Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Gwynne Excerpts

Tuesday 19th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Abtisam Mohamed (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

3. What steps he is taking to improve mental health support services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

Lord Darzi found that mental health waiting lists have surged, with more than 100,000 children waiting a year for their first appointment. That is why we will recruit 8,500 more mental health workers, provide access to mental health support in every school and roll out young futures hubs in every community. I am delighted to tell my hon. Friend that a Bill to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983 was introduced in the other place on 6 November. That was a promise that we made before the election—a promise that we kept.

[Abtisam Mohamed]

I welcome the Minister’s comments. My brother has very complex mental health needs. We as a family know at first hand the difficulties not only of accessing the services and of the long waiting times, but the challenge of support staff who are not constantly on a churn and the lack of community-funded support services. Our experience is no different to that of many other families. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we will make mental health services more accessible in communities, invest more in preventive services and fund more community-based provision?

[Andrew Gwynne]

I will be pleased to meet my hon. Friend. This Government think it is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the care that they deserve, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that with the measures I set out in my opening. The Government have also introduced NHS 111 for mental health so that people who are in crisis or are concerned about a family member or loved one can now call 111 and speak to a trained mental health professional.

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

Facilities such as leisure centres and swimming pools—like the Sovereign Centre in Eastbourne where I learned to swim—are critical in supporting people’s mental health locally. Will the Minister support me in putting pressure on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to expand the criteria of the towns fund to allow us to be able to spend it to invest in our leisure centres and sports and fitness facilities for local people?

[Andrew Gwynne]

I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. We are a mission-led Government and, of course, tackling health inequalities is a job not just for the Department of Health and Social Care, but for all Government Departments. I will be very happy to raise the role that Ministers can play in improving mental health and wellbeing in my bilaterals with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

[Jerome Mayhew (Broadland and Fakenham) (Con)]

4. What estimate he has made of the number of new dental training places needed in the east of England.

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[Mark Ferguson (Gateshead Central and Whickham) (Lab)]

T7.   Usher syndrome is a rare inherited disease that can lead to both deafness and blindness. As chair of the Usher syndrome all-party parliamentary group, I have met many of those who suffer from Usher syndrome. What assessment has the Department made of the adequacy of support for those suffering from Usher syndrome and their family members?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

The UK rare diseases framework aims to improve the lives of people living with all rare diseases. I am more than prepared to meet my hon. Friend to look at the adequacy of support available to people with Usher syndrome.

[Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD)]

T8. Last Friday, I met GPs at the Fairhill medical practice in north Kingston in my constituency. They have told me that the increase in national insurance contributions will add £50,000 a year to their costs. Can the Secretary of State tell me whether GPs can expect to see an across-the-board cut in the NICs payable by GPs to help them manage to continue delivering services for families in the area?

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

T10. The renewed focus on prevention in our health system is welcome, but under the previous Government, the public health grant that facilitates much of that work was cut by 28%. Has the Minister, in partnership with the Treasury, considered when we might be able to address that public health funding issue, which is essential to enabling progress in prevention?

[Andrew Gwynne]

We will confirm the 2025-26 local authority public health grant allocations in due course. Local government plays a critical role in delivering the Government’s health mission and driving action on the prevention of ill health. We are committed to working in partnership with local government to tackle the wider determinants of ill health.

[Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) (LD)]

T9. I have been shocked this week by all the major GP groups in my constituency detailing their financial situations. They are all close to the edge and are considering the options of bankruptcy, redundancies or handing in their contracts. What urgent respite can the Secretary of State give them?

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[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Respiratory health conditions are one of the main drivers of NHS winter pressures, yet only 32% of asthma sufferers in Bath and across the country can access the most basic level of care. What will the Government do to improve access to basic levels of care for the 68% of asthma sufferers who are currently missing out?

[Andrew Gwynne]

NICE is reviewing its guidelines for the diagnosis, monitoring and management of chronic asthma, and an updated version is due to be published in late November 2024. I am happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss it further.

[Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East) (Lab)]

Women with spinal cord injuries face significant challenges in accessing core health services, including breast screening, cervical screening and gynaecological care. Research shows that women with disabilities, including spinal cord issues, are 30% less likely to attend routine breast screening appointments, in significant part due to the physical inaccessibility of the screening equipment. Will the Minister meet me and representatives of the all-party parliamentary group on spinal cord injury to discuss these unacceptable disparities and ensure that women receive the equitable and accessible care they deserve?

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[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

My constituent Ollie Horobin’s life has been completely transformed after contracting covid, leaving him wheelchair-bound with a feeding tube and battling debilitating symptoms every single day. His story is a stark reminder of the devastating impact that long covid can have. Will the Minister commit to meeting Ollie and me to hear about his experience at first hand, and prioritise further research into the causes, treatments and long-term impacts of extreme long covid?

[Andrew Gwynne]

As somebody who still suffers from long covid, I know how debilitating and complex it can be, and I am committed to improving support for people affected by it. There are now more than 100 long covid services across England, and £57 million is being invested in long covid research. I recently co-chaired a roundtable on strategies to stimulate further research into treatments. I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend and Ollie for further discussion.

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

Opt-out testing for HIV at A&E has been a great success since it was announced last year, particularly in identifying those who were not aware they had the disease and among difficult-to-reach communities. Can the Health Secretary confirm whether the programme will continue?

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[Karl Turner (Kingston upon Hull East) (Lab)]

My constituent Craig Eskrett was diagnosed with motor neurone disease 12 months ago. He says that the services are there in the local NHS trust, but there is a distinct lack of co-ordination. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what improvements can be made to co-ordinate those services for sufferers of MND?

[Andrew Gwynne]

My hon. Friend raises a real issue about how we join up the whole of the patient journey. Once diagnosed, patients need appropriate treatment and wraparound care. I am more than happy to meet him and his constituent.

[Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)]

At the weekend in Devon, I met a psychiatric nurse who previously worked in London and has been recruited to the south-west. She does not have a start date, and is still subject to routine checks after waiting months. Can the Secretary of State expedite these routine checks, given waiting lists for mental health?