|
Major Developments (21st February –
28th February)
APHG Public Health Seminar Series: Health in the Consumer
Society
The APHG held its final meeting in the Public Health
Series, Health in the Consumer Society. Deputy CMO Dr Fiona Adshead and Tim
Kelsey - Chief Executive of Dr Foster Ltd. Slough PCT Director of Public
Health Dr Don Sinclair and Mark Hastings from the Beer and Pub Association
discussed the delivery of the White Paper and what needs to be done to ensure
that it is implemented successfully. For full details of the meeting, please
see our website.
Health Select Committee session on
the Public Health White Paper
For this single evidence session on the ‘Choosing
Health’ White Paper, the Health Committee heard evidence from Dr John Reid MP, Secretary of State for
Health, Miss Melanie Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
(Minister for Public Health) and Dr Fiona Adshead, Director, Health
Improvement Directorate/ Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
back to
top
The Week Ahead (28th February – 4th
March)
Monday 28th February
Deadline for submitting a memorandum to the Health
Select Committee inquiry in to NHS Continuing Care.
Malcolm
Moss MP introduces debate on mental health provision in North East
Cambridgeshire.
Third reading of the Disability
Discrimination Bill in the Lords.
Tuesday 1st March
Baroness Neuberger asks whether the
government agrees with the advice of the King’s Fund that a further
evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the United States Evercare model for
reducing emergency hospital admissions should be undertaken before this model
is introduced in England
and Wales.
Mental Health APG - cannabis & mental health.
Speakers: Caroline Flint & Robin Murray, professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry.
Parliamentary Seminar: bowel cancer. Hosted by Dr Brian Iddon MP.
Wednesday 2nd March
Bob Russell introduces adjournment
debate: safety of mechanised wheelchairs.
Tony McWalter discusses health services
in Hemel Hempstead – Westminster Hall
Patient Safety APG holds inaugural meeting with
health minister Lord Warner and CMO Professor Sir Liam Donaldson.
Dr John Reid details how new technology
can protect NHS workers in dangerous situations.
Stephen Ladyman and Audit Commission
chairman James Strachan - conference on personalising services through
integrated health, housing and social care provision.
The Office for National Statistics
publishes cancer survival statistics.
Thursday 3rd March
Health
Select Committee to hear evidence on The Use
of New Medical Technologies within the NHS
Carers APG - inaugural meeting with Stephen Ladyman.
The Royal College
of Nursing - conference on the community children’s nursing forum.
English Community Care Association
pre-general election reception for Labour parliamentarians and election
candidates.
The Northern Ireland Office publishes
waiting list bulletin.
Friday 4th
March
Commons transport committee publishes
report on disabled people’s access to transport.
back to top
This Past Week (21st February – 28th
February)
HOUSE
OF COMMONS
Health
Questions l Questions to the Prime
Minister l Westminster Hall Debates l Written Ministerial
Statements l Chamber and Legislation l Written Answers (A-Z) l The Committee Corridor
l Early Day
Motions
HOUSE
OF LORDS
Lords Chamber l Written Answers (Lords)
OTHER PARLIAMENTARY BODIES
Private Legislation l National Audit Office
back to top
____________________________________________________
HOUSE
OF COMMONS
Parliamentary Health Questions –
Answered in the Chamber
Asian Tsunami [22 Feb 2005]
Complementary/Alternative Medicine [22 Feb 2005]
Continuing Care Report [22 Feb 2005]
Health Expenditure (Manchester) [22 Feb 2005]
Health Provision (Wales) [22 Feb 2005]
Influenza Vaccine (Carers) [22 Feb 2005]
Local Improvement Finance Trust (North
Staffordshire) [22 Feb 2005]
Medical Supplies [22 Feb 2005]
NHS Trust Staff [22 Feb 2005]
Occupational Therapists [22 Feb 2005]
Regulation of Laser Eye Surgery [22 Feb 2005]
Special Needs [22 Feb 2005]
Vulnerable Adults [22 Feb 2005]
Waiting Times (Cancer) [22 Feb 2005]
Waiting Times (Diagnostics) [22 Feb 2005]
back
to top of section
Questions to the Prime Minister (23rd
February)
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)— funding of the hospice movement.
back
to top of section
Westminster Hall Debates
There were no Westminster Hall debates on health this week.
back
to top of section
Written Ministerial Statements
Doctors and Dentists Remuneration [22
Feb 2005]
back
to top of section
Chamber
and Legislation
Sexual Health Education [24 Feb 2005]
School Meals and Nutrition Bill [25 Feb 2005]
back
to top of section
back to
top
Written Answers (A-Z by subject) – Select a
letter.
___________________________________________________________________
A l B l C l D l E l F l G l H l I l J l K l L l M l N l O l P l Q l R l S l T l U l V l W l X l Y l Z
___________________________________________________________________
A
Ambulances [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
B
Burns Unit (Kent) [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
C
Cancer Statistics [21 Feb 2005]
Catering Costs [22 Feb 2005]
Cervical Cancer [22 Feb 2005]
Children's Burns Unit (Newcastle) [22 Feb 2005]
Co-Proxamol [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
D
Dentistry [22 Feb 2005]
Departmental Policies [22 Feb 2005]
Digital Hearing Aids [22 Feb 2005]
Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority
[22 Feb 2005]
Drug Addiction/Treatment [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
E
Enbrel [22 Feb 2005]
EU Committees [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
F
Forensic Medical Examiners [22 Feb 2005]
Foundation Hospitals (England) [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
G
General Practitioners [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
H
Health Trusts [23 Feb 2005]
HIV/AIDS [22 Feb 2005]
Hospital Infections [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
I
Incubators (North-east) [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
J
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
K
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
L
Lancashire Ambulance Trust [22 Feb 2005]
Lancashire Teaching Hospital [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
M
Mental Health [22 Feb 2005]
Midwives (Lancashire) [22 Feb 2005]
Minor Injuries Units [22 Feb 2005]
MRSA [22 Feb 2005]
MRSA [23 Feb 2005]
Multiple Myeloma [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
N
New Community Hospitals [22 Feb 2005]
NHS Bank [22 Feb 2005]
NHS Recruitment [22 Feb 2005]
NHS Staff [22 Feb 2005]
NHS University Courses [22 Feb 2005]
Nurses [23 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
O
Obesity [21 Feb 2005]
Obesity [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
P
Patient and Public Involvement Forums [22 Feb
2005]
Premature Babies [22 Feb 2005]
Primary Care Trusts [22 Feb 2005]
Private Sector Services [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
Q
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
R
Research [22 Feb 2005]
Respiratory Syncytial Virus [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
S
South Gloucestershire PCT [22 Feb 2005]
Staff Training [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
T
Temporary Nurses [22 Feb 2005]
Transplants [22 Feb 2005]
Travel Costs Scheme [22 Feb 2005]
Triage [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
U
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
V
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
W
Waiting Lists/Times [23 Feb 2005]
Waiting Times (Middlesbrough) [22 Feb 2005]
Working Tax Credit [22 Feb 2005]
Wycombe Hospital [22 Feb 2005]
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
X
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
Y
BACK TO ALPHABETS
Z
BACK TO
ALPHABETS
Wednesday 23 February 2005
Single Evidence Session - Public Health White Paper
Department of Health:
The Rt. Hon. Dr John Reid MP, Secretary of State for Health
Miss Melanie Johnson MP, Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Public Health)
Dr Fiona Adshead, Director, - Health Improvement
Directorate/ Deputy Chief Medical Officer
back
to top of section
Early Day Motions
21.02.05
MIDWIFERY
AND MATERNITY SERVICES - 728
Kerry
Pollard MP
23.02.05
Dr.
Ian Gibson
WORK
AND CANCER REPORT - 769
23.02.05
COOKING,
SMOKE AND HEALTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - 770
Fabian
Hamilton MP
23.02.05
SMOKING
IN PUBLIC PLACES (No. 2) – 779
Julie
Morgan MP
back
to top of section
back to top
______________________________________________
HOUSE
OF LORDS
Lords Chamber –
Debates, Legislation and Ministerial Statements
Monday 21st February
Mental Capacity Bill (Motion for Approval)
Tuesday 22nd February
Department of Health and Food Standards Agency:
Departmental Expenditure Limits and Administration Cost Limits for
2004–05
Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body
back
to top of section
Written answers (Lords)
Monday 21st February
MRSA
Wednesday 23rd February
UN Security Council and WHO: Infectious Disease
Dentist Asylum Seekers
Hepatitis C and HIV Inadvertent Blood Infection:
Payment Schemes
Medical Practitioners: Decisions
Dentists: Clinical Indemnity Insurance
Kidney Disease
back
to top of section
Lords Committees
back
to top of section
back to
top
________________________________________________________
Private Bills originate outside Parliament and are
promoted by bodies seeking special powers not available under the general
law.
back
to top of section
________________________________________________________
The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending
on behalf of Parliament. It reports to the Public Accounts Committee and is
totally independent of government. The role of
the NAO is to audit the accounts of all central government departments,
agencies, and other public bodies, reporting to Parliament on the economy,
efficiency and effectiveness with which they have used public money.
Friday 25th February
Tackling Cancer:
Improving the patient journey
The National Audit Office published its report,
Tackling Cancer: Improving the Patient Journey.
 Full Report
(1854 KB)
back
to top of section
back to
top
Department of Health and National Health Service
Key
issues from the Department of Health and NHS
Friday 25th February
NHS breast screening detects over
11,000 cancers
New statistics show a big increase in the
number of cancers detected by breast screening. In 2003/04 over 14% more
cancers were detected compared to the previous year with over 11,000 women
having breast cancer detected and treated following screening for the
disease. Since 2001 the total number of cancers detected through breast
screening has risen by nearly a third. Screening can help cancer be detected
and treated earlier which means women can have a much better chance of
survival. Of the 11,000 cancers detected last year, nearly half were smaller
cancers which could only be picked up through screening.
Thursday 24th February
Drug related deaths down for the
third year running
New figures published by the Office for
National Statistics for 1999-2003 show that drug related deaths fell for the
third year in a row to reach their lowest level since 1997. The total
reduction since 1999 has been 12% and in young people under the age of 20,
deaths from drug misuse fell by almost a third from 2002 to 2003. The report
breaks down the information to give death rates for individual substances and
groups to reveal that in 2003: Deaths linked to methadone fell to their
lowest level since 1993. Deaths linked to heroin or morphine decreased to
reach their lowest level since 1997 and those linked to cocaine or
amphetamines fell by over 10% in comparison with the previous year.
Thursday 24th February
Giving carers a break
Local councils are being encouraged to
give carers a break from their duties, as the Department of Health announced
an extra £60m for Carers’ Grants. This will provide extra support to England’s
estimated 5m carers. Stephen Ladyman also announced that the Carers
Grant will continue at this new higher level until at least 2008.
Thursday 24th February
Clampdown on GP premium rate
telephone numbers
Expensive telephone numbers that charge
patients over the odds to call NHS services in their area will be
banned. The ban, announced by Health Minister John Hutton, will protect
patients from paying premium and national rates to call local NHS healthcare
services, such as their GP or dentist, in future. Instead GP
practices will be expected to change these to low call rate numbers.
Wednesday 23rd February
Commissioning savings for GP services
More cash could soon be invested in a range of GP services as a result
of the Government’s scheme to allow practices to directly commission
services. Technical guidance on Practice Based Commissioning, published today
by Health Minister John Hutton, encourages GP practices to hold budgets for
the full range of patient care, not just elective care. This is designed to
improve services to meet the needs of the patients.
Wednesday 23rd February
Promoting independence
Community care Minister Stephen Ladyman announced the winning bids for
this year’s £40m Extra Care Housing Fund, that will provide an extra
979 homes for older people and learning disabled adults across England.
Extra care housing schemes can provide 24-hour support, meals, domestic help,
leisure and recreation facilities and a secure environment.
Tuesday 22nd February 2005
Better mental health services for
deaf people
Guidelines published by the Department of Health state that the NHS
must provide specialized services for deaf people with mental health
problems, such as a sign language translation in every GP practice. The
guidance, Towards Equity and Access: Mental Health and Deafness sets out how
mental health services for Deaf people can be improved using the template of
the National Service Framework for Mental Health as a starting point, and is
supported by £2.5 million of funding for PCTs.
Monday 21st February 2005
Sports and exercise medicine
discipline launched
Health Secretary John Reid announced the
new medical discipline of sports and exercise medicine (SEM), designed to
keep the nation fit, healthy and active. SEM doctors will treat and prevent
injuries, working in schools, community groups and sports clubs.
Saturday 19th February 2005
Quicker scans, endoscopies and
imaging
The Department of Health has announced
that £1 billion has been set aside to deal with NHS diagnostic services, providing
speedier access to services such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scans. to provide
diagnostic services and means patients will benefit from much quicker.
Thursday 17th February 2005
New procedures to cut NHS
disciplinary bill
Health Minister John Hutton announced new disciplinary procedures for
NHS staff, aimed at tackling the cost of long drawn-out disciplinary procedures
and staff suspensions. Under the new proposals, cases will be completed
quickly and fairly. Where possible, poor performing doctors will be
re-trained and returned to safe practice.
Thursday 17th February 2005
Increased funding for learning
disabilities services
Services for people with learning disabilities are set to receive over
in Government funding, Stephen Ladyman, Minister with responsibility for
community, announced a £41 million injection of government funding for
learning disabilities services. PCTs will provide the additional services
through the Learning Disabilities Development Fund (LDDF), an important mechanism
that funding is used to achieve the objectives of Valuing People.
back to
top
Independent Regulators
The Healthcare Commission and Monitor are independent
bodies responsible to Parliament for regulating different elements of health
care provision. See below for details of the key issues from both:
Key
issues from the Healthcare Commission
21st February
Patients tell health watchdog
of improvement in waiting times
Two major patient opinion surveys published by the Healthcare
Commission show that although waiting times for emergency treatment and
outpatient appointments are down, the findings
also suggest that further improvements are needed. In particular,
patients want greater information from clinicians on treatment and higher
standards of cleanliness in hospitals.
back to
top
Key
issues from Monitor
24th February
Report on elections and membership
Monitor has published it’s report on
the election and membership results of the foundation trusts authorised in
January 2005: Barnsley Hospital, Chesterfield
Royal Hospital,
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate and District and South Tyneside.
back to top
APHG and Website
Forthcoming
Meetings
THE FUTURE OF PATIENT AND PUBLIC
INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH
Speakers: Rosie Winterton,
Department of Health Minister responsible for Patient & Public
Involvement; Harry Cayton, National Director for Patients and the Public; and
Meredith Vivian, Head of Patient and Public Involvement, Department of Health
Chair: Patrick Hall MP
The Department of Health’s Arm’s Length Bodies Review in
October 2004 proposed the abolition of the Commission for Patient and Public
Involvement in Health (CPPIH). In light of this, the
government is carrying out a consultation on future arrangements for
supporting Public and Patient Involvement, to ensure the public’s involvement in decision
making about health and health services in England. This meeting will provide the first opportunity to discuss future
plans and the direction for Patient and Public Involvement with the
Department of Health.
Harry Cayton, National Director for Patients and the
Public, will outline the outcomes of the consultation and Rosie Winterton,
Minister of State for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, will discuss
the government’s vision for the future. A Question and Answer session
will follow the presentations.
If you wish to attend the ‘Future of Patient
and Public Involvement in Health’ seminar or if you require further
details on the meeting or any other element of our programme, please do not
hesitate to contact APHG on 020 7202 9415 or email lucy.cork@healthinparliament.org.uk.
Website
Links
To access our own site, containing information on
past and present meetings and access to constituency health data, click here.
back to top
| 
