Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 tackle regional differences in access to specialist care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. Our ‘Reforming elective care for patients’ plan, published in January, sets out how the NHS will reform elective care services equitably and inclusively for all patients.
As an interim goal, NHS England’s Operational Planning Guidance 2025/26 has set the national ambition for 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5 percentage point improvement in performance.
To support this improvement across all trusts, there is a robust performance management process in place. The new NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 ensures that there is public accountability for performance and NHS England works with systems and providers to support improvement.
There is a specific process in place to identify, intervene and support the providers whose performance on elective waiting lists is most challenged, led by NHS England national and regional teams.
NHS England is also providing further targeted support through the Further Faster 20 programme, working with 20 trusts in areas of high economic inactivity to help rapidly reduce waiting times and support people returning to the workforce.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 impact of long ambulance transfer times for cardiac emergencies on (a) Suffolk and (b) nationally.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Cardiac emergencies include a range of potentially life-threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest, which requires a Category 1 ambulance response, and heart attacks, which require a Category 2 ambulance response. These classifications come from the Ambulance Response Programme, designed to ensure the sickest patients receive the fastest response and that all patients get the right response the first time. Delays in response times are known to have impacts on patient outcomes.
The Government is determined to improve response times, and we have already seen improvements in both Suffolk and nationally. In the East of England, the latest figures show that Category 1 incidents were responded to in, on average, 8 minutes 37 seconds and Category 2 incidents in 32 minutes 35 seconds. This is faster than 9 minutes 1 second and 38 minutes 42 seconds, in July 2024. Nationally, the latest figures show that Category 1 incidents were responded to in, on average, 7 minutes 56 seconds and Category 2 in 28 minutes 40 seconds. This is faster than 8 minutes 15 seconds and 33 minutes 24 seconds, in July 2024.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to (a) NHS trusts and (b) pharmacies to manage supply disruptions of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production. Through these discussions we have managed to secure additional volumes for 2025 for the United Kingdom. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.
We have widely disseminated comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals, including National Health Service trusts, general practices, and pharmacies, about these supply issues, which provide advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. The Department has issued additional management advice to healthcare professionals which directs clinicians to consider unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and which includes actions for integrated care boards to have local mitigation plans in place and implemented to ensure that no patient is left without PERT.
The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible, to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines. The Department also meets regularly with the affected patient advocacy groups and charities, clinicians, and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure they are kept informed on the latest supply picture and any communications issued. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 increase the availability of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production. Through these discussions we have managed to secure additional volumes for 2025 for the United Kingdom. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.
We have widely disseminated comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals, including National Health Service trusts, general practices, and pharmacies, about these supply issues, which provide advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. The Department has issued additional management advice to healthcare professionals which directs clinicians to consider unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and which includes actions for integrated care boards to have local mitigation plans in place and implemented to ensure that no patient is left without PERT.
The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible, to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines. The Department also meets regularly with the affected patient advocacy groups and charities, clinicians, and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure they are kept informed on the latest supply picture and any communications issued. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase support available for people with neurological conditions.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan, Fit for the Future, will ensure that people with neurological conditions receive better support through its three shifts: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention.
Neighbourhood health centres will provide integrated, accessible, and localised services that will focus on early detection and diagnosis and comprehensive multidisciplinary care. By being community-based, the centres will reduce barriers to care and ongoing support and will empower patients to manage their condition more effectively.
People with complex conditions will be offered a personalised care plan, developed with healthcare professionals. These will improve care coordination and ensure care is tailored to the individual's needs.
We have committed to at least doubling the number of people offered a personal health budget by the 2028/29 financial year, and we will make personal health budgets a universal offer for all who would benefit from them by 2035. This will give people greater autonomy, flexibility, and involvement in their own healthcare, allowing them to organise the care that best meets their needs.
Digital tools like the NHS App will empower patients to manage their conditions, access information, and communicate with healthcare professionals more easily. Digital technologies will also enable remote monitoring of patients, allowing for early intervention and personalised care.
The 10-Year Health Plan envisions a healthcare system that is more proactive, personalised, and digitally enabled, leading to earlier diagnosis, more effective management, and ultimately, better outcomes for individuals with long-term conditions, including those with neurological conditions.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 the Nursing and Midwifery Council on the potential impact of the use of nurse as a title for staff who are not qualified nurses on patient safety.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that the protection in law of certain professional titles is important for public safety. Protecting a title provides assurance to the public that the person using that title is competent and safe to practise. Although ‘registered nurse’ is a protected title, ‘nurse’ is currently not a protected title. The Government is aware of the concerns which this generates.
On the 12 May we announced our intention to amend the criminal offence of ‘misuse of professional titles’ so that the title of ‘nurse’ is protected, as part of the Government’s professional regulation reform programme.
The term ‘nurse’ is used across multiple professions, for example, ‘dental nurse’, ‘veterinary nurse’ and ‘nursery nurse’. It is not our intention to prevent the legitimate use of the title ‘nurse’ within these instances. The legislation will therefore include exemptions to allow other professionals to use the title legitimately, without the risk of prosecution.
The Government will continue to work with key stakeholders, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, on developing the protection of title offence.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 effectiveness of the NHS Agenda for Change Pay Scale for reflecting trends in the level of workloads faced by medical professionals in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The management of staff workloads is a matter for local employing organisations, and is not considered to be a national pay, terms, and conditions issue.
The Agenda for Change pay scale, and the national terms and conditions of service, are used to support the employment of non-medical staff in the National Health Service. The NHS Staff Council has overall responsibility for the maintenance of the pay scales and the conditions of service.
The Job Evaluation Scheme underpins the Agenda for Change system of pay and supports the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Pay bands are assigned based on the requirements of the role, such as skills and knowledge.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, updated on 22 April 2024, what plans he has to prioritise measures to (a) make workers feel valued and (b) encourage workers to remain working in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 services for people living with Parkinson’s disease in South Suffolk constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. These initiatives will help to improve services for people living with Parkinson’s disease in South Suffolk.
NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time, for all neurology patients, including those with Parkinson’s. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, with care as close to home as possible and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.
NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure that patients can access a range of health professionals and specialised treatment and support, according to their needs. NHS England is updating the Neurosciences specialised neurology (adults) service specification, which will: set out clear deliverables for specialised centres; provide a clearer model of care incorporating up-to-date guidance and best practice; and set out new quality outcomes focusing on improving patient outcomes and experience. We are expecting the revised specification and standards to be published later in 2025.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 people with Parkinson’s disease have access to their medication on time.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on Parkinson’s disease in adults highlights the importance of patients getting Parkinson’s medicines on time, to prevent harmful effects. NICE guidance states that people with Parkinson’s disease who are admitted to hospital or care homes should be given their medicines at the appropriate times, which, in some cases, may mean allowing self-medication.
Whilst hospital providers are responsible for ensuring that patients within hospital settings, including those with Parkinson’s disease, receive their appropriate medication on time, there are tools to support both patients and staff to achieve this. Electronic prescribing systems, currently in use in 85% of hospitals in England, enable in-depth monitoring and reporting on missed or delayed dosing of medications.
Parkinson’s UK has produced resources, as part of their Get It on Time campaign, which support people with Parkinson's with medicine management in preparation for a hospital stay. These resources can also support hospital and care home staff to make sure that patients and residents get their medication on time, every time.
NHS England has also published guidance, developed in partnership with charities, including Parkinson’s UK, to help local National Health Service staff take practical steps to improve the care for patients with progressive neurological conditions in hospitals. The Right Care Toolkit for progressive neurological conditions provides advice on medicine optimisation, highlighting the importance of the timely administration of specific drugs for Parkinson’s, such as Levodopa, in both acute and community health settings.