Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 availability of appointments for NHS dentists in (a) the London Borough of Hounslow and (b) Greater London.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No assessment has been made. Patients do not routinely join National Health Service dental waiting lists and are only registered with a dental practice for a course of treatment.
The Government has taken steps to address the challenges facing NHS dentistry, and the package of reforms announced last July is an important first step. We know we need to do more and will announce further changes soon. Patients who are struggling to find a local dentist can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance or contact NHS 111 if seeking urgent care.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentists were registered in the London Borough of Hounslow in each year since 2018 for which figures are available.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of ultrasound scans for cancer assessments in (a) England, (b) London and (c) the London Borough of Hounslow.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with NHS England to monitor the availability of diagnostic services, including ultrasound scans for cancer assessments. Although no specific assessments have currently been made by the Department at a national level, in London or Hounslow, NHS England’s London regional team reviews imaging activity data on a weekly basis, including ultrasound. Data is reviewed across London, at integrated care system and provider level.
£2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years, including by increasing the availability of abdominal ultrasounds for cancer diagnostics. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase the availability of abdominal ultrasounds for cancer diagnostics.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with NHS England to monitor the availability of diagnostic services, including ultrasound scans for cancer assessments. Although no specific assessments have currently been made by the Department at a national level, in London or Hounslow, NHS England’s London regional team reviews imaging activity data on a weekly basis, including ultrasound. Data is reviewed across London, at integrated care system and provider level.
£2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years, including by increasing the availability of abdominal ultrasounds for cancer diagnostics. Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 NHS England on NHS treatments available for menopause.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, meets regularly with NHS England to discuss a range of issues.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 NHS services relating to the menopause in (a) the London Borough of Hounslow, (b) London and (c) England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve NHS services for Menopause.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The menopause is a priority area within the Women’s Health Strategy, and the Government and National Health Service are implementing an ambitious programme of work to improve menopause care so all women can access the support they need.
The NHS England National Menopause Care Improvement Programme is working to improve clinical menopause care in England and reduce disparities in access to treatment. The NHS is also developing an education and training package on menopause for healthcare professionals.
We have reduced the cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescriptions through a bespoke HRT prescription pre-payment certificate. From 1 April 2023, women can pay a one-off charge equivalent to two single prescription charges, £19.30, for all their HRT prescriptions for a year. We have also taken decisive action to ensure supplies of HRT continue to be available for everyone who needs them.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 (a) value for money and (b) effectiveness of contracted health services provided by Operose Health in (i) England and (ii) London.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Health services in England are commissioned by integrated care boards, through delegated responsibility from NHS England. It is for local commissioners to make assessment of the value for money and effectiveness of different providers of service and commission services accordingly. The detail of these assessments is not held by central Government. No national assessment is made of individual providers.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria is used to determine which letters GPs are unable to charge patients for.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The circumstances in which general practices must not charge for issuing medical certificates confirming an individual’s health condition are set out in Schedule 2 of the National Health Services (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 and Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Personal Medical Services Agreements) Regulations 2015. The inclusion of a medical certificate in this Schedule is subject to consultation with the British Medical Association’s general practitioners committee.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 23 October 2020 to Question 99764 on General Practitioners: Fees and Charges, if he will list the letters issued to patients by GPs that are listed as exempt from fees by the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The circumstances in which general practices must not charge for issuing medical certificates confirming an individual’s health condition are set out in Schedule 2 of the National Health Services (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 and Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Personal Medical Services Agreements) Regulations 2015. The inclusion of a medical certificate in this Schedule is subject to consultation with the British Medical Association’s general practitioners committee.