Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 11938 on NHS: Employers' Contributions, whether he has made a estimate of the cost of changes to national insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 to (a) his Department, (b) NHSE, (c) general practices, (d) hospices, (e) charities delivering healthcare, (f) social care providers, (g) care homes, (h) air ambulance service providers, (i) each acute trust's direct costs, (j) each acute trusts indirect costs, (k) dental clinics providing NHS care, (l) opticians providing NHS appointments, (m) private healthcare providers providing NHS appointments or operations, (n) each mental health trust, (o) each ICB, (p) the cost of agency nursing staff, (q) the cost of locum doctors, (r) local pharmacies and (s) NHS suppliers and contractors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Contributions on the New Hospitals Programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Autumn Budget Statement announced by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 30 October set out that we would continue to deliver the New Hospital Programme by placing it on a more sustainable and deliverable footing.
We expect that the potential impact of Employer National Insurance Contributions to individual schemes in the New Hospital Programme will be covered through the individual Full Business Cases submitted by the trusts, where the final costs will be reviewed through the business case process.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many adults have received the respiratory syncytial virus vaccination in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency measures the coverage of vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The RSV adult vaccination programme in England began on 1 September 2024. Only data for the catch-up cohort, those adults aged 75 to 79 years old before the programme start date, has been published. This publication covers the first full month of the programme, and is available at the following link:
During the reporting period, from 1 to 30 September 2024, the total vaccination uptake among the catch-up cohort was 22.6%. Data for the routine cohort, those adults turning 75 years old from the programme start date, will be published in an annual RSV report in due course. NHS England publishes weekly data by region on the RSV vaccines administered, which offers further insight into the progress of the vaccination programme. The weekly data on vaccines administered is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/vaccinations
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the increased cost to the NHS (a) directly and (b) indirectly of the increase in employer national insurance contributions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have taken tough decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget, this enabled the SR settlement of £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department of Health and Social Care from 2023-24 outturn to 2025-26.
The Employer National Insurance rise will be implemented April 2025, the Department of health and Social Care will set out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS that would be incurred by an (a) 1% and (b) 2% rise in the rate of employers national insurance contributions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We do not comment on speculation around hypothetical situations. Any decisions that could be taken on National Health Service budgets for future years will be announced at fiscal events, including the Spending Review.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 ensure sex-based language is used in (a) NHS guidance and (b) NHS communications.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service website aims to provide health advice and guidance that is clear and easy to understand, and that helps everyone who uses the website find the information they need, so they can make informed decisions about their own health.
The Government understands the need for health information to be as clear as possible and to use language that is grounded in biological sex. However, we recognise that for some people, their gender identity is different from their biological sex.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 stakeholders on access to the RSV vaccination for people over 80.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is currently no advice on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination for those aged over 80 years old to discuss with stakeholders. The Department accepted the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI is not a stakeholder but the independent expert committee that advises the Government on matters to do with immunisation.
In June 2023, the JCVI advised an RSV immunisation programme for older adults aged 75 years old and above. The committee suggested an initial programme to potentially vaccinate a cohort aged from 75 to 80 years old, and then for those turning 75 years old in subsequent years, and this is the current policy for the programme. In the JCVI’s statement summarising the advice for the RSV programme, the committee stated that an extension to the initial programme would be considered when there is more certainty about protection in the very elderly and the real-world impact of the programme in 75 to 80 year olds.
In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes to protect older adults and newborn babies, via maternal vaccination, began on 1 September 2024 in England. The Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation as the committee continues to keep the evidence under review.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 reduce external spending on equality, diversity and inclusion programmes, in the context of NHS efficiency savings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, along with the Department's arm’s length bodies, are fully committed to creating a fair health system that tackles health inequalities effectively. We will support appropriate spend on equality, diversity and inclusion where it helps us meet these aims and aligns with our health mission and priorities.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
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 with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on (a) the number of (i) acute admissions to hospital, (ii) patients attending emergency departments, (iii) elderly people (A) with pneumonia, (B) requiring antibiotics and (C) GP appointments, (b) the risk of death in elderly people, (c) the number of deaths and (d) NHS expenditure.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to a preventative approach to the public’s health. Keeping people warm and well at home, and improving the quality of new and existing homes, will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing pressures on the National Health Service.
In deciding on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the Government had regard to the equality analysis, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements. The equality analysis was published on 13 September 2024, and is available at the following link:
The NHS is preparing for coming winter pressures as it does each year, and there will be an absolute focus on minimising long waiting times in accident and emergency and supporting patient safety.
We will continue to stand behind vulnerable households this winter. Support includes delivering the £150 Warm Home Discount for low-income households from October, extending the Household Support Fund with £421 million, to ensure local authorities can support vulnerable people and families, and ensuring around 1.3 million households in England and Wales will continue to receive up to £300 in Winter Fuel Payments. Through our commitment to protect the triple lock, over 12 million pensioners will benefit, with many expected to see their State Pension increase by more than £1,000 over the next five years.
The fuel poverty strategy for England, Sustainable warmth: protecting vulnerable households in England, was published in February 2021. The 2021 strategy is currently under review. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Energy and Net Zero to ensure that fuel poor and health vulnerable households are supported.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for delivering 40,000 more NHS appointments per week.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing elective waiting lists is a key part of getting the National Health Service back on its feet. Delivering 40,000 more NHS appointments per week is part of our commitment to get back to NHS standards, so that people can expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks for treatment. The next steps will be confirmed after the budget in October.