A count of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory diseases' in Greater Manchester hospitals and for England, by age, from 2010-11 to 2015-16 is attached. Data before 2010-11 was not collected in the current format so cannot be directly compared.

Working in partnership with the Border Force, Public Health England screened 14,500 passengers returning to the United Kingdom from West Africa during the Ebola outbreak. This was the first time that port of entry screening for an infectious disease had been implemented on this scale. The design and implementation of the screening process evolved throughout the course of the outbreak with ever more accurate information being gathered from partners overseas and shared in advance with the screening teams at the five major UK ports of entry.

We are committed to doing all we can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders and to build the resilience of our trees and plants. Our approach, led by the Government Chief Plant Health Officer, involves the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging risks, which are listed in the Plant Health Risk Register.

There are regulations on importing plants and products from outside the UK where it is known that certain pests or pathogens are present. These are updated regularly, in response to new evidence, such as that published by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation. We are working collaboratively with the EU and broader international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country and the impact of newly established pests, including substantial programmes of work on the oak processionary moth and ash dieback.

An ageing population and increasing multimorbidity means both prevalence of long term conditions and the associated treatment costs to the National Health Service are expected to increase. The analysis and forecasts produced as part of the Department’s Long Term Condition Compendium of Information, published in 2012, are the most recent estimates in this area.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that it has published final guidance on three highly specialised technologies. Using list prices of these drugs, two would have exceeded the budget impact threshold as defined in the proposals.

The actual budget impact of drugs recommended by NICE in highly specialised technologies guidance may differ from that calculated using the list price as NICE may recommend use subject to any patient access schemes or managed access agreements between the company and NHS England.

NHS England has advised that the proposed budget impact threshold is based on consideration of the frequency and magnitude of high budget impact technologies that have recently received a recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The proposed fast-track technology appraisal process is expected to accelerate patient access to eligible treatments by around five months compared with the standard technology appraisal process. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that final guidance on products assessed through the proposed fast track process will be available 10-11 weeks sooner than for standard technology appraisal guidance. In addition, NHS England intends to fund treatments recommended through the fast track appraisal process within 30 days of final guidance, instead of the standard 90 days.

The Department has made no such assessment.

Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines. Information is available on the number of prescription items dispensed for desiccated thyroid.

Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system data provided by NHS Digital

Notes:

¹ Desiccated thyroids are a combination product which contain the active ingredients ‘levothyroxine sodium & liothyronine’ which are both thyroid hormones. Different brands and strengths of desiccated thyroids are currently prescribed in England.

² Less than 50 prescription items dispensed.

³ Total figure may not sum due to rounding.

We are committed to doing all we can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders and to build the resilience of our trees and plants. From 2012 to 2019 we will have invested more than £37 million into tree health research, including studying the interactions between horse chestnut leaf miner and other pests.

Our approach, led by the Government Chief Plant Health Officer, involves the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging risks, which are listed in the Plant Health Risk Register.

This includes pests and diseases which can affect horse chestnut trees, such as moths like the horse chestnut leaf miner. This is listed in the Risk Register with, after current mitigations, a relative risk rating of 24 (out of a possible 125). Horse chestnut leaf miner larvae can damage horse chestnut leaves on an annual basis, causing leaves to turn brown and fall earlier than usual. However, on its own the pest does not significantly impair trees' health and affected trees will usually grow normally the following spring. Removing fallen leaves during autumn and winter and composting or covering them can help reduce damage by destroying pupae and preventing adult moths emerging the next spring.

An ageing population and increasing multimorbidity means both prevalence of long term conditions (LTCs) and the associated treatment costs to the National Health Service are expected to increase.

The Department’s Long Term Condition Compendium of Information, published in 2012, estimates that over 15 million children, adults and older people in England live with at least one LTC. This figure is set to increase to around 18 million by 2025.

In addition, between 60% and 70% of the total health and care spend in England is associated with caring for people with LTCs. The annual health and social care cost per person per year for a person without an LTC is £1,000, this rises to £3,000 for those with one LTC, and £8,000 for those with three. The additional cost to the NHS and social care for the increase in co-morbidities is likely to be £5 billion in 2018 compared to 2011. The Compendium can be found at the link below:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216528/dh_134486.pdf

An ageing population and increasing multimorbidity means both prevalence of long term conditions (LTCs) and the associated treatment costs to the National Health Service are expected to increase.

The Department’s Long Term Condition Compendium of Information, published in 2012, estimates that over 15 million children, adults and older people in England live with at least one LTC. This figure is set to increase to around 18 million by 2025.

In addition, between 60% and 70% of the total health and care spend in England is associated with caring for people with LTCs. The annual health and social care cost per person per year for a person without an LTC is £1,000, this rises to £3,000 for those with one LTC, and £8,000 for those with three. The additional cost to the NHS and social care for the increase in co-morbidities is likely to be £5 billion in 2018 compared to 2011. The Compendium can be found at the link below:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216528/dh_134486.pdf