Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 increase access to GP services in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that patients across the country, including in the Gosport constituency, are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs. Our plan to restore GPs will require both investment and reform. We will increase the proportion of funding for GPs and are already investing £82 million to recruit 1,000 newly qualified GPs. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system.
Additionally, we will introduce Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring together vital health and care services, ensuring healthcare is closer to home and patients receive the care they deserve. The Government will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 help reduce obesity rates amongst (a) adults and (b) children in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure. The prevention of ill health is a clear mission for the Government and the cornerstone of this is supporting children to live healthier lives. We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government will take action to tackle it head on, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. Shifting the focus from treatment to prevention is one of the three shifts for the Government’s mission for an NHS that is fit for the future.
We will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation to ban junk food advertising to children and stop the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16-year-olds. The Government is also committed to stop the targeting of school children by fast food outlets by empowering councils to block the development of new fast-food shops outside schools.
Officials in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ regional teams work closely with local partners, including local authorities and the NHS, to support them with local initiatives to promote a healthy lifestyle and tackle obesity.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 increase access to weight loss services in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. These range from behavioural weight management programmes to specialist services for those living with obesity and associated co-morbidities. Local authorities are able to spend funding from the Public Health Grant on behavioural weight management services, whilst integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning NHS specialist weight management services. Local authorities and ICBs should consider their local population’s need and relevant guidance.
A range of services are available for people in the Gosport constituency area, including: health and wellbeing coaches and social prescribers; weight loss and exercise programmes funded by Hampshire County Council; and Complications from Excess Weight clinics for eligible children in Portsmouth and Southampton.
Additionally, NHS England commissions the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme nationally for people living with obesity with an existing comorbidity of either diabetes or hypertension, or both. The 12-week online programme is available to eligible people across England, including in the Gosport constituency, via direct referral from any general practice or Community Pharmacy.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 merits of selective internal radiation therapy for NHS liver cancer patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has made no such assessment, however the National Health Service has concluded that there is not enough evidence to make selective internal radiation therapy available to treat liver cancer patients at this time. The assessment can be found on the NHS website, at the following link:
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out a timetable for providing selective internal radiation therapy to NHS liver cancer patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Each National Health Service liver cancer patient will be offered the treatment their clinicians consider to be the most effective, and this may include the use of selective internal radiation therapy.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 adequacy of dementia training in the adult social care workforce.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The adult social care workforce provides vital care and support to people of all ages and with diverse needs, including those with dementia. Care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them maintain their quality of life, independence, and connection to the things that matter to them.
No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of dementia training for the adult social care workforce, but as we develop a long-term plan for social care, those working in social care will be at the heart of our reforms. We will outline further plans for social care workforce reform in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to support the continuation of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The work on the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been paused. We are in the process of considering next steps for taking forward the Taskforce’s work.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timetable for the introduction of secondary legislation for further advertising restrictions (a) on TV and (b) online for less healthy food products.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the King’s Speech, in this parliamentary session, we will bring forward the necessary final guidance and secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink products before 9:00pm on television, and all paid-for advertising of these products online, to ensure the legislation comes into force as planned by 1 October 2025.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase access to NHS dentists in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.
Patients unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance. NHS dentists are now required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to p.8 of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, how many new dentistry training places will be allocated to Portsmouth Dental School by 2031-32.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At this stage, as the University of Portsmouth is not a dental school, no plans have been made to allocate new dentistry training places.
Before a university, such as the University of Portsmouth, can apply to receive Government funded dental school places, it needs to have met the requirements of the General Dental Council. If established as a dental school, Portsmouth Dental School would be eligible to be considered for Government-funded training places, subject to meeting the requirements of the Office for Students, who have statutory responsibility for allocating funding for medical and dental school places.