Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 access to hormone replacement therapies for women experiencing the menopause.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Women should not have to suffer in silence and any woman concerned about menopause symptoms should seek advice from their general practitioner or other healthcare professional, who can advise about treatment options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
There are over 70 HRT products, and the vast majority are in good supply. There have been issues with the supply of a limited number of HRT products, primarily due to very sharp increases in demand, but the supply position for the majority has improved considerably over the last year.
More than 500,000 people benefitted from accessing cheaper HRT prescriptions during its first year of operation. The HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) can represent significant savings for patients who are prescribed one of the listed HRT medications. For example, a patient who pays the prescription charge could save nearly £220 per year with an HRT PPC, if they were prescribed two listed HRT items per month.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) his Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to his Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recognised trade union is currently in dispute with, or holds a mandate to call industrial action in, the Department or its Arm’s Length Bodies and executive agencies.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 training for GPs to (a) diagnose and (b) treat women experiencing the menopause.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The curricula for postgraduate medical specialty training is set by individual Royal Colleges and faculties. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sets the curriculum that all general practitioners (GPs) must cover before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and to work independently as a GP. The curriculum includes a specific section on women’s health, including the menopause. As a result, the menopause is a core area of knowledge for all qualified GPs.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Leader of the House of 17 October 2024, Official Report, column 1000, what his planned timetable is for providing an update on the implementation of the Cass review in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 4 September 2024, my Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care laid a written ministerial statement in the House of Commons outlining the Government and NHS England's work to implement the Cass Review and transform gender services.
In line with NHS England’s ambitious two-year implementation plan, two new services in the North-West and London opened in April. A third new service will open in the South West in November, and a fourth in the East of England in spring of next year. NHS England is advancing towards meeting its commitment for there to be a specialist children’s gender service in every region by 2026. My Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will update the House when there are further developments.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department had discussions with the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board on the (a) planned puberty supressing hormone study and (b) proposals to consider the benefits of puberty blocking treatments in children.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board oversees a joint NHS England and National Institute of Health and Care Research programme of research underpinning the redesign and ongoing development of specialised gender services. This includes the planned study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The board has been established, and is run, by NHS England. As such, ministers do not have a role in determining its membership. The Department is represented on the board.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Ministers have a role in appointing individuals to NHS England's Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Children and Young People’s Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board oversees a joint NHS England and National Institute of Health and Care Research programme of research underpinning the redesign and ongoing development of specialised gender services. This includes the planned study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The board has been established, and is run, by NHS England. As such, ministers do not have a role in determining its membership. The Department is represented on the board.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Alan Milburn has been issued with a departmental security pass.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, stated in Parliament on 9 September 2024, Alan Milburn does not hold a Departmental pass.