Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to improve the Care Quality Commission rating of North Middlesex University Hospital.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Following the publication of the inspection report on 28 March 2024, the Care Quality Commission continues to closely monitor the trust, and hold regular engagement meetings with senior managers. The trust is in segment 3 of the NHS Oversight Framework, which means they are receiving mandated regional support from NHS England. This process involves a diagnostic stocktake to identify the key drivers of the concerns that need to be resolved, understanding their support needs, and agreeing improvement actions. The trust’s leadership team and board are examining their processes and practices to improve them, and to deliver further improvements for staff, patients, and the local community.
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what dates has (a) she, (b) her Ministers and (c) her officials had discussions with representatives of the BMA since 23 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
I met representatives of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) junior doctors committee on 1 and 5 February 2024. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met representatives of the junior doctors committee and the consultants committee at separate meetings on 8 February 2024. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy met representatives of the general practice committee on 31 January and 27 February 2024. Department officials are in regular contact with BMA representatives, with informal discussions held on most working days in 2024.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish the Telecare National Action Plan.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department has now agreed a first version of the Telecare National Action Plan (TNAP) with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). The Plan is now being tested with key stakeholders including the telecoms sector, the telecare sector, and Ofcom, and we plan to publish it as soon as we are able.
I do not propose to publish a list of meetings held by my department on the TNAP as this engagement is ongoing, but I can confirm that extensive discussions with stakeholders from the sectors outlined above is taking place.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions her Department has had with North Middlesex University Hospital on their Care Quality Commission report, published on 28 March 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Following the publication of the inspection report on 28 March 2024, the Care Quality Commission continues to closely monitor the trust, and hold regular engagement meetings with senior managers. The trust is in segment 3 of the NHS Oversight Framework, which means they are receiving mandated regional support from NHS England. This process involves a diagnostic stocktake to identify the key drivers of the concerns that need to be resolved, understanding their support needs, and agreeing improvement actions. The trust’s leadership team and board are examining their processes and practices to improve them, and to deliver further improvements for staff, patients, and the local community.
Asked by: Jason McCartney (Conservative - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department plans to take to increase breast screening uptake; how much funding she plans to make available for the breast screening uptake improvement plan developed by NHS England; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the breast screening programme.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Government is committed to improving uptake in the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHS BSP), and is working with NHS England on the development of the breast screening improvement plan.
At this time, NHS England has not requested any additional funding to support the delivery of the breast screening improvement plan. Assessment of the effectiveness of the NHS BSP is made through the regular accountability meetings, under the Public Health Functions Section 7A Agreement.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how her Department plans to support North Middlesex University Hospital on the areas of the improvement listed in their Care Quality Commission report, published on 28 March 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Following the publication of the inspection report on 28 March 2024, the Care Quality Commission continues to closely monitor the trust, and hold regular engagement meetings with senior managers. The trust is in segment 3 of the NHS Oversight Framework, which means they are receiving mandated regional support from NHS England. This process involves a diagnostic stocktake to identify the key drivers of the concerns that need to be resolved, understanding their support needs, and agreeing improvement actions. The trust’s leadership team and board are examining their processes and practices to improve them, and to deliver further improvements for staff, patients, and the local community.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress her Department has made on preparing a response to the principal findings of the report by the Care Quality Commission on the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, published on 24 January 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has responded to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) report, and the recommendations are being worked on as a matter of urgency. An improvement programme is underway, and progress against this is being reported monthly to the CQC. CQC inspectors are attending the trust’s clinical boards, committees, patient safety groups, and board meetings. Trust staff also attend a monthly quality improvement board with other stakeholders, of which the CQC is part. I would consider a meeting with members representing the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to discuss the findings of the report.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 integrated care boards have clear accountability over their funding decisions for (a) hospices and (b) palliative and end of life care services.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of locally available, National Health Service funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care. ICBs are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.
The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services. However, we also recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people at end of life, and their families. Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory services are available within the ICB footprint. Charitable hospices provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services are legally required to provide. Consequently, the funding arrangements reflect this.
In July 2022, NHS England published statutory guidance and service specifications for commissioners on palliative and end of life care, setting out the considerations for ICBs to meet their legal duties, and making clear reference to the importance of access to services.
The Department and NHS England, alongside key partners, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face, including that of future funding pressures. The Department is in ongoing discussions with NHS England, including its National Clinical Director, about the oversight and accountability of National Health Service palliative and end of life care commissioning.
From April 2024, NHS England will include palliative and end of life care in the list of topics for its regular performance discussions between national and regional leads. These national meetings will provide an additional mechanism for supporting ICBs in continuing to improve palliative and end of life care for their local population.
NHS England has commissioned the development of a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those in their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities. Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has established a new Policy Research Unit to build an evidence base on palliative and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide financial support to integrated care boards to tackle regional inequalities in (a) hospice, (b) palliative and (c) end of life care services.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of locally available, National Health Service funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care. ICBs are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.
The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services. However, we also recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people at end of life, and their families. Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory services are available within the ICB footprint. Charitable hospices provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services are legally required to provide. Consequently, the funding arrangements reflect this.
In July 2022, NHS England published statutory guidance and service specifications for commissioners on palliative and end of life care, setting out the considerations for ICBs to meet their legal duties, and making clear reference to the importance of access to services.
The Department and NHS England, alongside key partners, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face, including that of future funding pressures. The Department is in ongoing discussions with NHS England, including its National Clinical Director, about the oversight and accountability of National Health Service palliative and end of life care commissioning.
From April 2024, NHS England will include palliative and end of life care in the list of topics for its regular performance discussions between national and regional leads. These national meetings will provide an additional mechanism for supporting ICBs in continuing to improve palliative and end of life care for their local population.
NHS England has commissioned the development of a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those in their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities. Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has established a new Policy Research Unit to build an evidence base on palliative and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with (a) clinicians, (b) hospice leaders and (c) academics on future funding requirements for hospice and end of life care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of locally available, National Health Service funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care. ICBs are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.
The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services. However, we also recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people at end of life, and their families. Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory services are available within the ICB footprint. Charitable hospices provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services are legally required to provide. Consequently, the funding arrangements reflect this.
In July 2022, NHS England published statutory guidance and service specifications for commissioners on palliative and end of life care, setting out the considerations for ICBs to meet their legal duties, and making clear reference to the importance of access to services.
The Department and NHS England, alongside key partners, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face, including that of future funding pressures. The Department is in ongoing discussions with NHS England, including its National Clinical Director, about the oversight and accountability of National Health Service palliative and end of life care commissioning.
From April 2024, NHS England will include palliative and end of life care in the list of topics for its regular performance discussions between national and regional leads. These national meetings will provide an additional mechanism for supporting ICBs in continuing to improve palliative and end of life care for their local population.
NHS England has commissioned the development of a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those in their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities. Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has established a new Policy Research Unit to build an evidence base on palliative and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.