Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many items of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been destroyed without use in the last twelve months; and what reasons were given for destroying those items of PPE.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No items of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been destroyed in the last twelve months. However, the Department has disposed of over 33 million units. Where there is surplus stock, items are disposed of through sale, re-use, donations, recycling or returned to the supplier and the costs recovered.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on GP staff mental health in (a) Brent, (b) London and (c) England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
NHS Practitioner Health is a service for doctors and dentists in England to support those with mental illness and addiction problems, who are working or looking to return to clinical practice. The service reported on the impact of COVID-19 in the period from October 2020 to March 2021 and found that from April 2020, the percentage of general practitioners (GPs) presenting to the service compared to other specialities decreased from 55% to 46% of all presentations.
The Keeping Well North West London staff support hub offers rapid psychological assessment, advice, emotional support, signposting and onward referral for National Health Service and social care staff, including general practice staff. The Hub has undertaken specific engagement with primary care staff, including GPs, and identified the need for specific support strategies for this staff group. The Hub plans to form a focus group with primary care staff to collaboratively design these strategies.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the recruitment and retention of GPs in (a) Brent, (b) London and (c) England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Targeted Enhanced Recruitment scheme funds a £20,000 salary supplement to attract general practitioner (GP) trainees to work in areas of the country where training places have been unfilled for a number of years, including in Brent and London. In the London training schemes, in 2022 approximately 120 are being targeted at practices in deprived areas. In addition, National Health Service regional teams continue to deliver a number of projects through the GP Retention Fund.
We have also increased the number of GP training places. In 2021/22, 4,000 trainees accepted a place on GP training - an increase from 2,671 in 2014. The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new retention schemes alongside continued support for existing schemes for the general practice workforce. These include the GP Retention Scheme, the International Induction Programme, the Return to Practice Programme, the Fellowship Programme, the New to Partnership Payment and Supporting Mentors Scheme.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase core funding for general practice.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
‘A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement The NHS Long Term Plan’, published in 2019, implements the commitments set out in the NHS Long Term Plan supported by an additional investment of £4.5 billion in primary medical and community care by 2023/24. In February 2020, we committed at least a further £1.5 billion in cash terms for general practice until 2023/24 for additional staff.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with professional bodies representing GPs and general practice staff on improving clinical knowledge and training for call handlers at the national 119 and 111 services.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No recent discussions have taken place.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for monitoring the levels of demand placed on general practitioners and their teams; and what checks are in place to help ensure that extra-contractual reporting and other activities do not compromise the provision of safe patient care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Local systems and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for monitoring and responding to demands placed on general practitioners and their teams. The GP Contract states that each practice is required to provide primary medical services to meet the reasonable needs of their registered patients. General practices are independent businesses whose services are contracted by National Health Service commissioners. A practice may choose to provide extra-contractual services which are permitted under the terms of their contract.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms are in place to help ensure that safe levels of workload are deployed in general practice.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The GP Contract states that each practice is required to provide primary medical services to meet the reasonable needs of their registered patients. As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, practices determine the appropriate workforce to match the workload, including the number and range of health professionals. There is no recommendation for the number of patients assigned to a general practitioner. This can be affected by various factors, including rurality and patient demographics. As part of the 2020/21 GP Contract, we have committed to a review of bureaucracy in general practice which is ongoing.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the (a) average, (b) largest and (c) smallest patient list size per full time employed GP working in general practice under (i) General Medical Service and (ii) Alternative Provider Medical Services contracts in (A) Brent, (B) London and (C) England for each year since 2010.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not held centrally. Patient lists are held by practices rather than individual general practitioners (GPs). It is for practices to determine patient allocation appropriate to its workforce. Information on list size per GP and contract type is not collected.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how frequently the Government conducts regular analyses of workforce pressures and trends within (a) healthcare, (b) primary care and (c) general practice; and whether those analyses are published.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are a number of regular workforce data publications on pressures and trends in healthcare, primary care and general practice. These include workforce size in hospitals, general practice, dentistry and primary care networks and data on turnover and sickness absence of hospital staff published by NHS Digital, including COVID-19 related sickness absence. The results of the annual National Health Service staff survey are published by NHS England.
In July 2021, the Department commissioned Health Education England to review long term strategic trends for the health workforce and regulated professionals in the social care workforce. In addition, the Department recently commissioned NHS England to develop a workforce strategy, which will set out its conclusions in due course.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to take steps to support general practice to help meet the health needs of Afghan refugees.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In response to the relocation of individuals and families from Afghanistan, the Government has provided up to £600 per person to support immediate and primary healthcare needs while in temporary bridging hotels. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s expectations of local commissioners include permanent general practitioner registration and health assessments to identify and manage immediate health and care requirements. Funding has been provided for additional capacity to mitigate the impact on access to general practice.
The initial health assessment should address any trauma and safeguarding concerns, mental health needs, women’s and children’s health, long-term conditions, vaccinations, areas of public health concern such as tuberculosis screening and ensure pathways to other services as required. Once in long term local authority accommodation, a further £2,600 per person is provided to the National Health Service, which will be administered by clinical commissioning groups.