Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As we shift care from hospital and into the community, pharmacies have a vital role to play as an essential front door to the NHS for the public.Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what factors led to the decision to exclude (1) University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, (2) Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, (3) Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (4) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (5) Medway NHS Foundation Trust, and (6) Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, from the intensive recovery programme; and whether that exclusion is based on an assessment of improved performance since 4 March.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.
NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.
The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the intensive recovery programme replaced the national provider improvement programme (NPIP); and if so, what assessment they have made of the impact of the programme changes on the stability of the NHS trusts identified for intervention as part of the NPIP.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.
NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.
The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria or performance improvements will determine whether a trust included in the national provider improvement programme will be (1) included in the intensive recovery programme, or (2) removed from intensive oversight.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.
NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.
The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of bureaucracy for trusts participating in the national provider improvement programme.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The intensive recovery programme (IRP) has been built to give the most challenged providers the support to turn around their performance in a precise and structured way. It will not directly replace the National Provider Improvement Programme (NPIP); however we are reviewing the improvement approach to ensure organisations receive the right level of support.
NPIP segmentation is derived from performance against the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF) and provider capability. The most challenged providers have been designated from a combination of sustained financial deficit for 11 or more years, long-standing issues, and those in segment five of the NOF.
The five organisations that have been selected for the IRP are the first wave of providers in the regime, and the programme will aim to cover more organisations in the future.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research published by PSE Healthy Energy and Stanford University in Environmental Research Letters on 25 March on the harmfully high levels of benzene measured in UK homes emitted by gas cooktops.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has noted the published research but has not made a full assessment of the study, which is based on a small number of stoves. Currently, there are limited studies that have investigated benzene concentrations in United Kingdom homes. Further research is needed to better understand exposure to indoor air pollutants and the effects on health.
Reducing emissions of pollutants and ensuring adequate ventilation within indoor environments are important. The UKHSA continues to consider and evaluate the evidence of exposure to indoor air pollutants and the potential health effects.
Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of GP services in South Dorset constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We promised to improve access to GPs, and that’s exactly what we are doing. This year we have invested an additional £601m in the GP contract and we’ve delivered 8 million more appointments than last year, with South Dorset seeing an increase of 27,000. We have 2,000 more fully-qualified GPs than in July 2024, which includes 12 extra GPs in Dorset ICB, an increase of 3% and from this year we're enabling PCNs to recruit a broader range of roles to improve access to services. At a local level, NHS Dorset ICB has the responsibility for commissioning services to meet the needs of my honourable friend’s constituency.Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to community-based healthcare in Rochester and Strood constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This government has made clear that one of the essential shifts to get the NHS back on its feet is from hospital to community. Our ambitions for neighbourhood health are one key area to enable this essential shift. Neighbourhood Health will improve access, by providing more joined up and personalised care closer to where people live.Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) fund research into and (b) help reduce the number of live births with at least one congenital condition.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) address threshold‑based exclusion in adult eating disorder services,(b) reduce funding disparities between child and adult eating disorder services, and (c) strengthen safeguarding procedures for adults who are declined treatment despite clinically significant medical risk.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.