Access to Mental Health Services Rachel Hopkins (Luton South) (Lab)
1. What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health
services.(903903) Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab) 18.
What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health
services.(903922) The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
(Steve Barclay) We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year
by 2023-24 so that 2 million more people can access NHS-funded
mental...Request free trial
Access to Mental Health Services
(Luton South) (Lab)
1. What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health
services.(903903)
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
18. What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health
services.(903922)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023-24 so
that 2 million more people can access NHS-funded mental health
support.
Research by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows that between
July 2021 and July 2022, referrals to child and adolescent mental
health services increased by 24%. Labour has set out a fully
costed plan to recruit 8,500 new staff. Why have the Government
failed to produce their own plan to recruit more mental health
staff to reduce waiting times?
We are recruiting more mental health workers, with 7,400 more
full-time equivalents in September 2022 compared with September
2021. That reflects the significant additional funding we are
providing—the extra £2.3 billion going in by 2023-24.
Perinatal mental health problems affect one in four new or
expectant mothers, and 40% of deaths in the first year after
pregnancy are related to mental health. What steps are the
Government taking to improve support for women with perinatal
mental health needs, particularly in the light of the women’s
health strategy?
The hon. Gentleman raises an extremely important subject. As well
as the additional investment and extra workforce we are putting
into mental health, we are looking at this issue as part of our
strategies in other areas—for example, our suicide strategy—and
examining our capital investment. There is a range of measures to
address this very important issue.
(Reigate) (Con)
My right hon. Friend is aware of the evidence on the use of
psychedelic drugs for more effective mental health care. Last
month Australia, having assessed the evidence on psilocybin,
started the rescheduling process, and Australians suffering from
depression will be able to access this medicine from July. In the
USA, the Food and Drug Administration has recognised psilocybin
as a breakthrough therapy for depression. In Canada, the special
access programme allows physicians to request a licence for
assisted therapy under certain conditions. Our drug laws remain
based on a 50-year-old, unevidenced, prejudiced assessment and
nothing else. The Home Office has never commissioned evidence on
psilocybin. Does my right hon. Friend understand that this is a
primary public health issue, on which he should lead?
I recognise the close interest my hon. Friend takes in this
matter, and he is right to draw the House’s attention to
international best practice. I agree that we should take an
evidence-based approach in which we look at the data shared with
regulators in other countries, such as Australia. I am happy to
draw the point he makes to the attention of our regulators.
(Rochester and Strood)
(Con)
Anorexia affects many young people. One of my constituents had to
give up work to look after her daughter, who was diagnosed with
anorexia nervosa and made a number of attempts to overdose—the
latest just two weeks ago. The daughter is also suspected to be
suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder and an autism
spectrum disorder, but has been told that the wait for diagnosis
is over two years. Will my right hon. Friend outline what support
we can give my constituent and her family? Have we thought about
providing personal budgets, so that if the NHS is unable to treat
an individual, they can seek treatment outside the NHS?
My right hon. Friend raises an important issue, and I am happy to
look into the individual case she describes. Our wider objective
in providing extra funding is to ensure that we treat more
people, with 2 million more people accessing NHS-funded mental
health support by 2023-24 and the number of patients in talking
therapies last year up by a fifth from the year before.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Tooting) (Lab)
There is a mental health staffing crisis of the Government’s own
making. Figures out last week show that there are more than
28,000 mental health vacancies in our NHS, which is up on the
year before and the year before that. Are we seeing a pattern
here? The number of mental health nurses is down 5% since 2010,
but do not worry, Mr Speaker: just so the Secretary of State is
aware, Labour has a plan to recruit and retain more mental health
staff and to get waiting times down. Can he put a word in with
the Chancellor in case he wants to nick that too?
It is always good to find a plan that the hon. Lady actually
agrees with the shadow Health Secretary on. As we know from her
questions, that is not always the case, not least on the use of
the independent sector. What we do know is that she has a habit
of writing her questions before she hears the previous answer. I
just reminded the House of the 7,400 more staff in mental health
in September 2022 compared with September 2021. Obviously she had
written her question before that point.
Bereavement
(Boston and Skegness)
(Con)
2. What assessment he has made of the implications for his
policies of the report by the UK Commission on Bereavement
entitled “Bereavement is everyone’s business”, published in
October 2022.(903904)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
I thank the UK Commission on Bereavement and everyone who
contributed their experience of bereavement for their input into
the report. We are working across Government and with the
bereavement sector to consider how the wide range of findings
from the report can inform future policy and make a difference to
those who are bereaved.
When my parents died just six weeks apart from each other, I know
I would have benefited from practical and emotional support. The
UK Commission on Bereavement has a number of excellent
recommendations. Does the Minister agree that, among those, the
idea of integrating support and information about bereavement
into palliative care and end-of-life care is one that the
Government should look at taking up?
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, who has done so much work
in this space campaigning for others to have a better experience
than he had with the tragic loss of his parents. I can give him
an absolute commitment that we are working with partners across
health and palliative care to ensure that bereavement support is
an integral part of palliative and end-of-life practice. The new
Health and Care Act 2022 means that integrated care boards must
commission those services, and NHS England has published new
statutory guidance on palliative and end-of-life care to give
ICBs the information they need, which includes giving bereavement
support to those facing a loss.
Doctor Numbers
(Carlisle) (Con)
3. What steps he is taking to increase the number of
doctors.(903905)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
We have opened five new medical schools in Sunderland,
Lancashire, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Canterbury as part of our
wider drive to increase the number of doctors.
Does the Secretary of State agree, first, that we must train
enough of our own doctors, rather than depend on overseas
doctors? Secondly, does he agree that it is important that the
less traditional educational institutions are allowed to open or
expand medical schools, as they are often in areas where doctors
are in short supply?
I agree with my hon. Friend, and that is why we had a 25%
increase in the total number of medical school places. On the
specific point he raises, we have developed the new
apprenticeship route for medical doctors so that we can start to
have more training through that route and not just through the
undergraduate route.
(Walsall South) (Lab)
As well as recruiting doctors, how do we retain doctors? A doctor
in my constituency says that at the end of the day he takes home
£100 a week. That is less than a decorator. What are the
Government doing about retaining good doctors like my
constituent?
It is worth pointing out to the House that the vacancy rate for
doctors has fallen compared with where it was before the
pandemic. That is often not the narrative that is put out there,
but the right hon. Lady is right to highlight the importance of
retention. It is obviously better to retain a doctor, given the
cost and time it takes to recruit, and that is about looking at a
combination of pay issues, about which we are talking to trade
union colleagues, and non-pay issues, which are often a real
factor in the quality of work that doctors are doing and often
shapes retention issues.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Ilford North) (Lab)
I am afraid that talk is cheap. I was at Worcester University’s
medical school yesterday, where I was told directly by the
vice-chancellor that that university, which has great facilities,
can only recruit international students because the Government
will not fund places for domestic students. The NHS has asked for
medical school places to be doubled. Labour has a plan to double
medical school places, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax
status. Why do the Government not swallow their pride and adopt
Labour’s plan in next week’s Budget?
First, as I said a moment ago, we are funding a 25% increase in
medical undergraduate places, and we have given a commitment to a
workforce plan, as the Chancellor set out in the autumn
statement. The question that the shadow Secretary of State should
address is his party’s opposition to international recruitment.
We have more than 45,000 doctors who have been recruited
internationally, yet the Leader of the Opposition says he wants
to move away from international recruitment, which is an
important source of additional doctors.
Cardiac Arrest
(North Tyneside) (Lab)
4. What steps his Department has taken to improve survival rates
for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases.(903906)
The Minister for Social Care ()
There are 60,000 suspected cardiac arrests every year, and I want
more people to survive them. That is why we are increasing the
number of defibrillators around the county. We now have over
46,000 defibrillators in England, and in December we announced a
new £1 million community defibrillators fund to boost that number
by at least 1,000.
I am pleased that the Government have committed to a £1 million
fund to increase the number of defibrillators in the community.
However, 72% of sudden cardiac arrests take place in the home,
less affluent areas have lower access to public defibrillators
and access is difficult in rural areas. Will the Minister make it
her policy to require all new buildings, including residential
accommodation, to have a defibrillator in the same way that smoke
alarms are required?
A specific objective of the community defibrillators fund is to
make sure that defibrillators are installed in places where they
are most needed, particularly places where there is higher
footfall, as well as places where people are at greater risk of
cardiac arrest. That is appropriate to make sure that we have
defibrillators where they are most needed, so that we can reduce
the number of people dying from cardiac arrest.
(Peterborough) (Con)
Two great organisations in Peterborough, Gemma’s Hearts and the
Brotherhood Foundation, exist to try to place more defibrillators
in the community, such as those at the Lime Tree pub in Walton
and the Chestnuts community centre in Eastfield. How will the
community defibrillators fund work with voluntary organisations
such as the two that I have mentioned to ensure that we have
equitable access across places like Peterborough?
It is fantastic to hear about organisations in my hon. Friend’s
community that, like many around the country, are acting at the
grassroots to increase the number of defibrillators. Very soon,
we will publish the criteria for the fund that I have just
announced, opening it up for bids from organisations such as
those, and I look forward to bids from them.
New Hospitals
(Ruislip, Northwood and
Pinner) (Con)
5. What progress his Department has made on building 40 new
hospitals.(903907)
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
13. What his Department’s (a) budget and (b) timetable is for the
delivery of 40 new hospitals.(903916)
(South Shields) (Lab)
15. What his Department’s (a) budget and (b) timetable is for the
delivery of 40 new hospitals.(903918)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
The Government are committed to building 40 new hospitals, which
is why we have confirmed an initial £3.7 billion for the first
four years of the new hospital programme.
One of those 40 new hospitals is Hillingdon Hospital. At the
start of this year, Hillingdon Council granted planning consent
for the proposed new hospital, which is much awaited by my
constituents. Will my right hon. Friend tell me when we might
expect building work to commence?
As my hon. Friend knows, I have been to Hillingdon to look at the
scheme. I am aware of how essential it is to his local area. He
will know that on 22 February, the Prime Minister spoke at Prime
Minister’s questions of the Government’s commitment to building
40 new hospitals, and I hope to announce something on that very
shortly.
The conditions at North Manchester General Hospital continue to
worsen. Last month, theatres were forced to close for six weeks
following a ceiling collapse. It is four years since the
Government announced the rebuild under the new hospital
programme, but little progress has been made. In January, the
leader of Manchester City Council wrote to the Secretary of State
offering to host a meeting to discuss the project. Will he commit
to accepting the invitation?
I or another member of the ministerial team will, of course, meet
the leader of Manchester council to discuss this. We are making
progress. The hon. Gentleman will have seen progress, for
example, at the Royal Liverpool and the Northern Centre for
Cancer Care, but I confirm our commitment to the 40 hospitals
programme and hope to say more on that shortly.
Mrs Lewell-Buck
I heard the responses from the Secretary of State, and it must be
really hard for him to keep up the pretence about these mythical
hospitals. Here is the reality of what is happening in hospitals
around the country. South Tyneside District Hospital was award
winning. Despite widespread opposition from all of us at the Save
South Tyneside Hospital campaign, we have seen a loss of key
services and a downgrading of other services. Despite the work of
the amazing staff, the hospital now requires improvement. Why is
his Government forcing that decline?
The Government have committed an initial £3.7 billion, which
indicates our commitment to the new hospital programme. As I
said, I will have more to say on that shortly.
(Wellingborough) (Con)
Kettering General Hospital serves my constituency, and work has
already started on building a new hospital—one of the Boris
hospitals—so I do not know what all the fuss is about. The
Government are getting on and doing the job. Is that correct?
It is. As my hon. Friend will know from another of my visits,
which was with him to Kettering, the enabling works are
progressing. That is in no small part a tribute to the work that
he and neighbouring MPs have done to strongly make the case for
Kettering. I know that he will continue to do so, and I look
forward to working with him on that.
Health Inequalities
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
6. What steps he is taking to help tackle health
inequalities.(903908)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
We announced in January that we will publish a major conditions
strategy, which will apply a geographical lens to each condition
to address disparities in health outcomes. We have doubled the
duty on cigarettes since 2010 and now have the lowest smoking
rate on record. We are investing an extra £900 million through
the drugs strategy, increasing funding by 40%, and to fight
obesity we have introduced the sugar tax and measures such as the
extra £330 million for school sport.
Dr Huq
The daily dump of WhatsApp messages in the papers reminds us of
covid and the disproportionate deaths suffered by black, Asian
and minority ethnic communities. What with that and the figures
showing a 20-year gap between life expectancies in our nation’s
most affluent and poorest wards, why is it that the Government
scrapped a proposed White Paper on health inequalities?
Neil O’Brien
As I just said, we are driving forward all that work through the
major conditions paper. In addition, we have the Start for Life
programme, with another £300 million to improve young people’s
start in life. We are absolutely committed to tackling health
disparities and driving forward work on all fronts.
(Sleaford and North
Hykeham) (Con)
Vaping was designed as a stop-smoking device for adult smokers,
but the flavours, colours and disposable vapes have become a fad
for children, encouraging those who have never smoked to take up
vaping. What are the Government doing to prevent that?
Neil O’Brien
My hon. Friend is quite right. It is something that we are
looking at very closely, as she knows from previous
conversations. While vaping can be an aid in quitting smoking—it
helped about 800,000 people to do so last year—we must stop its
use being driven up among children.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
We are just 24 days away from a new financial year. Last week,
more than 30 public health leaders said that the delay to
releasing the public health allocation for 2023-24 was
“putting public health services at risk”.
Early years support, addiction treatment and stop-smoking
services should not have to pay the price of this Minister’s
incompetence. He must apologise for treating councils and the
health of our communities with such contempt. When will the
public health grant be announced?
Neil O’Brien
The public health grant will be announced within days, not weeks.
When it is announced, the Opposition will see that, as well as
generously funding public health, we will be funding an extra
£900 million on drugs spending to transform treatment and an
extra £300 million through the Start for Life programme. We will
continue to ramp up support for public health.
Childhood Obesity
(Ashfield) (Con)
7. What steps he is taking to help reduce childhood
obesity.(903910)
(West Bromwich East)
(Con)
8. What steps he is taking to help reduce childhood
obesity.(903911)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
The Government are committed to addressing childhood obesity. We
have introduced calorie labelling for on-the-go food and brought
in the sugar tax. To drive up activity, we are spending £330
million a year on school sport through the PE premium and
investing £300 million in new facilities through the youth
investment fund. We are also spending £150 million a year on
healthy food schemes such as school fruit and vegetables, nursery
milk and the Healthy Start scheme.
A top local chef in Ashfield agrees with me that cooking meals
from scratch is far cheaper and more nutritious than having
processed foods and ready meals. Does my hon. Friend agree that
it would be a good idea to start teaching children basic cooking
skills in school so that they can enjoy a healthier diet as part
of our fight against obesity?
Neil O’Brien
My hon. Friend is totally right. As well as the funding that I
mentioned for healthy eating in schools, cooking and nutrition
are part of the national curriculum from key stages 1 to 3, which
aims to teach children how to cook and apply those principles of
healthy eating, but I am sure there is more that we can do
together.
The announcement of the Government-backed trial in Wolverhampton
to introduce a Better Health: Rewards app is welcome, and I
congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton North
East (), who has campaigned hard
for it. My constituency also suffers from poor health outcomes,
including excessive levels of childhood obesity, with one in
three year 6 children being overweight or obese. How will the
Minister monitor the success of the trial? Will he consider
extending it to areas such as West Bromwich East?
Neil O’Brien
The Better Health: Rewards pilot that we are funding in
Wolverhampton is very exciting, and more than 10,000 residents
have already registered with the app. We will be monitoring the
lessons of the pilot closely and looking at how we can apply them
more broadly.
(Strangford) (DUP)
For such families it is about not necessarily the right food, but
the cheapest food, which means that, in many cases, young
children become obese through no fault of their own. What can be
done to help families to buy healthier foods on a budget that is
often minimal?
Neil O’Brien
The hon. Gentleman is completely correct. As well as the actions
that we are taking on healthy eating and obesity, that is exactly
why we are spending £55 billion to help households and businesses
with their energy bills this winter—one of the biggest packages
in Europe. It is also why we have the £900 cost of living payment
for 8 million poorer households, we are increasing the national
living wage to its highest ever level, and we are spending £26
billion on the cost of living support this year. He is completely
right and I commend his work on it.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
(SNP)
The Scottish Government aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030,
but dealing with the consequences of a poor diet alone is not
enough. It is essential to address the underlying causes, such as
child poverty. What representations has the Minister made to his
Cabinet colleagues about the Department for Work and Pensions and
the damaging effects of some of its policies on public health
outcomes?
Neil O’Brien
I met the SNP’s public health lead last week and had an excellent
conversation with her. As well as the sugar tax, we have
introduced calorie labelling; volume and location restrictions on
high fat, salt and sugar products, which come in from October;
the advertising watershed from 2025; and all those other
measures, such as school sport and the youth investment fund. We
have done all that because we share exactly those concerns about
obesity and we are driving forward work to tackle it.
Waiting Times: Cancer
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
9. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times
for cancer referrals, diagnosis and treatment.(903912)
The Minister for Social Care ()
More people are coming forward to get checked for cancer. Last
year, more than 10,000 urgent GP referrals were made per working
day and more than 100,000 patients were diagnosed with cancer at
an earlier stage, when it is easier to treat.
I thank the Minister for her answer. In south Cumbria, 27% of
people diagnosed with cancer wait more than two months for their
first treatment, and in north Cumbria that figure is 44%. Let us
imagine how terrifying it is for someone to be told that they
have a dangerous disease, but that they may need to wait two
months for the first intervention—people are dying needlessly. I
draw her attention to the campaign run jointly by the all-party
parliamentary group for radiotherapy and the Express, which seeks
a £1 billion boost to increase capacity and update technology in
radiotherapy. Will she meet me to specifically consider the bid
for a radiotherapy satellite unit at the Westmorland General
Hospital in Kendal, so that we can cut waiting times and save
lives?
As the hon. Gentleman said, if someone suspects that they have
cancer, it is extremely worrying for them to have to wait for a
diagnosis—or for the all-clear, as happens for the majority of
people—or, if they have had their diagnosis, for treatment. That
is why we are working hard to speed up access to cancer diagnosis
and treatment, and we are looking at all the options to do that.
To give him some examples: NHS England is driving ahead to open
new community diagnostic centres, 92 of which are already
operational; rolling out faecal immunochemical testing for people
with possible lower gastrointestinal tract cancer; and rolling
out teledermatology to speed up the diagnosis of skin cancer. We
are also seeing backlogs coming down.
Ambulance Response Times
(Burnley) (Con)
10. What steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times.
(903913)
(Wrexham) (Con)
17. What steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times.
(903921)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
We published the urgent and emergency care recovery plan, which
set out a number of measures to improve patient flow within
hospitals, which has an impact on ambulance performance. In
addition, we are purchasing 800 new ambulances, which will be on
the road this year.
The Secretary of State will be aware that, in 2007, the last
Labour Government closed the accident and emergency at Burnley
General Teaching Hospital. When I speak to my constituents about
ambulance wait times, the one thing that they always return to is
bringing back the A&E at Burnley, which the Labour Government
took away. I have raised this issue with Health Ministers since
the day I was elected, so will he set out whether it will ever be
possible to bring back the A&E that Labour closed? Will he
meet me to discuss it?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the consequences of closures
such as that, PFI or other issues that are still felt in
communities such as Burnley. He will also know that it is for the
integrated care board to look at commissioning decisions and I
know that he will make his case powerfully to that board.
The Welsh Labour Government have a service level agreement with
the Welsh ambulance service to hand over patients to hospital
within 15 minutes. At the Wrexham Maelor Hospital, this target is
consistently missed, and a recent handover took eight hours 36
minutes. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Welsh
Government need to stop playing the blame game and start working
in partnership for the betterment of patients?
My hon. Friend raises an extremely powerful point. It is not only
those targets in Wales that are being missed. She will know that
people are almost twice as likely to be waiting for treatment in
the Labour-run Welsh NHS than they are in England: 21.3% in Wales
compared with 12.8% in England. She will also know that the
number of two-year waits for operations in Wales, at over 50,000,
is considerably higher than that in England, which is below
2,000.
(North Shropshire) (LD)
On 30 January, the Secretary of State agreed to meet me and my
colleagues who represent the other parts of Shropshire to discuss
the particularly acute issues that we have been seeing at our
hospitals. That meeting is not in the diary. Will he commit to
arranging that as soon as possible, so that we can get these
issues addressed?
I apologise to the hon. Lady because she raises a perfectly fair
point. I will do all I can to expedite that meeting.
NHS Backlogs: Eye Healthcare
(Battersea) (Lab)
11. What assessment his Department has made of the impact of NHS
backlogs on eye healthcare.(903914)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
The elective recovery plan sets out how we are tackling backlogs,
including in eye care. As well as having over 4,900 more doctors
and 11,000 more nurses than last year, we also have 92 community
diagnostic centres operational and 89 surgical hubs, and we are
boosting capacity in 180 trusts with expanded wards and modular
theatres. Two-year waits have been virtually eliminated, and we
now aim to eliminate 18-month waits by April.
The backlogs have meant that the number of patients waiting for
ophthalmology treatment has increased by 41% in the last three
years, and that is over 630,000 people in England. Average
waiting times have increased substantially, and the number of
patients starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral has
dropped to 62%. We know that delays to treatment can and will
lead to avoidable sight loss, and we need a plan to tackle the
eye care crisis in the NHS. I recently visited the fantastic eye
department at St Thomas’s Hospital, which is doing an incredible
job in managing this. Will the Minister back my plan for a Bill
and visit the brilliant service that it is delivering?
Neil O’Brien
This is exactly why we are investing the extra £8 billion in
elective recovery. Ophthalmology 52-week waits are coming down
from 42,000 to just under 27,000. But can I pay tribute to the
hon. Lady for her passion for this subject? We had a Westminster
Hall debate the other day and she had to run to be there—such is
her passion—but she made it. I thank her for all her work on this
matter.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
When my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary joined me at the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, he saw the new West
Norfolk eye centre, which is enabling an extra 2,000 appointments
and 2,000 more injections every year to help to deal with the
backlogs. Does that not just demonstrate the difference that new
buildings can make to better patient care, but underline the
importance of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital being added to the
Government’s new hospitals building programme, which I know he is
working hard to achieve?
Neil O’Brien
The Secretary of State will have taken note of my hon. Friend’s
representations.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Cost
(East Renfrewshire)
(SNP)
12. What steps he is taking to help reduce the cost of hormone
replacement therapy for people with menopause
symptoms.(903915)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
This is a great opportunity to remind the House that, from 1
April, women will be able to apply for an HRT prepayment
prescription for less than £20 a year to pay for all their HRT,
whether they are on patches, gels or dual hormones.
(East Renfrewshire)
(SNP)
Although these cost reductions are welcome, England is still the
only UK nation not to offer free prescriptions. Instead, the UK
Government are penalising those who are experiencing menopause
who need these medications to improve their symptoms. Will the
Minister not consider following Scotland’s lead and scrap
prescription charges to better provide accessible menopause
support?
I remind the hon. Lady that about 60% of women in England who are
on hormone replacement therapy are already exempt from
prescription charges, but we are reducing the cost by hundreds of
pounds a year for the remaining women who do pay. We respect the
Scottish Government’s decision to provide free prescriptions, but
it would cost us in England £651 million a year to provide free
paracetamol to millionaires and we do not think that is the best
use of taxpayer money.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Leicester West) (Lab)
With International Women’s Day tomorrow, I want to pay tribute to
the menopause warriors—all the amazing individual women and
organisations who have forced this issue up the agenda, including
my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea East (). It was her private
Member’s Bill that made Ministers finally agree to cut the cost
of HRT prescriptions, but questions remain. Will all products
that help with menopause symptoms be eligible for the
prescription prepayment scheme? What are Ministers doing to end
the ongoing and unacceptable shortages in HRT that are causing
women such anxiety, and if this issue is such a priority for the
Government, why has not the menopause taskforce met since June
last year—let me warn the Minister, the warriors do not want to
wait?
It is a shame that, on International Women’s Day, the shadow
Minister cannot welcome the progress we are making on the
menopause. Labour could have done this. We are the first
Government to reduce the cost of HRT for women. [Interruption.]
The shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Ilford North
(), wants to listen because this is important for
women. All licensed HRT products will be available on the
prepayment certificate. On the issue of shortages, over 70
products are available to women. Last year, 19 of them were
facing a shortage. Thanks to the work of this Government, that is
down to five products, and Utrogestan, a product widely used by
women, is now back in stock and is being distributed to
pharmacies. We are passionate about making HRT more available.
There has been a 50% increase in the number of women getting HRT
prescriptions. That is a tremendous success for women and we are
reducing the cost.
Members: Correspondence
(Tatton) (Con)
14. When he plans to reply to the letter of 24 January from the
right hon. Member for Tatton on non-covid excess
deaths.(903917)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
In my letter to my right hon. Friend, I noted that it is likely
that a combination of factors has contributed to potential excess
deaths, including high flu prevalence, ongoing covid-19, and the
disruption to the treatment and detection of conditions such as
heart disease. But I know she is very thoughtful about this and
follows it closely, and I will endeavour to get her more
details.
I am pleased my question has now resulted in a response, for
which I am grateful. However, from that response, I was none the
wiser as to how the Government have explained the non-covid
excess deaths we have seen. So can the Minister give us an
insight into the reasons for the non-covid excess deaths since
the pandemic?
Neil O’Brien
Even if we just take one disease such as cardiovascular disease,
there was disruption to screening, to referrals and to treatment
from the covid pandemic. It was noted at the time that that would
happen and there would be consequences from it, but let me set
out in more detail to my right hon. Friend all the exact facts
and figures on this, because I know she has been following it
closely.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
When the Minister dug out the letter from the right hon. Member
for Tatton (), I wonder whether he also
stumbled upon my letter of 8 February to the Secretary of State
about the desperate need for new intensive care investment at
Northwick Park Hospital in my constituency, and whether he might
expedite a reply on that issue.
Neil O’Brien
I am sure the hon. Gentleman’s question will indeed expedite
it.
Primary Care Staff Numbers
(Crewe and Nantwich)
(Con)
16. What progress his Department has made on increasing the
number of primary care staff.(903920)
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
19. What steps is he taking to increase the number of
GPs.(903923)
(Witney) (Con)
20. What progress his Department has made on increasing the
number of primary care staff.(903925)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
Since March 2019, GPs have recruited over 25,000 staff such as
pharmacists, physiotherapists and mental health practitioners,
and we are on track to hit our 26,000 additional staff
commitment.
Dr Mullan
As a doctor myself, I will be very happy to see one of those many
fantastic professionals the Secretary of State mentioned,
including pharmacists and physios, in the primary care setting,
but I understand from local GPs that patients do not always have
the confidence to do that and 111 is not necessarily directing
people to see the wider team. Can we ensure 111 is set up to
direct people to different professionals, and can we do something
to promote and educate the public on how fantastic that wider
healthcare team is in primary care?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, which is why I commissioned
through NHS England a review of 111. It was initially designed
for a different purpose. That allows the GP service to be the
front door it has become in the NHS. Through the chief executive
of Milton Keynes University Hospital, we have done significant
work on the NHS app, so it can better enable patients to get to
the right place for the care they need.
In January, over 45,000 people in Oxfordshire waited more than
two weeks to see their GP and 12,000 waited over a month. The top
reason given when I visited surgeries was that they simply cannot
recruit the doctors they need. For example, Kennington health
centre has been forced to close part time because it cannot find
a replacement for a retiring partner. That is clearly
unsustainable. Will the Secretary of State consider introducing a
weighting for GPs in areas of high cost of living outside London?
Will he meet me to discuss the specific issues in
Oxfordshire?
The hon. Member is right to highlight the pressure on primary
care, which is why, in the answer I gave a moment ago, I said it
is also about looking at the wider skills mix within primary
care. She mentions doctors specifically. We have 2,200 more
doctors in general practice than before the pandemic. It is about
having the right skills mix alongside the doctors to meet the
significant increased demand since the pandemic.
Demand for GP appointments in Oxfordshire is indeed acute. It is
driven in part by the need to continue to treat people with
long-term medical conditions. Will my right hon. Friend consider
what can be done to rebalance the system, so that instead of
dealing with people when they present with acute symptoms, more
is done to ensure people can be treated at the primary and
community level?
My hon. Friend highlights an absolutely brilliant point, one I am
extremely seized of, which is: how do we get detection much
sooner, looking at genomics, screening and identifying issues
before the patient is even necessarily aware that they have a
condition. Early care delivers far better patient outcomes but it
is also far cheaper to deliver. That prevention, as he
highlights, is extremely important.
(Plymouth, Sutton and
Devonport) (Lab/Co-op)
The primary care crisis in Plymouth is getting worse, but there
is a cross-party solution in Plymouth, which is to build a new
super health hub, the Cavell centre, in the city centre. The
Government have withdrawn the £41 million funding for that, but
the Minister’s predecessor offered to put pressure on Devon’s
integrated care board to see what could be funded locally and
whether there is a national-local partnership that could deliver
this pioneering pilot project, which could really improve
healthcare in Plymouth that would be a model for the rest of the
country. Will the Secretary of State look at Devon’s ICB and
whether he could put pressure on that ICB to fund that pioneering
project?
The hon. Gentleman reasonably highlights that the commissioning
is a decision for the ICB, but also rightly draws attention to
the opportunity to look at different models, for example, how we
look across communities at economies of scale, and how we combine
that with modern methods of construction to deliver projects far
more quickly. I am happy to look, with Devon ICB, at the issue he
raises.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
I really welcome the increase in patient care staff in GP
practices in my constituency, but can I appeal to the Secretary
of State to fix the problem with the taxation of GPs’ pensions,
which is forcing many into early retirement just when we need
their services the most?
My right hon. Friend is a very experienced parliamentarian and
will know that issues of tax are a matter for my right hon.
Friend the Chancellor, but I draw her attention to “Our plan for
patients”, which sets out a package of NHS pension scheme
measures.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
NHS dentists form a really important part of the primary care
workforce. However, in places such as York, we have a complete
desert, where my constituents just cannot receive NHS dentistry.
What is the Secretary of State going to do for my constituents,
so that their oral health needs are addressed?
We will set out to the House in due course a recovery plan to
deal in particular with primary care but also dentistry. We
recognise that, notwithstanding the fiscal support that was
offered to protect dentistry through the pandemic, it is an area
of acute interest across the House. The Under-Secretary of State
for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for
Harborough (Neil O’Brien), will be saying more on that very
shortly.
Cost of Living: Mental Health
(Lanark and Hamilton East)
(SNP)
21. What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of
the cost of living crisis on long-term trends in levels of mental
ill health.(903926)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
Last year, £50 million was invested through the promotion of the
better mental health fund in 40 local authorities that have the
most deprived parts of the country. That is to boost prevention
and early intervention and to support those hardest hit by the
pandemic and the cost of living.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland found that 52% of
Scots are concerned about the impact that rising prices are
having on their mental health. Poverty is a key driver of poor
mental health, and those already struggling with poor mental
health and money worries are likely to be the hardest hit. What
discussions has the Minister had with her Cabinet colleagues on
the consequences of policies, such as the punitive sanctions
regime, that are shown to increase anxiety and harm to people’s
mental health?
This Government have been supporting people with the cost of
living through the £37 billion package, and £15 billion of
targeted support for those most in need. That includes £150 of
help with council tax, £400 for electricity, the 8 million people
supported by the £1,200 payment and paying towards half of
people’s energy costs. This Government are serious about helping
people with the cost of living at this time.
(Stafford) (Con)
I welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling mental ill
health, in particular the recent funding that we have received in
Stafford for a new crisis assessment centre at St George’s
Hospital. What further steps are the Government taking to improve
access to mental health support, especially in our schools?
I thank my hon. Friend for her hard work securing that funding
for the crisis centre in her constituency. These centres make
such a difference, because they are based in the community and
can intervene at an earlier stage when someone is facing
difficulty. They are on top of measures such as our mental health
ambulances, which will also respond to people in crisis, and
supporting our local communities to deal with mental health as
well as those with a mental illness.
Access to Primary Care
Mrs (Birmingham, Erdington)
(Lab)
22. What steps he is taking to improve patient access to primary
care.(903927)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
We have increased real-terms spending on general practice by more
than a fifth since 2015. We are growing the workforce, with 2,200
more doctors and 25,000 extra primary care clinicians compared
with 2019. We have the most GPs in training ever, up from 2,600
to 4,000. In January there were 11% more appointments in general
practice than in the same month before the pandemic. I pay
tribute to the work that general practitioners are doing.
Mrs Hamilton
Under the Tories, the number of qualified GPs has fallen to a
record low, which is hitting local communities across the UK very
hard. In January, in Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale,
more than 2,000 people had to wait more than a month for a GP
appointment. Is it not the case that the longer the Tories are in
power, the longer patients will have to wait?
Neil O’Brien
As well as the 2,200 extra doctors in primary care, I mentioned
the 25,000 extra other clinicians. That means that in the hon.
Lady’s constituency there are 55% more staff working directly
with patients than before.
(Norwich North) (Con)
At a time when GP and A&E services are under pressure, I am
pleased to see the ministerial team’s focus on helping people to
see a doctor when they need to. Does the Minister agree that
walk-in centres, such as ours in Norwich city centre, are
helpful, popular and necessary?
Neil O’Brien
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right; walk-in centres are a
key part of primary care. We are looking at how they can do more,
and I pay tribute to all the work they are already doing.
Topical Questions
(Gower) (Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(903928)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ()
On Friday I was proud to announce the winners of the third round
of the artificial intelligence in health and care award. Winners
included projects within the NHS that identify women at risk of
stillbirth, help with neurological conditions, find lung
blockages and assess the quality of transplant organs, as well as
a number of projects focused on cancer, identifying people’s
predisposition and its presence. Since its inception in 2019, the
AI in health and care award has invested more than £123 million
in 86 promising projects, supporting more than 300,000 patients.
AI will come to save countless lives in the NHS in the years to
come, and that begins with the investment today.
The Secretary of State should know that I am the co-chair of the
all-party parliamentary group for access to medical cannabis
under prescription, for children with intractable epilepsy. The
situation is as intolerable as ever. Both product supply and cost
are causing families great pain, and their children are
desperate. I urge the Secretary of State to meet me to discuss
convening a roundtable to help identify solutions to the crisis
of lack of access. I am still awaiting a response from his
Minister from 18 January 2023.
I am very aware of the hon. Lady’s work as chair of the APPG, so
I am not surprised that she asks about that important issue,
which she has been assiduous in raising. I will flag up the
follow-up with my ministerial colleague. I draw the hon. Lady’s
attention to the fact that the National Institute for Health and
Care Research remains open to research proposals in this area. I
encourage her to ensure through her work on the APPG that bids
are made to generate the evidence that the clinicians who make
decisions on prescribing need.
(Wrexham) (Con)
T6. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was taken out of
special measures in 2020 without any tangible improvements. Last
week, the board walked out en masse because it no longer had
faith in the Welsh Labour Government. The health service is now
back in special measures. The Welsh Government run the NHS in
Wales, so if the First Minister of Wales were to ask, would the
UK Government step in to support them?(903933)
We are always happy to assist colleagues across the United
Kingdom as part of our commitment to the Union. My hon. Friend is
right to highlight current performance in Wales. As I have said,
patients are waiting twice as long for hospital treatment in
Wales as in England, and more than 50,000 people in Wales are
waiting for more than two years for their operation.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Ilford North) (Lab)
When nurses and paramedics voted to take strike action, the
Secretary of State refused to negotiate and said that the pay
review body’s decision was final. He has now U-turned, but not
before 144,000 operations and appointments were cancelled through
his incompetence. Will he now apologise to patients for this
avoidable disruption?
What the hon. Gentleman omits to remind the House is that at the
time the demand from trade unions was for a 19% consolidated pay
rise, which is very different from the basis on which talks have
been entered into. The point is that we are in discussions with
trade union colleagues. Trade unions and the Government have a
shared purpose—to address the very real challenges that we
recognise the NHS workforce have faced, particularly in the
context of the pandemic—and a shared desire, which is to focus on
patients and ensure that they get the right care to support
them.
I think patients know who to trust, and it is nurses, not the
Secretary of State. The Government have still learned nothing:
despite a 98% vote in favour of strikes, the Secretary of State
was sent to meet junior doctors without a mandate from the Prime
Minister to negotiate. What is the point of this Health Secretary
if he is in office but not in charge?
I have come to the House literally from a meeting with the trade
unions: I met the NHS Staff Council this morning. Once again,
hon. Members on the Opposition Front Bench are writing their
questions before they see what is actually happening.
(Ashfield) (Con)
T8. Sean Lynk, aged 30, in Ashfield, took his own life just
before Christmas. No one saw it coming. Male suicide takes the
lives of 12 young men every day in this country. It is the
biggest killer of young males under the age of 40. Sean’s father
Graham is coming next week to watch me speak in a Westminster
Hall debate on male suicide, so could somebody from the Health
team please meet Graham and me next Monday?(903935)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. We are
launching a prevention of suicide strategy, and male suicide will
be a particular focus, as it is a high-risk group. The debate
next week will be answered by a Minister in the Department for
Education, because it relates specifically to the national
curriculum, but I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend and his
constituent.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
(SNP)
Unprotected sun exposure causes skin cancer, and some 16,000
cases are diagnosed each year. Affordable sunscreen is therefore
essential for protection. Will the Secretary of State help to
tackle the issue by supporting the Sun Protection Products (Value
Added Tax) Bill, a ten-minute rule Bill promoted by my hon.
Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire () that would remove VAT on
sun protection products?
The Minister for Social Care ()
Sun exposure is one of the most significant causes of cancer.
That is one reason why we are working so hard with the NHS to
reduce backlogs for people who are waiting for cancer diagnosis
and treatment, including by rolling out teledermatology across
the NHS to reduce diagnosis times. However, the hon. Gentleman’s
question about VAT and skin cancer is a matter for the
Treasury.
(Weston-super-Mare) (Con)
T9. Finding and fixing the underlying causes of health
inequalities has defeated Governments of all types for decades.
Less well-off British families still live significantly shorter,
sicker lives than richer families, cramping their life chances
and making it harder to avoid or escape poverty. The
long-expected health inequalities White Paper is essential to
changing that. Does the Secretary of State expect it to be
published this month? If not, will he meet me to discuss
it?(903936)
As we heard earlier from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
State, my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Neil O’Brien),
the major conditions strategy report will deal with those issues.
However, it is also important to consider the variation in
performance between integrated care boards and how we can raise
the bottom quartile to the level of the top quartile—there is far
too much variation within the NHS—and to be data-driven, so that
when it comes to genomics and screening we can target the
outliers more precisely. That is what is behind the issue to
which my hon. Friend has rightly drawn attention.
Mr (East Londonderry)
(DUP)
T2. Will the 10-year cancer plan feature the distinctive approach
that is required in relation to the early diagnosis of brain
tumours?(903929)
Cancer will be a substantial part of the major conditions
strategy. We will be looking at the major causes of ill health in
the country, of which cancer is, of course, one. Part of that
will involve ensuring that we are good at diagnosing cancer,
because the earlier it is diagnosed, the more treatable it is,
and hence the better the outcomes for people with cancer will
be.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Health and Care Committee.
(Winchester) (Con)
I welcome today’s announcement of the appointment of Professor
Deanfield as the Government’s prevention champion with a focus on
cardiovascular disease, one of the main causes of which is, of
course, smoking. May I ask where we are with an updated tobacco
control plan, and whether the Minister will look again at the
introduction of a “smoke-free fund” paid for by the tobacco
industry to boost those new public health budgets?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care (Neil O’Brien)
We will be setting out our next steps on smoking shortly, but we
already have the lowest smoking level on record: it has fallen to
13%, partly as a result of the doubling of duty on cigarettes and
partly owing to the introduction of a minimum excise tax. We will
be investing £35 million in the NHS this year to ensure that all
smokers who are admitted to hospital are given NHS-funded tobacco
treatment.
(Strangford) (DUP)
T3. Recent analysis from Macmillan Cancer Support shows that 2022
was the worst year on record for cancer waiting times. Will the
Minister consider the introduction of an urgent support package
for UK cancer services in the upcoming Budget to support our
hard-working staff and to ensure that there is additional
capacity to deal with the current pressures on the
system?(903930)
It is indeed a worrying experience for people to be waiting to
know whether they have cancer or, having received a diagnosis, to
be waiting for treatment. However, I can assure the hon.
Gentleman that more people are currently coming forward for
cancer checks, more people are being treated for cancer, and the
NHS is reducing some of the backlogs following the pandemic.
(Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con)
I welcome the Government’s actions to deal with obesity, but it
remains an increasing health issue for our nation. Does my right
hon. Friend agree that educating children and parents about
healthy eating should be a top priority—
rose—
—and may I urge his Department to increase its campaigns on the
consequences of obesity?
My right hon. Friend’s question was so good that I was eager to
answer it early. He is right to highlight this issue, which is
being dealt with as part of a wider thrust within Government work
on prevention, which is how we can empower the patient. That
means getting more data to patients and using genomics and
screening to ensure that they are better informed and can
therefore opt to take decisions on healthy eating, rather than
the state trying to impose those decisions on them in a top-down
manner.
(Bradford South) (Lab)
T4. I chair the all-party parliamentary group on osteoporosis and
bone health. Our recent report, supported by the Royal
Osteoporosis Society, showed that an investment of just £27
million pounds a year in fracture liaison services would deliver
more than £600 million pounds of savings for the NHS over five
years. Will the Minister meet me and the ROS to discuss our
report, and will he commit himself to ending the postcode lottery
by providing 100% coverage for FLS for over-50s in
England?(903931)
I am happy for a member of the ministerial team to meet the hon.
Lady, who has made a compelling case about the return on
investment. We will obviously need to scrutinise it in more
detail, and I am sure that my colleagues will look forward to
doing so.
(Gillingham and Rainham)
(Con)
The Secretary of State is aware of Medway’s case for being part
of the Government’s hospital building programme. It was the
hardest-hit area during covid-19, and it has some of the greatest
health inequalities in the country, and one of the busiest
accident and emergency units in Kent. Will the Secretary of State
visit Medway with me to witness our urgent need, so that we can
be part of that hospital building programme for the future?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the issues in Medway and
those in Kent as a whole. When I met the chief executive of
Maidstone Hospital yesterday, we discussed some of the innovation
that it has introduced and the benefits of that innovation across
the board. As for the new hospitals programme, I remind my hon.
Friend of the comments made by my right hon. Friend the Prime
Minister on 22 February, when he confirmed the Government’s
commitment to that programme.
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
T5. Every day, the families of women who took the drug Primodos
in the 1960s and ’70s continue to suffer the consequences of a
lifetime of disability. Baroness Cumberlege’s review made it
clear that Primodos caused avoidable harm and that the families
should be given redress, so why have the Government recently
refused three mediation requests on behalf of those
families?(903932)
The hon. Gentleman will know that we have huge sympathy for those
affected by Primodos. He will also know that there is a legal
case at the moment so I am unable comment at this time, but I am
happy to discuss it with him further.
(North East Bedfordshire)
(Con)
Over the past year or so, Bedfordshire’s fire service and
ambulance service have taken innovative steps to co-operate to
bring response times down. They are now working on a plan to
deepen that co-operation. Will my right hon. Friend facilitate a
meeting with the leaders of the fire service and ambulance
service in due course when that plan is ready?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the community services that
we are doing as part of our urgent and emergency recovery plan,
looking at how we deliver care quicker through innovative models.
One of those involves better co-operation with the fire
service.
(City of Chester) (Lab)
T7. York and Chester have many similarities, and it would appear
that a complete absence of any access to dental services is
another one. Can I impress on the Minister the urgency of
improving access to NHS dentistry, because it is essential that
my constituents do not have to travel for miles and worry for
months?(903934)
Neil O’Brien
We will be setting out further steps shortly, but there are 6.5%
more dentists doing work for the NHS than in 2010 and we have
started the reforms with more units of dental activity bands and
a minimum UDA.
(Christchurch) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend accept that about one third of the
activity that takes place in GP surgeries could be transferred to
pharmacies? What is he doing to promote that policy and deal with
the British Medical Association’s reluctance to co-operate?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the fact that a number of
services that GPs currently offer could be performed by
pharmacists, and we are looking at that in the context of the
primary care recovery plan. This is also about looking at how we
can relieve some of the workload pressure within primary care,
and that is why we have recruited 25,000 additional staff to
support GPs. It is also why we have over 2,000 more doctors in
primary care.
(Liverpool, West Derby)
(Lab)
T10. Some 30% of disabled people, including many of my
constituents, are having to cut back on using essential medical
equipment at home due to rising energy bills. Some 70,000 people
have signed the charity Sense’s petition calling for long-term
ongoing support for disabled people and their families. Will the
Secretary of State deliver that support as a matter of
urgency?(903937)
Neil O’Brien
That is exactly why we are spending £55 billion this winter to
help households and businesses with their energy bills. That is
one of the largest support packages in Europe.
(North Devon) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that community-based drop-in
mental health services such as the Link centres in North Devon
are vital to remote rural communities? Will he urge Devon County
Council not only to continue those services but to improve and
extend the model?
It is for schemes such as those that my hon. Friend highlights
that we are investing a further £2.3 billion a year in mental
health services, and that in turn is facilitating an extra 2
million patients accessing NHS-funded mental health support.
(St Albans) (LD)
More than £300 million of the NHS dentistry budget is set to be
clawed back by NHS England at the end of this month. That is not
because of a lack of demand; it is because the Government’s NHS
dental contract is broken and dentists are walking away from NHS
work. Will the Government ringfence these funds, rolled over to
next year, so that people who desperately need dental treatment
can get those appointments?
Neil O’Brien
That is exactly why we will continue to reform the contract as
the hon. Lady suggests, and it is why we have started allowing
dentists to do 110% of their UDAs, but she is right and we will
go further.
(Darlington) (Con)
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’
Financial Interests, including my co-chairing of the all-party
parliamentary group for hospice and end of life care. Now that
integrated care boards have a duty to commission palliative care,
what steps is my right hon. Friend taking to assess delivery?
Will he join me in calling for the North East and North Cumbria
ICB to listen to the hospices in the Tees Valley, which would
save our hospices and save the NHS money?
My hon. Friend is right to draw the House’s attention to the
extremely important work of hospices and to the fact that
commissioning decisions are devolved to the integrated care
boards so that they can target funding in the way that best
serves local communities. He is quite right to lobby on their
behalf and I am sure that his relevant ICB will take note of
that.
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