Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to provide the latest register of interest for the Department's Senior Civil Servants and Non Executive Board Members as of 1 February 2026 including any updates following the publication of the Department's annual report and accounts for 2024-5.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Non-executive board members’ (NEBM) declarations of interest and any updates to them are published on the GOV.UK website, in alignment with Government policy. Updates to NEBM interests following the 2024/25 annual report and accounts publication can be found in the 2025/26 Department register of board members’ interests, at the following link:
The Department is required to publish the relevant interests of its Permanent Secretary, and other Senior Civil Servants who are Board Members at least annually within its annual report and accounts. Further information is available at the following link:
The next publication will be later this year.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the outcome of the NHSE patient safety investigation into Community Health and Eye Care Services as reported in The Sunday Times in May 2025.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The safety of all patients, whether they are treated in the National Health Service or the independent sector, is a top priority for the Government. All providers of healthcare are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality, below which care should never fall.
Those providers in receipt of NHS contracts must meet additional requirements, including meeting the provisions of the NHS Provider License and the NHS Standard Contract. These additional measures put in place specific standards which must be met. Contracts to private providers can be and are terminated where these are not met.
We take all claims relating to patient safety seriously. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has carried out inspection activity at a majority of community health and eye care services locations. All locations have been either rated as Good or Requires Improvement, and there have not been any significant concerns identified. The CQC has also not taken any enforcement action. Currently the CQC does not have on-going concerns, but will continue to monitor the providers as part of relevant ongoing engagement.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 restriction on pursuing clinical negligence cases to direct financial dependents only in cases where an individual has died on the justice system.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of the restriction on pursuing clinical negligence cases to direct financial dependents only in cases where an individual has died on the justice system.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.
We welcome the recent report by the National Audit Office on the costs of clinical negligence. The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the NHS Counter Fraud Authority has made on its investigations into providers of NHS-funded cataract care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Independent providers play an important role supporting the National Health Service to deliver eyecare services, ensuring patients receive the treatment and care they need. However, we were clear in the 10-Year Health Plan that we will neither tolerate ‘gaming’ the national payment tariff to cherry pick the simplest, most profitable cases, nor any quality shortcomings.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority operates as an independent body conducting data analysis to prevent fraud and other economic crime within the NHS, with all suspicions of fraud and investigations managed with the utmost confidentiality. Any updates on cases will be reported at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of rebuilding Whipps Cross Hospital; and what his expected timetable is for when this funding will be made available to Barts Health NHS Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the immediate issues affecting the National Health Service and is determined to fix them. We also recognise the need for investment in our estate across the country, including at Whipps Cross University Hospital, North East London.
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded and a realistic timetable for delivery. He will consider this carefully then report back to patients, clinicians and local communities to confirm revision, if any, to the schedule.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that patients taking pancreatic enzymes continue to receive them.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
We are aware of supply issues with three pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies: Creon 10000 gastro-resistant capsules; Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules; and Nutrizym 22 gastro-resistant capsules. We understand that these are due to limited availability of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturing constraints in producing the volumes required to meet demand. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals regarding treatment of patients while there is a disruption to the supply of these pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies. We are having regular conversations with the suppliers of these products, to ask that they expedite deliveries and increase production forecasts, and to confirm that they are taking action to address the root causes of the issues, to ensure continuity of supply. We are also working with specialist importers to source unlicensed imports from abroad.
Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres run by Mountain Healthcare in each financial year since 2018-19.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The following table shows the number of patients were seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) run by Mountain Healthcare in each financial year since 2018/19:
Year | Number of patients seen |
2018/19 | 4,689 |
2019/20 | 3,240 |
2020/21 | 2,080 |
2021/22 | 3,742 |
2022/23 | 10,822 |
Source: NHS England
Notes:
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres in each financial year since 2018-19.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The following table shows the numbers of patients seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) in each financial year since 2018/19:
Year | Number of patients seen by SARCs |
2018/19 | 11,993 |
2019/20 | 9,451 |
2020/21 | 7,960 |
2021/22 | 10,333 |
2022/23 | 21,836 |
Source: NHS England
Notes:
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres run by G4S Health Services in each financial year since 2018-19.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The following table shows the number of patients seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) run by G4S Health Services in each financial year since 2018/19:
Year | Number of patients seen |
2018/19 | 1,728 |
2019/20 | 1,256 |
2020/21 | 1,479 |
2021/22 | 1,439 |
2022/23 | 1,625 |
Source: NHS England
Notes:
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much NHS England paid to (a) Mountain Healthcare Ltd and (b) G4S Health UK Ltd for the provision of healthcare in police custody and secure environments between (i) October 2020 to September 2021 and (ii) October 2021 to September 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
NHS England does not have responsibility for healthcare provision within police custody, as this sits with police commissioners and the Home Office.
Regarding payments to Mountain Healthcare Ltd and G4S Health UK Ltd for provision within the detained estate, NHS England has advised that figures are not available of the timeframes requested, as its financial accounting and reporting year runs from April to March. It can confirm that G4S Health UK received £4.05 million between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, and £2.495 million between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 for health care in the detained estate. No payments were made to Mountain Healthcare during these periods.