Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the contractual terms of dentists to incentivise them to work in areas having difficulty providing NHS dentistry services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
NHS England are leading discussions with the British Dental Association, other dental stakeholder groups and patients for further reform of the NHS dental system in 2023. We are aware that certain areas have particular challenges to access to dental care. One of the aims of the next stage of the National Health Service dental system reforms is to improve access for patients, including in areas that traditionally experience challenges in access.
In September 2022 we announced ‘Our plan for patients’ to make improvements to the NHS dental system. On 25 November 2022, amendments to the NHS dental contract came into effect, which will increase access for patients, make NHS dentistry a more attractive place to work and increase efficiency.
To incentivise high performing practices to expand and deliver more NHS care, particularly in those areas where NHS dentistry is less prevalent, we have enabled, subject to commissioner agreement, practices to deliver up to 110% contracted activity so that more patients can be seen.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses have been recruited by the NHS in Yorkshire in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Will Quince
The following table shows the headcount number of doctors and nurses and health visitors that joined active service in National Health Service hospital trusts and commissioning bodies in the North East and Yorkshire region for the last five years.
| June 2017 to 2018 | June 2018 to 2019 | June 2019 to 2020 | June 2020 to 2021 | June 2021 to 2022 |
Doctors | 2,881 | 3,186 | 4,088 | 2,755 | 3,514 |
Nurses and Health Visitors | 4,865 | 5,226 | 5,827 | 4,316 | 6,741 |
Source: NHS Digital, Quarterly Workforce Statistics June 2022
Notes:
Joiners can include those returning to active service (for example from maternity leave or career breaks), as well as those newly joining the NHS or joining from a different part of the health and social care system (for example general practice). This is particularly important to note in respect to doctors as they may undertake periods of work outside of hospital trusts as part of their training programmes and development.
Data is published by NHS England Geographical region hence the data presented covering the wider geography of the North East and Yorkshire region.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the estimated cost to the NHS of treating gambling addictions in each of the 5 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
NHS England has funded specialist gambling treatment clinics since 2019. Expenditure on the specialist clinics was £1 million in 2019/20, £1 million in 2020/21, £3 million in 2021/22 and is projected at £4 million in 2022/23.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 help ensure the reduction of added nitrates in bacon and ham; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works with the food industry to ensure that nitrites and nitrates are used at the lowest possible levels to achieve its technological function without affecting the safety of the food.
The maximum legal limits for nitrates are based on scientific evaluation and monitored through risk-based compliance checks. There are no plans to reduce the levels of nitrates in processed pork products. The FSA will seek independent scientific advice should new credible studies on nitrates emerge in addition to existing evidence, to determine whether further action on authorised food additives is necessary.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgery in East Yorkshire.
Answered by Will Quince
The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including in East Yorkshire. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels. A proportion of this funding will be invested in workforce capacity and training and we have committed to invest £5.9 billion for new beds, equipment and technology.
The target to eliminate waiting times of two years or more for elective procedures was met in July 2022 and we aim to eliminate waiting time of eighteen months or more by April 2023. This will be achieved through increasing capacity, seeking alternate capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand choices made regarding their care.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made in the last six months to increase the number of face to face GP appointments available in East Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Data on general practice appointments is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many wards are closed or not being used as a ward; and which hospitals those wards are in.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 the current NHS dental provision in the East Yorkshire constituency; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in East Yorkshire. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in East Yorkshire.
The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that NHS England deal with complaints and other issues raised with them by hon. Members in a speedy and efficient manner.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Complaints to NHS England should be handled in accordance with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's principles of good complaint handling, which include dealing with complaints promptly and avoiding unnecessary delay. NHS England’s complaints guidance states that it aims to respond within 40 working days. If NHS England have not provided a response within six months, it will write to the complainant to explain the reasons for the delay and advise when a response is likely to be received.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will investigate the current provision of orthodontic services in Bridlington following the closure of the Bridlington Orthodontic Centre; what assurances she has received from NHS England that they have made alternative provision for all those effected thereby; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
NHS England recently undertook a procurement for orthodontic services in the Northern region due to the conclusion of previous contracts. Under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, NHS England is required to re-procure time limited contracts.
Through this procurement process, a number of providers have secured contracts to provide orthodontic services. If a child’s orthodontic practice was unsuccessful in this procurement or did not submit a bid, it was offered the opportunity to conclude any treatment already commenced. Where the practice did not continue any National Health Service treatment beyond the end date of its contract, it has been necessary to transfer patients to another orthodontic practice.
NHS England is working with new providers to transfer patients for ongoing treatment, mobilise the new contracts and confirm all allocated providers for patients. Patients are being contacted by the new providers and offered appointments.