meet them. The Department does not collect data about local contracting arrangements.<\/p>
<\/p>
On 15 March 2018, the Care Quality Commission published its findings following a review of health and social care services in Coventry. The review found that in general terms the health and social care system is working well to ensure it meets people\u2019s needs. The review can be found at the following link:<\/p>
<\/p>
https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20180313_coventry-local-system-review-report.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> Where a care provider \u2018hands back\u2019 a contract to a local authority, the authority remains responsible for meeting the needs of people who previously had services provided under the contract and for arranging replacement services.<\/p> <\/p> The Department has worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, the care sector and other partners to produce a wide range of guidance and support about market shaping and commissioning and contingency planning.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T15:57:04.257Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Care Homes: Coventry"}
, "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 assessment he has made of the effect of care home providers exiting local authority contracts on the provision of those services in Coventry.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "167115"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946771", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946771/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Under the Abortion Act 1967, women have early access to safe, legal, high quality abortion services. There were 194,668 abortions performed under the provisions of the Abortion Act in England and Wales in 2017, with 98% of abortions being funded by the National Health Service.<\/p> <\/p> Abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance. Proposals for legislative change are a matter for backbenchers to bring forward and decisions are made on the basis of free votes.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-05T12:41:12.98Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Abortion Act 1967"}
, "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 recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4658", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Sobel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Sobel"}
], "uin" : "167388"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946797", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946797/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As was made clear in the Debate on 17 July 2018, Official report, columns 377-386, Ministers are watching this issue very closely. However, it is vital that we go through the right process. It is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England, to work together with Vertex to secure the best outcome for patients and a price for Orkambi that is fair and responsible.<\/p> <\/p> It is an important principle that the National Health Service must ensure that healthcare services secure the best value for patients, and that is the approach NHS England is rightly taking. It is disappointing that Vertex has chosen to withdraw from NICE\u2019s technology appraisal of its latest cystic fibrosis medicine, Symkevi, and NICE and NHS England wrote to Vertex on 31 August to signal their continued willingness to meet with Vertex to discuss access to its new cystic fibrosis medicines.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4067", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Brine"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Winchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Brine"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T15:59:13.007Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cystic Fibrosis: 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, pursuant to the Adjournment debate of 17 July 2018 on Access to Orkambi, Official Report, cols 377-386, what steps he is taking to (a) facilitate and (b) participate as appropriate in a meeting between the chief executives of NHS England and of Vertex to discuss patient access to lumacaftor-ivacaftor and other medicines for cystic fibrosis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/441", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Ivan Lewis"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Ivan Lewis"}
], "uin" : "167137"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946870", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946870/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Information is not available in the format requested.<\/p> <\/p> Inappropriate out of area placements (OAPs) are unacceptable and this Government is committed to delivering the target to eliminate these in non-specialist, acute mental health care by 2020/21.<\/p> <\/p> NHS England and NHS Improvement now have a comprehensive national programme supporting reductions in OAPs, and every local area is currently developing a trajectory towards ending this practice by no later than 2021. The commitment to reduce OAPs has been formalised in the NHS 2018/19 planning guidance and included in the NHS Improvement Single Oversight Framework.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T10:15:56.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment"}
, "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 estimate he has made of the number of out-of-area placements made for inpatients in each year since 2009.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4658", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Sobel"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Sobel"}
], "uin" : "167394"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946970", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/946970/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department commissioned the York Health Economics Consortium and the School of Pharmacy at the University of London to carry out research to determine the scale, causes and costs of waste medicines in England. The report, \u2018Evaluation of the Scale, Causes and Costs of Waste Medicines\u2019, was published on 23 November 2010. This found that the gross cost of unused prescription medicines in primary and community care in the NHS in England in 2009 was £300 million a year and that up to £150 million of this was avoidable. The report is available at the following link:<\/p> <\/p>