Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of ambulance handover times at accident and emergency departments in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Surrey Heath is served by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAMB). The most recent National Health Service performance figures show that the average handover time in SECAMB is 18 minutes and 37 seconds. This is over two minutes faster than the same period last year.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out clear actions to deliver improvements this winter and make services better every day, including reducing ambulance handovers to a maximum of 45 minutes, helping get more ambulances back on the road for patients, and reducing category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes on average. NHS England continues to monitor average hospital handover times, sharing data with regions to support focussed discussions and identify improvement actions with those trusts not achieving handovers in 45 minutes.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the clarity of guidance on the boundary between (a) NHS responsibilities and (b) local authority responsibilities for individuals with care and support needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under Section 22 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities are generally prevented from meeting needs by providing services that the National Health Service must provide under the National Health Service Act 2006.
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the care and support needs of their population are met, by assessing needs, providing or arranging appropriate services, and shaping a sustainable care market. This is set out in section 5 of the Care Act 2014 and includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health services for their local population.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of whether accident and emergency departments have sufficient capacity to meet current levels of patient demand in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On data on corridor care, NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements to drive improvement and transparency. We are now reviewing the data internally and will begin publishing it shortly.
On services in Surrey Heath, residents there primarily access urgent and emergency care services at Frimley Park Hospital, which is run by the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust within the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board footprint.
NHS Frimley has implemented winter urgent and emergency care plans to manage increased demand, including maintaining patient flow, expanding same-day emergency care, strengthening community and primary care alternatives, and working with local authorities and community providers to support timely discharge.
We keep performance in all local systems under regular review through established daily operational oversight and escalation arrangements, with patient safety remaining the overriding priority.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate has been made of the number of patients waiting for extended periods in corridors in accident and emergency departments in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On data on corridor care, NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements to drive improvement and transparency. We are now reviewing the data internally and will begin publishing it shortly.
On services in Surrey Heath, residents there primarily access urgent and emergency care services at Frimley Park Hospital, which is run by the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust within the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board footprint.
NHS Frimley has implemented winter urgent and emergency care plans to manage increased demand, including maintaining patient flow, expanding same-day emergency care, strengthening community and primary care alternatives, and working with local authorities and community providers to support timely discharge.
We keep performance in all local systems under regular review through established daily operational oversight and escalation arrangements, with patient safety remaining the overriding priority.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 earlier diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in babies, toddlers and children presenting with symptoms in primary care in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local health commissioners and providers in Surrey are responsible for assessing how existing clinical guidance is being applied across primary care settings.
NHS England is undertaking a review of options for supporting primary care services in the identification of acute onset Type 1 diabetes in babies and children and in doing so will engage with relevant national organisations and partners.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we will continue to support people living with diabetes, including through the rollout of new wearable technologies such as hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems. The rollout of HCL systems is backed by £107 million in 2026/27 and has been made available to over 23,000 additional people since 2023/24.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the consistency with which existing clinical guidance on Type 1 Diabetes is applied across primary care settings in Surrey.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local health commissioners and providers in Surrey are responsible for assessing how existing clinical guidance is being applied across primary care settings.
NHS England is undertaking a review of options for supporting primary care services in the identification of acute onset Type 1 diabetes in babies and children and in doing so will engage with relevant national organisations and partners.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we will continue to support people living with diabetes, including through the rollout of new wearable technologies such as hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems. The rollout of HCL systems is backed by £107 million in 2026/27 and has been made available to over 23,000 additional people since 2023/24.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration the Department has given to end-of-life decision-making in cases involving progressive loss of capacity, including advanced dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that high-quality palliative care and end-of-life care should include the opportunity for individuals to discuss their wishes and preferences so that these can be taken fully into account in the provision of their future care, also known as advance care planning (ACP). ACP is a voluntary process of person-centred discussion between an individual and their care providers about their preferences and the priorities for their future care.
In order to facilitate a consistent national approach to ACP, NHS England has published Universal Principles for ACP, which are available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/universal-principles-for-advance-care-planning/
The universal principles sets out that ACP should take place while a person has the mental capacity to engage in these conversations. An output of these discussions may include an advance statement of wishes, preferences, and priorities. An advance statement is not legally binding, but it is useful to inform and guide decision-making in the future if a person subsequently loses their capacity to make decisions about their care. A person can also nominate a Lasting Power of Attorney who is then able to make decisions on behalf of that person should they lose capacity to make decisions about their care.
Additionally, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on dementia includes recommendations on ACP and involving people living with dementia in decisions about their care. The NICE guidance recommends using an anticipatory healthcare planning process for people living with dementia who are approaching the end of life. It recommends involving the person and their family members or carers, as appropriate, as far as possible and using the principles of best-interest decision-making if the person does not have capacity to make decisions about their care. Further information on the NICE guidance on dementia is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the boundary between NHS and local authority responsibilities is applied in practice when assessing eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and funded solely by the National Health Service where the individual has been assessed and found to have a ‘primary health need’.
An individual has a primary health need if, having taken account of all their needs, the main aspects or majority of the care they require is focused on addressing and/or preventing health needs. In deciding whether a person has a primary health need, the integrated care board (ICB) must consider whether the support required by that person is above the limits of what the local authority can provide. Under Section 22 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities are generally prevented from meeting needs by offering services that the NHS must provide under the National Health Service Act 2006.
As far as is reasonably practicable, the ICB must consult with the relevant local authority before making any decision about an individual’s eligibility for CHC.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how nursing needs are (a) assessed and (b) categorised when determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and funded solely by the National Health Service where the individual has been assessed and found to have a ‘primary health need’.
An individual has a primary health need if, having taken account of all their needs, the main aspects or majority of the care they require is focused on addressing and/or preventing health needs. In deciding whether a person has a primary health need, the integrated care board (ICB) must consider whether the support required by that person is above the limits of what the local authority can provide. Under Section 22 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities are generally prevented from meeting needs by offering services that the NHS must provide under the National Health Service Act 2006.
As far as is reasonably practicable, the ICB must consult with the relevant local authority before making any decision about an individual’s eligibility for CHC.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration is given within NHS Continuing Healthcare decision-making to the potential impact of decisions to not fund people with significant care needs on (a) families and (b) unpaid carers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of National Health Service-funded care to meet the physical or mental health needs of adults which have arisen as a result of disability, accident, or illness. Eligibility for CHC is not determined by age, diagnosis or condition, or financial means.
A public information leaflet on CHC includes information on other support available for people who are found not eligible for CHC, and is available at the following link:
The Government recognises the vital contribution made by unpaid carers and is committed to ensuring they receive the support they need. Many people wish to care for family members and friends, and we are determined to help them do so. For example, on 7 April 2025, the weekly earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance increased from £151 to £196, equivalent to 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.
Local authorities have duties, under the Care Act 2014, to support people caring for their family and friends. Unpaid carers are entitled to a carer’s assessment from their local authority, and local authorities have a duty to meet eligible carers’ needs, including when the person they care for is eligible for CHC.