Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 implications for her policies of the length of Speech and Language waiting lists.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the impact that long waits to access speech and language therapy can have on the individual, and their families and carers. The Department and NHS England are committed to reducing long waits and improving timely access to community health services, including speech and language therapy.
We continue to improve access to speech and language therapy by including the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinder project within the Department for Educations’ existing Change Programme, in partnership with NHS England.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 estimate of the number of new GP surgeries that are projected to open each year till July 2029.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can access primary care when needed. At the Autumn Budget, a £102 million capital fund was announced for 2025/26 to deliver approximately 200 general practice (GP) surgery upgrades across England, improving existing facilities, boosting productivity, and enabling the delivery of more appointments. This funding represents a first step in delivering the additional capital the primary care sector needs.
Decisions on new GP surgeries are made locally by commissioners based on the needs of their populations. Integrated care boards are responsible for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible, including evaluating population needs and planning provision for GP services. Their annual commissioning plans consider requirements for new practices, such as those driven by population growth, contract expiries, or unplanned closures. Commissioners are expected to address gaps in service, and in the event of a closure, assess whether a replacement provider is needed before transferring patients to other local practices.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 estimate of what the GP-to-patient ratio will be in Bedfordshire in July 2029.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a general practitioner (GP) should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients.
The demands that each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 estimate of the number of pensioners hospitalised in winter 2024-25.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on hospital admissions by pensioners, specifically, is not available. NHS England publishes information on admissions by age group, with the following table showing the latest data for those aged 65 years old and over:
Month | Admitted hospital attendances for people aged 65 years old and over, England |
November 2024 | 160,630 |
December 2024 (provisional) | 154,995 |
Source: NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/
Notes:
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 estimate of the cost to the public purse of NHS treatment for pensioners in winter (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask local authorities to improve signposting of support groups for unpaid carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. It is for local authorities to decide how best to support their local population, including how they signpost unpaid carers to support groups.
The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed in social care. That is why we will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including cross-party and unpaid carers, to ensure their voices are heard as we develop plans to create a National Care Service.
Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care, and the NHS.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the condition of Bedford Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare services requires safe, resilient, and effective infrastructure.
As part of the management of their estate, NHS trusts regularly assess the physical condition of their estate. The Estates Related Information Collection survey collects data from trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including the projected cost of bringing all the buildings on each NHS site into acceptable condition, recorded as backlog maintenance. The latest data on backlog maintenance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 ensure new GP surgeries are established in areas of population growth.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
GPs have been neglected for too long. They are under-resourced, struggling to cope, and patients pay the price.
We know that there is pressure on primary care estates and service provision in areas of high population growth.
General practice provides high quality care, and we are committed to shifting the focus of care out of hospitals and into the community.