Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding to (a) community musculoskeletal services and (b) physiotherapy.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government recognises the importance of improving health for the 20 million people in the United Kingdom who live with a musculoskeletal condition. This forms a key part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.
Financial allocations will be confirmed through NHS Planning Guidance. In the meantime, we are working with NHS England and other stakeholders to explore options to increase access to, and improve support for, those living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
We will publish a 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS in the spring which will focus on increasing productivity and ensuring that every pound of taxpayer money is spent wisely, by reforming how healthcare is delivered.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional support for people with (a) arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal conditions.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services and fragility fracture to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making.
At a national level, NHS England is working to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with MSK conditions, such as arthritis, and increase support for patients with arthritis through its Getting It Right First Time rheumatology programme. In January 2023, NHS England also published an improvement framework to reduce community MSK waits while delivering the best outcomes and experience. This supports integrated care systems to improve timely access to commissioned MSK triage and therapy services.
To support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and in the provision of services for people living with arthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published expert guidance for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, with further information on the two available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226
The Department funds research into MSK conditions, including arthritis, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Through the NIHR, the Department spent approximately £26.3 million on MSK research in 2023/24 and £79.2 million since 2019/20. Six NIHR Biomedical Research Centres have MSK conditions as a research theme. In particular, the Leeds Biomedical Research Centre aims to improve treatment for osteoarthritis. The NIHR, in collaboration with Versus Arthritis, also funds a dedicated UK Musculoskeletal Translational Research Collaboration, aligning investment in MSK translational research, and creating a United Kingdom-wide ambition and focus to drive cutting edge research and improve outcomes for patients.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 support the (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing of nursing staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that National Health Service staff are able to work in a supportive and compassionate environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. NHS England has a wide-ranging package of mental health and wellbeing support for all staff, including nurses, which includes access to counselling services, a self-check wellbeing tool, free access to a range of wellbeing apps, and a health and wellbeing guardian role to provide board level scrutiny within NHS organisations. NHS England is also leading work with partner organisations to strengthen occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 potential impact of increases in levels of demand for patient care on the capacity of the nursing workforce.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. The Long Term Workforce Plan, which included assessments of nursing demand and supply, will be reviewed following the recommendations of 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include enforcement measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to prevent the sale of tobacco products on the internet to those under age.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Selling tobacco to someone underage, whether in person or online, is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction in a magistrates’ court. It is the responsibility of all retailers including those online to ensure their customers are over the age of sale. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024, is the biggest public health intervention in a generation, and takes significant action to strengthen enforcement to ensure that current and new sales regulations are successfully implemented.
The Bill introduces a new £200 fixed penalty notice in England and Wales, which will enable Trading Standards Officers to act ‘on the spot’ to clamp down on rogue retailers selling tobacco, vapes or nicotine products to people underage, whether in-person or online. The Bill also provides powers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. Once the scheme is introduced, it will be a criminal offence to sell these products, either in person or online, without a licence. Licensing offences will carry significant financial penalties, and those who commit sales offences could face licence revocation, enabling Trading Standards to further clamp down on rogue retailers. The details of the licensing scheme including licence conditions will be subject to consultation ahead of introduction.
Alongside the Bill, the Government is exploring how we can further tackle online underage sales. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is creating a framework of standards and governance, namely the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework, underpinned by legislation, to enable the widespread use of trusted digital identity services. This framework provides a potential opportunity for companies providing age verification services to be certified, to prove they are delivering age assurance solutions that meet Government standards.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
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 help increase the uptake of NHS stop smoking services amongst underage smokers.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
On 5 November 2024, the Government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. It will create the first smoke-free generation, as children turning 15 years old this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco, whilst those who currently legally smoke are able to continue doing so. The bill sits alongside wider support across the health service to assist smokers in quitting for good.
We remain committed to helping existing smokers to quit with effective support, which is three times as effective as making an unassisted quit attempt. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends nicotine replacement therapy for young people aged 12 years old and over, and if prescribed, that behavioural support is also provided. Local authority funding has been boosted with an additional £70 million in 2024/25 to build capacity and demand for local stop smoking support.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving access to healthy food on NHS waiting lists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Poor diet and obesity are major drivers of physical and mental ill health. No assessment has been made to date to specifically assess the impact of improving access to healthy food on National Health Service waiting lists, however shifting the focus from treatment to prevention is one of the three shifts for the Government’s mission for an NHS fit for the future, and is a cornerstone of supporting people to live healthier lives.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing auto-enrolment for the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review. There have been no discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.
The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old, from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old. Healthy Start now supports over 355,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, the NHS Business Services Authority is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, we remain open to all viable routes to improve uptake.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving access to healthy food on the number of people who cannot work due to long-term illness.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
In the United Kingdom, most people’s diet is not in line with the Government’s dietary recommendations as encapsulated in the Eatwell Guide. Most people consume too many calories, too much salt, sugar, and saturated fat, and not enough fibre, fruit, and vegetables. This increases the risk of gaining weight and suffering from type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and some cancers at an earlier age.
Whilst the Government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of improving access to healthy food for people who cannot work due to long term illness, published modelling data suggests that if population intakes were in line with the Eatwell Guide it would improve life expectancy by approximately eight years for the average 40 year old.
The Eatwell Guide shows the proportions in which different types of foods and drinks should be consumed to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. It is communicated through the NHS.UK website and Government social marketing campaigns such as Better Health, Healthier Families, and Start for Life.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of voluntary sugar reduction programmes.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Children currently consume twice the recommended level of sugar. There is strong evidence that high sugar intakes increase the risk of tooth decay and weight gain. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government is committed to tackling this and raising the healthiest generation of children. The Government has already taken action to ensure the implementation of restrictions on the advertising of high sugar food and drink, which will incentivise industry to reformulate and reduce sugar levels in their products.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy has nearly halved the level of sugar in drinks in scope, and the voluntary sugar reduction programme has also reduced sugar in many products.
Working together as a mission led Government, and through our shift to prevention, we are reviewing the balance of mandatory and voluntary measures that will be required to deliver further reductions in sugar levels in everyday food and drink products.