Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people attending (a) A&E facilities at the Blackpool Acute Hospitals Trust and (b) Walk-in facilities in Blackpool between June 2018 and January 2019 who could have been seen as a non-emergency appointment.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The information is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to secure EU healthcare benefits for UK students studying in the EU after September 2019 on the Erasmus+ programme in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019, I laid a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance for students and with regards to European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
Discussions about EHICs, including for students, forms part of the broader negotiations with the European Commission and Member States about continued reciprocal healthcare arrangements.
Subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. This includes EHICs for students.
In a ‘no deal’ scenario, the United Kingdom Government has proposed to EU Member States that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals’ and EU citizens’ healthcare provision. The UK cannot unilaterally guarantee people’s healthcare cover if they live abroad, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
Currently, students residing in the UK who are going on a placement abroad are entitled to a UK-issued EHIC to cover healthcare costs for the duration of their placement. We cannot guarantee that this will continue for all EU Member States in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario where the existing arrangements are not extended.
UK nationals living in or travelling to the EU should ensure they are taking the necessary steps to prepare including taking out comprehensive health insurance and ensuring they access up-to-date information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
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 (a) the Secretary of State for Education, (b) NHS executives and (c) the EU on the status of the EU health insurance card for UK students studying abroad from September 2019 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019, I laid a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance for students and with regards to European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
Discussions about EHICs, including for students, forms part of the broader negotiations with the European Commission and Member States about continued reciprocal healthcare arrangements.
Subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. This includes EHICs for students.
In a ‘no deal’ scenario, the United Kingdom Government has proposed to EU Member States that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals’ and EU citizens’ healthcare provision. The UK cannot unilaterally guarantee people’s healthcare cover if they live abroad, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
Currently, students residing in the UK who are going on a placement abroad are entitled to a UK-issued EHIC to cover healthcare costs for the duration of their placement. We cannot guarantee that this will continue for all EU Member States in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario where the existing arrangements are not extended.
UK nationals living in or travelling to the EU should ensure they are taking the necessary steps to prepare including taking out comprehensive health insurance and ensuring they access up-to-date information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government's commitment to double the number of places available for men on the PrEP Impact Trial will be rolled out at the Whitegate Health Centre in Blackpool.
Answered by Steve Brine
The HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact trial that began in October 2017 was funded by NHS England to recruit 10,000 participants over a three-year study period. In 2018, the allocation of places was increased to 13,000 to take account of a surge in people taking part. On 30 January, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that the PrEP Impact trial would be expanded to 26,000 places. Work is underway with partners to take this forward. The PrEP Oversight Board has requested information on local capacity to make the additional places available and will review this shortly. After assessing their capacity to utilise any extra places, investigators in each site, including those in Blackpool, can request additional trial places.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allocating funding for additional domestic medical student places as a result of NHS demand for staff.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The Government has announced a record increase of an additional 1,500 medical school places for domestic students in England – 630 started this September, with a further 690 starting in 2019/20 and the final 180 in 2020/21. This expansion will also deliver five brand new medical schools in Sunderland, Lancashire, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Canterbury.
On the back of the additional £20 billion additional National Health Service funding, NHS leaders are currently producing a long-term plan that will include proposals for the NHS workforce, training and leadership, which the Government will consider and respond to in due course.