Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in Chelmsford to meet cancer waiting times and ensure people with cancer receive timely care.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving cancer waiting times for patients is a high priority for the Government.
We are seeking to achieve this goal through the increased use of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) which will increase the available capacity and bring healthcare closer to the community. CDCs are now delivering additional tests and checks on 170 sites across the country, with 103 of these being open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, offering at least one test in expanded hours, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around their busy working lives.
The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the local provider for cancer services in Chelmsford, has been awarded funding for a replacement radiotherapy machine.
The National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published soon, will set out how we will increase performance against our standards, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately provide better outcomes for cancer patients. It will ensure patients, including those in Chelmsford, have access to the latest treatments and technology and improve patient experience and outcomes.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in Chelmsford to recruit and retain specialist cancer nurses and cancer workforce.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England are acting to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it including at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT).
In 2024/25, an estimated 8,000 people received training to either enter the cancer and diagnostics workforce or develop in their roles.
NHS England has also been expanding specialty training places in key professions, including histopathology, clinical radiology, and gastroenterology. Targeted national campaigns and outreach activities, for example in clinical oncology, also promote cancer career pathways, with a focus on increasing applications.
Additionally, NHS England Workforce, Training and Education and the East of England Cancer Alliance work closely with MSEFT to understand local training needs. Together, they coordinate and allocate funding to ensure the cancer nursing workforce has access to the development pathways it requires, supporting both recruitment and long-term retention.
MSEFT is preparing to launch an oncology nursing rotation across oncology wards, the chemotherapy unit and clinical nurse specialist (CNS) teams. Many of these CNS roles sit within the cancer division, supporting the development of competencies, and enable structured career progression for nurses alongside programmes of reform for workforce.
To improve retention, NHS England is investing in structured career development and education support. The Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme provides a nationally agreed framework for capability, career development, and education for nurses, allied health professionals, and the support workforce working in cancer care.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the National Cancer Plan tackles identity-based disparities in cancer care, including for people from (a) ethnic minority backgrounds, (b) disabled people and (c) LGBTQ+ communities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, research, and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for all people with cancer.
Reducing inequalities is also a key priority for the National Cancer Plan. The plan will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival and will develop interventions to tackle these. This includes looking at protected characteristics such as disability, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, and geographic location.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to engage key stakeholders on the assumptions underpinning the modelling of workforce numbers in the 10 Year Workforce Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will include updated workforce modelling and its underlying assumptions when published in spring 2026. The updated workforce modelling will be supported by independent external scrutiny to assess and test it.
We are committed to engagement with external stakeholders. On 26 September 2025, we launched a formal call for evidence, which provided stakeholders the opportunity to contribute directly to the Plan’s development. This closed on 7 November 2025. The submissions to our call for evidence are being analysed to inform the development of the plan.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the removal of ring-fenced funding for maternity services at Integrated Care Board level, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that maternity safety improvements are maintained.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has instructed the National Health Service to improve maternity services, as part of a drive to improve quality, as a priority in the Medium‑Term Planning Framework.
While the ringfence has been removed, the same level of funding is being delivered to allow local healthcare system leaders more autonomy to meet the needs of their local population. This approach is consistent with our wider approach to give local healthcare leaders, who are best placed to decide how to serve their local community, more flexibility.
Baroness Amos is leading a rapid, independent investigation in NHS Maternity and Neonatal services to help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will look into the maternity and neonatal system nationally, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of recommendations. This will also include local investigations of maternity and neonatal services in selected trusts.
On 9 December, Baroness Amos published reflections on what she has heard so far as part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, following engagement with women and families. Baroness Amos’ reflections and initial findings are available at the following link:
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 impact of proposed reductions in Integrated Care Board funding on their ability to establish and run Women’s Health Hubs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan set out the ambition for high autonomy to be the norm across every part of the country. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the healthcare needs of their local population and have the freedom to do so, which includes women's health hubs and delivering the direction of women's health strategy. The Government is backing ICBs to do this through record funding. The Spending Review 2025 prioritised health, with record investment in the health and social care system.
We have heard from integrated care systems the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experience. Our cost benefit analysis demonstrated £5 benefit for every £1 spent on women’s health hubs.
The Women’s Health Programme Board provides direction and strategic oversight to NHS England’s Women’s Health Programme. It monitors progress and delivery of the programme, and delivers the ambitions of the Women’s Health Strategy, reflecting the vision to improve health outcomes, reduce disparities and amplify women’s voices in healthcare.
The board is also responsible for ensuring alignment with wider interdependencies including the 10-Year Health Plan, and neighbourhood health models, as well as ensuring the delivery, oversight, and performance management of women’s health provision are consistent across the seven regions of England.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 on setting a target to reduce maternal health inequalities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach to determining what targets are set, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred. It is crucial that we also ensure the system is supported to achieve any target set.
Baroness Amos is chairing a national independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care. The Government is currently establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, to be chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that will then develop a national action plan based on the recommendations of the investigation.
A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are now underway. These include an anti-discrimination programme, which aims to ensure that all service users and their families receive care free from discrimination and racism, and that all staff will experience a work environment free from discrimination and racism. We are also developing an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity.
Additionally, all local areas have published equity and equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.
We are also putting in place wider actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which will also contribute to reducing inequalities. This includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby. NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, and to address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 born with cleft (a) lips and (b) palates have access to appropriate dental care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Eastleigh on 21 November 2025 to Question 89684.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 socioeconomic inequality on (a) stillbirth and (b) neonatal mortality rates; and what cross-government action is being taken to address this.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. Stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates remain higher for mothers in more deprived areas.
A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard, and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.
We are putting in place immediate actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle. This bundle is a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby.
NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services and address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.
To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.
The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care and to promote health equity in the delivery of those services.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
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 reduce disparities in maternal mortality rates between women from different ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. Stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates remain higher for mothers in more deprived areas.
A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard, and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.
We are putting in place immediate actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle. This bundle is a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby.
NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services and address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.
To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.
The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care and to promote health equity in the delivery of those services.