To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Health Visitors: Childbirth
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Wyld (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many home visits from (1) midwives, and (2) health visitors, women currently receive after childbirth.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The health visiting service offer is universal to all families, and is underpinned by the national Healthy Child Programme. This offer begins with the antenatal contact and continues until school entry at five years old. There are five mandated universal contacts for health visiting which include: antenatal review; new birth visit; six to eight week review; one year review; and two to two-and-a-half year review. More targeted support, comprising of additional contacts above the mandated number, are delivered depending on assessment of individual family needs. Mandated health visitor reviews should be held face to face, although there may be local variations and blended approaches used. The health visiting service is delivered in a range of settings including families’ own homes, local community, or primary care settings.


Written Question
Pregnancy: Mental Health
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Wyld (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what systems are in place to ensure pregnant women are screened for existing or potential mental health difficulties.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services sets out how the National Health Service will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. A key objective of the plan is to ensure that all women should be offered personalised care and support plans which take account of their physical health, mental health, social complexities, and personal choices.

We are improving the access and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. There are 35 maternal mental health services which combine maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.


Written Question
Vaccination: Children
Wednesday 7th October 2020

Asked by: Baroness Wyld (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis the Department of Health and Social Care has made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the take-up of routine childhood vaccinations.

Answered by Lord Bethell

Preliminary data between weeks 1-17 in 2020 indicates that whilst there was an initial decrease in the number of pre-school vaccinations delivered in primary care during the early weeks of the pandemic compared with the same period of 2019, the situation rapidly stabilised and recovered.

Providers of school aged immunisations, which were impacted by school closures, are now working with NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioners to catch up those vaccinations that have been delayed. Programmes delivered through schools have been rescheduled as schools have re-opened. School-age vaccination programmes are delivered at different times throughout the academic year, and so local variation will be seen in recovery.