To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Prostate Cancer: Screening
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not currently recommend screening for prostate cancer in the United Kingdom due to the inaccuracy of the current best test, called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm men, as some of them would be diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them problems during their life. This would lead to additional tests and treatments which can also have harmful side effects.

The Government understands the importance of improving evidence around prostate screening and therefore we are providing £16 million of funding to Prostate Cancer UK's £42 million trial, which is aimed at helping us find a way of catching prostate cancer in men as early as possible.

The UK NSC will consider the evidence for six possible approaches to targeted prostate screening for those at higher risk. The UK NSC will publish its recommendations when complete. The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme provides general practices with information to counsel asymptomatic men aged 50 years old about PSA testing for prostate cancer.


Written Question
Social Services: Fees and Charges
Thursday 21st September 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's timescales are for introducing the social care cap.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As announced in the Autumn Statement, we listened to the concerns of local Government and took the difficult decision to delay the planned adult social care charging reforms. The funding intended for charging reform has been retained in local authority budgets to address current pressures and ensure that local authorities have the capacity and system readiness to deliver reform successfully.


Written Question
Health Services: Foreign Nationals
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

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 (a) number of foreign nationals who have received NHS treatment in the last year and (b) the proportion of that figure who have paid back the NHS for their treatment.

Answered by Will Quince

The information requested is not held centrally. Those seeking asylum or temporary or humanitarian protection are exempt from paying for National Health Service treatment in England, where they have made a valid application, until their application is finally determined. Devolved Administrations are responsible for NHS charging in their areas.


Written Question
Health Services: Asylum
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government cover NHS costs on behalf of asylum seekers.

Answered by Will Quince

The information requested is not held centrally. Those seeking asylum or temporary or humanitarian protection are exempt from paying for National Health Service treatment in England, where they have made a valid application, until their application is finally determined. Devolved Administrations are responsible for NHS charging in their areas.


Written Question
Dental Services
Friday 21st April 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of dental appointments in (a) Ipswich constituency and (b) England.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care across England, including in Ipswich. These will increase access to National Health Service dentistry whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices.

The changes we have implemented include a contractual requirement for NHS dentists to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date to make it easier for patients to seek treatment, adherence to risk-based recall intervals, and enabling dentists to make better use of their team resources. The contractual changes of 28 December 2022 also provide for the commissioning of 110% of contracted Units of Dental Activity so that practices can deliver more NHS care, particularly in those areas where NHS dentistry is less prevalent.

In circumstances where parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.

We are holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System coming shortly this year.


Written Question
Autism: Women
Friday 21st April 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the accuracy of autism diagnoses of females.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on autism set out that clinicians should pay attention to the under-diagnosis of females when assessing for suspected autism, and we expect integrated care boards to have due regard to these guidelines when commissioning services.

To support integrated care systems to make the best use of their resources and set out how autism assessment pathways can best be delivered, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, on 5 April 2023. These documents are intended to help the National Health Service and local authorities improve autism assessment services and improve the experience for adults and children who are going through an autism assessment. They also set out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism.

We will continue to work with colleagues across NHS England, professional bodies, and people with lived experience so that those historically under-identified groups, including, but not limited to females, are better identified for access to good quality autism assessments where the multidisciplinary team have the competency to recognise and adjust for a wide range of needs.


Written Question
Dentistry: Labour Turnover
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

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 improve retention of dentists in the NHS.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

Last year, NHS England negotiated amendments to the National Health Service dental contract with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders. These improvements, which came into effect in November 2022 and are supported by the sector, will ensure dentists are more fairly remunerated for the delivery of NHS care and making NHS dentistry a more attractive place to work and improve access for patients.

Further reforms are planned in 2023.


Written Question
Dental Services
Wednesday 1st February 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of dentists offering services on the NHS.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

Since 2020/21 (during COVID), there has been an increase of 539 dentists delivering National Health Service care and an 120% increase in courses of treatment delivered.

In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care. These will increase access to NHS dentistry by adults and children, whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices.

We have taken action to implement these changes, including through regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2022.

NHS England is holding further discussions with the British Dental Association and other stakeholders for additional reforms of the NHS Dental System planned to take place in 2023.


Written Question
Ipswich Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments
Wednesday 1st February 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

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 planned new accident and emergency department at Ipswich Hospital on (a) ambulance waiting times and (b) capacity pressure at the hospital.

Answered by Will Quince

East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) have considered the impact of the planned new accident and emergency department at Ipswich hospital on ambulance waiting times and capacity pressures as part of the NHS England assurance process.

ESNEFT anticipates that the new Urgent Treatment Centre at Ipswich hospital will ease pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department, freeing up staff to focus on providing care for the most critically ill and seriously injured patients.


Written Question
Breast Cancer: Screening
Wednesday 1st February 2023

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement made in the Women's Health Strategy published in July 2022, what assessment he has made of the impact on patients of the additional breast screening units his Department plans to fund in East Suffolk and North Essex NHS foundation trust.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has benefited from the additional funding with new mammography equipment installed at Colchester Hospital, to replace an existing machine. This installation is expected to take place within the next few months.

Additionally, the trust’s mobile breast screening unit will be receiving a £12,000 technology upgrade as part of this programme. This upgrade will allow staff at the unit to send images back to the hospital digitally, improving efficiency.

These upgrades will benefit patients through efficiency upgrades allowing staff to spend more time in clinical settings.