Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on improving NHS infrastructure in areas with the highest health inequalities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this Government is clear that the National Health Service will be a service equipped to narrow health inequalities. We recognise the importance of safe, sustainable and accessible infrastructure in achieving this goal, which is why capital budgets will rise to £15.2 billion by the end of the Spending Review period in 2029/30.
This includes our aim to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre (NHC) in every community over the course of the plan, transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health. Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.
Beyond NHCs, we are empowering local systems to manage their capital budgets and deliver the right infrastructure in line with local need and strategic priorities. NHS England’s allocations policy aims to support equal opportunity of access for equal need as well as NHS England’s duties to reduce health inequalities that are amenable to healthcare.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 impact of the age of A&E infrastructure on (a) staff retention and (b) clinical safety at hospitals operating above design capacity.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what process his Department uses to assess Integrated Care Board capital investment priorities; and whether Birmingham Heartlands Hospital A&E rebuild features in capital planning for 2026-2027.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Capital funding is provided nationally and split between system operational capital and national capital programmes aligned to national priorities. Decisions on capital investment are taken by local systems, empowering the frontline to prioritise funding in line with local need and strategic priorities.
NHS England’s Capital guidance 2026/27 to 2029/30 is clear that systems have the autonomy to determine the optimal deployment of their operational capital allocation, making local trade‑offs to manage and prioritise day‑to‑day capital requirements within the available envelope.
Integrated care boards and partners must also agree and publish a Joint Capital Resource Plan each year, setting out how they will prioritise capital locally against their wider strategic priorities and affordability.
If the rebuild of Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Emergency Department is prioritised through regional planning processes, it should be mentioned in the published Joint Capital Resource Plan.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 implications for patient safety of A&E departments operating above 100% capacity; and what steps he is taking to address capacity issues at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government takes patient safety seriously, including when accident and emergency departments are under severe pressure.
Patients are clinically triaged on arrival and monitored at appropriate intervals, with decisions led locally through clinical judgement and governance. Where corridor care is taking place and cannot be avoided, the National Health Service has published updated guidance to ensure this care is delivered safely, with senior clinical oversight, appropriate monitoring, and that dignity and privacy are maintained.
More broadly, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework sets out clear action to improve urgent and emergency care performance year‑on‑year, including reducing long waits, improving patient flow, and ensuring that patients are treated in the right setting, the first time.
At Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, pressures are being addressed through system‑wide actions, including investment in hospital‑based urgent treatment centres, improvements to reduce delayed discharges, and shifting care from hospital into communities.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support students from Gaza who have offers to study at UK universities; and if she will take steps to a) improve evacuation logistics; b) treat self-funded students equitably; c) allow dependents; d) allow university English assessments for foundation-year students; e) exempt universities supporting Gazan students, from sponsor compliance thresholds; f) identify, track, and support all Gazan offer holders; g) abolish the visa deadline.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103313. To date, we have supported seven cohorts of students and qualifying dependants to leave Gaza to take up their university places in the UK for the 2025/26 academic year. Future support in this area will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for completion of the East Birmingham tram extension from Digbeth through Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and Tile Cross to Birmingham International Airport, the NEC and Arden Cross.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allocate funding for the East Birmingham tram extension to Birmingham Airport in the next spending review.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria are used to determine eligibility for the New Hospital Programme; and whether Birmingham Heartlands Hospital A&E and maternity unit meets those criteria.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In July 2021, the government announced the selection process for a further eight hospitals to join the New Hospital Programme (NHP) and invited expressions of interests (EOIs) from National Health Service trusts.
EOIs were scored against as series of indicators from four categories:
- deliverability;
- better and smarter use of NHS infrastructure;
- fairer allocation of investment and efficient use of public resources; and
- stronger and greener NHS buildings.
This assessment was conducted in conjunction with an analysis of metrics covering estates, finance, and quality from existing national datasets. EOIs were also assessed against regional strategic priorities.
In May 2023, the Government confirmed that five hospitals with significant amounts of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) will join the NHP due to the safety risks posed to staff and patients. Due to the size, complexity, and costs involved in rebuilding the five RAAC hospitals, it was not possible to invite other schemes to join.
There are currently no plans to invite further schemes to join the NHP and the focus of the programme is on delivering the existing portfolio of hospitals in line with the published Plan for Implementation and within the available funding envelope.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 for critical care infrastructure investment to enable whole-system reorganisation of urgent and emergency care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on the future of local NHS services, including the provision of critical care service and urgent and emergency care, are the responsibility of local NHS organisations. These organisations are best placed to determine how services should operate to meet the needs of their local population, taking into account workforce, clinical standards and demand.
Capital funding for infrastructure investment is provided nationally and split between system operational capital and national capital programmes aligned to national priorities. Decisions on capital investment are taken by local systems, empowering the frontline to prioritise funding in line with local need and strategic priorities.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 emergency care infrastructure meets demand in constituencies with (a) above-average unemployment and (b) above-average infant mortality rates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.