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384574

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Locums: Employment Agencies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount spent on agency locums.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	3429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2015 answer text <p>On 2 June 2015, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced a series of measures to tackle the increase in agency spend. These measures include:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- agency staff to be procured only from approved Framework Agreements. Use of off-framework arrangements only permitted in exceptional circumstances;</p><p> </p><p>- those organisations in receipt of financial support or in breach of the licence will have a ceiling placed on the level of spend they are able to incur on agency staff; and</p><p> </p><p>- a rate cap will be set for agency staff, with the cap permitted to be breached only in exceptional circumstances.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The controls on agency spend will begin to be rolled-out from 1 July 2015 and will be fully in place by the start of September. The controls will initially apply to nursing staff but will also apply to other clinical and management staff in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Ipswich answering member printed Ben Gummer question first answered 29/06/2015 15:29:04 answering member 3988 label Biography information for Ben Gummer
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

223867

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Tobacco: Packaging
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 effect on tax revenues of the introduction of standard packaging of tobacco.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The Impact Assessment on Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products was published on 12 February 2015. It specifically considers in detail the potential costs to the exchequer as a result of standardised packaging. This can be found on page 42.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Impact Assessment can be found at:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standardised-packaging-of-tobacco-products-draft-regulations" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standardised-packaging-of-tobacco-products-draft-regulations</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 05/03/2015 17:14:02 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

222563

registered interest
date	20/02/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Heart Diseases: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK National Screening Committee's policy on screening people over 65 for atrial fibrillation.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	224596
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2015 answer text <p>In 2014 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended that screening people aged 65 and over for atrial fibrillation should not be offered. This is because the evidence did not show that those identified by screening would benefit from early diagnosis. Ministers have accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of its three yearly recommendation review process, the UK NSC will review this recommendation in 2017/18.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 26/02/2015 15:15:19 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

175746

registered interest
date	26/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Whittington Hospital
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 performance of the Ambulatory Care Centre at the Whittington Hosital since it opened in 2012.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	222026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2015 answer text <p>In February 2012, Whittington Health opened an adult pilot ambulatory care unit. It was co-located within the emergency department with the aim of reducing unnecessary admissions by providing senior clinical decision making and advanced diagnostics at the front door of the hospital.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Following the success of the pilot, a new £3 million dedicated ambulatory care centre opened at The Whittington Hospital in March 2014. This was officially opened by my Rt hon. Friend, Norman Lamb, the Minister of State for Care and Support on 4 December 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Attendances at the unit have increased from 4,402 in 2012-13 to 6,165 in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The centre plays an important part in supporting timely discharge from wards. Since the unit opened the length of stay at the hospital has reduced by an average half a day for ambulatory conditions. This has increased capacity for wards to take other admissions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are advised that there is high patient satisfaction with the unit, with over 90% of patients surveyed rate the overall service they receive in ambulatory care as either good or very good.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 02/02/2015 17:34:47 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

156306

registered interest
date	18/11/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Doctors: Vacancies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the vacancy rate for medical practitioners in the NHS.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	214837
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>The information is not collected by the Department. The last annual NHS and General Practitioners Practice vacancy surveys in England were undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2010. The surveys were suspended in 2011 and then discontinued in 2013 following the publication of the Fundamental Review of Data Returns, which aimed to reduce the burden of the collection of data from NHS organisations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 25/11/2014 17:25:12 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

156307

registered interest
date	18/11/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Locums
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of how much was spent on locum doctors in the NHS in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	214838
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department collects spend on agency and contract staff (which would include locum doctors) but locum doctors are not identified separately.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Following the Francis[1] report many trusts increased their spend on temporary staffing, including locum doctors, to meet safe staffing levels.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department expects trusts to have a strong grip on their finances, and manage their contract and agency[2] staffing spend (including use of locum doctors) responsibly through effective and efficient workforce planning and management.</p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/</p><p>[2]The definition of Contract / Agency staff is: “Agency” employee payments for the employment of staff where the staff remain employees of the agency and “Contract staff” where the NHS trust has control over numbers and qualifications of staff (in contrast to a service obtained under contract) .</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 25/11/2014 17:18:15 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

92241

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
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 raise awareness of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	209666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>Public Health England (PHE) has worked closely with the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) to raise awareness of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). There is detailed information and advice for travellers on how to protect themselves from infection, and how to access medical care if they feel unwell on their return to the United Kingdom. This advice can be accessed via the NaTHNaC and PHE websites.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Additionally PHE has developed posters providing travel advice to raise awareness of MERS-CoV and provide advice on how to reduce the risk of infection. These posters are available on the PHE website and have also been distributed through PHE social network platforms, and shared with airports and air carriers. There is also specific advice provided for people attending the Hajj.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>PHE has worked with national, local and ethnic media to raise awareness of MERS-CoV with press releases, social media activity, and provision of expert spokespeople. This has been both proactive, emphasising travel advice for travellers to the Middle East, and also reactive – providing information and clarification about public safety following imported cases of MERS-CoV in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 17/10/2014 13:29:35 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

92250

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Immigration Controls: Infectious Diseases
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Home Department about steps to identify and segregate travellers entering the UK who may be carrying a virulent communicable disease.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	209703
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Public Health England (PHE) works closely with all the agencies responsible for supporting travellers at the United Kingdom’s borders, including airline operators, Port Health officials and the UK Border Force.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Established and well-tested procedures are in place to ensure that any traveller exhibiting illness during travel can be assessed and given appropriate care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In view of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa PHE issued additional specific guidance to Border Staff to reinforce knowledge of these procedures.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 23/10/2014 16:28:51 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

48229

registered interest
date	10/04/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the role independent pharmacies play in relieving pressures on other health and welfare services; and what steps he has taken to disseminate best practice.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>Pharmacy already plays a vital role in supporting the health of people in their local communities, providing high quality care and support, improving people's health and reducing health inequalities. However, as we move to more integrated care, there is real potential for pharmacists and their teams to play an even greater role in the future, particularly in keeping people healthy, supporting those with long term conditions and helping make sure patients and the National Health Service get the best use from medicines.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England's public consultation, <em>Improving care through community pharmacy –</em> <em>a call to action</em>, which closed on 18 March, has provided an important opportunity to explore the contribution community pharmacists and their teams can make. This will inform a strategic framework for commissioning wider primary care services in the autumn. A copy of the consultation document is at:</p><p> </p><p>www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/calltoaction/pharm-cta/</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, NHS England's <em>The earlier, the better</em> campaign, launched in January 2014, specifically sought to raise the profile of community pharmacy with the public, to increase the number of people accessing community pharmacy services when they have a minor ailment and reduce pressures on other parts of the NHS.</p><p> </p><p>On 14 April, the Department and NHS England published <em>Transforming Primary Care - Safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most</em>. This sets out plans for more proactive, personalised and joined up care, part of which is harnessing the potential of pharmacists. This recognises the vital role that pharmacists have in optimising medicines use, helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and supporting people to manage their own care. A copy has been placed in the Library.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb grouped question UIN 196241 question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb attachment 1 file name 196239_and_196241_-_Library_document[1].pdf title Transforming Primary Care document
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

48241

registered interest
date	10/04/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to increase public understanding of the services offered by independent pharmacies.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196241
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>Pharmacy already plays a vital role in supporting the health of people in their local communities, providing high quality care and support, improving people's health and reducing health inequalities. However, as we move to more integrated care, there is real potential for pharmacists and their teams to play an even greater role in the future, particularly in keeping people healthy, supporting those with long term conditions and helping make sure patients and the National Health Service get the best use from medicines.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England's public consultation, <em>Improving care through community pharmacy –</em> <em>a call to action</em>, which closed on 18 March, has provided an important opportunity to explore the contribution community pharmacists and their teams can make. This will inform a strategic framework for commissioning wider primary care services in the autumn. A copy of the consultation document is at:</p><p> </p><p>www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/calltoaction/pharm-cta/</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, NHS England's <em>The earlier, the better</em> campaign, launched in January 2014, specifically sought to raise the profile of community pharmacy with the public, to increase the number of people accessing community pharmacy services when they have a minor ailment and reduce pressures on other parts of the NHS.</p><p> </p><p>On 14 April, the Department and NHS England published <em>Transforming Primary Care - Safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most</em>. This sets out plans for more proactive, personalised and joined up care, part of which is harnessing the potential of pharmacists. This recognises the vital role that pharmacists have in optimising medicines use, helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and supporting people to manage their own care. A copy has been placed in the Library.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb grouped question UIN 196239 question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb attachment 1 file name 196239_and_196241_-_Library_document[1].pdf title Transforming Primary Care document
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord