Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that essential NHS staff in Band 2 and Band 3 roles are eligible for inclusion on the (a) Health and Care Worker visa and (b) the Immigration Salary List.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service staff working in Agenda for Change band 2 roles have never been eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa as they do not meet the skills threshold of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 3 diploma.
On 9 April, the minimum salary for Health and Care Worker visa holders increased to £25,000 per year. This applies to new Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after that date.
Entry-level band 3 roles do not meet the new minimum salary threshold for a Health and Care Worker visa. However, band 3 staff currently on the Health and Care Worker visa are not required to meet the new minimum salary threshold until the point at which they need to renew their visa. At that point, we expect the majority of staff to have accrued two or more years of experience, and therefore be at the top of band 3, which is above the new minimum salary threshold.
The expanded Immigration Salary List allows time-limited access to the United Kingdom’s immigration system for selected occupations of skill levels RQF 3 to 5 until the end of 2026, with restrictions on bringing dependants. The list includes occupations that the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) identified as being in shortage in its 2023 review and 2024 rapid review.
No new roles will now be added to the list, as it is being phased out at the end of 2026. The MAC has been commissioned to advise on a future Temporary Shortage List.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make his policy to introduce a Long service and good conduct medal for (a) doctors and (b) nurses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Employers across the National Health Service are best placed to identify and reward staff for either long service or excellence in the delivery of healthcare. Most organisations have developed a wide range of schemes to celebrate long service in the NHS and these include celebratory events, commemorative badges, and monetary awards and gifts.
For NHS employees who have made an outstanding contribution, the honours system celebrates those who go above and beyond to change the world around them for the better. Nominations can be made online via the Cabinet Office website.
There is also the opportunity for members of Parliament to acknowledge the work of NHS staff in their constituency through the NHS Parliamentary Awards, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-parliamentary-awards/about/
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 ensure the operation of NHS Practitioner Health beyond March 2026.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Looking after the mental health of our hardworking National Health Service staff is a priority for the Government.
The National Staff Mental Health Treatment Service currently supplied by NHS Practitioner Health is funded until March 2026, and work is being completed to re-commission this service for the next three years, aligned to the Multi-Year Spending Review, from 2026 to 2029.
More recently, the 10-Year Health Plan committed to roll out Staff Treatment Hubs. These hubs will provide a high-quality occupational health service for all NHS staff.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 oral nicotine pouches on public health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Nicotine is the active ingredient in oral nicotine pouches, which is a highly addictive drug. Unlike vapes, nicotine pouches currently have no set nicotine limits, and nicotine strengths can be extremely high. The use of nicotine pouches is increasing, particularly among young men. Among adults in Great Britain, 5.4% tried nicotine pouches in 2024.
The Government is committed to protecting future generations from the harms of nicotine addiction. That is why, alongside vapes, we are taking action to control these products through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The bill will ban the advertising and sponsorship of all consumer nicotine products, ban their sale to anyone under 18 years old, and prohibit free distribution. The bill also provides powers to regulate the flavours, ingredients, which includes nicotine strength, packaging, and displays of vapes and nicotine products.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of new technology for cancer screening.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Capital spend for new screening technology is held under the same budget as wider spend on diagnostic equipment for the National Health Service, and therefore we cannot provide the specific information requested.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 the 10 Year Health Plan for England on the Black Country.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or geography. The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver more care locally, including in urban areas like the Black Country, supporting people to stay healthier.
The neighbourhood health service will reflect the specific needs of local populations. Over the course of the plan, neighbourhood health centres will be available in every community, including the Black Country, providing easy access to general practitioners, nurses, and wider support, such as employment advisers, all under one roof. The Government will begin establishing neighbourhood health centres in places where healthy life expectancy is lowest.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 the waiting times for diagnoses of endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and we are taking action to ensure that individuals with endometriosis receive a timely diagnosis and effective treatment. That is why, alongside committing to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029, our Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, sets out a range of efforts to reduce the time patients wait for gynaecological care. This includes rolling out innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community. We also provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to exceed our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments across elective services, as a first step to achieving the 18-week RTT standard.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also updated its guidelines on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis, which will help women receive more timely care. This updated version in November 2024 includes updated recommendations that for women with symptoms of endometriosis, initial pharmacological treatment should take place in primary care, and that this can take place in parallel with additional investigations and referral to secondary care if needed. The guideline is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 trends in the length of NHS waiting lists in the Black Country since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In July 2024, the waiting list at the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) was 192,268. Of these, 110,482, or 57.5% of pathways, were waiting within 18 weeks.
The latest data shows that as of March 2025, the waiting list at the Black Country ICB has decreased by over 13,631, to 178,637 since July 2024. Of these, 102,618, 57.4% of pathways were waiting within 18 weeks.
We promised change, and we’ve delivered early, with a reduction in the list of over 200,000 pathways. We have also now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over 3.5 million more appointments across the country.
This marks a vital First Step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 palliative care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services that integrated care boards (ICBs) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.
In recognition of this, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England for 2024/25 and 2025/26, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
Additionally, children and young people’s hospices will receive £26 million in revenue funding for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.
More widely, As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative care and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, including those in the hospice sector.
In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 merits of fluoridisation of water for dental health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Water fluoridation is an evidence based, effective public health intervention for improving the oral health of children and adults. The 2022 Health Monitoring Report showed that five-year-olds were less likely to experience dental caries, and less likely to experience caries of high severity, in areas with a fluoridation scheme. Further information is available at the following link:
The UK Chief Medical Officer also concluded that water fluoridation is effective and should complement, not substitute, other effective methods of fluoride use. The UK Chief Medical Officer’s statement on water fluoridation is available at the following link: