Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings the Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care) has had with the National health and social care discharge taskforce.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers meet regularly with NHS England to discuss discharge and winter performance.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings the Minister for Health (Secondary Care) has attended on (a) A&E performance and (b) flow through the emergency care system.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I have attended regular winter preparedness meetings since 26 September 2024. Urgent and emergency care performance is a standing agenda item within these meetings.
In addition, I have meetings most days to discuss the reform and improvement of the health and care system, with performance and patient flow a regular matter in such discussions.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital visits the Minister for Health (Secondary Care) has made in the last six months; and which hospitals she visited.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 14 July 2024, I have engaged in a total of nine visits, of which the following five were hospitals:
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 support ICBs that are considering cuts to primary care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a delegated responsibility for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible. ICBs should evaluate the needs of the populations for which they are responsible and plan service provision as required.
NHS England will continue to develop national policy and guidance to support ICBs to discharge their primary care commissioning functions effectively, supporting primary care providers and Primary Care Networks to deliver high quality services for patients. The Government is providing the biggest investment into general practice (GP) for years, an additional £889 million on top of the existing budget.
In the event of any GP closure, it is the responsibility of these local commissioners to ensure that patients are able to register with and attend another GP, so that their health needs continue to be met. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area. Commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to GP services.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 safeguard primary care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work is already underway to ensure the safeguarding of primary care services. Neighbourhood Health Centres will be trialled to bring together a range of services, ensuring healthcare is provided closer to home. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier.
The 10-Year Health Plan has been launched to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.
The Government is providing the biggest investment into general practice for years, an additional £889 million on top of the existing budget. We will make sure the future of general practice is sustainable by training thousands more general practitioners, guaranteeing a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one, and delivering a modern booking system.
We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.
We plan to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
NHS England is working to develop a long-term infrastructure strategy including anticipated primary care investment needed to meet demand over the next 10 years and beyond, as well as a detailed look at the quality of the estate.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 ensure Urgent Treatment Centres remain open.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of local services, including urgent treatment centres and their operational hours.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s Get Britain Working White Paper published on 26 November 2024, whether the 140,000 places for Individual Placement and Support for severe mental illness are in addition to the those announced in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances which has required tough choices around spending priorities. Despite this bleak financial backdrop, we were determined to identify the funding required to support local Individual Placement Support schemes.
The White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to expand the number of places on these schemes, to help thousands more people with severe mental illness find and stay in employment.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the White Paper entitled Get Britain Working, published November 2024, whether the 384,000 additional Talking Therapies places in Priority 1 were previously (a) announced and (b) funded in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances which has required necessary choices around spending priorities. Despite this backdrop, we were determined to identify the funding required to support NHS Talking Therapies.
The White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to expand access to NHS Talking Therapies for adults in England with common mental health conditions.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 adequate healthcare provision in areas with high (a) housing targets and (b) population growth.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and this means we require world class NHS infrastructure across the entire NHS estate. Beyond hospitals, we know we need the right infrastructure in the right place to deliver on our commitment of creating a Neighbourhood Health Service and ensuring that patients receive the care they deserve.
We recognise the challenges facing local areas of rapid housing and population growth, including the challenges such growth can place on health care infrastructure. Whilst the Government has big ambitions to further boost house building, we recognise it must be sensitive to local need.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to determine how the local authority and developer contributions from new housing developments can support the vision for health services and infrastructure locally.
The relevant integrated care board is responsible for deciding how the NHS budget for its area is spent, and allocates funding according to local priorities. Any further support for NHS organisations will be set out at the Autumn Spending Review.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 help ensure ambulances are not delayed outside hospitals waiting to hand over patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including ambulance response times.
As a first step, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September 2024 and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities/