Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Nicola Richards

Wednesday 7th June 2023 Commons Chamber

[Nicola Richards]

It is essential that the major conditions strategy helps to improve the care offered by the NHS, especially to women suffering from breast cancer. I recently visited Chai Cancer Care with my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Craig Tracey) to see the blueprint it has developed for how best to support those affected by cancer. Will the Minister congratulate Chai Cancer Care on its dedication to patients and families? And will she ensure that the major conditions strategy goes as far as possible to offer better, more joined-up care to women across the country?

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my hon. Friend for her work in this space. She is a vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on breast cancer, and she also has first-hand experience of the impact of breast cancer. I congratulate Chai Cancer Care and all the charities supporting women who are going through breast cancer. It is important that the major conditions strategy not only looks at improving clinical outcomes, which are important, but supports the care that women receive—women often undergo multiple treatments in different clinical settings. That is also a priority in the major conditions strategy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Nicola Richards

Tuesday 19th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Maria Caulfield]

The hon. Lady says there is no excuse for missing those waiting times, but perhaps she can explain why the Labour Government in Wales are also missing those times.

[Nicola Richards (West Bromwich East) (Con)]

8. What steps he is taking to improve cancer outcomes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Nicola Richards

Tuesday 18th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Nicola Richards (West Bromwich East) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for face-to-face GP appointments.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Maria Caulfield)]

In October last year, the Government announced a plan to improve general practice capacity, backed up by £250 million of winter access funds to help GPs and their practices. That can be used to fund more sessions from existing staff, or indeed increase the physical premises at a practice. For my hon. Friend’s area, the Black Country and West Birmingham clinical commissioning group expects an award of £6.5 million from the winter access fund.

[Nicola Richards]

My constituents in West Bromwich East have been raising concerns with me about their ability to access face-to-face GP appointments at local surgeries. Given the significant £250 million winter funding package for general practice announced towards the end of last year, what assessment has the Minister made of whether that support is making a real difference on the ground?

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is pushing me constantly to improve access for her constituents, but can I reassure her that the announcement, the funds and the support are making a difference? In November last year, there were on average 1.39 million general practice appointments per working day, compared with 1.31 million in November 2019, but crucially, 62.7% of those appointments were face to face, so this is really making a difference for patients.