Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 potential impact of surgical hubs on waiting times for (a) trauma and (b) orthopaedic treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been made on the impact of surgical hubs on waiting times for trauma and orthopaedic treatment.
Surgical hubs enable trusts to increase resilience for elective procedures and minimise cancellations during periods of high pressure. This can reduce uncertainty for patients around last-minute cancellations, maximise the use of available capacity, and helps to reduce waiting times. In the Budget, we committed additional funding to set up new surgical hubs to help with our commitment to get the waiting lists down.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, whether any of the new surgical hubs will focus solely on orthopaedic procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, will outline details of the funding allocation for surgical hubs at the earliest opportunity. This will include the number of hubs to be established, and their specialty focus. Each hub will be developed based on the needs of patients and the current waiting list pressures in the areas that they cover.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, how much and what proportion of the additional funding for the NHS will be spent on support for people with (a) arthritis and (b) other musculoskeletal conditions.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of improving health for the 20 million people in the United Kingdom who live with a musculoskeletal condition. This forms a key part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.
Financial allocations will be confirmed through NHS Planning Guidance. In the meantime, we are working with NHS England and other stakeholders to explore options to increase access to, and improve support for, those living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
We will publish a 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS in the spring which will focus on increasing productivity and ensuring that every pound of taxpayer money is spent wisely, by reforming how healthcare is delivered.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, how much and what proportion of the additional funding for the NHS will be spent on (a) physiotherapy and (b) other community services for people with musculoskeletal conditions.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of improving health for the 20 million people in the United Kingdom who live with musculoskeletal condition. This forms a key part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.
Financial allocations will be confirmed through NHS Planning Guidance. In the meantime, we are working with NHS England and other stakeholders to explore options to increase access to, and improve support for, those living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
We will publish a 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS in the spring which will focus on increasing productivity and ensuring that every pound of taxpayer money is spent wisely, by reforming how healthcare is delivered.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) repeal Section 2(4) of the Law Reform (Personal Injuries) Act 1948 and (b) make an assessment of the potential merits of other reforms of legislation covering clinical negligence costs.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than quadrupled in the last 17 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.
Over recent years, the NHS in England has taken significant steps forward in addressing this issue. NHS Resolution, which manages claims against the NHS in England, has implemented the Early Notification scheme to improve maternity safety and support families in a cohort of maternity claims, and has made significant improvements in claim resolution, through greater use of alternative dispute resolution and mediation, across all claims.
The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.
We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost, how to manage spending on clinical negligence, and the potential merits of the reform options.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a system of fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence claims.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than quadrupled in the last 17 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.
Over recent years, the NHS in England has taken significant steps forward in addressing this issue. NHS Resolution, which manages claims against the NHS in England, has implemented the Early Notification scheme to improve maternity safety and support families in a cohort of maternity claims, and has made significant improvements in claim resolution, through greater use of alternative dispute resolution and mediation, across all claims.
The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.
We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost, how to manage spending on clinical negligence, and the potential merits of the reform options.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet the Medical Defence Union to discuss NHS staff morale.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans for my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to meet with the Medical Defence Union to discuss National Health Service staff morale.
The Department works closely with NHS England to address issues around staff morale in the NHS and ensures staff are able to work in an inclusive, compassionate environment that supports their health and wellbeing.