Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 provide additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help reduce (i) patient backlogs and (ii) workloads in GP surgeries in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.
Answered by Will Quince
The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Easington, Streatham, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, Nottingham South and Wirral South.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in 2010.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Care Quality Commission did not rate providers in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough in 2010.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Will Quince
This information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in 2010.
Answered by Will Quince
The Care Quality Commission did not rate providers in 2010 and began rating National Health Service trusts in 2013. This approach was extended to other parts of the health and care system in 2015.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Constituency.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 offering a retrospective financial award to healthcare students who studied between 2017 and 2020 who did not receive a bursary during their time of study.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No recent assessment has been made and we have no plans to provide a retrospective financial award to healthcare students who did not receive the current grant offer during their studies.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 that approved covid-19 vaccines delivered in Pakistan are recognised in the UK to allow fully vaccinated travellers from Pakistan to travel to the UK without the need for quarantine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Since 9 January 2022, eligible fully vaccinated travellers from Pakistan can take a lateral flow device test on or before day two of their arrival in England, without the need to quarantine. Those who receive a positive result must self-isolate immediately and order a National Health Service polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test through GOV.UK. Positive PCR tests for these arrivals will be sequenced to understand the potential for variants of concern.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 providing permanent Medical Exemption Certificates to those with verified lifelong chronic conditions.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No assessment has been made. We currently have no plans to expand the prescription charge medical exemption list to include all those with a verified lifelong condition or to provide those that currently qualify for a medical exemption with a permanent exemption. Medical exemption certificates are valid for a period of five years as although many of the conditions on the list are life-long, some can resolve over time and the patient’s entitlement should be reviewed by their clinician periodically.
For those ineligible for an exemption on medical grounds, arrangements are in place to assist with the affordability of National Health Service prescriptions, including exemptions for which people with life-long chronic conditions may already qualify. Approximately 89% of NHS prescription items are dispensed in the community free of charge. To support those who do not qualify for a medical exemption, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 extending the temporary suspension of the NHS abatement rules past March 2022.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Pension abatement in the National Health Service applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 years old and 60 years old, these pensions plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that this a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS, including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 suspended the rule to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March with other provisions. The NHS Business Services Authority are writing to all pensioners under 60 years old in this group who may be affected, to advise how much they can earn before their pension is abated. These nurses and any who subsequently retire should continue to be able to work for the NHS. However, the Department will keep this under review.