Lord Kamall: The Health and Care Bill includes duties on integrated care boards (ICBs) to involve patients, carers and the public in their decision making, which applies at all levels of the organisation. Currently, NHS England assesses each clinical commissioning group on its delivery against the patient and public involvement duties through the NHS Oversight Framework. We anticipate that this will...
Lord Kamall: NHS England will continue to transparently scrutinise and hold to account National Health Service organisations which form part of an integrated care system (ICS). Subject to the passage of the Health and Care Bill, NHS England will publish an updated Oversight Framework in 2022/23 that reflects the new statutory basis for integrated care boards (ICBs) and ICSs. The Bill will also place a new...
Lord Kamall: My Lords, this has been a fascinating discussion and debate. I recall watching the debate on the Private Member’s Bill of the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, a few weeks ago; I remember thinking that that was Parliament at its best. The arguments on both sides are fascinating—thank goodness I was not the Minister responding. I thank my noble friend Lord Forsyth for assuring me today that we...
Lord Kamall: I thank the noble Baroness and echo her gratitude to all the noble Lords who have turned up for this group of amendments. Before I turn to specific amendments, it may be helpful to make a few general points about the new payment scheme and explain why this clause should stand part of the Bill. For many years, the national tariff improved access to services and drove up quality across the NHS....
Lord Kamall: I must clarify here. I have said that we expect the Independent Reconfiguration Panel to continue to consider views. We are not getting rid of it.
Lord Kamall: I thank all noble Lords for their amendments and for challenging the issues around the power of direction. We believe that we must have the right framework for national oversight of our health system. Following the merger of NHS England with Monitor and the Trust Development Authority, NHS England will be one of the largest arm’s-length bodies in government, responsible for over £130...
Lord Kamall: If it is as straightforward as the noble Lord suggests, I will see if that can be done.
Lord Kamall: I thank my noble friend Lord Farmer and all noble Lords who spoke about their experiences. The creation of integrated care boards represents a huge opportunity to support and improve the planning and provision of services to make sure that they are more joined up and better meet the needs of infants, children and young people. Before I go into the specific amendments, I make it quite clear,...
Lord Kamall: I thank all noble Lords, especially the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for the points they have raised. ICPs will play an important role in co-ordinating services, planning in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups. It is right that we consider the best conditions for their success. I was asked where the idea for ICPs came from. It originated from the...
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, particularly for his brief and, as always when he speaks, his clear understanding of the amendment. It makes it so much easier for us to know where the noble Lord is coming from. I am grateful to all other noble Lords who spoke on this issue, and I understand the interest in the integrated care boards’ power to disclose information that...
Lord Kamall: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Sharkey, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Finlay and Lady Greengross, for bringing this group of amendments. I understand the intention behind Amendment 106, on payment to providers, which is to remove new Section 14Z48 in its entirety, but the section will allow NHS England to specify the circumstances in which an ICB is liable to make payments to a...
Lord Kamall: The latest data available shows that between 1 September 2021 and 19 December 2021, 442,235 individuals identified as severely immunosuppressed received a third primary dose.
Lord Kamall: We are engaging with the social care sector on all potential options to address staff shortages, such as volunteers, which are already used by many social care providers. We have also provided an additional £462.5 million to support recruitment and retention in social care, expanded the Health and Care Visa to include care workers and the Made with Care national recruitment campaign is...
Lord Kamall: There are no plans to do so. In September 2020, we introduced a non-repayable, training grant of £5,000 per academic year for eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students studying pre-registration courses at English universities. We also made a further £3,000 available to support students with childcare costs and those studying a specialist subject. These grants are in...
Lord Kamall: The pension measures in Section 45 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working commitments without the risk of having their pension benefits suspended. Since March 2020, abatement of ‘Special Class’ members of the 1995 Section, including nurses, midwives and physiotherapists and mental health officers with the reserved...
Lord Kamall: Inivos supplied gowns with a contract value of £117,360,000, which are currently under investigation through the technical regulatory assurance process. Since the Department does not have a contract directly with Zhende, the information requested is not held centrally.
Lord Kamall: The UK Health Security Agency undertakes continuous surveillance for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Data showed that the AMR burden increased annually between 2016 and 2019, before declining in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Data for 2021 is still under review.
Lord Kamall: The commissioning of care and support services is a matter for local authorities, who are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their local populations. There are currently 271 active locations registered as care homes in the county of Derbyshire. Of these, nine are rated outstanding, 200 are rated as good, 52 are rated as requires improvement and seven are rated as...
Lord Kamall: The white paper commits to incentivise the supply of supported housing, including housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with £213 million available over the next three years. This is alongside a new £300 million investment to connect housing with health and care, increase the supply of supported housing and local...
Lord Kamall: We have had no such discussions. The commissioning of care and support services is a matter for local authorities, who are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their local populations. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their local markets and ensure that people have a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support...