Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the refreshed NHS workforce plan will include policies on the palliative care sector.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and will ensure that patients get the treatment they need, when and where they need it, including those at the end of their lives. In the development of the plan, we will engage with a range of stakeholders to ensure their needs are considered.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 delay to community pharmacy funding negotiations on community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As identified by Lord Darzi’s review, primary care is under pressure and in crisis. The Government inherited a system that has been neglected for too long, and it remains very difficult for pharmacists to deliver for patients at a local level. I am committed to working with the sector to achieve what we all want, a service fit for the future.
Now that the Budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16662 on NHS: Public Consultation, what the budget is for deliberative engagement by type of spend in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The public and staff must be at the centre of the development of the plan to make the National Health Service fit for the future, so that it makes a positive impact on their day-to-day lives. That is why we are running as series of in-depth deliberative events and have launched an open platform to hear from members of the public, and those who work in health and care.
Following an invitation to tender the competition process, we appointed Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care, and the Institute for Public Policy Research to support us to run this engagement exercise. A breakdown by type of spend is not available, for commercial confidentiality reasons.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 support community pharmacies to ensure (a) financial sustainability, (b) consistency in the provision of services, and (c) dispensing of prescriptions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.
Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 Autumn Budget 2024 on community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. Now that the Budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts with management consultants have been awarded by (a) his Department and (b) NHS England since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department categorises its contracts based on the products and/or services supplied, not the type of supplier. Since 4 July 2024, the Department has awarded two contracts for ‘management consultancy’ services, providing expert advice in the areas of Medical Technology and Medicine Pricing. NHS England has not awarded any similar contracts since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with representatives of (a) NHS England and (b) other departmental bodies on the use of the term global majority in departmental (i) publications and (ii) internal documents.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This is not a term the Department, NHS England, or other departmental bodies would use officially.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 changes to employer National Insurance contributions at the Autumn Budget 2024 on children's hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. The rise in employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) will be implemented in April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.
The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, like hospices, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with ENIC liabilities either gain, or see no change next year. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim ENIC reliefs, including those for under 21 and under 25 year old apprentices, where eligible.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 learning disability strategy that includes measures on (a) health, (b) housing, (c) social care and (d) employment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs, such as people with a learning disability. It will set out how to support and enable health and social care services, and wider services, to work together better to provide joined-up care.
Everyone should have the support they need to live an independent, dignified life. We want people with a learning disability to have fair access to locally delivered services, that start at home, to support them to live independently for as long as possible, with the dignity and respect they deserve. Over the next decade, the Government is committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service based on consistent national standards, including engaging cross-party, and with people with lived experience of care and unpaid carers.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2024 to Question 2316 on Public Appointments and Special Advisers: Equality, what discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities on whether the socio-economic duty will apply to (a) NHS and (b) GP waiting lists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There have been no meetings to date between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the Minister for Women and Equalities on the socio-economic duty. The Government will enact the duty which will require public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to actively consider how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.