Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 adequacy of the provision of dentistry in (a) Halton, (b) Cheshire West and (c) Chester in the last (i) three months, (ii) six months, (ii) 12 months and (iv) two years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324
Data for adults is measured for 24 months, and data for children is measured for 12 months, as this is the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended timeframe in which adults and children should be seen by a dentist. This data is not held for three- and six-month intervals.
In the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes Halton, Cheshire West and Chester, 46% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England.
Furthermore, 58% of children in the ICB were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months to June 2023, compared to 53% in England. 62% of children in the ICB were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, What recent assessment has he made of the potential merits of developing an (a) regulatory framework and (b) NHS style oversight for the aesthetic industry.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. We will set out the details of our approach in due course.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 increase awareness of (a) cardiac health and (b) physical activity increasing risk of strokes in young people in (i) schools, (ii) universities and (iii) sports facilities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered, with further information available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.
To stop SCD in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to use defibrillators.
NHS England has published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions, that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, or families requiring a follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. NHS England is working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of this review, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. Further information on the service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
These documents describe the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They cover all paediatric cardiac activity, specifically surgery and cardiology, taking place in the Specialist Children’s Surgical Centres, or Level 1 services, the Specialist Children’s Cardiology Centres, or Level 2 services, and the Local Children’s Cardiac Centres, or Level 3 services, including activity undertaken by the specialist centres on an outreach basis where it is delivered as part of a provider network, with the aim of ensuring that all patient care is of a consistently high quality.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 merits of expanding access to diagnostic (a) checks and (b) screenings to improve detection of undiagnosed heart conditions in young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered, with further information available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.
To stop SCD in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to use defibrillators.
NHS England has published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions, that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, or families requiring a follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. NHS England is working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of this review, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. Further information on the service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
These documents describe the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They cover all paediatric cardiac activity, specifically surgery and cardiology, taking place in the Specialist Children’s Surgical Centres, or Level 1 services, the Specialist Children’s Cardiology Centres, or Level 2 services, and the Local Children’s Cardiac Centres, or Level 3 services, including activity undertaken by the specialist centres on an outreach basis where it is delivered as part of a provider network, with the aim of ensuring that all patient care is of a consistently high quality.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 improve detection of undiagnosed heart conditions in young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered, with further information available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.
To stop SCD in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to use defibrillators.
NHS England has published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions, that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, or families requiring a follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. NHS England is working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of this review, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. Further information on the service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf
These documents describe the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They cover all paediatric cardiac activity, specifically surgery and cardiology, taking place in the Specialist Children’s Surgical Centres, or Level 1 services, the Specialist Children’s Cardiology Centres, or Level 2 services, and the Local Children’s Cardiac Centres, or Level 3 services, including activity undertaken by the specialist centres on an outreach basis where it is delivered as part of a provider network, with the aim of ensuring that all patient care is of a consistently high quality.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 merits of having a dedicated mental health professional in every school.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will provide access to a mental health professional in every school in England, so that mental health conditions can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life.
We are working with our colleagues at NHS England and the Department for Education to consider options to deliver this commitment.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 improve the quality of care in maternity units.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government continues to work with the National Health Service as it delivers its three-year plan for maternity and neonatal services. The plan sets out how the NHS will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families.
As part of the delivery plan, all local leadership teams are taking part in a Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme, helping them to develop and maintain a positive safety culture. Additional funding has also been provided for Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnerships to ensure local voices are used to inform decisions and services.
An updated version of the ‘Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle’ is being rolled out across England, which is a package of interventions aimed to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, as well as initiatives to reduce inequalities. 14 Maternal Medicine Networks have been developed across England to ensure that women with chronic and acute medical problems related to pregnancy have access to specialist management and care.
While good progress has been made, the Government recognises that there are real issues within maternity services. Whilst change will not happen overnight, we are determined to go further to ensure all women and babies receive the care they deserve, and have committed to providing support to trusts failing on maternity care, recruit thousands of new midwives, and tackle the unacceptable inequalities that exist.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 reduce diagnosis times for endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis times for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.
We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and the piloting of gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres.
Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The General Medical Council is introducing the Medical Licensing Assessment for the majority of incoming doctors, including all medical students graduating from the academic year 2024/25 and onwards. Within this assessment are a number of topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of endometriosis among doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom.
Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of endometriosis. This is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 improve survival rates for acute myeloid leukaemia.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Wokingham on 20 January 2025 to Question 23624.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 support young people with mental health issues.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Too many young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are too long. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.
We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community. We are working with our colleagues at NHS England and across Government to consider options to deliver these commitments.