Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve safeguards for people with neurological conditions in care homes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government makes clear, in statutory guidance of the Care Act 2014, that local authorities must ensure services they commission are safe, effective and of high quality. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assesses how well local authorities are meeting their Care Act duties in relation to safeguarding and have a duty to inform my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it considers an authority is failing to discharge its functions.
Regulated providers also have a key role in safeguarding adults. Care homes must ensure that they have appropriate systems and processes in place to prevent, and protect people from, abuse and improper treatment. They must also have, and effectively operate, systems and processes to investigate and promptly act upon any allegation or evidence of abuse.
Where anyone alleges poor care, neglect or abuse, we expect those providing the service, local authorities and the CQC to take swift action.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
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 tackle shortages of care home workers in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 states that providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Where the CQC finds a breach in this regulation, it can take regulatory action to ensure the safety of the people drawing on care and support.
The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.
We are also supporting the professionalisation of the ASC workforce by implementing the Care Workforce pathway as the first universal ASC career structure and providing £12 million through the Learning and Development Support Scheme this year for staff to complete training and qualifications.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage and (b) promote careers in the social care system.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care (ASC) sector by expanding the Care Workforce Pathway (CWP), funding the Learning Development and Support Scheme, and introducing the first ever fair pay agreement for the sector.
In April 2025, we published four additional role categories within the CWP, which is the first universal career structure for the sector providing guidance on career development by outlining the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours to both encourage and promote care as a long-term career.
The Learning Development and Support Scheme, launched in September 2024, is providing up to £12 million this financial year to support eligible care staff to complete training courses and qualifications. Additionally, a Fair Pay Agreement for the ASC sector will ensure that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help recognise (a) the skills of phlebotomists and (b) their contribution to the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government greatly values the expertise and contribution of all health professionals, including phlebotomists.
A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the National Health Service needs to care for patients across our communities.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to support unpaid carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. On the 7 April 2025 the Government increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service highlighted the need for a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers, to improve outcomes across the board for carers, for those they care for, and for the NHS itself. These findings will be carefully considered as part of our 10-year plan to reform and modernise the NHS, and as we continue to shape our plans to reform adult social care, including through the National Care Service.
We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) improve training on dementia care and (b) financially support family carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows employers to claim funding for training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible staff. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million for the financial year 2025/26, and funding is available for a range of dementia-related qualifications.
We know that many people wish to play a role in caring for their family and friends and we are committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. This is why, on 7 April 2025, the Government increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
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 potential merits of implementing a national screening programme for prostate cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The committee has commissioned a university to carry out a high quality review and to create a cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes targeted approaches to high risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age.
However, their previous review advised against screening because the current best test, the prostate specific antigen test, is not accurate. As a result, it can lead to some men receiving false reassurance when they do actually have prostate cancer, and others receiving unnecessary further tests when they did not have prostate cancer.
Black men are twice as likely as white men to get prostate cancer. But using an inaccurate test on this group of men might not reduce health inequalities. Instead, it risks leading to greater levels of misdiagnosis in this group. We need a better test, which is why the Government has invested £16 million in the TRANSFORM trial, to look for a better test. This trial will ensure that one in ten participants are black men.
Many prostate cancers are very slow growing and many men can live and die with prostate cancer, without ever showing any symptoms. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer can lead to unnecessary interventions and treatment that can have nasty and life altering side effects, for a cancer that would never have caused harm. That is why the UK NSC, when reviewing the evidence for a screening programme, must balance the benefits, including a reduction in mortality, against the harms. Only when the committee is confident that high quality evidence suggests a programme will do more good than harm will it be recommended.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure appropriate funding is allocated for (a) early diagnosis and (b) effective monitoring of invasive lobular carcinoma; and what funding is allocated for the (i) development and (ii) availability of treatments for that disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, is a priority for the Government. There are multiple National Health Service initiatives and funding streams across the NHS in England that support the early detection of breast cancer.
NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, invest in publishing information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, through the Help Us Help You campaigns.
The Department spends £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer being one of the largest areas of spend at £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the treatment of lobular carcinoma.
The Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals programme aims to accelerate the development and commercialisation of a new generation of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. The programme, however, does not ringfence funding, or run funding programmes specific to cancer types.
Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan later this year, we will publish our National Cancer Plan. The cancer plan will include more details about how to improve outcomes for all tumour types through earlier diagnosis of cancer.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome are supported financially; and whether he plans to include provisions for people with that syndrome within the 10-year health plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition, their families and carers receive high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.
The NHS Low Income Scheme can provide help with health costs on an income-related basis. Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges in place. People with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome who are 60 years old or over are entitled to free prescriptions. For those that must pay for prescriptions, the cost can be capped by purchasing a pre-payment certificate.
Our 10-Year Health Plan will provide a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement undertaken with the public, patients and staff. The plan will include how care models and pathways for health conditions will need to change or evolve to better meet patients’ needs.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to increase access to GP appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We’re investing an additional £889 million in funding for general practice in 2025-26, the biggest boost in years, and are recruiting 1,000 new GPs.
With this funding, we are making important reforms to bring back the family doctor and allow patients to request appointments online throughout core opening hours.