Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 effectiveness of the radiotherapy late effects service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made by the Department. The National Health Service keeps under review the range of services it offers patients and the Government understands that many trusts are using the radiotherapy late effects service as part of the care pathway for their cancer patients.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to end the use of one or two word ratings used by the Care Quality Commission.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is thoroughly reviewing the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and as part of that work, we have asked the CQC to improve the transparency of their ratings. The Department has not yet made a decision on changing the CQC’s ratings system.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue the previous Government’s (a) plans and (b) timetable for rebuilding West Suffolk Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the need for investment in our estate across the country, including at West Suffolk. As my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced, and as subsequently confirmed in the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July 2024, there is a full and comprehensive ongoing review of the New Hospital Programme, to provide a realistic and costed timetable for delivery. This will consider the urgent need to rebuild the seven hospitals built mostly using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to protect staff and patient safety.
The Secretary of State will consider the findings and update Parliament on the outcome of the review reporting back to patients, clinicians, and local communities on the next steps for the New Hospital Programme. We will provide a clear and realistic timetable for delivery of the Programme and agree the investment needed to get patients the care they deserve.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 acknowledge and take account of the religious beliefs of people who are (a) entering the social care system and (b) lack mental capacity as a result of the progression of a neurodegenerative disease.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
People who lack mental capacity to make specific decisions about their lives, including those with neurodegenerative diseases, are protected by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). If a best interests decision needs to be made under the MCA, the decision-maker should consider all relevant circumstances including, as far as reasonably ascertainable, the person’s beliefs and values, which may include their religious views. Local authorities are also required under the Care Act 2014 to take account of individual’s religious beliefs when assessing their needs for care and support and planning their care and support with them.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 that the test and trace service is not subject to (a) fraud and (b) deliberate false reporting.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government launched its new NHS Test and Trace service on 28 May 2020 to control the rate of reproduction (R), reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.
NHS Test and Trace has been developed to Government security standards and we have been advised on measures to keep the public safe. Data on positive laboratory tests is fed into the contact tracing system, which automatically contacts people with COVID-19 by text or email and invites them to log into the system with a set of unique characters alongside a secure link to the site. For those people that are unable to respond via email or text, perhaps because they do not have those options available to them, a phone-based service will contact them and support them through the process.
The Test and Trace service will not ask for bank details or payments, nor will anyone be asked for details of their social media or any pin numbers or be asked to call a premium rate number. If the public are concerned about whether a call or email they receive comes from NHS Test and Trace service they can visit GOV.UK and view a page which lists the official phone numbers used by this service. Anyone who thinks they have been sent a scam message, is encouraged to report it to Action Fraud.
We will be constantly developing and improving the system and ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. We have confidence in the public to act responsibly and participate fully and openly in NHS Test and Trace, to protect others and save lives.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for a complete rebuild of West Suffolk hospital; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On 29 September 2019 the Government announced a new Health Infrastructure Plan, to ensure that our health infrastructure is fit-for-purpose for decades to come.
At the centre of this Plan is a new hospital building programme. To launch this programme, in September, the Government announced six new hospital schemes that are receiving funding to ‘go ahead’ now (aiming to deliver by 2025), and a further twenty-one schemes, across 34 hospitals, that have the green light to go to the next stage of developing their plans (aiming to deliver between 2025 and 2030).
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s scheme at West Suffolk Hospital is part of the second phase and will receive a share of £100 million seed funding, as well as guidance and support from central government, to help progress its plans to the next stage.
Further detail on specific plans and funding will be made available in due course, as part of delivering the Government’s wider commitment to build 40 new hospitals.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 recruit more (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) clinicians in Suffolk.
Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
NHS England and NHS Improvement have confirmed that the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System is currently developing a workforce strategy that will identify the staffing levels required to deliver its patient care objectives for the next five to 10 years.
At national level, the interim NHS People Plan, published on 3 June 2019, puts the workforce at the heart of the National Health Service and will ensure we have the staff needed to deliver high quality care. The final NHS People Plan will be published in early 2020.
The Government recently pledged to increase nurse numbers by 50,000 in England over the next five years. As part of this commitment, eligible pre-registration nursing students enrolled on courses at English universities from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 per academic year which they will not need to pay back.
In addition, in 2016 the Government committed to an extra 1,500 undergraduate medical school places - a 25% increase taking the total number of medical school training places in England to 7,500 by 2020/21. Five new medical schools will open in England to help deliver the expansion.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on changes in the costs of social care arising from changes in the way in which care workers are paid for sleep-in shifts.
Answered by David Mowat
We have received a number of representations on this subject including correspondence from United Response, Mencap and a range of stakeholders.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of prescriptions dispensed in the community was for people aged (a) over 60 and (b) between 60 and 66 in the last year for which information is available.
Answered by David Mowat
The Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of medicines dispensed for people ages 60 and over who qualify for free prescriptions was £4.8 billion in 2015. Information is collected as the NIC which is the basic cost of a drug. This does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income. We are unable to provide information for those people aged between 60 and 66.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2016 to Question 41422, what progress has been made by the task and finish working group for brain tumour research; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Department’s Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research has met on 18 October 2016 and 30 January 2017, chaired by Professor Chris Whitty, the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser. The Working Group will meet at least once more before September 2017 to review progress.