Asked by: Michael Payne (Labour - Gedling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many open dentistry practices were accepting adult NHS patients in Gedling constituency (a) on the most recent date for which data is available and (b) in 2010.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the data requested is not available for 2010, as of 10 July 2024, there were 13 open dentistry practices in the Gedling constituency, two of which were showing as accepting new adult patients. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website, and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
Asked by: Michael Payne (Labour - Gedling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to support community pharmacies in Gedling constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. We are currently consulting with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements, including in Gedling, for 2024/25.
Asked by: Michael Payne (Labour - Gedling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) increase research funding, (b) improve access to specialist care and (c) provide better support for (i) people living with motor neurone disease and (ii) their families.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s responsibility for delivering motor neurone disease (MND) research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Significant recent investments include, but are not limited to, £12.5 million to support the best science in the UK Dementia Research Institute, £8 million for early phase clinical research and the Experimental medicine Route To Success in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis platform trial, and £6 million for the MND Translational Accelerator. In 2022, Government funders also published a joint NIHR and Medical Research Council Highlight Notice, inviting researchers across the academic and life sciences sector to submit applications via open call. The MND Highlight Notice invites proposals for research to address important health and social care questions, and seeks to increase the amount of MND research funded.
NHS England commissions the specialised care and treatment that patients with MND may receive from the 24 specialised neurology centres across England. NHS England has published a service specification setting out national standards for organisations that provide specialised neurological care. This sets out that the service should improve the quality of life and the experience of the services for patients and their carers. The support provided includes the provision of multi-disciplinary care from specialist clinicians, including neurologists, specialist nurses, speech and language therapists, dietetics and nutrition, and physiotherapy, depending on individual clinical need. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MND, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology. NHS England has also established a Neurology Service Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services, including MND.
In addition, NHS England commissions a specialised communication aids service known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication, as set out in the published service specification. This service supports individuals with rapidly degenerative conditions, including MND, who are prioritised for this service. Further information is available at the following link: