Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of cancer patients receive treatment within 62 days in (a) England and (b) Maldon constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The latest data for England shows that 67.1% of people started treatment within 62 days of referral. Data on the 62 day referral to treatment cancer waiting time standard is available by integrated care board (ICB) area, but not by constituency. The Maldon constituency falls within the Mid and South Essex ICB, and therefore the following table shows the proportion of cancer patients who receive treatment within 62 days in June 2024 and June 2025, and the change over this 12 month period, for both England and the Mid and South Essex ICB:
Cancer | 62 day standard (85% standard) | |
June 2025 | National | 67.1% |
ICB | 43.5% | |
June 2024 | National | 67.9% |
ICB | 47.8% | |
12-month change | National | -0.8% |
ICB | -4.3% | |
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
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 publicise the need for vaccination against (a) influenza and (b) covid-19.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This year, we are carrying out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations, supported by millions of targeted emails, texts and letters sent nationally. The winter vaccination national booking service is opening earlier than ever for advance bookings, supported by a press and social media launch.
The Department works closely with partners at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to produce a variety of influenza and COVID-19 communication tools and materials including translation of information and guidance materials into over 30 languages; in accessible formats including braille, audio, large print, Easy Read and British Sign Language; dedicated products for target population groups for individual vaccine programmes; and focused work with relevant third sector organisations ahead of major campaigns.
For the 2025-26 flu season, we are encouraging those most at risk of serious illness to get vaccinated. Targeted communications to pregnant women and the parents of eligible children started this month. The campaign for other eligible groups will run from October 2025 and will consist of TV, radio advertising, digital advertising, both social and display, supported by search and partnership activity.
Additionally, NHS England has developed an enhanced campaign aimed at improving flu uptake among frontline health and social care workers, using multiple ways to reach staff including workplace communications, partnerships with unions and professional bodies, and materials tailored for different healthcare roles.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether chemostat can be prescribed by the NHS for the treatment of patients with ocular melanoma.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Chemosaturation therapy, often referred to as chemostat, is used to treat cancer that has spread to the liver arising from ocular melanoma. It is not used to treat ocular melanoma alone.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in 2021, through its interventional procedures programme, that recommends that chemosaturation can be used for patients with secondary liver metastases resulting from a primary ocular melanoma.
NHS England considered the case for the commissioning of chemosaturation for liver metastases from ocular melanoma in 2016. At that time, NHS England concluded that there was insufficient clinical evidence to support the proposal to make the treatment available for patients with ocular melanoma in the National Health Service.
In December 2024, NHS England announced the roll out of a new treatment across England called tebentafusp, which is now available for patients with uveal melanoma, which is the most common form of ocular melanoma.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish details of the Section 31 notice issued to Mid and South Essex Hospitals relating to maternity services at Broomfield Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working to publish its report following its inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex at the earliest opportunity. Publication of the report, following the Care Quality Commission’s inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex, has been delayed due to system and technology issues that have occurred during a large-scale transformation programme within the CQC. Details about any enforcement action, including the Section 31 against Broomfield Hospital, will be included in the full report.
The CQC is taking urgent steps to ensure that it is able to publish inspection reports in a more timely manner. While the publication of some reports has been delayed, any immediate action that is needed to take to protect people using these services will not have been affected, and is being acted on appropriately.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the report of the CQC inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex carried out in March 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working to publish its report following its inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex at the earliest opportunity. Publication of the report, following the Care Quality Commission’s inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex, has been delayed due to system and technology issues that have occurred during a large-scale transformation programme within the CQC. Details about any enforcement action, including the Section 31 against Broomfield Hospital, will be included in the full report.
The CQC is taking urgent steps to ensure that it is able to publish inspection reports in a more timely manner. While the publication of some reports has been delayed, any immediate action that is needed to take to protect people using these services will not have been affected, and is being acted on appropriately.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the the average number of patients per GP is in (a) the Maldon District, (b) Mid and South Essex and (c) England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In August 2024, the median number of patients per full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified general practitioner was:
In the same period, the median number of patients per FTE doctor in general practice was:
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients received intermediate inpatient care in St Peter's Hospital Maldon in each year since 2000.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
NHS England does not collect the data requested.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many outpatient appointments took place at St Peter's Hospital Maldon in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The quality of the data is not sufficient to provide a breakdown of outpatient appointments at a hospital-level. However, trust-level data is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-outpatient-activity
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what work has been undertaken to (a) refurbish and (b) repair St Peter's Hospital in Maldon in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
This information is not held centrally, as the Department does not routinely track investments made to individual sites. It can however be confirmed that the trust that runs St Peter’s Hospital, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has received significant amounts of capital funding from national programmes in recent years, including: £20.4 million in accident and emergency funding across 2020/21 and 2021/22; £17.9 million from our Targeted Investment Fund in 2021/22 and 2022/23; and £7.2 million in community diagnostic centre funding in 2021/22 and 2022/23, for schemes within the trust as a whole.
Furthermore, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s Integrated Care Board (ICB), Mid and South Essex ICB, received £61 million in operational capital in 2023/24, and £182 million across the 2021 Spending Review, which it can use for capital projects and works. This funding is prioritised by the ICB, in accordance with local needs.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will detail the capital expenditure on St Peter's Hospital in Maldon in each year since 2000.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
This information is not held centrally, as the Department does not routinely track investments made to individual sites. It can however be confirmed that the trust that runs St Peter’s Hospital, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has received significant amounts of capital funding from national programmes in recent years, including: £20.4 million in accident and emergency funding across 2020/21 and 2021/22; £17.9 million from our Targeted Investment Fund in 2021/22 and 2022/23; and £7.2 million in community diagnostic centre funding in 2021/22 and 2022/23, for schemes within the trust as a whole.
Furthermore, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s Integrated Care Board (ICB), Mid and South Essex ICB, received £61 million in operational capital in 2023/24, and £182 million across the 2021 Spending Review, which it can use for capital projects and works. This funding is prioritised by the ICB, in accordance with local needs.