Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 (a) reduce the prevalence of food deserts in deprived areas, (b) improve access to affordable, healthy food and (c) address the affordability gap between healthy and unhealthy options.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Within six months of taking office, the Government has begun action to improve the food environment and ensure that healthier food is available, affordable, and accessible for all, irrespective of where you live.
This includes publishing the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government, giving local authorities the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools and where young people congregate. We have also met our commitment to lay the secondary legislation to restrict junk food advertising to children.
Furthermore, the Government has committed to the roll out of free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, and we already have schemes to support those on low incomes such as Healthy Start, reaching over 354,000 vulnerable people.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring, exploring all available levers to drive forward actions across Government to reduce child poverty.
The Department of Health and Social Care will also work in close collaboration on the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs led cross-Government food strategy, which will outline actions to support the food system to provide more easily accessible, healthy food to tackle obesity, helping to give children the best start in life and helping adults to live longer, healthier lives.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken for people on mental health waiting lists to be (a) assessed and (b) treated.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, this Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 adequacy of supplies of (a) epilepsy and (b) Parkinson's medication.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with some carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.
We are aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets with the resupply date to be confirmed. Other manufacturers of topiramate tablets can meet the increased demand during this time.
The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover this demand.
The Department continues to work closely with industry, the National Health Service and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 adequacy of the provision of vision rehabilitation.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes supporting people with sight loss to develop practical skills and strategies to maintain independence.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now assessing how local authorities are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. These assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. This means that sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 impact of the use of the independent sector to deliver cataract surgery on waiting times for (a) cataract patients and (b) patients waiting for other ophthalmology services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government, as we get the National Health Service back on its feet. This includes ensuring that patients waiting for cataract and ophthalmology services are seen on time. The ophthalmology waiting list stood at approximately 640,00 in September 2023.
Whilst a formal assessment of the potential impact of the use of the independent sector for cataract and ophthalmology services has not been undertaken, independent sector providers have a role to play in supporting the NHS to recover elective services, including in ophthalmology, to ensure that patients can choose the service best for them, are seen on time, and have the best possible experience during their care. We will continue to work with the independent sector to support our commitment of getting waiting lists down, whilst ensuring this provides value for money, and that NHS care is always free at the point of use.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 people who have lost their sight due to insufficient staffing levels after presenting at an Accident and Emergency department in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
This information is not held centrally. We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce, and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care of patients when and where they need it.
Action is also being taken to improve the referral, triage, and management of patients between primary and secondary eye care services. This includes looking at how we can deliver more care in the community. These measures aim to free up hospital eye service capacity for those that need specialist input.
Providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are required to ensure that there are enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced people to provide safe care and treatment to patients. Where incorrect staffing levels or mix of staff are having an impact on patient outcomes, the CQC can take enforcement action.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research other than by his Department has been carried out on the potential impact of the use of the independent sector to deliver cataract surgery on waiting times for (a) cataract patients and (b) patients waiting for ophthalmology services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Getting waiting lists down is a key priority for the Government. Independent sector providers have a role to play in supporting the National Health Service to do this by using additional capacity to tackle the backlog, whilst still delivering value for money and care that is free at the point of use. Throughout its history, the NHS has worked with non-NHS healthcare providers to deliver essential services to patients, especially at times of operational pressures.
The Department considers a wide range of sources when developing policy. This includes research by think tanks, academics, patient groups, and other relevant bodies.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on developing a mechanism to track, monitor and evaluate independent sector’s impact on the long-term NHS capacity landscape in accordance with the Elective Recovery Taskforce implementation plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is working closely with the Independent Healthcare Providers Network and the wider sector to ensure we have appropriate mechanisms to track and monitor the independent sector’s impact on the long-term National Health Service capacity landscape. From October 2024, NHS England will be reporting independent sector activity data based on the Secondary Uses Service data submissions, to which a large number of independent sector provider sites currently report. This will therefore enable us to more fully capture the sector’s activity.
NHS England continues to explore opportunities for the independent sector to support the NHS in the areas of greatest need, including in diagnostics and the most challenged specialties, while ensuring that NHS care remains free at the point of use. NHS England meets regularly with all independent sector providers to encourage this collaborative working.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 new born babies losing their sight in one eye as a result of insufficient staffing levels at the hospital where they were born in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no specific estimate made regarding the number of newborn babies losing their sight in one eye due to insufficient staffing levels. As per the National Health Service newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) screening programme, the vision of newborn babies must be assessed within 72 hours of birth, and at the six-to-eight-week checkup. Further information on the NIPE is available at the following link:
We recognise the concerns around workforce shortages. Whilst change will not happen overnight, we are committed to training thousands more midwives to better support women and babies throughout pregnancy and beyond.
The responsibility for staffing levels should remain with clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by national and professional bodies’ guidelines, and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment for (a) wet macular degeneration and (b) glaucoma in (i) England, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) Liverpool.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The classification codes required to identify pathways where patients may have glaucoma or macular degeneration do not allow for distinction between the two conditions.
The following table provides an estimate of the number of patients who have been waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment specifically for wet macular degeneration and glaucoma in England, Merseyside, and Liverpool, via the latter’s integrated care boards (ICBs), as a snapshot for the week ending 10 November 2024, extracted on 15 November 2024:
| Number of pathways greater than 18 weeks | ||
England | Cheshire and Merseyside ICB | NHS Liverpool Sub ICB | |
Glaucoma or macular degeneration | 765 | 61 | 7 |
Source: Waiting List Minimum Data Set (WLMDS), NHS England.
However, these figures may include patients that also have other conditions, as full coding for glaucoma and macular degeneration procedures requires diagnostic codes that are not available in the WLMDS.
The WLMDS is weekly management information that is subject to less validation than the monthly official statistics. There may be issues regarding the quality and completeness of the recorded data, which is not routinely reviewed centrally.