Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 with NHS England to improve the provision of respite homes for mums and babies post traumatic birth.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the significant physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma and the devastating impact this can have on some women. We are fully committed to improving the quality and consistency of care for women throughout pregnancy, birth, and the critical months that follow, and to ensuring that when a woman experiences a traumatic birth, there is a broad range of support available
In relation to the psychological impact, bespoke mental health pathways support women who experience mental health difficulties as a result of labour. These services are provided through specialist perinatal mental health services, maternal mental health services, and mother and baby units. Mother and baby units are specialist, in-patient units for some women with mental health problems, designed to keep mothers and their babies together. Specialist staff nurture and support the mother infant relationship on the ward, while at the same time the mother receives treatment and care. 165 mother and baby unit beds have now been commissioned, and maternal mental health services have been set up in 41 out of the 42 local areas across England to provide care for women with moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties, arising from birth trauma or loss in the maternity/neonatal context.
With regards to physical health, NHS England’s national service specification for perinatal pelvic health services sets out the expected standards of care to improve the prevention and identification of pelvic health issues, and to increase access to physiotherapy for pelvic health issues during pregnancy and for at least one year after birth. These services work with maternity services across England to implement the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries care bundle, to reduce rates of anal sphincter, or perineal, injuries resulting from labour and vaginal birth.
All women are now offered a general practitioner (GP) check six to eight weeks after birth that should focus on the mothers physical and mental health needs. This is an opportunity for GPs to listen to women in a discrete, supportive environment, in order to provide personalised postnatal care for their physical and mental health, and includes an explicit reference to birth trauma for the first time.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to work with volunteers to (a) add resilience to the NHS workforce, (b) reduce waiting lists and (c) move care out-of-hospital and into the community.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service has always benefitted from the generous support of volunteers. Volunteers will continue to play an important and complementary role in the NHS and care system, supporting patients, families, and staff.
NHS England invested £10 million last year to support programmes across 15 integrated care systems to improve volunteering infrastructure. NHS England is also continuing to invest in the NHS volunteer recruitment portal and deliver on recommendations from the NHS Volunteer Taskforce Report from 2023.
A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and those who support our workforce, so we can ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the right care to patients when they need it.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 (a) survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) the availability of defibrillators in Woking.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In a bid to improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED Fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil the existing applications to the fund.
As part of the application process, the Department has set out requirements to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance in remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest, including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas. Three AEDs have been distributed through the AED Fund in Woking.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 through the NHS 10-Year Plan to improve public access to first aid (a) training and (b) equipment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. The detail of the plan will be set out in due course, but all of these shifts are relevant to improving first aid in all parts of the county. Throughout the 10-Year Health Plan engagement process, we have sought the views of first aid charities and organisations, with representation from the British Red Cross at our Partners Council, where they have provided views on emerging policy themes.
Whilst the 10-Year Health Plan is being developed, we are continuing to invest in first aid training and equipment. For example, the Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund is a £1 million fund that is increasing the number of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) within England. Further to this, NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 ensure community pharmacies receive support to stay open.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
We are now working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the usual manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to support people with (a) ME and (b) long Covid; what funding has been allocated to Surrey for treatment of such conditions; and what the waiting times are for (i) diagnosis and (ii) care in Surrey.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services locally, and are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local populations.
I have been advised by NHS England that NHS Surrey Heartlands has taken the decision to no longer operate dedicated long COVID services following the publication of updated guidance by NHS England, in April 2024, on the provision of long COVID services.
As of 8 July 2024, patients presenting with symptoms that may be linked to long COVID will be referred to other available services depending on their symptoms, including chronic fatigue services, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, and mental health services such as psychotherapy.
Every effort will be made to ensure that the patients who are currently accessing these services complete their therapy and, if appropriate, are transferred to other services specific to their needs.
NHS Surrey Heartlands recognises that this decision may cause concern for people receiving care within current long COVID services, however, patients will continue to receive support and advice. We are working with the current providers of long COVID services, First Community Health and Care and Surrey Downs Health and Care, to ensure that patients are transferred into alternative pathways safely.
NHS England has recently completed a long COVID stocktake, aiming to provide a national overview of the service delivery of commissioning and contracting, assessing access, activity, and outcomes. Executive NHS England board members were updated on the current provision of long COVID services, noting the challenges and significant variation. NHS England will continue to support the ICBs to enhance service quality and ensure equitable access to care and consistency across the system.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the earnings and capital thresholds for disabled adults in receipt of social care support to ensure they are not disadvantaged when saving for (a) a house deposit and (b) other major life expenses.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The current capital thresholds, namely the lower limit of £14,250 and the upper limit of £23,250, ensure that individuals have a minimum amount of capital protected.
Where an individual is receiving care in their own home, charging should not reduce an individual’s income below the Minimum Income Guarantee. For those receiving care in a residential setting, residents must retain an allowance for personal expenses. Additionally, people must retain enough of their disability related benefits for any disability-related expenditure they incur.
The capital limits and the social care allowance rates are communicated annually, and the rates for the financial year 2025/26 will be published in the Local Authority Circular in February 2025.
We have announced an independent commission into adult social care to build consensus on what adult social care should achieve, address systemic challenges comprehensively, and chart a clear path toward practical and impactful reform.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 help improve NHS provision of (a) dental care for pregnant women, (b) radiography services for cancer patients, (c) GP access in areas with significant housing developments and (d) audiology services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free National Health Service dental care. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Woking constituency, this is the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.
We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will also be spending £70 million on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it.
We are aware of the additional demand and challenges placed upon primary care infrastructure by rapid housing development. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue.
The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area, with funding and commissioning reflecting population growth and demographic changes.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
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 tackle shortages of ADHD medication in Woking.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.
We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We expect supply to improve in the UK throughout December 2024 and January 2025. However, we anticipate supply to be limited for some strengths, and we continue to work with all suppliers to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as soon as possible. To improve supply chain resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.
We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England is establishing to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.
To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the NHS, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically, or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.
To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. The SPS website also offers additional guidance from NHS England specialists to help systems and healthcare professionals manage ADHD supply disruptions.