Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the medical skill mix in primary healthcare to help diagnose and treat (a) musculoskeletal and (b) rheumatic conditions.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
General Practices (GPs) are self-employed contractors to the National Health Service and these employers to determine how best to staff their Primary Care Networks (PCNs) or GP practice to best meet the needs of their population. The demands each patient places on their GP practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics.
GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge (including for MSK and rheumatic conditions) remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
We remain committed to growing and diversifying the GP workforce, through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme Primary Care Networks and practices have recruited over 34,000 additional staff including Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, and social prescribing link workers. First Contact Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists can help with assessing, diagnosing, treating and managing musculoskeletal, including rheumatic, conditions. As of September 2023, working in GP practices and PCNs, there were:
- 2,006 FTE First Contact Physiotherapists
- 28 FTE Occupational Therapists
- 24 FTE Advanced Occupational Therapist Practitioners
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff through providing continuing professional development funding.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to increase the number of (a) rheumatologists and (b) rheumatology specialist nurses in England over the next (i) 12 months, (ii) five years and (iii) 15 years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) sets out plans for the biggest increase in training numbers in the National Health Service’s history to meet the challenge of a growing and ageing population over the next 15 years. There are currently 1,153 full time equivalent doctors working in the specialty of rheumatology. This is 142 (14%) more than in 2019.
The LTWP aims to double the number of medical school places in England, to 10,000 a year, by 2028/29, and to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32. The LTWP commits to an adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as those taking up these new places begin to graduate, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in the future. This will substantially increase the potential pipeline for rheumatologists and other medical specialties.
The LTWP also sets out an ambition to almost double the number of adult nursing training places, taking the number of total places up to nearly 28,000 in 2028/29, and nearly 38,000 by 2031/32. The LTWP also includes the ambition to increase allied health professionals (AHPs) training places by 8% by 2024/25, and by 13% to 17,000 by 2028/29. Specialising in rheumatology is a post-registration option for nurses and allied health professionals and the LTWP expansion will increase the pool of nurses and AHP’s who wish to specialise in rheumatology.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 numbers of (a) nurses and (b) allied professionals specialising in rheumatology as a post registration option.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) sets out plans for the biggest increase in training numbers in the National Health Service’s history to meet the challenge of a growing and ageing population over the next 15 years. There are currently 1,153 full time equivalent doctors working in the specialty of rheumatology. This is 142 (14%) more than in 2019.
The LTWP aims to double the number of medical school places in England, to 10,000 a year, by 2028/29, and to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32. The LTWP commits to an adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as those taking up these new places begin to graduate, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in the future. This will substantially increase the potential pipeline for rheumatologists and other medical specialties.
The LTWP also sets out an ambition to almost double the number of adult nursing training places, taking the number of total places up to nearly 28,000 in 2028/29, and nearly 38,000 by 2031/32. The LTWP also includes the ambition to increase allied health professionals (AHPs) training places by 8% by 2024/25, and by 13% to 17,000 by 2028/29. Specialising in rheumatology is a post-registration option for nurses and allied health professionals and the LTWP expansion will increase the pool of nurses and AHP’s who wish to specialise in rheumatology.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 help ensure the Major Conditions Strategy reflects the (a) views and (b) needs of people with lived experience of cancer as a young adult.
Answered by Will Quince
Cancer is a priority for this Government and the Department continues to take steps to demonstrate this. Childhood, young people’s and young adults’ cancers are included within the Department’s Major Conditions Strategy, which tackles contributions contributing most to morbidity and mortality.
While the Department cannot pre-empt its outcomes, the Major Conditions Strategy’s final report scheduled for early 2024 will draw on previous work, including submissions from childhood, young people and young adults’ cancer charities and stakeholders in response to our calls for evidence on cancer and on major conditions. The emphasis is on earlier diagnosis, better support to manage conditions, and improved coordination of treatment and care.
The Department is engaging with several stakeholders in the development of the Major Conditions Strategy including organisations that represent the needs and care of people with lived experience of cancer.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Major Conditions Strategy will take into account the (a) care and (b) support needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Answered by Will Quince
Cancer is a priority for this Government and the Department continues to take steps to demonstrate this. Childhood, young people’s and young adults’ cancers are included within the Department’s Major Conditions Strategy, which tackles contributions contributing most to morbidity and mortality.
While the Department cannot pre-empt its outcomes, the Major Conditions Strategy’s final report scheduled for early 2024 will draw on previous work, including submissions from childhood, young people and young adults’ cancer charities and stakeholders in response to our calls for evidence on cancer and on major conditions. The emphasis is on earlier diagnosis, better support to manage conditions, and improved coordination of treatment and care.
The Department is engaging with several stakeholders in the development of the Major Conditions Strategy including organisations that represent the needs and care of people with lived experience of cancer.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 improve data reporting on the (a) outcomes and (b) experiences of young people with cancer.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department is taking steps, along with other organisations, to better understand data on outcomes and experiences of young people with cancer.
On the data reporting of outcomes, the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) collects, quality assures and analyses data on all people living in England who are diagnosed with cancer, including young people.
This data is used to measure diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the National Health Service, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiological research, all of which contribute to improved outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer.
The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, commissioned by NHS England, aims to understand the experiences of cancer care across England, for all patients aged 16 years old or over. This has surveyed patients annually since 2010.
In addition, the Under 16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey, commissioned by NHS England, is now in its second year and aims to gather feedback from children and young people and their parents/carers on the cancer care and treatment received.
These surveys provide valuable findings, helping the NHS to understand what is good about children, young people’s and adults’ cancer care, and identifying areas for improvements.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
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 giving the Care Quality Commission more freedom to scrutinise the level of patient involvement of (a) Integrated Care Systems and (b) Integrated Care Boards.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has a new duty to review and assess integrated care systems (ICSs), in which integrated care boards (ICBs) are in scope, as a statutory body within an ICS. As part of these assessments, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has asked the CQC to consider whether each ICS is adequately considering the voices of people who use health and care services and their families, carers and representatives.
The CQC’s approach is driven by people’s needs and their experiences of health and care services. It will focus on what matters to the public and to local communities when they access, use and move between services.
It is the role of NHS England to assess an ICB’s performance against its statutory duties (such as the duty to promote the involvement of each patient).
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the next round of guidance for Integrated Care Systems on women’s health hubs planned for autumn 2023, whether his Department plans to (a) provide guidance for the commissioning of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and (b) publish additional guidance on women’s health hubs in 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department and NHS England are working together to develop further resources to support integrated care systems to establish women’s health hubs. In the autumn of 2023, we plan to publish a commissioning specification for hubs which will include guidance around commissioning long-acting reversible contraception, and a toolkit for virtual group consultations and virtual engagement events in women’s health hubs.
Currently there are no plans to publish additional guidance on women’s health hubs, but we will keep under review if integrated care systems would benefit from further guidance.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his announcement in July 2023 of £595,000 funding per Integrated Care System to support the expansion of Women’s Health Hubs, what steps his Department is taking to support Integrated Care Boards to determine how that funding is allocated to develop services that (a) best meet population needs and (b) reduce health inequalities.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the health needs of their local population. We have published resources to support ICBs as they work with other system partners to implement the funding, including a core specification, and cost benefit analysis. These are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/womens-health-hubs
The Women’s Health Ambassador for England has hosted 4 webinars over the summer to support local systems as they develop their plans. These webinars had a specific focus on how existing hubs are meeting population needs and reducing health inequalities.
We are developing further resources of a commissioning specification and a toolkit for virtual group consultations and virtual engagement events in women’s health hubs. ICBs have been asked to submit an initial return by 30 September 2023, setting out where their hub will be, what services it plans to offer, staffing model, and other information. This will enable the Department and NHS England to understand how systems are using the funding to meet population needs and reduce health inequalities. The Department and NHS England are in regular contact with systems to answer any questions and are holding drop-in sessions in September to support with completing the reporting template.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish data held by his Department on the number of trained long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) fitters (a) within the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System and (b) nationally.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
The Department does not hold data on the number of trained LARC fitters nationally, or within specific integrated care systems.