Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 increase the number of adults that visit a dentist in Rochdale Borough, compared to the last two years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Rochdale Borough, this is the NHS Greater Manchester ICB.
ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support people suffering with Endometriosis in Greater Manchester across regional healthcare settings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care that those suffering from gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, receive. We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres.
Work is ongoing across Greater Manchester to improve women’s healthcare. NHS Greater Manchester’s Gynaecology Transformation programme aims to reduce health inequalities by bringing care closer to home, improving access, and reducing fragmentation in women’s health care. This is focused on developing a general practice-led community service for some elements of gynaecology services to improve access and reduce long waits. Medical and surgical treatment of non-severe endometriosis is undertaken by gynaecologists with a special interest in locally commissioned services. Specialised gynaecological surgery for severe endometriosis is based at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance.
In addition to this, NHS Greater Manchester is contributing to the North East and West of England endometriosis transformation programme. This programme is addressing long waits for patients with severe endometriosis and improving patient pathways, from presentation in general practice through to management in secondary care.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to improve working conditions for people living with endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health. Tackling the barriers that women face in the workplace, including those around managing their health and wellbeing, is at the heart of the growth mission.
As part of the Employment Rights Bill, we are taking the first steps towards requiring large employers to produce action plans outlining the steps that they are taking on the gender pay gap and menopause support. In formulating plans, we want to recognise that there are actions that can help people in a range of circumstances, including women managing reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis, for example providing and promoting flexible working. They will also open up space to have discussions about health, and in particular women's health, more broadly in the workplace. The Employments Rights Bill will also strengthen the existing day 1 right to request flexible working, and will improve access to Statutory Sick Pay by removing the Lower Earnings Limit and removing the waiting period.
Also, an Office for National Statistics research project is investigating the impact of endometriosis on women’s participation and progression in the workforce. This vital project will improve our understanding of the issue and inform future Government policy.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board on steps to reduce the number of patients awaiting treatment in Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are accountable to NHS England. The NHS Oversight Framework outlines NHS England’s approach to overseeing and monitoring ICB performance, and NHS England regional teams have regular review meetings with ICBs, the frequency of which will vary according to the governance arrangements, but they should be at least quarterly.
More broadly, the Government is working to reduce the number of patients awaiting treatment across the country, including those in Heywood and Middleton North. The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard, that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by the end of this Parliament, and will also ensure patients have the best possible experience of care.
We have set an ambition for 2025/26 that we reach 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks nationally, and for all trusts to deliver a minimum 5% improvement by March 2026. We will also publish minimum standards of care that patients can expect to experience, and will make digital improvements, including to the NHS App, to provide patients with greater choice, control, and flexibility.
Across the country, dedicated and protected surgical hubs are transforming the way the National Health Service provides elective care, by focussing on high volume low complexity surgeries. In the Heywood and Middleton North constituency, there are two such surgical hubs serving patients, the Fairfield General Hospital Elective Surgical Hub, and the Rochdale Infirmary Elective Surgical Hub.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to provide funding for respite care for people with disabilities away from their care setting.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care, as part of the broader estimated real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%. Local authorities are responsible for how they use the available funding to fulfil their duties under the Care Act (2014).