Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
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 maximise NHS capacity.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Department continues to focus on recovery of services, as we have throughout the pandemic. The NHS and the Department have sought to maximise availability of capacity by all practical means, including virtual wards, the use of independent sector capacity, a focus on maximising safe discharge, coupled with investment in up to 160 community diagnostic centres, innovation in surgical hubs, and through growing our NHS workforce.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that rural ambulance services (a) are prompt and (b) receive the resources they need.
Answered by Edward Argar
National Health Service ambulance service trusts are commissioned and funded by NHS clinical commissioning groups in both rural and urban areas. This is supported by a further £55 million of national funding to increase ambulance trust capacity and response times in winter 2021/22.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
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 clarifying IVF eligibility guidance to allow individuals with partners who have children from a previous relationship to be eligible for IVF across England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department undertook an internal policy review about the variation in access to National Health Service fertility services, which was completed in 2021. The results of this internal review will inform future policy. We will set out our initial ambitions in the Women’s Health Strategy, due to be published in the spring. The Government expects local NHS commissioning bodies to commission fertility services in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines, so that there is equitable access across England.
We are aware that some commissioners set additional non-clinical criteria, which can include having children from previous relationships. This is outside the best clinical practice within the NICE fertility guidelines.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to end compulsory covid-19 restrictions in care homes.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The Department is reviewing the remaining measures in place in adult social care settings. We will publish updated infection prevention control guidance by 1 April 2022 on the next phase of the response in adult social care.
While most care recipients in adult social care are vaccinated, care home residents remain at a greater risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 relative to the general population. The transmission risk remains high in vulnerable settings due to the kind of close contact care individuals receive. Therefore, some protections need to remain in place for those in adult social care settings.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to help ensure the long-term sustainability of funding for dementia research.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We have committed £375 million for research into neurodegenerative disease over the next five years, including dementia. Funding is provided through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The NIHR and UKRI welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including dementia. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. The forthcoming dementia strategy will set out our plans for dementia in England in future years, included increasing further research. The strategy will be published later this year.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure GPs have the (a) knowledge and (b) resources to adequately diagnose and arrange treatment for rare health conditions.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Increasing awareness of rare diseases among health care professionals is one of the four priorities of the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework. England’s Rare Diseases Action Plan was published on 28 February 2022 and includes specific actions to increase knowledge and improve the resources available to health care professionals, including general practitioners, to diagnose and arrange treatment for rare diseases.
This includes determining how to include rare diseases in health professional education and training programmes and developing an innovative digital resource, integrated into existing digital platforms or websites to provide easily accessible information on rare diseases. Action plans from the devolved administrations will follow later in 2022.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that NHS dental services are widely available.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
National Health Service dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as safely as possible through urgent care, care for vulnerable groups and children, followed by delayed planned care. An additional £50 million for NHS dentistry has been made available for the remainder of 2021/22 to allow more patients to obtain an NHS dental appointment. The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing proposals for the reform of the NHS dental contract, working with the British Dental Association. One of the main aims is to improve patient access to NHS care.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure equal access to eating disorder treatment across the country.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 January 2022 to Question 105730.
Asked by: Dehenna Davison (Conservative - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment the Government has made of capacity challenges in County Durham's accident and emergency departments.
Answered by Edward Argar
No assessment has been made. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that additional staff are being recruited at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital. Darlington’s emergency department was extended in 2020 and there are further plans to redevelop and increase capacity at Durham’s emergency department. Same day emergency care units were also opened at each site in 2021.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has also enhanced paediatric services and facilities in the emergency departments and a new paediatric assessment unit has been installed at the Durham site. A new primary care hub has also been opened adjacent to the emergency department in Durham.