Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 support the (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing of nursing staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that National Health Service staff are able to work in a supportive and compassionate environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. NHS England has a wide-ranging package of mental health and wellbeing support for all staff, including nurses, which includes access to counselling services, a self-check wellbeing tool, free access to a range of wellbeing apps, and a health and wellbeing guardian role to provide board level scrutiny within NHS organisations. NHS England is also leading work with partner organisations to strengthen occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in levels of demand for patient care on the capacity of the nursing workforce.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. The Long Term Workforce Plan, which included assessments of nursing demand and supply, will be reviewed following the recommendations of 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include enforcement measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to prevent the sale of tobacco products on the internet to those under age.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Selling tobacco to someone underage, whether in person or online, is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction in a magistrates’ court. It is the responsibility of all retailers including those online to ensure their customers are over the age of sale. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024, is the biggest public health intervention in a generation, and takes significant action to strengthen enforcement to ensure that current and new sales regulations are successfully implemented.
The Bill introduces a new £200 fixed penalty notice in England and Wales, which will enable Trading Standards Officers to act ‘on the spot’ to clamp down on rogue retailers selling tobacco, vapes or nicotine products to people underage, whether in-person or online. The Bill also provides powers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. Once the scheme is introduced, it will be a criminal offence to sell these products, either in person or online, without a licence. Licensing offences will carry significant financial penalties, and those who commit sales offences could face licence revocation, enabling Trading Standards to further clamp down on rogue retailers. The details of the licensing scheme including licence conditions will be subject to consultation ahead of introduction.
Alongside the Bill, the Government is exploring how we can further tackle online underage sales. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is creating a framework of standards and governance, namely the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework, underpinned by legislation, to enable the widespread use of trusted digital identity services. This framework provides a potential opportunity for companies providing age verification services to be certified, to prove they are delivering age assurance solutions that meet Government standards.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 help increase the uptake of NHS stop smoking services amongst underage smokers.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 5 November 2024, the Government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. It will create the first smoke-free generation, as children turning 15 years old this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco, whilst those who currently legally smoke are able to continue doing so. The bill sits alongside wider support across the health service to assist smokers in quitting for good.
We remain committed to helping existing smokers to quit with effective support, which is three times as effective as making an unassisted quit attempt. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends nicotine replacement therapy for young people aged 12 years old and over, and if prescribed, that behavioural support is also provided. Local authority funding has been boosted with an additional £70 million in 2024/25 to build capacity and demand for local stop smoking support.