Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with Gloucestershire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on the potential impact of the Big Space Cancer Appeal on cancer care at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the recent Autumn Budget 2024, we are providing an additional £1.8 billion to directly support elective recovery and activity in 2024/25, which includes cancer care. This funding is being provided to reduce waiting times and support the National Health Service to deliver 40,000 additional appointments each week.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing record levels of capital investment into health. This includes £1.65 billion for investments aimed at improving NHS performance against constitutional standards, delivering new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase elective and emergency care capacity. This funding also includes £70 million for new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment. The Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has been provisionally allocated £4.5 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery Fund for 2025/26.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Big Space Cancer Appeal on funding for cancer care at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the recent Autumn Budget 2024, we are providing an additional £1.8 billion to directly support elective recovery and activity in 2024/25, which includes cancer care. This funding is being provided to reduce waiting times and support the National Health Service to deliver 40,000 additional appointments each week.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, capital spending is set to increase to £13.6 billion in 2025/26, representing record levels of capital investment into health. This includes £1.65 billion for investments aimed at improving NHS performance against constitutional standards, delivering new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase elective and emergency care capacity. This funding also includes £70 million for new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment. The Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has been provisionally allocated £4.5 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery Fund for 2025/26.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the impact of social media addiction on (a) (i) adult and (ii) children's mental health and (b) the cost of mental health provision in the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2019, the UK’s Chief Medical Officers reviewed the evidence on the relationship between screen time and mental health in children. The commentary found an association between the two but could not establish a causal relationship.
In 2023, The National Institute for Health and Care Research commissioned a longitudinal study exploring the potential causal impact of social media use on young people’s mental health in the United Kingdom. The study found little evidence to suggest that spending more time on social media is associated with more mental health problems in young people.
Our focus is on keeping young people safe, while also benefitting from the latest technology. By the summer, robust new protections for children will be in force through the Online Safety Act to protect them from harmful content and ensure they have an age-appropriate experience online.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology recently announced a feasibility study on methods and data to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children; this began on 2 December 2024 and will be completed in May 2025.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of qualified occupational therapists in (a) health, (b) social care and (c) community settings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan, which will be published in summer 2025, will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, including qualified occupational therapists, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
The Department supports occupational health students in training with the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF), providing eligible students with a non-repayable grant of £5,000 a year. Further financial support is also available for childcare, dual accommodation costs and travel.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 better integrate occupational therapists in primary care; and whether occupational therapists will be included in any plans for a neighbourhood health service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier, supporting people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer
Achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will involve health and care services, including social care, wider local government services, and statutory services such as housing and employment, and the voluntary sector. There will be a strong focus on how they collaborate with system partners to prevent people spending unnecessary time in hospitals or care homes. The full vision for the health system will be set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of mandating principal occupational therapist roles within (a) local authorities and (b) NHS trusts.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst the Department is not responsible for decisions about the principal occupational therapist roles in adult social care or National Health Service trusts, the role of mandating would sit with employers and the regulator of principal occupational therapists, which is the Health and Care Professions Council.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of deep geothermal energy on energy bills for hospitals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that deep geothermal has the potential to be valuable part of the National Health Service’s energy mix. The clean, consistent energy offered by successful geothermal projects could make a significant contribution to the NHS’s 2040 Net Zero target, whilst supporting the NHS’s overall energy security and resilience.
However, there are barriers that must first be addressed, including the United Kingdom sector’s lack of relative maturity, the geological risks posed by deep bore projects, the extensive payback periods, project failure rates, and the high upfront capital demand of such projects. These issues are outside of the competence of the Department of Health and Social Care and would be for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to explore further as the lead energy department.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the maximum mandatory disabled facilities grant and (b) reviewing means test arrangements for that grant.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes. We are providing an immediate in-year uplift of £86 million in 2024/25. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for 2025/26 at the Autumn Budget 2024, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million.
To ensure the DFG is as effective as possible, we will continue to keep different aspects of the grant under consideration. As part of this, we are reviewing the suitability of the current upper limit and will set out further detail in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of community rehabilitation services on (a) people’s well-being and (b) the prevention of ill-health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government understands the importance of having effective rehabilitation services available to help people recover. By providing an alternative to hospital or care home admission, community rehabilitation supports the Government’s shift from hospital to home and from sickness to prevention.
Successful intermediate care and reablement support services are better for service users, promoting faster recovery, improving independence, reducing risk of physical deconditioning associated with long stays in hospital, and providing a joined-up experience of health and care.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an estimate of the cost to the NHS from injuries sustained from following social media trends.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Online Safety Act, providers will need to take steps to protect children from encountering harmful content. This includes providing age-appropriate access to priority content, which includes content encouraging dangerous stunts and challenges. We do not currently hold an estimate of the cost to the National Health Service of injuries sustained from social media trends.