Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
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 reduce NHS dentist waiting lists in (a) the London Borough of Southwark and (b) London.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Continuous registration with a dental practice is not required. Patients are only registered with a dental practice for the course of their treatment, therefore patients do not routinely join dental waiting lists and no data exists on the average length of time it takes for a patient to get access to a course of treatment.
National Health Service dentists are required to update their NHS.UK profiles regularly to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care.
In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in London. These will increase access to NHS dentistry for patients of all ages, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices. We have taken action to implement these changes, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022.
NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly this year.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
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 the adequate provision for patients of Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We have accepted and are taking forward the recommendations of the HRT Supply Taskforce, which was temporarily established to explore what could be done to address hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supply issues in the short and long-term. A key recommendation was to continue the dialogue with industry and we are doing that through regular meetings with individual suppliers as well as holding quarterly roundtables with manufacturers, wholesalers and community pharmacist representatives to monitor progress and agree what more needs to be done to boost production.
Access to high-demand products improved since actions have been taken by industry with our support as well as the issuance of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for some HRT products facing supply issues to limit dispensing to three months’ supply to even out distribution and allow specified alternative products to be supplied, as necessary.
21 SSPs for HRT products have been issued since April 2022. The majority of these have been withdrawn as supply issues have been resolved and only five SSPs remain in place.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will outline a funding settlement alongside the NHS workforce plan when it is published, with particular reference to the workforce dealing with the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years, including for services for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Funding plans beyond the current Spending Review period will be subject to the outcome of future Spending Reviews.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to carry out a consultation with representatives of (a) Parkinson's UK and (b) other third sector organisations on the NHS workforce plan.
Answered by Will Quince
The long term workforce plan is currently being developed by NHS England. They are engaging with a broad range of stakeholders in developing this plan including a range of third sector organisations.
The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year and this will include independently-verified forecasts for the number of doctors, nurses and other professionals that will be needed in five, 10 and 15 years’ time, taking full account of improvements in retention and productivity.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
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 implementation of the NHS workforce plan.
Answered by Will Quince
The long term workforce plan is currently being developed by NHS England. The Government has committed to publishing the plan next year.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has plans to pay student nurses for the hours they have worked through their student placements during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government worked with the National Health Service to ensure that all nursing students who opted in to paid placements during the COVID-19 pandemic were paid a salary and received automatic NHS pension entitlement at the appropriate band.
Nursing students not on paid placements continued with their academic learning and clinical placements wherever possible. Health Education England worked with health and education providers to minimise disruption to education. Clinical placements allow students to acquire the necessary skills and experience under supervision, to meet education outcomes. Students are not usually paid for their clinical placements. Paid placements were introduced temporarily as part of the Government’s emergency response to the pandemic.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of turning the £370 million of advanced payment loans provided to pharmacies during the covid-19 outbreak into grants.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
The Department has reached an agreement with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee that pharmacy contractors can claim for additional COVID-19 costs incurred between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2021 and the £370 million increased advance payments will be recovered between October 2021 to March 2022 following payment of claims for additional costs.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has plans to back-pay student (a) nurses and (b) midwives who were not entitled to student bursaries or grants and who provided frontline services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have no plans to do so. All nursing and midwifery healthcare students who opted in to paid placements during the COVID-19 outbreak received a salary and automatic National Health Service pension entitlement at the appropriate band.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data his Department holds on the number of covid-19 infections in care homes that have been contracted as a result of an infection from (a) care home staff, (b) visitors coming into care homes and (c) care home residents making visits out of care homes comprising (i) a day-time only visit and (ii) an overnight stay.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to implement the guidance that every care home resident can nominate a single named visitor who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
New visiting arrangements started on 8 March. Every care home should ensure that each resident can nominate one named person who can have regular, indoor visits. We are currently pursuing non-legislative routes for implementation, which allow us to move more swiftly in changing circumstances and to accommodate all care homes. At step two of the roadmap, we will assess the data and take a decision on opening up further opportunities for visiting, setting out a plan for the next phase of visits for people in residential care.