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Written Question
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether postural tachycardia syndrome is a rare disease as defined in the UK Rare Diseases Framework.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Rare Diseases Framework defines rare diseases as having a prevalence of lower than one in 2000 people. Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) UK has estimated the prevalence of PoTS to be 0.2%, or four in 2000 people, which is higher than the definition of a rare disease under the framework.

The Government recognises the significant impact that PoTS symptoms can have on an individual’s life, and is committed to ensuring those with PoTS have timely access to a diagnosis and appropriate treatment and services.


Written Question
Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to meet with (a) patient groups and (b) campaigners representing people affected by sodium valproate harm in pregnancy.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. As part of this work the Government asked the PSC to seek views from those affected about what redress would be appropriate. The PSC has engaged with patients and patient groups in preparing her report.

We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations and will respond substantively in due course.


Written Question
Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants
Wednesday 21st February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her planned timetable is to respond to the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations and will respond substantively in due course.


Written Question
Sodium Valproate: Compensation
Tuesday 20th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make provision for compensation to those affected by sodium valproate in the forthcoming Budget.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

On 7 February, the Patient Safety Commissioner published The Hughes Report, which provides recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.

The Government is carefully considering these recommendations and will respond to the report in due course.


Written Question
Hospitals: Lancaster
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains her Department's policy to build a new hospital in Lancaster.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We remain committed to delivering a new hospital for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, for the new Royal Lancaster Infirmary. This is alongside our commitment for a new hospital for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for the new Royal Preston Hospital.

Up until the end of the 2022/23, we provided the trusts with over £11 million in funding to further develop the plans for the new hospitals. Additionally, we have already provided over £450,000 to both trusts in 2023/24 for surveys and land assessments on potential sites for the new hospitals.


Written Question
Dental Services: Lancashire
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dentistry in Lancashire.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend, allowing patients the choice of where they would like to receive a course of treatment.

Within the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and as of 2023, 78% of people trying to get an NHS appointment in the last two years were successful, compared to 77% nationally. In the previous 24 months up to June 2023, around 558,000 adults were seen by an NHS dentist. This was 41% of the total population, matching the national average. In addition, in the previous 12 months up to June 2023, around 196,000 children were seen by an NHS dentist, representing 55% of the total population, above the national average of 53%.

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 regularly, at least every 90 days, to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care.

The Dentistry Recovery Plan will make dental services faster, simpler and fairer for patients and will fund around 2.5 million additional appointments. The plan sets out a number of actions which will improve access for patients, by helping the sector to recover activity more quickly, addressing underlying issues and setting out the action needed for longer term reform of the system.


Written Question
Dental Services: Lancaster and Fleetwood
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentists are taking on new patients in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst the information requested is not held centrally, in 2022/23 1,109 dentists in the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board performed some National Health Service work work. This is equivalent to 65.2 dentists per 100,000.

NHS dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles regularly, at least every 90 days, to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care. Patients unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.

On 7 February 2024 we published Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry. This plan sets out a number of actions which will improve access for patients by helping the sector to recover activity more quickly, addressing underlying issues, and setting out the action needed for longer term reform of the system. The Government is backing the plan with £200 million, and it includes the offer of additional payments to dental practices for each additional new patient requiring treatment. This will be rolled out from March this year, making it easier for patients to access NHS treatment.


Written Question
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome: Health Services
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to establish a patient care pathway for postural tachycardia syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has made no estimate of the number of diagnoses of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), although we know that PoTS UK has estimated the prevalence of PoTS to be 0.2%. Further information on the estimated prevalence is available at the following link:

https://www.potsuk.org/pots-for-medics/gp-guide/

Services for PoTS are locally commissioned and, as such, it is the responsibility of the local commissioning teams within integrated care boards to ensure that their services meet the needs of their local population. NHS England does not hold information on the services that provide a PoTS service for adults or children in England.


Written Question
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of diagnoses of postural tachycardia syndrome since 2019.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has made no estimate of the number of diagnoses of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), although we know that PoTS UK has estimated the prevalence of PoTS to be 0.2%. Further information on the estimated prevalence is available at the following link:

https://www.potsuk.org/pots-for-medics/gp-guide/

Services for PoTS are locally commissioned and, as such, it is the responsibility of the local commissioning teams within integrated care boards to ensure that their services meet the needs of their local population. NHS England does not hold information on the services that provide a PoTS service for adults or children in England.


Written Question
Lancaster-Morecambe Railway Line: Electrification
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the economic impact of electrifying the railway line between Lancaster and Morecambe.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Electrification, alongside alternative technologies such as hydrogen, battery and bi-modes, will play an important role in meeting our Net Zero targets. We are working with the Great British Rail Transition Team to bring forward options to decarbonise the whole network including Lancaster to Morecambe for government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability