The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
Llafur Peer
My Lords, we welcome the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death’s report and its recommendations. NHS England has circulated learning from the report across the health and care system for regional teams to share it with integrated care boards. NHS accountability arrangements are in place, and immediate improvement actions are under way, including the reasonable...
I certainly accept the point, and I am not quibbling about the number, because 19 years, which is where we are now, is totally unacceptable. In addition, there is the high percentage of avoidable deaths, which I know the noble Lord is very alive to. While I share the view that this is unacceptable, I would not put it all down to reports. I can say that there are strong expectations of ICBs....
Guidance was issued not many months ago on this point, and I expect to see improvements. The report found that well under 50% of patients or their carers were asked about reasonable adjustments. It is not acceptable, but that is why we have brought in the mental capacity assessment guidance and the reasonable adjustment digital flag. These will make a major difference.
There are financial sanctions for providers that could be brought into play. On accountability, delivery is monitored through NHS governance and assurance processes. This includes the NHS operating framework, annual assessment of ICB performance, regional oversight and review of local delivery plans.
I have to vary a bit on that point from my noble friend, who I know brings a tremendous interest to this area. It is right that local services are locally provided, but I do not accept the analysis that this is handing it over to an unaccountable local provision. I outlined to the noble Lord, Lord Harper, the specifics of accountability. All the actions that are identified in the inquiry’s...
There are a number of aspects to that area. We have greatly increased the mandatory training requirement and the numbers who have been trained. The noble Baroness also points to the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. We have seen an increase in nursing staff in that regard. It is a matter for the local provider to decide, but the workforce plan, which we will be seeing soon, will be...
That is the reason for the accountability measures that I have outlined. I should add that transparency is absolutely key to that. The guidance that we have issued about supporting the identification of people with learning disability is important; we are at that basic level. That is where we have started, but it will push this forward. Further to my answer to the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay,...
I hope that I have already agreed with the noble Lord and others about the progress that needs to be made in this area. I have certainly not said that it is acceptable—it is far from acceptable—and the questions have been very helpful in identifying that. The learning disability improvement standards support NHS trusts to measure the quality of care that they provide. All the areas that I...
The following table sets out the revenue spend categories for the specified services commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups, now integrated care boards, using audited figures between 2015/16 to 2024/25: All spend figures are billions 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Specialised services £14.8...
The National Cancer Plan sets out a whole-system approach to improving outcomes for all cancers, including brain tumours, with a focus on earlier diagnosis, faster access to treatment, research and innovation, patient experience, and survival. The plan's overarching ambition is that three in four people diagnosed with cancer will survive for five years or more by 2035. The Government is also...
We would expect healthcare professionals to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical knowledge summary on osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures. The clinical knowledge summary outlines the steps that healthcare professionals should take in the assessment and management of osteoporosis. A diagnosis of osteoporosis is made following clinical...
The following figures are from the NHS England Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) incident ticketing systems, namely aggregating data from security tooling that monitors cyber security incidents detected by, or reported to, the CSOC. The following table shows the number of security incidents detected by the CSOC where the impact to National Health Services has been prevented: Period...
NHS England's allocation methodology takes account of population need, including community health needs and health inequalities, to ensure resources are distributed fairly across integrated care boards. This is being complemented by the development of neighbourhood health services and the associated incentives to support the Government's ambition to shift more care from hospitals into...
The law does not currently allow physician assistants (PAs), still legally known as physician associates, to prescribe. The General Medical Council, which regulates PAs, states on its website that PAs cannot prescribe, even if they hold prescribing rights from a previous profession and have previously been authorised to prescribe in that role by their employer. Employers and system...
Studies currently underway in the United Kingdom are examining outcomes which include employment status, work productivity, and sickness absence. For example, the industry funded SURMOUNT-REAL study will examine employment status and work productivity outcomes alongside other factors. The Government funded Scotland CardioMetabolic Impact Study will include an assessment of how improved health...
The UK Health Security Agency is currently exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may be used across a range of public health analyses and threat identification. Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are a major public health concern because bacteria in healthcare settings are often exposed to antibiotics, increasing the likelihood that they will develop resistance. These...
