Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Sarah Green

Wednesday 15th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

T4. Both Baroness Cumberlege in the “First Do No Harm” report and the patient safety commissioner in the Hughes report recommend a redress scheme for women harmed by surgical mesh. What conversations is the Minister having with Government colleagues to make the redress scheme a reality for those women, who are still suffering?

[The Minister for Women (Maria Caulfield)]

It is this Conservative Government who have commissioned the patient safety commissioner to do a report on what redress would look like. It is important that we take those recommendations in detail. We are looking at that and we aim to respond to the commissioner in the coming weeks.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Sarah Green

Tuesday 5th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Maria Caulfield]

I am very sorry to hear about the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent. That level of care is absolutely unacceptable. I know he has raised this particular issue with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Henrietta Hughes, but I am very happy to meet with my hon. Friend and his constituent to discuss those complaints, because that care is not acceptable.

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

6. What steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for gynaecology treatment.

Cumberlege Report

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Sarah Green

Thursday 3rd February 2022 Westminster Hall

[Maria Caulfield]

I take the hon. Lady’s point, but the vast majority of claims that come through NHS Resolution are settled out of court. We want to make sure that patients get the redress that they are entitled to. There are mechanisms other than going to court in place right now.

[Sarah Green]

My constituent has approached several legal firms who will not take on her case because the two surgeons who operated on her also work for the law firms advising them on whether such cases will be successful, so that option is not open to her.

[Maria Caulfield]

If the hon. Lady writes to me about that specific case, I am happy to look at it.

The Government published their response to the review in July last year and accepted the majority of the recommendations for improvement. I want to update Members on those because we are absolutely committed to making rapid progress in all the areas in our response. We have committed to publishing an update on the progress of all the recommendations that we accepted, and we aim to publish that in the summer. If colleagues want to hold my feet to the fire, they will certainly get a formal update in the summer.

We have made strong progress on some of the changes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Sarah Green

Tuesday 18th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

6. If he will make it his policy that prescriptions will remain free for people aged 60 and over.

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

At the present time, no decision has been made to increase the upper age exemption for free prescriptions.

[Sarah Green]

Such a policy change would hit a vulnerable age bracket who are more likely to have one or more long-term illnesses requiring medication. A constituent of mine has told me of his concern at the cost of paying for his wife’s Parkinson’s medication, should such a change be introduced. Given that the millions facing a new charge will also be hit by a rise in living costs, will the Secretary of State shelve such proposals and review the list of conditions that qualify for a medical exemption certificate?

[Maria Caulfield]

Can I just reinforce the answer I have just given? There is no decision to increase the upper age exemption for free prescriptions, and the rumour circulating that the Government are removing free prescriptions for pensioners is completely false. The Government are absolutely committed to maintaining free prescriptions for pensioners.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and Sarah Green

Tuesday 23rd November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

Women across the country have lost jobs and life savings as a result of chronic pain and disability caused by complications after the use of medical mesh. Many, including one of my constituents, have had to pay for corrective surgery overseas. The Government have so far refused to set up agencies to provide financial redress, as was recommended in the Cumberlege report. Will the Secretary of State revisit the Cumberlege report, and in particular the need for financial redress?

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

Women who have suffered are being helped and supported through the difficult choices that they are having to make. The Government have set up eight specialist mesh centres across the country to provide them with the specialist treatment that they need. Our priority is patient safety, preventing anything like this from happening again, and supporting women who have been affected. There is no evidence that a redress system would improve patient safety or improve the outcome for those women.