Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
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 increase the recruitment and retention of school nurses; how much funding was allocated for school nursing services in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years; and what steps his Department is taking to help to ensure the effectiveness of school nursing services in supporting (i) early intervention, (ii) mental health, (iii) immunisation programmes and (iv) wider public health objectives.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The child health workforce, including school nurses, is central to how we support families to give their children the best start in life. We will ensure we have the staff we need so that children and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This will take time, but we are committed to building a health service fit for the future with the workforce it needs.
School nursing is part of the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) and is commissioned by local authorities with funding from the Public Health Grant (PHG). In 2023/24, local authorities spent £305 million on services for children aged five to 19 years old. Data on local authorities’ PHG spending for the financial years following 2023/24 is not yet available.
The HCP includes delivery of public health promotions such as the school nurses’ championship of early intervention, mental health awareness, the uptake of immunisation offers, and engagement with wider public health objectives. We are currently refreshing the HCP guidance to strengthen service quality and reduce unwarranted regional variation in service delivery.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
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 the planned changes to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses after January 2026; and what steps his Department is taking to support skills development within the NHS workforce.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the Department for Education has announced that the funding arrangements for Level 7 apprenticeships are changing, we are working closely with partners to ensure that health and social care has access to the skilled workforce patients need, including specialist community public health nurses.
We will publish our 10 Year Workforce Plan by the end of this year. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
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 lessons learned from the COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce will inform its approach to managing the shortages of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not conducted a 360-degree supply and demand forecast for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). However, the Department is in regular discussion with suppliers of PERT on the latest stock availability and the actions that are being taken to mitigate the supply issue, including what steps suppliers are taking to ensure future supplies meet the long-term needs for patients in 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.
In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers of PERT wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.
While the Department's approach for managing the supply issues with PERT is not specifically informed by the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce experience, as we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues for PERT.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has conducted a 360-degree supply and demand forecast for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to assess the long-term needs for patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not conducted a 360-degree supply and demand forecast for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). However, the Department is in regular discussion with suppliers of PERT on the latest stock availability and the actions that are being taken to mitigate the supply issue, including what steps suppliers are taking to ensure future supplies meet the long-term needs for patients in 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.
In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers of PERT wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.
While the Department's approach for managing the supply issues with PERT is not specifically informed by the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce experience, as we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues for PERT.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the (a) consultation on NHS Right to Choose ADHD changes and (b) use of feedback from that consultation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.
The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job; we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
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 access to NHS dentistry in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Worsley and Eccles constituency, this is the NHS Greater Manchester ICB.
ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been waiting over six months to access CAMHS support in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A copy of two tables breaking down the number of people waiting over six months to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service support in Salford and Wigan since 2020 is attached.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals have been accepted by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of referrals accepted by child and adolescent mental health services in Salford in each month from 2020/21 up to December 2024, the month for which most recent data is available:
Month | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
April | 267 | 196 | 287 | 127 | 75 |
May | 325 | 304 | 269 | 171 | 84 |
June | 301 | 386 | 223 | 156 | 101 |
July | 385 | 378 | 158 | 127 | 130 |
August | 194 | 243 | 336 | 78 | 121 |
September | 317 | 243 | 277 | 153 | 175 |
October | 366 | 262 | 295 | 123 | 161 |
November | 343 | 340 | 277 | 107 | 176 |
December | 302 | 246 | 305 | 118 | 117 |
January |
| 283 | 265 | 126 | 107 |
February |
| 269 | 300 | 173 | 106 |
March |
| 316 | 288 | 170 | 169 |
Source: NHS England
The following table shows the number of referrals accepted by child and adolescent mental health services in Wigan in each month from 2020/21 up to December 2024, the month for which most recent data is available:
Month | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
April | 125 | 51 | 100 | 44 | 4 |
May | 130 | 111 | 97 | 27 | 5 |
June | 118 | 96 | 87 | 30 | 12 |
July | 79 | 92 | 53 | 41 | 20 |
August | 50 | 45 | 39 | 39 | 23 |
September | 117 | 72 | 62 | 18 | 34 |
October | 166 | 107 | 66 | 34 | 30 |
November | 163 | 118 | 87 | 53 | 28 |
December | 97 | 108 | 46 | 34 | 25 |
January |
| 136 | 82 | 95 | 25 |
February |
| 115 | 63 | 75 | 34 |
March |
| 132 | 91 | 97 | 40 |
Source: NHS England
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time was between (a) referral and (b) first contact for mental health services for people aged 17 years and under in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the median waiting time in days between a referral start date and first contact, within the three-month rolling reporting period, for referrals for children and young people aged under 18 years old who are supported through National Health Service funded mental health services, from August 2023, the earliest date available, to November 2024, for Salford and Wigan:
Salford | Reporting period | Median wait time (days) | Wigan | Reporting Period | Median wait time (days) |
| November 2024 | 6 |
| November 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 7 | October 2024 | 1 | ||
September 2024 | 7 | September 2024 | 4 | ||
August 2024 | 5 | August 2024 | 4 | ||
July 2024 | 6 | July 2024 | 3 | ||
June 2024 | 3 | June 2024 | 1 | ||
May 2024 | 5 | May 2024 | 2 | ||
April 2024 | 5 | April 2024 | 3 | ||
March 2024 | 5 | March 2024 | 5 | ||
February 2024 | 5 | February 2024 | 5 | ||
January 2024 | 5 | January 2024 | 3 | ||
December 2023 | 5 | December 2023 | 2 | ||
November 2023 | 4 | November 2023 | 2 | ||
October 2023 | 4 | October 2023 | 1 | ||
September 2023 | 6 | September 2023 | 2 | ||
August 2023 | 6 | August 2023 | 5 |
Source: NHS Futures.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many speech and language therapists have worked for the NHS in (a) Salford, (b) Wigan and (c) the North West in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent speech and language therapists working in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS England North West region in each of the last five years:
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North West Region |
October 2019 | 110 | 35 | 1,035 |
October 2020 | 136 | 34 | 1,066 |
October 2021 | 169 | 39 | 1,102 |
October 2022 | 182 | 34 | 1,175 |
October 2023 | 199 | 36 | 1,261 |
October 2024 | 215 | 37 | 1,339 |
Source: NHS England, NHS Workforce Statistics
Note: These staff will provide services in a range of settings including in education. However, therapists will also be directly employed by other providers, including schools, independent provision and third sector/ charitable organisations for which data is not held centrally.