Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 improve access to (a) healthcare services, (b) GPs and (c) mental health support in (i) Ashfield and (ii) Mansfield constituencies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since June 2022, the 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services that meet the clinical needs of their respective populations, with the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB being responsible the Ashfield and Mansfield constituencies.
However, we know that patients are struggling to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to improving access to GP appointments across the country, including in the Ashfield and Mansfield constituencies. That’s why, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of GPs employed and the number of appointments delivered in GPs, benefitting thousands of patients that are struggling to receive the care they desperately deserve. Additionally, we have announced a proposed £889 million uplift to the GP Contract for 2025/26, the largest uplift in years, with a rising share of total NHS resources going to GPs. We are currently consulting the profession on key proposals to improve access, continuity of care, and GP recruitment.
We recognise that many people in the Ashfield and Mansfield constituencies are not getting the mental health support or care they need. As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers nationally to reduce wait times and provide faster treatment. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, roll out Young Futures hubs in every community, and modernise the Mental Health Act.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to tackle funding gaps between (a) mental and (b) physical health services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, and that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will set out expectations for mental health funding, including its share of overall National Health Service expenditure in 2025/26, in due course, as required under section 3(2) of the Health and Care Act 2022.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 help ensure that (a) Sativex and (b) other medications for MS patients are (i) affordable and (ii) funded in (A) Nottinghamshire and (B) other areas.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.
The NICE has been able to recommend several medicines for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, including ublituximab, which has recently been recommended for treating relapsing multiple sclerosis in guidance published on 18 December 2024. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.
The NICE guideline on cannabis-based medicinal products recommends that Sativex, a licensed cannabis-based product, should be offered for the treatment of moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis, if other pharmacological treatments for spasticity are not effective. As Sativex has not been evaluated through the NICE’s technology appraisal programme, it is not subject to a funding requirement. Therefore, the decision on whether to prescribe must be taken by a specialist clinician on a case-by-case basis, and funding of this medicine is subject to local National Health Service decisions.
On 6 September 2021, NHS England issued a reminder to NHS trusts and commissioners, now integrated care boards, of the NICE’s guidance relating to Sativex, and their responsibilities. This resulted in an increase in the prescribing of this drug, and NHS England is monitoring uptake of prescribing, in-line with the NICE’s recommendations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 increase the availability of mental health support for men under 50.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government accepts that too many men are not getting the support with their mental health that they deserve. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on the busy mental health services.
We are also committed to tackling suicide as one of the biggest killers of men. The 8,500 new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk from suicide.
The five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in September 2023, identifies young people and middle-aged men as one of a number of groups for consideration for tailored or targeted action at a national level.
Many voluntary community and social enterprise organisations are also working hard to ensure that men have access to different types of services for a range of needs and preferences, in places where they are most likely to engage.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 ensure that 92% of NHS patients are treated within 18 weeks.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. The NHS Constitutional Standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment has not been met consistently since September 2015, and is a priority for the Government. As a first step, we will deliver an extra 2 million operations, scans, and appointments per year, which is equivalent to 40,000 a week, during our first year in Government.
A plan will be published in the coming weeks, which will set out more detail on how the National Health Service will deliver on the 18-week standard.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reimbursement schemes and (b) financial assistance programmes for patients seeking private dental care because of NHS delays.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. If a patient decides to choose alternative private options, this should be included in their treatment plan.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve dementia care services in Ashfield and Mansfield constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Key priorities for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) are to deliver the national target of a dementia diagnosis rate of 66.7%, reduce waiting to time for memory assessment services and to improve access to post-diagnostic support. A Dementia strategy for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be updated following the Government’s publication of the 10-Year Health Plan expected in spring 2025.
Ongoing dementia care services include a Dementia Wellbeing Service provided by Alzheimer’s Society, across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, including Mansfield and Ashfield. The service aims to support patients and carers through several interventions including cognitive stimulation therapy, carer training, 1:1 and group support.
The two Ashfield Primary Care Networks (PCN), North & South, piloted an Admiral Nurse within general practices. An Admiral Nurse is a specialist Dementia Nurse supporting patients and carers to live well with Dementia. Following a successful pilot, Ashfield North Primary Care Network have chosen to retain the role to support patients and carers within the network’s practices. Rosewood PCN in Mansfield has recruited a dementia specialist Occupation Therapist to support patients and carers living with dementia within their network of practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of healthcare professionals in rural areas.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The recent annual reports from the Chief Medical Officer for England set out the clear healthcare challenges patients face when living in remote, rural, and coastal areas.
It is clear that the National Health Service has faced chronic workforce shortages across all communities for years, and fixing this will take time. We have commissioned the 10-Year Health Plan, and a central and core part of this will be our workforce, and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
Plans and policies will align with the strategic objectives set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, and will support its delivery.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that men at risk of prostate cancer can access the PSA blood test.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
Currently, men who have symptoms that could be associated with prostate cancer may be offered the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which looks at levels of PSA in the blood, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cancer recognition and referral guidance.
However, due to the levels of inaccuracy, the PSA test is not recommended as a screening tool for healthy men with no symptoms. This is because high level of inaccuracy could lead to unnecessary tests and treatments that carry risks of life-changing harm, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, and sexual dysfunction, as well as a smaller but serious risk of sepsis. Additionally, some prostate cancers may not produce elevated PSA levels, leading to false-negative results that provide deceptive reassurance.
Instead, men should be encouraged to know the symptoms of prostate cancer and look out for changes in their body, and should seek advice from a general practitioner if these changes occur.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which locations in Ashfield are currently providing the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine for people who are unable to have the Modena vaccine for health reasons.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government is guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for its immunisation and vaccination programmes. This includes eligibility for vaccination and the vaccines that may be used in the national programme.
Both the Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine are approved for use in the United Kingdom and, in line with JCVI advice, may be used in the autumn 2024 COVID-19 national vaccination programme. NHS England advises that all sites in Ashfield are currently providing the Moderna vaccine, and that from November 2024 the Pfizer vaccine is also expected to be supplied. The vaccine or vaccines being supplied at individual sites or nationally is, within JCVI guidance, an operational matter. Further information on the JCVI’s advice is available at the following link:
Guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) states that there are very few individuals who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccines approved in the UK. Anyone concerned about possible reactions to a vaccine should in the first instance speak to the clinician responsible for their care for advice.
Published UKHSA clinical guidance for health professionals and immunisation practitioners on COVID-19 vaccination includes guidance for the management of patients with a history of allergy, including circumstances where a person may be referred to an expert allergist and, after a review of the individual’s risks and benefits of vaccination, where it is indicated, they could then be vaccinated in hospital under clinical supervision. NHS England will continue to follow this clinical guidance.