Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department has on the average waiting time for young people to receive a first appointment for child and adolescent mental health services in (a) South Cumbria, (b) Lancashire and (c) North Cumbria in the last six months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the mean and median average waiting times between referral and first contact for children and young people aged under 18 years old, in the nearest equivalent local authority areas, for April to September 2024:
Local authority area | Mean average number of days between referral and first contact | Median average number of days between referral and first contact |
Lancashire | 76.4 | 12 |
Cumberland | 90.3 | 28 |
Westmorland and Furness | 53.6 | 9 |
Source: Mental Health Services Dataset, NHS England.
This is based on referrals that have a contact and does not include those that are still waiting.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 potential impact of the closure of ward 6 at Westmorland General Hospital on (a) social care provision and (b) hospital bed availability throughout the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Responsibility for decisions about the delivery, funding, and implementation of services ultimately rests with the National Health Service commissioner, and it is important that integrated care systems operate with a high degree of autonomy in making decisions in the interests of their populations.
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust has reviewed how beds are configured across their three main hospitals, the Furness General Hospital, the Westmorland General Hospital, and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. This review has shown that there are opportunities to improve how beds are used within these hospitals, which would lead to:
All the services will continue to be offered, but from different areas in the same hospital, or more appropriate settings within the community. Adult social care services within Westmorland and Furness Council have confirmed that they are currently able to offer support to appropriate patients.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency received radiotherapy treatment at the Rosemere Cancer Centre Royal Preston Hospital in each month in each of the last four years.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information regarding how many patients from a particular constituency are treated in a specific hospital. Data regarding radiotherapy treatment is published monthly by NHS England.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has a planned timetable for when services in Helme Chase Maternity Unit at Westmorland General Hospital will be reopened.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for integrated care boards and local healthcare systems, in cases of specialised and national services. All service changes should be based on clear evidence, clinically led, and involve engagement with patients and stakeholders, to ensure they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The trust will be publishing a timeline for the reopening of this service shortly.
Due to staffing issues in May 2024, there was a temporary suspension of birth services at the Helme Chase Maternity Unit, for a period of six months. Following a full review of the service and relevant staffing models, the trust has developed options which will allow reinstatement of birth services at the unit. The best option is currently being consulted with the relevant teams, and will be shared at the earliest opportunity.
Whilst birthing services are temporarily suspended, women can access antenatal and postnatal care, and outpatient appointments at Helme Chase continue as normal. The trust’s home birth service and consultant-led birth services at Furness General Hospital and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary also remain unchanged.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) young people have seen a dentist in the last 12 months and (b) adults have seen a dentist in the last two years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England in 2023/24, the number and proportion of adult patients seen in the 24 months up to the end of June 2024 was 18.4 million, or 40.3% of the adult population. The number and proportion of child patients seen in the 12 months up to the end of June 2024 was 6.7 million, or 56% of the population of children.
Figures are published by the NHS Business Services Authority and are available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with the management of the University Teaching Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust on the closure of the Helme Chase maternity unit at the Westmorland General Hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for integrated care boards and the local National Health Service in cases of specialised and national services. All service changes should be based on clear evidence, clinically led, and involve engagement with patients and stakeholders to ensure they will deliver better outcomes for patients.
Whilst birthing services are temporarily suspended, women can continue to access antenatal and postnatal care, as well as outpatient appointments as normal at Helme Chase. The trust also offers safe home birthing and birth services at their other two units. Following a six-month suspension of birthing services, the trust is undertaking a full review of the midwifery led birth provision, and the associated staffing budget. Options have been identified to reinstate birth services at the unit and they are being consulted on with the relevant teams before a decision is made.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 potential merits of introducing a specialist 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a specialised 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway. NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to improve early diagnosis and treatment for patients with suspected and diagnosed pancreatic cancer. This includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for patients at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer, and diagnose cancers sooner.
In March 2024, NHS England published guidance for providers and systems to implement a timed Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary cancer pathway with the aim of ensuring that patients with some suspected tumour types, including suspected pancreatic cancer, receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of urgent referral.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand the additional roles reimbursement scheme for primary care to include funding for (a) additional GPs and (b) associated reimbursement schemes for related roles.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is investing £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified general practitioners (GPs), via the Additional Roles reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), so patients can get the care they need. The ARRS is subject to annual review as part of the consultation on the GP contract with professional and patient representatives. NHS England works closely with the Department to implement any changes identified as part of this process.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand the dental recruitment incentive scheme beyond the seven surgeries in the scheme in NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has published guidance for practices on the Golden Hello incentive scheme, which will encourage dentists into under-served areas through bonus payments of up to £20,000 to work there for up to three years. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/
The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, this is the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. Dental practices in specific areas, determined locally, were invited by their ICB to apply for the scheme, and were notified about the outcome of their application by their local ICB.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help (a) recruit and (b) retain a social care workforce in Cumbria.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive. We are committed to ensuring the adult social care workforce feels supported and recognised, and that there are opportunities to develop and progress, all of which contributes to recruitment and retention. This includes: delivering the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme; the continuing development of the Care Workforce Pathway; a universal career structure for the workforce setting out the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours needed to work in adult social care; and launching a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.
We are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. We will engage and consult those who draw upon, work in, and provide care and support, as well as local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector, and this work will be an important part of the first step towards a National Care Service.