Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increasing access to long-acting reversible contraception for heavy menstrual bleeding in primary care on (a) waiting times and (b) demand for secondary care gynaecology services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on heavy menstrual bleeding recommends an intrauterine system or hormonal coil, which is a form of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), as a first line treatment. In the women’s health strategy call for evidence, held in 2021, we heard about the challenges women faced accessing LARCs for the management of menstrual problems.
A cost benefit analysis on women’s health hubs conducted by the Department estimated that if 50% of LARC procedures for gynaecology were provided in women’s health hubs, it would produce a net saving of £1.8 million, and reduce pressures on secondary care gynaecology services. The cost benefit analysis is available at the following link:
The Department is continuing to work with NHS England to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, following a £25 million investment. Pilot women’s health hubs provide intermediate and streamlined care in the community, which reduces pressures on services such as secondary care referrals and general practice appointments. A core service offered by hubs is treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, and the fitting or removal of a LARC. Cutting waiting lists, including for gynaecology, is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of the report by the Getting It Right First Time programme entitled Maternity and Gynaecology, published in September 2021, what steps his Department is taking to provide primary care practitioners with (a) training and (b) other resources to deliver long-acting reversible contraception as part of treatment options for women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2021 Getting It Right First Time national report for maternity and gynaecology recommended that clinical commissioning groups, now integrated care boards (ICBs), commission contraceptive and sexual health services to provide intrauterine devices, which are a form of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) for heavy menstrual bleeding, in relevant cases. ICBs may commission sexual health services or general practices (GPs) to offer LARC as a locally enhanced service to their local population. It is for ICBs to decide on commissioning arrangements for their area, based on an assessment of local need.
The Department is continuing to work with NHS England to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, following a £25 million investment. A core service offered by hubs is treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding and provision of LARC. By providing an enhanced and more specialist service through hubs in the community, they enable women to be more effectively diagnosed and treated promptly in the community. The hubs also provide a centre for the training and support to GPs to help with upskilling, and reduce variation in the care that women can expect to receive.
Other training and guidance are available for primary care practitioners. For example, the Royal College of General Practitioners has developed a Women’s Health Library, drawing together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health, so primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date information for their patients. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare also offers a range of contraception qualifications that healthcare professionals can undertake.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 his policies of Getting It Right First Time's guidance entitled Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, published in October 2021; and whether he plans to implement their recommendations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Getting It Right First Time’s (GIRFT) 2021 report into maternity and gynaecology identified a key barrier in treating heavy menstrual bleeding as the commissioning arrangements for contraceptive and sexual health services. The report recommended the lifting of restrictions on providing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) for non-contraceptive purposes, such as treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding.
The commissioning of LARC is a decision for individual integrated care boards, who can decide whether to offer LARC through general practices or sexual health services, or both, based on an assessment of population need.
Additionally, £25 million has been invested by the Department to support the development of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, and work is ongoing with NHS England to provide this. Women’s health hubs bring together healthcare professionals and existing services to address fragmentation in reproductive health care and remove the barriers women face accessing treatment. Providing care and treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding is a core service of the hubs, and this includes treatment with LARCs.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 cancer strategy which includes measures on tackling (a) pancreatic and (b) other less survivable cancers.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future. As part of that work, and in response to Lord Darzi’s report, we have launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
In addition, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with pancreatic and other less survivable cancers.
We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be, and will provide updates on this in due course.
NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to improve early diagnosis and treatment for patients with suspected and diagnosed pancreatic cancer. This includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for patients at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer, and diagnose cancers sooner.
In March 2024, NHS England published guidance for providers and systems to implement a timed Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary cancer pathway with the aim of ensuring that patients with some suspected tumour types, including suspected pancreatic cancer, receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of urgent referral.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on (a) renewing the national maternity safety ambitions beyond 2025 and (b) amending those ambitions to include reducing inequalities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering, with my officials and NHS England, the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies, including what targets are needed.
This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the policies in the policy paper entitled Women’s Health Strategy for England, published on 20 July 2022.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy for England, and work continues to improve health outcomes for women. For example, the Department is continuing to work with NHS England to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, following a £25 million investment. As of September 2024, 36 of the 42 ICBs reported to NHS England that their pilot women’s health hub was open. Additionally, on 9th October, during Baby Loss Awareness Week, the Department launched an extension to the Baby Loss Certificate Service, meaning the service is now available for all historic losses, with no backdate, as well as future losses.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a National Brain Tumour Strategy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of cancer partners, including brain cancer charities and patient groups. Ministers also regularly meet with teams from the National Health Service, including clinical specialists where this is appropriate. These meetings are valuable opportunities to discuss raising awareness, screening, treatments, innovation, and the care experiences of people living with cancer.
The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker.
Further to this, in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many integrated care boards had strategies in place to meet the needs of local populations affected by dementia (a) as of 28 October 2024, (b) in 2023 and (c) in 2022.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is committed to improving diagnosis rates and recovering them to the national ambition for two thirds of people with dementia to have a formal diagnosis. This commitment is included in the operational planning guidance for 2024/25, giving clear direction for integrated care boards (ICBs) to prioritise dementia.
Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population, including carers, under the Care Act 2014. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work with the third sector in their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population. NHS England would expect ICBs to take account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines when commissioning services for their local population.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 number of specialist dementia nurses working in Acute Trusts.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England does not hold this information centrally. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Primary Care Networks have used the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to fund enhanced practice nurse roles to deliver specialist dementia nursing support in primary care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England does not hold this information centrally. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines.
The Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme aims to grow and diversify the general practice workforce. The scheme provides funding for additional roles in primary care networks, to help create bespoke multi-disciplinary teams.