To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will decide on the tender for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus immunisation for infants and young adults.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has engaged the market on its requirements for products that would enable respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to be implemented for infants and older adults, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Final decisions on these programmes have not yet been taken. There are no plans for a respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme for young adults.

The Invitation to Offer was published on 24 January 2024, and closed on 29 February. Bids received will now be evaluated based on cost-effectiveness. Following this, a full business case will be developed for the Government’s approval this spring.


Written Question
Health Services: Children
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (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 finding by the NHS Confederation that there has been a 26 per cent cut to the public health grant per person in real terms since 2015–16; and what plans they have to ensure that every baby and young child in England can receive the full Healthy Child Programme.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

At the 2021 Spending Review, we considered the need for local government public health funding, and have provided cash growth in the Public Health Grant to local authorities each year over the settlement period. In 2024/25 the total Public Health Grant to local authorities will be £3.603 billion, providing local authorities with an average 2.1% cash increase compared to 2023/24.

In addition to the Public Health Grant, we have provided additional targeted investment to local authorities in England for drug and alcohol addiction treatment and recovery, and services that support the best start in life. From April 2024 we will also double current spend on stop smoking services, in support of our commitment to deliver a smoke-free generation. This overall funding package will deliver a real term increase of more than 4%, over the two years 2023/24 and 2024/25, in Department funding allocated for local authority public health functions.

Local authorities are responsible for using their Public Health Grant to provide a Healthy Child Programme that best meet the needs of their local populations. In addition, the health visiting workforce is fundamental to enabling successful delivery of this programme, and as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we will be expanding training places by 74% to over 1,300 by 2031/32. To support progress towards this expansion, training places for health visitors will grow by 17% by 2028/29.


Written Question
Maternity Services: Finance
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (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 additional £165 million of annual funding provided by NHS England to improve maternity and neonatal care, which will rise to £186 million a year this year, and how this will directly improve babies’ health and development outcomes.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The investment within maternity and neonatal services supports the delivery of NHS England's three-year delivery plan, which will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women and babies.

The plan outlines the investment we are making in listening to women and families, growing, retaining, and supporting our workforce, developing, and sustaining a culture of safety, and underpinning more personalised and equitable care. The plan sets out success measures for trusts, integrated care systems, and NHS England, to monitor the impacts and improvements at every level.


Written Question
Midwives: Labour Turnover and Recruitment
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle problems of recruitment and retention of midwives in England to enable every expectant parent and baby to receive the continuity of care model.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2021 we have invested an additional £165 million a year to improve maternity and neonatal care, rising to an additional £186 million from April 2024. This is improving the quality of care for mothers and babies, and increasing the number of midwifery posts available.

As of December 2023, there are 23,361 full time equivalent midwives working in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England, an increase of 3,707, or 18.9%, compared to 2010. The Long Term Workforce Plan sets an ambitious increase in midwifery training places, to 58,000 by 2031/32. We will work towards achieving this by increasing places to over 44,000 by 2028/29.

NHS England have introduced measures focused on recruitment and retention, in-line with their three-year maternity delivery plan. This includes establishing a nursing and midwifery retention programme, supporting organisations in assessing themselves against the NHS People Promise, and developing a local retention plan. NHS England is also implementing enhanced continuity of carer for midwifery to ensure safe, consistent, and personalised care in the areas of highest need.


Written Question
Health Services: Children
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children have required NHS care as a result of (1) tooth decay, (2) Type 2 diabetes, and (3) musculoskeletal conditions, in the past 12 months for which data is available.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst data on musculoskeletal conditions is not held in the form requested, the below table shows published data for 2022/23 where the main reason the patient was admitted to hospital was for dental caries or Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Primary diagnosis

Age 0

Age 1-4

Age 5-9

Age 10-14

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Dental caries

2

4,669

19,560

7,802

782

671

503

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

0

0

18

88

38

39

24

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics Inpatient Data (Diagnosis Annex) from 2022-23

Notes

  1. Data is provided in respect of hospital inpatient activity, which will be a sub-set of the total number of patients receiving care.
  2. Data does not account for NHS care provided in a primary care setting.

Written Question
School Milk: Childminding
Wednesday 28th February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review administrative barriers for childminders seeking to claim from the Nursery Milk Scheme.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings such as childminders, nurseries and some schools, to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. It is not compulsory for childcare settings who are eligible to join the Scheme, but all are welcome to do so.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is currently run by the NHS Business Services Authority under a direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. There are no current plans to changes the way in which the Scheme operates.


Written Question
School Milk
Wednesday 28th February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage wider take up of the Nursery Milk Scheme in early years settings and among childminders.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows early years childcare settings such as childminders, nurseries and some schools, to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk to children under five who attend their childcare setting for at least two hours per day. It is not compulsory for childcare settings who are eligible to join the Scheme, but all are welcome to do so.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is currently run by the NHS Business Services Authority under a direction given by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. There are no current plans to changes the way in which the Scheme operates.


Written Question
Milk: Health Education
Wednesday 28th February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the benefits of drinking milk to children and young people.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Milk and dairy products make a valuable contribution to the nutrient content of the diet, providing protein and B vitamins for example. They are also an important source of calcium, which is especially important for children to help build healthy bones and teeth. In the United Kingdom, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for around the first six months of a baby’s life with continued breastfeeding throughout the first year. Following this, the Government encourages the population to consume some lower fat milk and dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet. This is reflected in the UK’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, a copy of which is attached.

The Healthier Families and Start4Life websites both include information in an online-only format to parents of young and primary school aged children on the consumption of lower fat, unsweetened milk as part of a healthy balanced diet.

The Eatwell Guide principles, including consumption of milk and dairy products, underpin the School Food Standards and Public Health England’s example menus and guidance for early years settings, available on GOV.UK in an online-only format.


Written Question
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products
Wednesday 21st February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enhance the safety, quality, supply and accessibility of therapies derived from substances of human origin.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Therapies derived from substances of human origin include those using reproductive and non-reproductive tissues and cells, organs, stem cells, blood, and blood products including plasma. A range of different bodies have responsibility for safety, quality, supply and accessibility.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) provides some of the safest products in the world and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, Human Tissue Authority and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. NHSBT also work closely with the safety policy units of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues, and Organs and the Joint Professional Advisory Committee to blood services in the United Kingdom.

The Sustainability and Certainty in Organ Retrieval Programme was established in May 2023, following consultation and engagement with stakeholders across the organ donation and transplantation pathway. The key aim is to make improvements to the pathways with the aim of creating a more sustainable, efficient, and predictable service model.

The Department, NHSBT, NHS England and the devolved administrations are working together to create a long-term domestic supply of plasma for lifesaving medicines. Medicines will be available exclusively to National Health Service patients from early 2025. Additionally, the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum provides advice on how the UK can develop a stronger and more resilient domestic stem cell supply chain.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is the UK regulator for the use of reproductive tissues and cells in fertility treatment and embryo research. This remit includes keeping abreast of all issues relating to quality and safety.


Written Question
Blood: Donors
Wednesday 21st February 2024

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the donation of blood, plasma, tissues and cells for use in developing cell and gene therapies.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) are responsible for promoting blood, plasma, tissue and cell donation across England and Wales. They are also uniquely positioned to promote the exciting developments in novel cellular and molecular therapies which offer the promise of new treatments and potential cures for many diseases and disorders to the public.

NHSBT work with the community, consumer, and national and local media to place educational and inspirational stories in the news and use their social media channels to share stories and case studies showing the benefits of blood, plasma, tissue, and cell donation.