Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of pharmacies that have closed in Easington since 2019; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of these closures on primary care services.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There were 21 physical pharmacies on 31 December 2023 in Easington constituency. Between 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2023, two pharmacies closed in Easington constituency. However, access remains good. 85 percent of the population in Easington live within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy. This exceeds the national average of 80 percent. Residents of Easington can also access services from distance selling pharmacies that operate nationally.
It is the statutory duty of local authorities in England to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas, every three years, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated care boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services and where a pharmacy closure impacts on the access to services, a new contractor can apply to open a pharmacy in the area.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of community pharmacies on the communities.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There were 21 physical pharmacies on 31 December 2023 in Easington constituency. Between 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2023, two pharmacies closed in Easington constituency. However, access remains good. 85 percent of the population in Easington live within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy. This exceeds the national average of 80 percent. Residents of Easington can also access services from distance selling pharmacies that operate nationally.
It is the statutory duty of local authorities in England to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas, every three years, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated care boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services and where a pharmacy closure impacts on the access to services, a new contractor can apply to open a pharmacy in the area.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15620 on Health Services: Postal Services, whether his Department collects information on the reasons for missed NHS appointments.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Rates of missed appointments, and their causes, can vary substantially between providers and local areas. NHS England has developed a range of resources to support trusts in understanding the causes of missed appointments within their organisation, and to take effective action to reduce Did Not Attend rates.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the cost of training a student midwife is paid by (a) the student, (b) the public purse and (c) other sources; and what the cost to the public purse was for training student midwives in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Student loan outlay and Office for Students Strategic Priorities Grant data is not collected by the Department of Health and Social Care, and is the responsibility of the Department for Education and the Office for Students. NHS England supports the provision of clinical placements for student midwives, through the Education and Training Tariff, which is paid to placement providers. The following table shows the tariff provided for midwifery students in each of the last five years:
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Tariff | £11,336,867 | £13,856,454 | £17,428,079 | £21,234,754 | £23,104,117 |
From 2017 all eligible midwifery students have received non-repayable supplementary funding support through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF), which since 2020 has included a non-repayable training grant of £5,000 per academic year, with further financial support available to students for childcare, dual accommodation costs, and travel. Prior to 2017, healthcare education funding for midwifery students was centrally funded by the Government. This included payment of tuition fees and an NHS Bursary. The following table shows all support paid to students undertaking education and training which would enable them to register as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, in each of the last five years:
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
LSF and legacy bursary | £15,800,691 | £9,436,016 | £31,225,575 | £49,035,130 | £53,841,543 |
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people enrolled onto midwifery (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate courses in each year of study in each of the last five academic years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data published by the Office for Students in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students studying in each academic year. HESES data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2022. The table below gives the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England, each year from 2018 to 2022:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Undergraduate Starters | 2,550 | 2,930 | 3,460 | 3,565 | 3,305 |
Postgraduate Starters | 70 | 55 | 100 | 135 | 190 |
Source: The Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES) 2018 to 2022.
The table below presents the latest available data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, for the years 2019/20 to 2021/22:
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Undergraduate Midwifery Qualifiers | 2,055 | 1,945 | 2,445 |
Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) qualifier data 2022
Note: A qualifier is defined by the HESA as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question.
The Department does not hold information on the proportion of student midwives who left university courses, in each of the last five years.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 student midwives left their university courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data published by the Office for Students in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students studying in each academic year. HESES data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2022. The table below gives the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England, each year from 2018 to 2022:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Undergraduate Starters | 2,550 | 2,930 | 3,460 | 3,565 | 3,305 |
Postgraduate Starters | 70 | 55 | 100 | 135 | 190 |
Source: The Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES) 2018 to 2022.
The table below presents the latest available data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, for the years 2019/20 to 2021/22:
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Undergraduate Midwifery Qualifiers | 2,055 | 1,945 | 2,445 |
Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) qualifier data 2022
Note: A qualifier is defined by the HESA as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question.
The Department does not hold information on the proportion of student midwives who left university courses, in each of the last five years.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many student midwives graduated from pre-registration midwifery courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data published by the Office for Students in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES), collates figures submitted by individual higher education providers to give an indication of the number of students studying in each academic year. HESES data includes figures on undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery courses in England. The latest published data is for those starting courses in 2022. The table below gives the number of undergraduate and postgraduate starters on midwifery courses in England, each year from 2018 to 2022:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Undergraduate Starters | 2,550 | 2,930 | 3,460 | 3,565 | 3,305 |
Postgraduate Starters | 70 | 55 | 100 | 135 | 190 |
Source: The Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey (HESES) 2018 to 2022.
The table below presents the latest available data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for the number of qualifiers from undergraduate midwifery courses in England, for the years 2019/20 to 2021/22:
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Undergraduate Midwifery Qualifiers | 2,055 | 1,945 | 2,445 |
Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) qualifier data 2022
Note: A qualifier is defined by the HESA as a student who gained a qualification during the academic year in question.
The Department does not hold information on the proportion of student midwives who left university courses, in each of the last five years.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the cost to the NHS caused by Royal Mail (a) delays and (b) failures to deliver appointment letters.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England sends communications and invitations to patients using a digital first approach, for environmental reasons and to efficiently reduce costs. If an individual has provided a mobile phone number and email address through their general practice, NHS England will, in the first instance, send most invitations for appointments via mobile phone text and email.
Letters are typically sent to patients when NHS England does not have alternative contact details on record, such as a phone number or email address. This ensures all patients receive notification of an appointment, including elderly and other vulnerable patients, where a digital first approach may not be possible or appropriate. Letters may also be sent occasionally as reminders.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 launch a national awareness campaign on breast screening.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is currently exploring opportunities for national campaigns to support positive outcomes on women’s health. Work is underway to scope the feasibility of running a national campaign to support breast screening uptake, and this will be informed by pilot activity due to run in London in 2024/25.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in her Department is responsible for delivery of (a) cancer screening programmes and (b) the NHS public health Section 7A agreement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My role as the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care includes responsibility for major diseases including cancer, and for screening.
In accordance with the NHS Public Health Functions Agreement (made under section 7A of the NHS Act 2006) NHS England is responsible for providing or securing the provision of breast, bowel and cervical screening programmes and other specified public health services.
My Rt. Hon friend, Andrea Leadsom MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care, has led ministerial responsibility for arrangements under section 7A.