Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the reduction in the number of nursing lecturer positions in higher education institutions on the Government's ability to fulfil the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made. Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from the Government, and are responsible for their own staffing and recruitment decisions.
We are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time and will continue to work closely with partners in the higher education sector to do so. Later this year, we will publish a new workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the annual cost is for using Hospedia for patients in each NHS trust in England; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national policy on the use of television in hospital.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No data is collected centrally on the annual cost for using Hospedia or the provision of bedside television and similar services by the National Health Service.
NHS providers are locally responsible for the provision of bedside television and similar services, including the charges for them. If patients do not wish to, or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they should still be able to watch the free to view television via their own devices and local hospital Wi-Fi, or in the hospital day rooms or communal areas.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of hyperbaric chambers on regional health inequalities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services, for any patient who requires hyperbaric oxygen therapy. NHS England set out their assessment of service requirements in their commissioning intentions during the public consultation which took place in September 2024. Further information on the public consultation is available at the following link:
The reconfiguration of services ensures service provision which meets optimal time to treatment guidelines, in which providers must be located no more than four hours, based on 200 miles radial distance, from the coast and four hours from the next nearest commissioned provider.
We actively encourage individuals and organisations to register as stakeholders to ensure a full range of views are included in any service developments. Stakeholders can register their interest in services commissioned by NHS England on their website, at the following link:
https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/application/crg-stakeholder-reg-april-2019/
The published Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment sets out an evaluation, including access to services, and where appropriate action was taken to ensure fair access to any patient who requires this service. Further information on the Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment is available at the following link:
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to implement a heart disease action plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We are committed to ensuring that fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers, such as heart disease, which includes cardiovascular disease (CVD), and stroke. That is why in our Health Mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we have committed to reducing deaths from heart disease and strokes by a quarter within ten years.
We are taking steps to reduce heart disease. The NHS Long Term Plan set an aim to prevent up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029, and activity is underway. The NHS Health Check programme, England’s CVD prevention programme, engages over 1.3 million people a year and prevents approximately 500 heart attacks or strokes each year. To improve access and engagement with the NHS Health Check, we are developing a new digital service which people can use at home to understand and act on their CVD risk, providing people with a more flexible, accessible, and convenient service. We are also piloting a new programme to deliver more than 130,000 lifesaving heart health checks in the workplace. These checks can be completed quickly and easily by people at work across 48 local authorities until 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 the number of GP appointments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs. Our plan will require both investment and reform. Firstly, we will increase the proportion of funding for GPs, starting with a commitment to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in general practice, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system. Additionally, we will deliver a modern booking system to end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments and bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.
We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan. More information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 reduce ambulance waiting times.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.
As a first step, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.
Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any of the increased funding for the NHS, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, is ring-fenced for ambulance services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service’s funding increases have not been ring-fenced in that way. Ring-fencing funding restricts the freedom of integrated care boards to take decisions based on the specific circumstances of their local populations.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 increasing the level of funding provided through the NHS to charitable hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials meet regularly with Hospice UK and alongside our key partners at NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with the sector, including Hospice UK, to understand the issues they are facing.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people, and their loved ones, at end of life.
Palliative and end of life care is provided through a range of professionals and providers, both generalists and specialists, across the NHS, social care, and voluntary sector organisations. Therefore, the cost of provision is difficult to measure as relevant consultations and tasks are not always coded as palliative or end of life care. This makes it difficult to estimate how much is spent on palliative and end of life care provision as a whole, and how much might be saved by hospices delivering palliative care.
The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 saving to the the NHS and social care services by hospices delivering palliative care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials meet regularly with Hospice UK and alongside our key partners at NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with the sector, including Hospice UK, to understand the issues they are facing.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people, and their loved ones, at end of life.
Palliative and end of life care is provided through a range of professionals and providers, both generalists and specialists, across the NHS, social care, and voluntary sector organisations. Therefore, the cost of provision is difficult to measure as relevant consultations and tasks are not always coded as palliative or end of life care. This makes it difficult to estimate how much is spent on palliative and end of life care provision as a whole, and how much might be saved by hospices delivering palliative care.
The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the funding model for hospices as part his plans to improve NHS services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials meet regularly with Hospice UK and alongside our key partners at NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with the sector, including Hospice UK, to understand the issues they are facing.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth and range of palliative and end of life care provision within their ICB footprint.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people, and their loved ones, at end of life.
Palliative and end of life care is provided through a range of professionals and providers, both generalists and specialists, across the NHS, social care, and voluntary sector organisations. Therefore, the cost of provision is difficult to measure as relevant consultations and tasks are not always coded as palliative or end of life care. This makes it difficult to estimate how much is spent on palliative and end of life care provision as a whole, and how much might be saved by hospices delivering palliative care.
The Government is going to shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care, including hospices, in this shift. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.