Covid-19: Support for Scottish Government
(West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support the Scottish
Government in their response to the covid-19 outbreak.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
The UK Government work closely with the Scottish Government to
provide a co-ordinated approach to the response to covid-19 for
the benefit of people across Scotland and across the United
Kingdom. For instance, the UK Government have provided the
Scottish Government with £1.2 billion in Barnett funding in the
2021 Budget, procured more than 500 million vaccines for the
whole of the UK and made sure that our testing programme reaches
all parts of the UK. This is a partnership in which the people of
Scotland benefit hugely from the reach and strength of the UK
Government.
It is becoming clear across the entire United Kingdom that our
NHS is facing a huge challenge as we reopen society to deal with
the thousands of procedures, treatments and operations that have
been delayed due to lockdown. What steps is my right hon. Friend
taking to ensure that the national health service in England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can work together as easily
as possible, sharing resources and services to ensure that this
truly national health service for our whole country will support
delivery to support our constituents wherever in the United
Kingdom they might live?
My hon. Friend is quite right. The NHS is one of Britain’s
proudest achievements. It operates across the whole of Great
Britain and co-operation is ingrained in the DNA of the NHS. I am
absolutely determined, as the UK Secretary of State for Health
and Social Care, to ensure that, wherever people live in this
United Kingdom, they can access the very best of care. If a
constituent of my hon. Friend’s in Aberdeenshire needs a
treatment that is only available in England because it is so
specialised, they should have absolutely every right to that
treatment, in the same way that a constituent of mine in Suffolk
or a constituent in north Wales should. We have one NHS across
these islands, and it is one of the things of which this country
is most proud.
(Central
Ayrshire) (SNP) [V]
I am sure the Secretary of State is well aware that the Scottish
NHS has been separate since 1948 and has been under direct
Scottish Government control for the last 20 years, so there are
actually four NHSs. Perhaps I can ask him about some of his
decisions that have made it harder for the Scottish and other
devolved Governments to fight covid. Last September, he refused
to follow Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advice for an
urgent lockdown, and the six-week delay allowed the more
infectious B117 Kent variant to emerge and spread across the UK,
driving a second wave more deadly than the first. He has
repeatedly claimed to follow the science, so can he explain why
he did not follow scientific advice last September?
Just on this point, this attempt at division within the NHS is
deeply regrettable. It is not what people want. It is not what
people want in Scotland. It is not what people want anywhere
across the country. The NHS is an institution we should all be
very proud of. Of course it is managed locally—it is managed
locally across parts of England and it is managed under the
devolution settlement in Wales and Scotland, as are health
services in Northern Ireland, and rightly so—but it ill behoves
politicians to try to divide the NHS. It is a wonderful
institution that should make us all proud to be British.
On the specific question that the hon. Lady asked, of course we
are guided by the science and take all factors into
consideration. These are difficult judgments based on uncertain
data, and we make the best judgments that we can. That is still
the process we are going through, in the same way that the
Scottish National party Government in Scotland have recently
opened up parts of the rules in terms of social distancing,
despite the rise in cases.
We face a challenging decision ahead of 21 June, but that
decision is made easier by—indeed, the decision to open up is
only possible because of it—the UK vaccination effort. Today
marks six months to the day since Margaret Keenan in Coventry was
the first person in the world to receive a clinically validated
vaccine—the same day as Scotland, the same day as Wales. Since
then we have delivered—
Mr Speaker
Order. It is not a statement, but an answer that we require. I
call
to ask her
second question.
Dr Whitford
I think the Secretary of State would find that most people in
Scotland were rather glad that their NHS did not come under the
Health and Social Care Act 2012 fragmentation. Having ignored the
Scottish Government’s call in February for all arrivals to
undergo hotel quarantine, he then delayed adding India to the red
list. This allowed the more infectious Delta variant, which one
dose of the vaccine is less effective against, to enter and
become dominant in the UK. Is he not concerned that, if he
removes all social distancing completely in the near future, the
variant will cause a covid surge among those who are not fully
vaccinated?
As I was saying, Mr Speaker—
Mr Speaker
Maybe not.
Touché, Sir. In response to the hon. Lady’s question, I will say
this. The opening up and the return of our freedoms is only
possible because of the UK vaccination effort. In the six months
to the day since we first vaccinated across these islands—yes, in
Coventry, but also in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—we
have delivered 68 million vaccines across the whole UK and saved
thousands of lives, and the whole United Kingdom has been set
fair on the road to recovery thanks to the UK Government’s
vaccination effort. I am very grateful to everybody in Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland and England who has played their part in
delivering it. That shows the benefit of the United Kingdom Union
saving lives and working together for everybody on these islands.
Adult Social Care Reform
(Kingston upon Hull East) (Lab)
If he will publish a timetable for adult social care reforms.
(Edinburgh
West) (LD)
If he will hold discussions with relevant cross-party
stakeholders on social care reforms.
(Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab)
If he will publish a timetable for adult social care reforms.
(Angus) (SNP)
What steps his Department is taking to bring forward proposals on
social care reform.
(Weaver Vale)
(Lab)
If he will publish a timetable for adult social care reforms.
(Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)
If he will publish a timetable for adult social care reforms.
The Minister for Care ()
I am hugely ambitious about social care reform. I want a
sustainable care system that meets people’s needs and aspirations
and gives them the care and support they need to live life to the
full. We are working on proposals for reform and will bring those
forward later this year.
[V]
This Government are responsible for over 40,000 needless deaths
from covid-19 in care homes. A plan to fix social care in this
country is long overdue. This crisis is not new—people are
routinely forced to sell the family home to pay for care. The
workers are paid peanuts, while the 13 million unpaid carers are
left to pick up the pieces. Does the Minister agree that we have
had far too many vague promises and that unpaid carers cannot
wait a minute longer?
I agree with the hon. Member that there are many challenges for
social care, and that is one reason why many Governments have
talked about social care reform. As he will understand, over the
last year, we have rightly focused on supporting social care
through the pandemic, but we are working on our proposals for
reform and will bring them forward later this year.
[V]
Almost two years ago, the Government promised to fix social care
once and for all, but we have seen in this pandemic that it is
still seriously broken. Care does not stop at the hospital exit
or the GP’s door. Carers have sacrificed physical and mental
health caring for loved ones during the pandemic; 72% have had no
break, and 44% say they are at breaking point. In national Carers
Week, will the Minister commit to cross-party talks in the
immediate term to fix the social care crisis throughout the UK?
As the hon. Member says, this week is Carers Week, which is a
really good opportunity to raise awareness about the important
role that carers play in supporting loved ones and to remember
something that I personally am committed to: we must support
carers not only in the care that they do but to live their own
lives, for which respite care is really important. As part of our
reforms to social care, we are listening to carers and want to
ensure that their needs are met.
In July 2019, the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing
Street and pledged to fix the broken social care system. Two
years on, we are still waiting. There were only warm words in the
Queen’s Speech a couple of weeks ago:
“Proposals on social care reform will be brought
forward.”—[Official Report, House of Lords, 11 May 2021; Vol.
812, c. 2.]
Can the Minister tell us when the Government will move from
rhetoric and warm words and fix this broken system for the people
she has just mentioned, who need it desperately?
I welcome the hon. Member’s support for and interest in social
care reform, along with others across the House. We know that
social care reform is needed. We have rightly over the last year
focused on supporting social care through the pandemic, getting
£1.8 billion of extra funding for social care to the frontline
and providing billions of items of PPE, over 100 million tests to
social care and the vaccination programme to care home residents,
those who receive social care and the workforce. We are working
on our social care reforms and will bring those forward later
this year.
Many in this place and across England will be asking, “Where is
England’s long-awaited social care Bill?” because they will have
seen that the SNP Government are delivering a new deal for the
social care sector in Scotland, building a new national care
service that will improve workers’ conditions and standards of
care, and increasing investment in care by 25%. Will the UK
Government follow Scotland’s lead in transforming social care,
and will the Minister contact Scottish Government Ministers to
learn from our over a decade-long experience of integrating
health and social care?
One of the great strengths of our United Kingdom is our ability
to work together and learn from different parts of the UK. We
also look at the best in England and, of course, in Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland. The hon. Gentleman mentions the
care workforce. We absolutely want to make sure that this
important workforce are front and centre of our social care
reform plans and that they receive the training, opportunities,
recognition and reward that they deserve.
The Government have had 11 years to reform social care, but with
cuts of £8 billion over that period, it is fragmented and costly
and does not value workers and employees. Is it not time that the
Minister and the Government grab the bull by the horns and
introduce a national health and social care service? When are
reforms going to come into play—what day, what month, what year?
It is not just over the period mentioned by the hon. Member that
social care reforms have been talked about; this goes back at
least 25 years, to when was the Labour
leader and Prime Minister. He talked about reforms to social
care, but he has also said that it is not simple; these are
complex problems to address. When people talk about how social
care needs fixing, different people mean different things. That
is why, as part of our reforms, we are going to bring forward a
long-term plan for reforming social care.
Can I just say to the Minister that I think most Members of the
House of Commons will find her attitude incredibly complacent on
one of the key issues that faces most families in this country?
As my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale () has just
said, there has been an £8 billion cut to social care since 2010.
One of the steps she could take straight away is to reinstate
that £8 billion to local authorities, so that they can at least
provide services through the social care system that we have.
I have huge respect for the right hon. Lady and her work in many
areas, but I am disappointed by her language. She will appreciate
that, together, the Department, local authorities and the care
sector are working hard on how to bring forward the right package
of reforms for the system. We have already taken some of the
first steps on that road. For instance, the health and social
care Bill includes plans to strengthen oversight of the social
care system. That is an important step, but it is the beginning,
not the end, of the social care reform road.
(Leicester West) (Lab)
Six hundred and eighty-five days ago, the Prime Minister promised
to fix the crisis in social care to give every older person the
dignity and security they deserve. Since then, more than 32,000
elderly people have died from covid-19 in care homes, millions of
care workers and families have felt abandoned and pushed to
breaking point, and 300 elderly people have been forced to sell
their homes to pay for their care every single week. Does the
Minister think that has given people security, let alone dignity,
and will she tell the country, after more than a decade in power,
specifically when her Government will deliver?
What I will say, after the enormously difficult year that social
care has had through the pandemic, is that that has indeed
strengthened the already strong case for reform of social care. I
will say to the hon. Member that I want us to have a better
social care system, whether it is for our grans and grandads,
mums and dads, brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren,
or, indeed, as and when we need it ourselves. We have a
once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform social care. Now is
the time, now is the moment and we will seize this opportunity.
We will be bringing forward proposals for reform of social care
later this year.
Food Standards Agency
(Totnes) (Con)
What recent (a) discussions and (b) meetings he has had with the
Food Standards Agency.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
My ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with the
Food Standards Agency on matters of common concern.
Next week the Food Standards Agency will produce its annual
report and hold its annual general meeting. That report is likely
to recommend significant changes regarding live bivalve molluscs,
which have a huge impact on my constituency and on the health of
the nation for those who eat seafood. Will the Minister commit
that any changes recommended in the report next week will be
brought forward in record time, so that they may be implemented
quickly and we can secure the future of the seafood industry in
the United Kingdom?
It is a change to be talking about a different sort of mussel in
this place during Health questions. The Under-Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the
Member for Banbury () and I are
well aware of the challenges that currently face the shellfish
industry, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Totnes
() for his dogged determination, especially on behalf
of those businesses that rely on exports. We will continue to
work closely with the FSA, which I know has been working hard to
resolve these issues and make progress. I have been advised that
there is potential for change to ensure that classifications are
awarded in a proportionate and pragmatic way, while continuing to
ensure high levels of public health protection. I assure my hon.
Friend that I will continue to work closely with the FSA and with
my colleagues in DEFRA.
Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit: Dorset
(West Dorset) (Con)
What steps he is taking to support the construction of a new
psychiatric intensive care unit in Dorset.
The Minister for Health ()
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, not least for providing me with
my only opportunity to answer a question on the Order Paper
today. I am delighted to confirm that St Ann’s Hospital in Dorset
is already part of our plan to build 48 hospitals by 2030—the
biggest hospital building programme in a generation. The new
build at St Ann’s will provide child and adult mental health
services for the people of Dorset, resulting in outdated
infrastructure being replaced by facilities for staff and
patients that are at the cutting edge of modern technology,
innovation and sustainability, driving excellence in this hugely
important area of patient care.
I thank the Minister for his hard work in reopening the Yeatman
Hospital in Sherborne, which will happen in a couple of weeks for
A&E. On top of what he has already offered, which I very much
appreciate, will he commit specifically to increase inpatient
provision for children and young people in West Dorset with
severe mental health difficulties, as we have a number of
difficult cases?
My hon. Friend takes a great interest in these matters and, as he
will know, the number of places commissioned is a matter for NHS
commissioners locally. I reassure him that we can commit, and my
hon. Friend the Minister for mental health services is committed,
to expanding and transforming community mental health services
across England, boosted by an additional £79 million this year,
so that children and young people get timely access to the
support and treatment they need, without having to be admitted to
hospital. That is, of course, alongside the investment to which I
have referred for inpatient mental health facilities at St Ann’s.
Mental Health Treatment Reform
(Blyth Valley)
(Con)
What steps his Department is taking to reform mental health
treatment.
(East Hampshire) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to reform mental health
treatment.
(Brighton, Kemptown) (Lab/Co-op)
What recent assessment his Department has made of changes in
waiting times for mental health treatment.
The Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental
Health (
)
We are transforming mental health services through the NHS
long-term plan, investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by
2023-24. Where national waiting time targets exits, the majority
are being met. Targets for eating disorder services are sadly not
being met, but additional resources have been allocated to
increase capacity and address waiting times. We are working on
the consultation responses for the Mental Health Act White Paper,
and we will bring legislation forward when parliamentary time
allows.
After a career working in mental health for almost 30 years,
prior to entering this House, I was delighted to be asked to
become a board member for a local charity, Anxious Minds, which
is based in Blyth town centre. Its aim is to improve mental
health and wellbeing for local people. Will my hon. Friend assure
me and those who worry about the toll that this pandemic has
taken on the vulnerable that she will do everything she can to
ensure that mental health is given the highest possible propriety
as restrictions begin to ease?
Ms Dorries
I thank my hon. Friend for his years of service working in mental
health. Mental health is one of this Government’s top priorities,
and I assure him that we are doing our utmost to ensure that
mental health services are there for everyone who needs them.
Through the NHS long-term plan, we are expanding and transforming
mental health services in England and investing an additional
£2.3 billion a year in mental health services by 2023-24.
In addition, we have published our mental health recovery action
plan, backed by a one-off targeted investment of £500 million in
addition to the £2.3 billion, to ensure that we have the right
support in place this year. The plan aims to respond to the
impact of the pandemic on the mental health of the public,
specifically targeting groups that have been most impacted. We
have set up a cross-Government ministerial group to monitor
progress against the actions listed in the plan, and the group
will also identify areas for further action and collaboration.
I welcome the priority put on young people’s mental health, which
is perhaps more important now than ever. Will the Minister give
an update on progress on implementing the proposals in the
children and young people’s mental health Green Paper,
particularly on mental health support teams in Hampshire and
nationwide?
Ms Dorries
We are making good progress on implementing the Green Paper
proposals, and I am pleased to say that we have established 11
mental health support teams in Hampshire. Nationwide, there are
currently 180 mental health support teams, covering around 15% of
pupils in England. Over 200 more are in training or being
commissioned, and we expect to have around 400 in place by
2023-24, covering 35% of pupils. We recently announced £9.5
million to train thousands of senior mental health leads among
school and college staff.
Last year, in my NHS trust 37% of children referred to mental
health services were turned away. That was up from 28% the year
before. That is 2,649 children not getting treatment despite
referrals from professionals. That will be exacerbated, of
course, by the acute children’s mental health unit at Ticehurst
being shut and no new hospital provision commissioned.
It is not just Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust that is
failing; it is services across the country. In 2019, 140,000
children were turned away from child and adolescent mental health
services, and some experience exceptionally long waits. Is the
Minister comfortable with these huge numbers of children being
turned away from treatment? Does she think that these waiting
times are acceptable? What message does she have for those
children and families who do not receive the treatment that they
desperately need?
Ms Dorries
The short answer to that question is no, and that is why we have
committed an additional £500 million to address some of the
issues that the hon. Gentleman highlights. However, I must
reiterate that the majority of our targets, where they have been
set, are being met. Sadly, in eating disorders—I hold my hands
up—we are not meeting the targets that we want to, but as he may
be aware, we are trialling four-week waiting targets for children
and young people. The results of that review and pilot will be
available soon.
We continue to look at ways in which we can increase access to
services for children and young people. Children and young people
have told me themselves, via organisations such as Barnardo’s,
that they want their mental health services delivered in a
different way. They do not want to go and sit in a village hall
or a hospital, or wherever they may receive their services from
community practitioners; they want some of their services
delivered via their phones, laptops or computers. Obviously,
one-to-one services have to be available where they are needed,
but children and young people are demanding a change, and we are
going through that change now.
(Tooting) (Lab)
My hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown ()
raises a very important point and, frankly, I am shocked that the
Minister seems so relaxed about it. Across the country, there are
numerous children who have waited more than 400 days for help
with autism; 280 days for post-traumatic stress disorder; 217
days for suicidal ideation; 195 days for treatment after an
overdose—I could go on and on. Children should not have to wait
so long for treatment. That will have a scarring impact on their
development. These waiting times simply are not acceptable, so
will the Minister apologise to these children, and can she
explain where it went so wrong?
Ms Dorries
I do not believe that meeting almost all our targets for NHS
waiting times for mental health services, with £2.3 billion a
year of investment into our NHS and no NHS mental health service
closing during the entire pandemic, has been a failure. Of course
I am sorry for those children and young people who cannot get
access to services as quickly as they want; that is exactly why
we committed an additional £500 million and established a mental
health recovery plan: so that we can put community services in
place to reach those who have been impacted most by the pandemic
over the past 15 months. We have a long-term plan in place, with
the investment that the NHS tells us that that long-term plan
needs to provide the very services that we want to provide. The
mental health of children and young people is this Government’s
priority. We will continue to invest, and are proving to continue
to invest, to make sure that those children and young people
access the services they need.
Covid-19: Restoration of GP Services
(High Peak) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support the full
restoration of GP services as part of the covid-19 recovery.
(Wantage) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support the full
restoration of GP services as part of the covid-19 recovery.
(Sedgefield) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support the full
restoration of GP services as part of the covid-19 recovery.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
General practice has remained open throughout the pandemic,
offering face-to-face appointments as well as telephone and
online consultations, while playing a leading role in our
vaccination programme. We are enormously grateful to general
practices, the GPs and their broader teams for everything that
they have done, but to ensure that general practice can continue
to provide all necessary and appropriate care during this very
busy time, we have made an additional £270 million available
until September.
If it is done right, we can use technology and data to improve
healthcare services, improve patient outcomes and help to save
lives, so I welcome the proposals for a new GP data system, but
it is vital that we get this right with the appropriate
protections in place. With that in mind, will the Minister update
the House on these vital reforms?
I could not agree more. Data saves lives—it is as simple as that.
We have seen that in the pandemic, and it is one of the lessons
of the vaccine roll-out. The GP data programme will strengthen
the system and save lives. Patient data is, of course, owned by
the patient. We are absolutely determined to take people with us
on this journey. We have therefore decided that we will proceed
with the important programme, but we will take some extra time,
as we have conversed with stakeholders over the past couple of
days. The implementation date will now be 1 September. We will
use this time to talk to patients, doctors, health charities and
others to strengthen the plan, build a trusted research
environment and ensure that data is accessed securely. This
agenda is so important, because we all know that data saves
lives.
I have been contacted in recent weeks by quite a number of
constituents who are struggling to get a GP appointment, but we
have a pre-covid problem as well, which is that thousands and
thousands of new houses have gone into the constituency without
an increase in GP services. Will my hon. Friend meet me to
discuss how to get my constituents the GP services that they need
and deserve?
It is right that local health commissioners pay careful regard to
the impact of new housing and growing areas, which is to be
welcomed. I understand that both practices in my hon. Friend’s
area are still accepting patients and that the Oxfordshire
clinical commissioning group has been working closely with the
practices in Wantage to make sure that the impact of housing
growth is being accommodated, which I expect all CCGs and
councils to be doing. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to
discuss the matter further.
I recently met two cancer groups in Sedgefield, the Solan Connor
Fawcett Family Cancer Trust and the Great Aycliffe Cancer Support
Group, and heard about the wonderful work that they have been
doing over the past year. We also discussed how delayed GP
appointments have affected early diagnosis of important medical
issues such as cancer. Early diagnosis is necessary to provide
patients with the best chance of stopping the cancer spreading
and of recovering. Furthermore, the later cancer is caught, the
more complicated cases become; they take more time and more
resources and, of course, are horribly distressing. Will the
Minister please tell me what is being done to ensure that
backlogs in appointments are being addressed as urgently as
possible?
I pay tribute to all the cancer charities out there who have done
sterling work during the pandemic. As I have said, GP services
are open, and they are offering different forms of communication
with patients. We are running the Help Us, Help You campaign so
that people can come forward when they have symptoms. As my hon.
Friend says, identifying cancers early to save lives is part of
the long-term plan, but I would like to assure him that my latest
data showed that in March 2021 we had the highest ever recorded
number of GP referrals for cancer. GPs are working really hard,
and if patients are worried about any symptoms, they need to come
forward.
(Nottingham
North) (Lab/Co-op)
For GPs and for the NHS more broadly, using data effectively is
an important way to restore our health services. However, the
current plans to take this data from GPs, assemble it in one
place and sell it to unknown commercial interests for purposes
unknown has no legitimacy whatsoever. There has been no public
engagement and no explanation; this has simply been snuck out
under the cover of darkness—[Interruption.] I will get there,
Minister; do not worry. This is an NHS data grab. The news of the
delay is welcome and I am glad that the hon. Lady has made that
commitment, but within that, will she commit to ensuring that the
23 June opt-out date is also moved to 1 September and that there
will be a full public consultation on whether people want their
data used for these purposes?
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to my
hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (). We will be considering everything in the round. As I
have said, I have spoken to many of the stakeholders involved and
as we move forward we will be ensuring that we take all trusted
individuals with us to build confidence in the system.
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 in increasing the number
of organs available for donation.
The Minister for Care ()
The organ donation opt-out system has increased the number of
organs available for transplant and is saving hundreds of lives.
Since the law changed last year, 296 people in England have
donated their organs under the opt-out system. These donations
account for 29% of the 1,021 donations that took place last year.
[V]
I am grateful to the Minister for that response. She will know
that 20 May marked one year since Max and Keira’s law came into
effect—a change that will give hope and save lives—but despite
the tireless efforts of NHS staff, covid has had a devastating
impact on patients in need of life-saving operations. Can the
Minister outline how she is going to get organ transplant
services back to pre-pandemic levels and tell us what additional
resources will be committed in order to support an increase in
organ availability?
I would first like to thank the hon. Member for the part he
played in campaigning for this life-saving change to organ
donation and bringing about the increase that I mentioned
earlier. The current services are now running at pre-covid levels
and NHS Blood and Transplant is working with the wider healthcare
system to enable as many transplants as possible. The new Organ
Donation and Transplantation 2030: Meeting the Need strategy,
which was launched last Tuesday, sets out the steps we are taking
to increase organ availability further.
Medical Cannabis
(Inverclyde) (SNP)
What recent progress his Department has made on helping to ensure
that medical cannabis is accessible to people who require it
under prescription.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
I have discussed these concerns with the hon. Member and with the
co-chairs of the all-party parliamentary group on medical
cannabis under prescription, and he knows that I sympathise
deeply with the parents of these children and with the patients
and their families, many of whom I have met. They are dealing
courageously with conditions that are difficult to treat. My
immediate priority was to resolve the supply of Bedrocan oil from
the Netherlands. I have further meetings planned to make progress
on other issues in this incredibly complex situation.
[V]
I welcome today’s letter from the Minister detailing the
extension of the arrangements for the provision of Bedrocan, and
I am pleased that we are working towards the manufacture of
Bedrocan oils in the UK. I have two issues today. The first is
that patients still need to pay for their medicines. If the
numbers are so small and this is such a niche product, surely it
could be provided free on the NHS. Secondly, I have been told
that research is ongoing regarding the wider possibilities for
medical cannabis, but despite being promised an update a month
ago, I am still waiting for one from the Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency on clinical trials and the licence
application. Could that please be forthcoming?
As the hon. Gentleman knows, I have met Dr June Raine from the
MHRA and subsequently met further specialist clinicians in this
area to discuss progress with the research and evidence on
supporting prescribing on the NHS. Establishing clinical trials
is vital, with the support of the National Institute for Health
Research, to make sure that we are making the right decisions on
routine funding. From 1 April, we have introduced a national
patient registry to record data and monitor patient outcomes in
England, with a view to it being rolled out across Scotland and
the other devolved Administrations later this year; this covers
both licensed and unlicensed cannabis-based medicines on the NHS,
with a view to including private patients in due course. As he
knows, I am very focused on making sure we get the right
solutions for families, but at the heart of this matter always
has to lie the safety of what we prescribe.
Mr Speaker
Question 24 about covid-19 variants has been withdrawn, but if
the Minister can give a response, we can go to for his supplementary question.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
The Government have produced a four-step road map to ease
restrictions across England. Before each step, an assessment is
made against the four tests, including assessing the current risk
posed by variants of concern. The move to step 3 on 17 May was
based on the assessment that the risks were not fundamentally
changed by those variants of concern. Step 4 is due no earlier
than 21 June and the variants of concern will again be considered
in advance.
On Sky News, on Sunday, the Secretary of State was asked about
figures that contradict his claim that India was not put on the
red list at the same time as Bangladesh and Pakistan because
positivity rates were three times higher in those countries. In
response, he said that he did not recognise those figures, but he
should have done, because they are his own figures from Test and
Trace. Indeed, there are no published figures for the time the
decision was made that support his claim. Given the allegation
that the only reason there was a delay in putting India on the
red list was to help secure a trade deal, and given that this
delay is now having serious consequences, will the Minister agree
to publish all the data and advice on which the decision was
based, in the interests of transparency and accountability?
The positivity rates were three times higher from Pakistan than
they were from India when we made that decision. As the hon.
Gentleman knows, we keep these things under constant review and
we would be equally lambasted if decisions were made before we
had the correct information. Acting when we have the right
information on variants of concern is an important thing; we will
keep following the data.
New Hospital Construction
(Wellingborough)
(Con)
What recent assessment he has made of the progress of the
construction of new hospitals.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
In October, the Prime Minister confirmed a £3.7 billion funding
allocation over the next four years to support the delivery of 40
new hospitals by 2030, and I am delighted that that includes
Kettering General Hospital. We have since confirmed that there
will be 48 new hospitals built by 2030, and six of those projects
are under way.
Mr Bone
I am delighted that one of the new Boris hospitals will be built
on the site of Kettering General, starting with an accident and
emergency department and with the whole hospital being finished
by 2027. Unfortunately, there may well be a substantial delay to
that because of red tape and bureaucracy. Will the Secretary of
State use his great skills, bang some heads together, and get the
pen-pushers and accountants to sort out the delay so that we can
get on with this? Will he be kind enough to meet the three hon.
Members who represent north Northamptonshire to discuss the
issue?
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than making stuff happen, so I
would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend and the nearby
colleagues who represent the people served by Kettering General
Hospital to make sure we can get this project moving as soon as
we can.
Mr Speaker
You can rebuild Chorley hospital at the same time.
Office for Health Promotion: Mindfulness
(Rutherglen
and Hamilton West) (Ind)
What steps the Office for Health Promotion plans to take to
promote mindfulness in supporting good health.
The Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental
Health (
)
Work on the scope and organisation design of the Office for
Health Promotion is ongoing. We will present more detail on our
plans for the OHP in due course. Public Health England’s “Better
Health—Every Mind Matters” social marketing campaign aims to
inform and equip the public to look after their mental health.
Its NHS-endorsed website offers guidance on the actions that
people can take to improve their mental wellbeing, including by
practising mindfulness and reflection.
[V]
Research shows that mindfulness training can contribute to
improvements in obesity, eating behaviours, addiction and mental
health and wellbeing. Will the Minister ensure that the Office
for Health Promotion looks at the evidence of how mindfulness can
help with how we all manage our health?
Ms Dorries
There is emerging evidence on the mental health benefits of
mindfulness, which can take the form of meditation or wider
approaches that incorporate a mindful approach. As the hon. Lady
may be aware, I have been particularly concerned that we separate
out mental illness and wellbeing and mindfulness. We should focus
on mental illness, which needs intense clinical intervention in
NHS services, but also look at mindfulness and wellbeing. That is
why I mentioned “Every Mind Matters”: the facilities are there.
Pharmacies: Range of Work
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
What steps he is taking to increase the range of work carried out
by pharmacies.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
The pandemic has proven to the public how vital our highly
skilled pharmacy teams are in supporting their communities.
Pharmacies have massive potential to build on the new services
they are already delivering, and we will continue to look at how
we can use them further.
Mr Robertson
I thank the Minister for that answer. Can we also make sure that
the public are aware of everything that pharmacies can do, so
that they can use them to take pressure off GPs?
Indeed we can. I would be honoured to work with my hon. Friend to
do that so that people think “pharmacy first”. Pharmacies are
delivering lateral flow devices into our communities; 500 of them
have stood up to be vaccination sites; and we can now refer from
NHS 111 and GPs into community pharmacies for the supply of
prescribed medicine and for minor illnesses. We need our
pharmacies to show their skill base; they are a highly skilled
group that we should all be asking to do more and celebrating.
Topical Questions
(Bridgend) (Con)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
I can tell the House that today, working with local authorities,
we are providing a strengthened package of support, based on what
is working in Bolton, to help Greater Manchester and Lancashire
to tackle the rise in the delta variant that we are seeing there.
The support includes rapid response teams, putting in extra
testing, military support and supervised in-school testing. I
encourage everyone in Manchester and Lancashire to get the tests
on offer. We know that this approach can work: we have seen it
work in south London and in Bolton, stopping a rise in the number
of cases. This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in
Manchester and Lancashire. It is of course vital that people in
those areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as
soon as they are eligible, because that is our way out of this
pandemic together.
Dr Wallis
Currently, all primary care providers in Wales remain on amber
alert, which means that many of my constituents in Bridgend are
unable to access necessary services unless it is an emergency.
Will my right hon. Friend explain how this situation compares to
his Department’s strategy to provide catch-up services as we come
out of lockdown?
It is very important that, across the country, the UK is open,
the NHS is open and that people can come forward and get
treatment if they need it. As my hon. Friend knows, I work
closely with the delivery of the NHS in Wales. The NHS there is
of course the responsibility of the devolved Administration, but
I am happy to take up his concern with the new Welsh Minister for
Health and Social Services to see what we can do.
(Leicester South) (Lab/Co-op)
We have seen reports today of how exhausted NHS staff are. The
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said
in the media this morning that he was not sure what more the
Government could do to support NHS staff. Obviously, the
Government could give them a pay rise, but will the Secretary of
State for Health and Social Care also commit today to extending
free hospital car parking for NHS staff beyond the pandemic?
Of course, we have made hospital car parking free for staff
during the pandemic. That is one of the many, many things that we
have put in place to support staff. Staff wellbeing support and
mental health support have also been incredibly important,
learning, as we have done, from the support that we give to
others in public service who go through traumatic episodes. The
right hon. Gentleman is quite right that there is a wide array of
things that we need to do to support NHS staff on the frontline.
I wanted a commitment to extend the relief of hospital car
parking charges beyond the pandemic.
The Secretary of State knows that waiting lists are at 5 million
and that 432,000 people are waiting beyond 12 months. Once we are
through this pandemic, the priority must be to bring those
waiting lists down, but he is about to embark on a reorganisation
of the NHS with his integrated care legislation. Local boards
permit the private sector to have a seat on them. Virgin Care has
just been given a seat on the integrated care system in Bath and
North Somerset. He once promised that there would be no
privatisation on his watch, so will he instruct that ICS to
remove Virgin Care from its board?
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that integrating the
health service with services provided by local authorities, such
as social care, is absolutely critical, and I know that he
supports those proposals that have come from the NHS. When it
comes to delivering services in the NHS, what matters to patients
is that they get high-quality services, for instance, to deal
with the backlog, and what matters is getting those services as
fast as we possibly can. People care much less about who provides
the service than they do about the service getting delivered, and
that is the approach that I take, too.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee.
(South West Surrey) (Con)
Today, the Health and Social Care Committee published its report
on NHS and social care staff burnout, which chronicles the
emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue felt by many frontline
staff in the past year. Much support has been put in place; the
50,000 nurse target is welcome, the extra doctors and nurses
hired during the pandemic extremely welcome, but still we have
shortages in nearly every specialty, leading to a sense of
despair. Will my right hon. Friend consider the recommendation
that we make today that Health Education England should be given
the statutory power to make independent workforce projections,
rather as the Office for Budget Responsibility does for Budget
forecasts, so that we can at least look doctors and nurses in the
eye and say that we are training enough of them for the future?
I am very happy to work with the Select Committee on the
forthcoming health and care Bill. The Committee has already had a
huge amount of input into that Bill, and I am sure that, during
its passage, we will be working together on making sure that this
piece of legislation, which has cross-party support, can come
through the House in the best possible state. I am very happy to
look at the specific proposal, but what I would say is that we
have been recruiting record numbers of doctors and nurses to try
to make sure that the NHS is always there for all of our
constituents and their families.
(East Renfrewshire) (SNP)
The British Medical Association has warned that the freezing of
the lifetime and annual pensions tax allowance until April 2026
could significantly impact the retention and overtime of health
and care staff, with 72% of doctors that it surveyed saying that
it would make them more likely to retire early. What
consideration has been given to the BMA’s proposal of offering a
tax unregistered scheme, similar to that of the judiciary, for
those in the NHS?
We made very significant progress on this in the Budget
immediately following the general election, as the hon. Lady will
know. That has removed this problem for the vast majority of
doctors who serve in the NHS. I am very glad that we were able to
make that progress. I am always happy to look at suggestions from
the unions and others, but I am glad to say that we have made a
good deal of progress on this one.
(Dewsbury) (Con)
Despite the recent rise in infection rates, covid-related deaths
and hospital admissions remain low across my constituency. Surge
vaccinations and testing have been effectively rolled out in
high-risk areas, and pop-up vaccination centres, such as the
Darby and Joan Club in Clayton West, are doing a fantastic job.
Given that, can my right hon. Friend assure the people of
Dewsbury, Mirfield, Kirkburton and Denby Dale that there will be
no need to introduce local restrictions in the future?
The Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment ()
I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the whole team on the
incredible work that they did in pretty difficult and urgent
circumstances. I reassure him that, as the Prime Minister has
said and as the Secretary of State has said from the Dispatch
Box, we want the whole country to come out of this lockdown
together.
(Ealing, Southall) (Lab) [V]
My constituents continue to be concerned that covid-19 is being
used as an excuse to remove services from Ealing Hospital
permanently. Accepting temporary suspensions for covid-19 is
fine, but will the Secretary of State confirm that this public
health crisis will not be used as an excuse to scrap services
without following proper consultations and undertaking rigorous
impact assessments?
Yes.
(Keighley) (Con)
The Airedale General Hospital celebrates its 51st birthday this
year, despite having a life expectancy of 30 years when it was
originally built and 83% of it being built from aerated concrete,
which is known for its structural deficiencies. My right hon.
Friend the Secretary of State is well aware of my campaign to get
a rebuild of the Airedale hospital, so that we can mitigate the
risk of those structural deficiencies. Will he visit the hospital
to meet me and Brendan Brown, the chief executive, so that we may
discuss the plans in more detail?
Mr Speaker
I think the answer is yes.
Mr Speaker, not only has my hon. Friend made a compelling case
for me to visit, but you have just told me to visit, so I have my
marching orders. I look forward to my now forthcoming visit to
Airedale hospital. I have not been yet, so I am very keen to
come.
The Minister of State responsible for the hospital building
programme has been heavily involved, and I have been looking at
the paperwork. As my hon. Friend knows, on top of the 40
hospitals we announced—six of which are already being built—we
have eight further slots to come, and Airedale hospital is very
much on my radar for those slots. We will run an open competition
and will make sure it is fair, but I will certainly visit.
(Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
This week, the Prime Minister praised the major benefits of the
private finance initiative companies that are part of the
LIFT—NHS Local Finance Investment Trust—initiative running GP
services. That is why I am sure that the Secretary of State will
be disappointed to learn that here in Walthamstow, Community
Health Partnerships, a PFI LIFT company that we estimate has made
several millions of pounds of profit from the deal on top of its
service charges, and which the Secretary of State is ultimately
in charge of, has just handed our local toy library a business
rates bill of £30,000 for during the pandemic. I hate to add to
the Secretary of State’s busy diary, but will he meet me to
discuss what we can do to ensure that such companies stop making
major profits from our NHS services and that benefits such as a
toy library are not lost due to their antics?
Yes, I will ensure that the Minister of State takes a meeting
with the hon. Lady.
(Cities of London and Westminster) (Con)
I am sure that my right hon. Friend saw Fergus Walsh’s report on
the BBC news last week on spinal muscular atrophy and the
importance of the UK’s newborn screening programme. Surprisingly,
the UK screens for only nine rare diseases in the heel-prick
test, compared with other European countries such as Iceland and
Italy, which test for 47 and 43 diseases, respectively. The
sooner the diagnosis for a child with a rare disease the better,
because it can change their life and their life chances. With
that in mind, does my right hon. Friend agree that the UK should
now consider expansion of the newborn screening programme? Will
he meet, or ask a Minister of State to meet, me and campaigners
on the issue?
Yes, absolutely, I 100% agree with my hon. Friend. We have the
funding to expand that programme. She will have seen in our
national genomics healthcare strategy that newborn screening is
specifically highlighted. It is a personal mission of mine to
make that happen. I am happy to meet her and , the chair of Genomics England, who has been
driving the project forward.
(Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab)
Early diagnosis gives the best chance of survival, but a GP in my
constituency has expressed serious concerns about delays in
accessing urgent blood tests, which are critical to diagnose
cancer. Will the Secretary of State ensure that local issues such
as this do not worsen the already significant cancer backlog and
put more people’s lives at risk?
Yes. The hon. Lady raises a very important issue, and if she
writes to me with the full details, we will get right on it.
(Eastbourne) (Con) [V]
I am delighted to report back to my right hon. Friend that the
University of Brighton, which has a campus in Eastbourne, has
experienced a significant rise in the number of applications to
study for careers in health professions. A shortage of training
placements is the only real brake on the numbers of would-be
students. I understand from having talked to the university that
in the UK students must complete over 2,000 hours in placement.
That is in contrast to Australia’s and New Zealand’s 1,000 hours.
Is that seemingly high requirement under review with Health
Education England so that we do not miss an opportunity to
capture this new interest, build the NHS workforce of the future,
open opportunities to all those who have the talent to succeed,
and further secure my home town as a destination for studying?
The Minister for Care ()
My hon. Friend makes a really important point. Nurse education
standards are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Its
current standards are based on EU law, but that no longer applies
to the UK, and it has launched a survey on whether those
standards should change. Acceptances for pre-registration nursing
programmes at English universities for 2020-21 increased by over
5,000 since the previous year.
(Newcastle
upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
Many constituents have con, deeply concerned by Government
proposals to grab, store and share GP health data. Can the
Secretary of State tell me this: if I opt out of this data grab,
will my health data be available to a hospital outside my home
area should I have an accident, for example? If I do not opt out
of it, how can I control how my data is shared, whether
individually or in aggregate? I do not want to have to choose
between privacy and my health.
The hon. Lady is quite right, and if she was in the Chamber
earlier, she would have heard the Under-Secretary of State, my
hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds (), say that we are going to delay the deadline for
this programme, including the opt-out, which is currently
scheduled to end on 23 June. That has already been welcomed,
while we have been in here, by the Royal College of General
Practitioners and the British Medical Association, and then we
will work through these issues. Everybody agrees that data saves
lives. We have to make progress in this area, and it is very
important that we do it in a way that brings people with us and
resolves exactly the sorts of issues that she raises.
(Colne Valley) (Con)
Although covid cases remain above the national average across
Kirklees, thankfully hospitalisations and deaths remain low.
Locally, my constituents are getting vaccinated and tested. Can
the Health Secretary please confirm that he will not reintroduce
local restrictions?
I am really glad to say that in Bolton and other parts of the
country where we have sent in a big package of support, including
surge testing—as we have done in Kirklees—we have seen a
capping-out of the increase in rates without a local lockdown
thanks to the enthusiasm of people locally and, of course, the
vaccination programme. That is our goal. Our goal is that England
moves together. That is what we are putting these programmes in
place to do, and we are seeing them work.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
Northwick Park Hospital, which serves my constituents, was the
first to be hard hit by covid last year. At the height of the
second wave in January, its remarkable staff were looking after
some 600 patients. It needs investment in intensive care and
recovery services. When Ministers receive the business case, can
I ask them to look particularly sympathetically at it?
Yes.
(Buckingham) (Con)
Macmillan estimates that the current backlog of people awaiting a
first cancer treatment across England stands at 39,000 people.
What plans can my right hon. Friend outline to bolster cancer
services so that those people get the treatment they need?
Recovering the backlog that has been caused by the pandemic is a
huge task for the NHS, and was raised by the right hon. Member
for Leicester South () from the Opposition Front Bench, quite rightly. The
backlog has unfortunately been increased as a consequence of the
pandemic. We have put in extra money—an extra £1 billion this
year—and we are seeing cancer services running at 100% of their
pre-pandemic levels, and in some cases above 100%, in order to
get through the backlog. The most important thing for the public
watching this and for my hon. Friend’s constituents is to make
sure the message gets out loud and clear that the NHS is open,
and that if they have a problem, they should please come forward.
(Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)
Diolch, Mr Speaker. What recent discussions has the Secretary of
State had with the Home Office regarding the successful clinical
trials in the use of psilocybin in helping to deal with
depression? It is a natural chemical found in fungi.
That is not something that has yet come across my desk, but I
will make sure that the relevant Minister writes to the hon.
Gentleman with as much detail as we know.
(Blackpool
North and Cleveleys) (Con)
Community defibrillators are vital potential life savers, and
many community groups fund investment in them. However, it is
concerning to hear that members of the public are denied access
to defibrillators when they are on private land. What can
Ministers do to ensure that access is presumed rather than
subject to permission?
What my hon. Friend says is absolutely right. Of course if
someone puts a defibrillator on private land, access to it should
naturally be open to anybody who needs it. I will look into the
exact legal status, but let us set aside the legal status for a
minute. If there is a defibrillator on private land that could
save somebody’s life, the landowner should of course allow access
to it for anybody who needs it.
(Newport East) (Lab)
As current Government investment in motor neurone research is not
the targeted funding that is needed, will the Minister meet
charities, researchers and patients to examine this discrepancy
and commit to additional funding of £10 million a year for five
years for a virtual motor neurone disease research institute,
with a specific focus on helping us to get a world free of MND?
I will look into the hon. Lady’s specific request, but I can tell
her that the Government are actively supporting research into
motor neurone disease. For instance, in April I jointly hosted a
roundtable event on boosting MND research with the National
Institute for Health Research/Sheffield Biomedical Research
Centre, which brought together researchers and others. We are
absolutely committed to this area of work.
Mr Speaker
Final question, .
(Forest of Dean) (Con)
Mr Speaker, I am very grateful that you could fit me in at the
end.
Yesterday during the statement the Secretary of State did not
have the information to hand on the efficacy of the covid
vaccines in reducing serious disease and hospitalisation. He made
a commitment, rightly, to set them out today at Health questions
at the Dispatch Box; and I am delighted, with this question, to
give him the opportunity to do so.
First, I can say that a single dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca
jab offers protection of 75% to 85% against hospitalisation,
while data on two doses, which is currently available only for
Pfizer, indicates 90% to 95% effectiveness against
hospitalisation and 95% to 99% effectiveness at preventing death.
However, my right hon. Friend also asked specifically about the
delta variant, and I said that I did not have the figure in my
head for the reduction in hospitalisations. I do not know whether
I should be glad, but I can report to him that the reason is that
there is not yet a conclusive figure. This morning I spoke to Dr
Mary Ramsay, who runs this research at Public Health England, and
she told me that the figure is currently being worked on. The
analysis is being done scientifically and should be available in
the coming couple of weeks. This is obviously an absolutely
critical figure and I will report it to the House as soon as we
have it.
