Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
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 the Care Quality Commission on reducing the waiting time for the re-inspection of healthcare providers rated as requiring improvement.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Departmental officials meet fortnightly with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to discuss measures CQC have put in place to address among other issues, delays in the production of inspection reports and initial inspection and reinspection.
As part of this process, the CQC provides fortnightly updates to senior Departmental officials on the work it is doing to improve and ensure it has robust systems in place to support the changes it is making to deliver its assessment activity of the providers it regulates. This increased reporting to, and oversight from, the Department also allows the level of risk across the CQC’s delivery to be monitored at a senior level.
Delays to the CQC’s inspection activities are partially due to failures of its IT systems. The CQC has accepted recommendations of the independent review into the CQC’s technology which was published in March 2025 and is available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/independent-review-cqc-technology-published
The CQC is currently working to review options for alternative methods of inspection report publication while work is carried out to make necessary changes to its IT systems.
The introduction of a ‘hybrid’ approach which launched on 2 December 2024 aims to streamline the existing process by discontinuing scoring at the evidence category level and instead reporting at the quality statement level. This change is intended to improve efficiency for CQC staff. In addition, efforts are underway to address the backlog of ‘stuck’ assessments within the system. As of 24 April 2025, the current number of ‘stuck’ assessments is 52, a reduction of 448.
Work continues to further lower this number and to strengthen the monitoring and management of assessment delays.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the Digital Redbook nationally.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We remain committed to transforming the way we deliver healthcare for parents and children and supporting the best start in life; digitisation of records is a key enabler of this.
The Department is working closely with officials in NHS England to ensure that plans for digitising the red book align with wider, ambitious plans for digitisation of patient records across the National Health Service. This will mean we deliver the benefits of a seamless experience for families as they access and manage their own health records and those of their children through the NHS App. Further information will be available in due course on the measures we are taking to deliver digital records for children.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Digital Redbook pilot in London.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The eRedbook product was commissioned by NHS England (London) for several years. A comprehensive evaluation was not undertaken, although registration volumes were reported. This has informed our ambition of a digital service to help parents and professionals access information and services to give children the best start in life. The NHS App will be central to delivering this ambition.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in deprived communities.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, as set out in our Child Health Action Plan. The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) delivers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the Healthy Start scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.
The NHSBSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHSBSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them in promoting the scheme. In December 2024, the Healthy Start scheme supported over 354,000 people.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he would make an assessment of the potential impact of removing social care charging on working-aged disabled adults.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service that tackles the challenges working age disabled adults currently face, and that is shaped for those who will have support needs in the future. The Government will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including people with lived experience, in due course.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
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 uprating the minimum income guarantee in line with inflation each year.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The social care allowance rates, which include the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), are reviewed each year. The MIG rates were uprated in line with inflation for the previous three financial years, and the rates for the 2025/26 financial year will be published in early 2025.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) business case status and (b) RIBA stage is for the scheme to (i) rebuild and (ii) modernise Charing Cross Hospital as part of the New Hospital Programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.
Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme, for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24 funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.
The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023
The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital scheme, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding had been allocated for (a) the scheme to (i) rebuild and (ii) modernise Charing Cross Hospital and (b) the New Hospital Programme by 2 July 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.
Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme, for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24 funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.
The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023
The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital scheme, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department provided for the rebuild and modernisation of Charing Cross Hospital by the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.
Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme, for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24 funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.
The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023
The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital scheme, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his department has made of the cost of the scheme to (a) rebuild and (b) modernise Charing Cross Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.
Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme, for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24 funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.
The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023
The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital scheme, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.