Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists accepting new patients in Southampton.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
This year, in NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, there were 1,255 active dentists, compared with 1,248 the previous year. However, there is clearly an issue, which the hon. Gentleman was right to raise in the House. I am happy to talk to him to ensure that we can solve this important problem.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2022 to Question 153690, on Southampton Hospital: Parking, what guidance is in place on the provision of free hospital car parking for people with long-term conditions like cystic fibrosis who are frequently attending appointments or receiving ongoing care from hospitals, such as Southampton General.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts’ provides guidance on the provision of free hospital car parking for in-need groups. This defines these groups, which includes frequent outpatient attenders. While the definition of ‘frequent outpatient attenders’ is not determined by a particular illness or condition, patients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within a month and for an overall period of at least three months will be eligible for free hospital car parking. The guidance is available at the following link:
More than 97% of National Health Service trusts which charge for car parking have implemented free parking for those with greatest need.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help reduce the cost of living with cystic fibrosis by ensuring hospital car parking is free for adults and families of children with all long-term conditions who (a) frequently attend appointments or (b) have hospital stays at Southampton General hospital.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government committed to providing free hospital car parking for specific patient groups, including frequent outpatient attenders and parents of sick children staying in hospital overnight. However, the definition of frequent outpatient attenders is not determined by a particular illness or condition, such as cystic fibrosis. Over 94% of National Health Service trusts which charge for parking have implemented free parking for those with greatest need.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in Emergency Departments from time of arrival for each month in last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In 2020/21, 302,784 patients in England waited more than 12 hours in accident and emergency from time of arrival.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the cost to the NHS of patient transport for people receiving dialysis in treatment centres.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The National Health Service is preventing unnecessary patient journeys through improved preventative medicine and enhanced digital care. As set out in Delivering a Net Zero National Health System, patient travel accounts for 5% of all NHS emissions. The Improving Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) report published in August 2021 estimates that NEPTS journeys emit approximately 51,000-58,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This constitutes approximately 20% of NHS direct travel emissions. NEPTS deliver 11-12 million journeys a year with approximately 37% for patients requiring renal dialysis. Each year, approximately £460 million is spent on NEPTS with the average cost per patient journey at £38.
No such assessment has been made on the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions or the cost of patient transport attributed to patients receiving in-centre dialysis.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the proportion of NHS greenhouse gas emissions attributed to patient transport and (b) what proportion is attributed to patients receiving in-centre dialysis.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The National Health Service is preventing unnecessary patient journeys through improved preventative medicine and enhanced digital care. As set out in Delivering a Net Zero National Health System, patient travel accounts for 5% of all NHS emissions. The Improving Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) report published in August 2021 estimates that NEPTS journeys emit approximately 51,000-58,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This constitutes approximately 20% of NHS direct travel emissions. NEPTS deliver 11-12 million journeys a year with approximately 37% for patients requiring renal dialysis. Each year, approximately £460 million is spent on NEPTS with the average cost per patient journey at £38.
No such assessment has been made on the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions or the cost of patient transport attributed to patients receiving in-centre dialysis.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent unnecessary patient journeys as set out in the NHS's plan for Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service, published on 1 October 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The National Health Service is preventing unnecessary patient journeys through improved preventative medicine and enhanced digital care. As set out in Delivering a Net Zero National Health System, patient travel accounts for 5% of all NHS emissions. The Improving Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) report published in August 2021 estimates that NEPTS journeys emit approximately 51,000-58,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This constitutes approximately 20% of NHS direct travel emissions. NEPTS deliver 11-12 million journeys a year with approximately 37% for patients requiring renal dialysis. Each year, approximately £460 million is spent on NEPTS with the average cost per patient journey at £38.
No such assessment has been made on the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions or the cost of patient transport attributed to patients receiving in-centre dialysis.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with healthcare experts on the merits of commissioning therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) for neurological conditions.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Any decision to commission specialised interventions such as therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) for neurological conditions is a matter for NHS England. All decisions on treatment are made by clinical experts, informed by a patient's individual clinical needs. Wherever clinically appropriate, use of alternative therapies to immunoglobulin treatment for patients with neurological conditions, including PLEX, is stated in the current commissioning guidance which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specialised commissioning for therapeutic plasma exchange for neurological conditions.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Any decision to commission specialised interventions such as therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) for neurological conditions is a matter for NHS England. All decisions on treatment are made by clinical experts, informed by a patient's individual clinical needs. Wherever clinically appropriate, use of alternative therapies to immunoglobulin treatment for patients with neurological conditions, including PLEX, is stated in the current commissioning guidance which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the work of the Wessex Neurological Centre on safely treating patients with covid-19 using advanced centrifugal plasma exchange technology in an outpatient setting is shared across the NHS.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that it has not been approached by the Wessex Neurological Centre regarding the treatment of patients with COVID-19 using plasma exchange technology.
NHS England and NHS Improvement will consider any published evidence as an outcome of research completed in line with its published clinical policy process. This is available at the following link: