Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 bringing (a) sexual health services and (b) public health back into the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to preventing ill health, promoting healthier lives and addressing health disparities, including sexual health.
We have therefore committed to developing a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, which will explore commissioning models to meet the changing needs of our changing population. The plan will be focused on delivering the three shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, and will be published in June 2025.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish national plans to improve (a) respiratory health and (b) other major conditions following the publication of the NHS England 10 Year Health Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will focus on the three shifts needed to deliver a modern National Health Service: hospital to community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention. We want to see more tests and scans in the community, in high street settings, reducing the need for people to take multiple trips to hospitals to get diagnosed.
The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients and staff. The plan will include how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet their needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see.
The Department, following the merger with NHS England, will continue the work undertaken by NHS England to improve the services for major conditions in line with the vision of the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require NHS hospitals to operate pay on exit parking.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts states that trusts should consider installing ‘pay on exit’ or similar schemes so that drivers pay only for the time that they have used.
National Health Service organisations should continue to work with their patients and staff, local authorities, and public transport providers to make sure that users can get to the site, and park, if necessary, as safely, conveniently, and economically as possible. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 implications for his policies of the Royal College of General Practitioners' report entitled Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, published in March 2025; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of that report.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In October 2020, the National Health Service published its Net Zero Strategy, in order to become the world’s first health system to commit to reaching net zero emissions, and NHS England is working collaboratively with a range of partners on implementation.
Recognising the importance of decarbonising general practices (GPs), NHS England collaborated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the authors of the report Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, to develop a net zero hub, which includes three eLearning modules and a practice decarbonisation guide. These resources support and educate GPs in reducing carbon emissions from prescribing. The Department will work with NHS England to consider the recommendations and findings of the Royal College of General Practitioners' report.
Greener prescribing and recycling are key enablers to support the NHS’ transition towards a more sustainable healthcare system. One key aspect of this is tackling overprescribing, including through improving repeat prescribing processes and delivering Structured Medication Reviews. Further information can be found in the updated Green Plan Guidance at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/green-plan-guidance/
The NHS has already made progress in reducing medicine emissions. For example, optimising inhaler use by addressing Short Acting Beta Agonists overprescribing, improving inhaler technique, and working to ensure patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen and are using their inhaler at the right time. NHS England is also committed to exploring inhaler recycling and its potential benefits, and is currently supporting the implementation of an inhaler recycling pilot to assess a national scheme’s feasibility and potential benefits.
In 2021, NHS England set out its NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap. Alongside and since this announcement, many pharmaceutical companies have made commitments to decarbonise. The NHS and the Government continue to collaborate with industry across a range of actions, such as the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing programme, and the Voluntary Pricing, Access and Growth Investment Programme.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of General Practitioners' report entitled Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, published in March 2025, what plans his Department has to expand medicines recycling and re-use schemes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In October 2020, the National Health Service published its Net Zero Strategy, in order to become the world’s first health system to commit to reaching net zero emissions, and NHS England is working collaboratively with a range of partners on implementation.
Recognising the importance of decarbonising general practices (GPs), NHS England collaborated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the authors of the report Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, to develop a net zero hub, which includes three eLearning modules and a practice decarbonisation guide. These resources support and educate GPs in reducing carbon emissions from prescribing. The Department will work with NHS England to consider the recommendations and findings of the Royal College of General Practitioners' report.
Greener prescribing and recycling are key enablers to support the NHS’ transition towards a more sustainable healthcare system. One key aspect of this is tackling overprescribing, including through improving repeat prescribing processes and delivering Structured Medication Reviews. Further information can be found in the updated Green Plan Guidance at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/green-plan-guidance/
The NHS has already made progress in reducing medicine emissions. For example, optimising inhaler use by addressing Short Acting Beta Agonists overprescribing, improving inhaler technique, and working to ensure patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen and are using their inhaler at the right time. NHS England is also committed to exploring inhaler recycling and its potential benefits, and is currently supporting the implementation of an inhaler recycling pilot to assess a national scheme’s feasibility and potential benefits.
In 2021, NHS England set out its NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap. Alongside and since this announcement, many pharmaceutical companies have made commitments to decarbonise. The NHS and the Government continue to collaborate with industry across a range of actions, such as the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing programme, and the Voluntary Pricing, Access and Growth Investment Programme.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 reduce the environmental impact of prescribing (a) inhalers and (b) other medicines.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In October 2020, the National Health Service published its Net Zero Strategy, in order to become the world’s first health system to commit to reaching net zero emissions, and NHS England is working collaboratively with a range of partners on implementation.
Recognising the importance of decarbonising general practices (GPs), NHS England collaborated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the authors of the report Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, to develop a net zero hub, which includes three eLearning modules and a practice decarbonisation guide. These resources support and educate GPs in reducing carbon emissions from prescribing. The Department will work with NHS England to consider the recommendations and findings of the Royal College of General Practitioners' report.
Greener prescribing and recycling are key enablers to support the NHS’ transition towards a more sustainable healthcare system. One key aspect of this is tackling overprescribing, including through improving repeat prescribing processes and delivering Structured Medication Reviews. Further information can be found in the updated Green Plan Guidance at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/green-plan-guidance/
The NHS has already made progress in reducing medicine emissions. For example, optimising inhaler use by addressing Short Acting Beta Agonists overprescribing, improving inhaler technique, and working to ensure patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen and are using their inhaler at the right time. NHS England is also committed to exploring inhaler recycling and its potential benefits, and is currently supporting the implementation of an inhaler recycling pilot to assess a national scheme’s feasibility and potential benefits.
In 2021, NHS England set out its NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap. Alongside and since this announcement, many pharmaceutical companies have made commitments to decarbonise. The NHS and the Government continue to collaborate with industry across a range of actions, such as the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing programme, and the Voluntary Pricing, Access and Growth Investment Programme.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 primary care to reduce carbon emissions from prescribing.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In October 2020, the National Health Service published its Net Zero Strategy, in order to become the world’s first health system to commit to reaching net zero emissions, and NHS England is working collaboratively with a range of partners on implementation.
Recognising the importance of decarbonising general practices (GPs), NHS England collaborated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the authors of the report Towards Greener Prescribing in General Practice, to develop a net zero hub, which includes three eLearning modules and a practice decarbonisation guide. These resources support and educate GPs in reducing carbon emissions from prescribing. The Department will work with NHS England to consider the recommendations and findings of the Royal College of General Practitioners' report.
Greener prescribing and recycling are key enablers to support the NHS’ transition towards a more sustainable healthcare system. One key aspect of this is tackling overprescribing, including through improving repeat prescribing processes and delivering Structured Medication Reviews. Further information can be found in the updated Green Plan Guidance at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/green-plan-guidance/
The NHS has already made progress in reducing medicine emissions. For example, optimising inhaler use by addressing Short Acting Beta Agonists overprescribing, improving inhaler technique, and working to ensure patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen and are using their inhaler at the right time. NHS England is also committed to exploring inhaler recycling and its potential benefits, and is currently supporting the implementation of an inhaler recycling pilot to assess a national scheme’s feasibility and potential benefits.
In 2021, NHS England set out its NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap. Alongside and since this announcement, many pharmaceutical companies have made commitments to decarbonise. The NHS and the Government continue to collaborate with industry across a range of actions, such as the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing programme, and the Voluntary Pricing, Access and Growth Investment Programme.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to help prevent hospital treatment in corridors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that long waits in accident and emergency departments are unacceptable and lead to worse patient outcomes. Patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and we are determined to tackle the issue of corridor care. NHS England published guidance in September 2024 regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces, which is available at the following link:
In January 2025, the NHS England mandate and operational planning guidance for 2025/26 were published. These set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services. This includes increasing the proportion of patients admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.
We will shortly set out the further improvements and actions to be taken to support urgent and emergency care services this year.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to set a new date for cross party talks to discuss the work of the Independent Commission on social care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Baroness Casey will be contacting all party groups to set dates with parties across the House very shortly. She will commence her commission in April 2025.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 ICBs to offer community wax removal services to people requiring them.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not have plans to intervene in locally led arrangements for the provision of ear wax removal services. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal services in local areas in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations