Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 help negotiate an agreement between (a) AstraZeneca, (b) Daiichi Sankyo and (c) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure Enhertu can be prescribed on the NHS to women with breast cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and on the basis of the available evidence.
The NICE published guidance in July 2024 on the use of Enhertu for the treatment of HER-2 low metastatic and unresectable breast cancer, and was unfortunately unable to recommend it for routine NHS funding. I understand that the NICE and NHS England have sought to apply as much flexibility as they can in their considerations of Enhertu for HER2-low breast cancer, and have made it clear to the companies that their pricing of the drug remains the only obstacle to access.
Ministers recently met with the manufacturers of Enhertu, AstraZeneca, and Daiichi Sankyo, to encourage them to re-engage in commercial discussions with NHS England. Despite the NICE and NHS England offering unprecedented flexibilities, the companies were unable to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price. The NICE’s guidance, published in July, will therefore remain unchanged. Although the deadline for a rapid review has now passed, the NICE has reassured me that the door remains open for the companies to enter into a new NICE appraisal, if they are willing to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the name of the pharmacy most recently set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is; and when it was set up.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent pharmacy set up in Kent is Delmergate Ltd, located at Unit 4, Castle Hill Local Centre, 69 Cherry Orchard, Ebbsfleet, Kent, DA10 1AD. It’s opening date was 19 July 2021.
The most recent pharmacy set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is Carrs Pharmacy, located on 94 Caverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN21 2UN. It’s opening date was 1 February 2011.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the name of the pharmacy most recently set up in Kent is; and when it was set up.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent pharmacy set up in Kent is Delmergate Ltd, located at Unit 4, Castle Hill Local Centre, 69 Cherry Orchard, Ebbsfleet, Kent, DA10 1AD. It’s opening date was 19 July 2021.
The most recent pharmacy set up in the Tunbridge Wells constituency is Carrs Pharmacy, located on 94 Caverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN21 2UN. It’s opening date was 1 February 2011.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the last time a GP surgery was set up from scratch in England was.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information regarding the name and date of establishment for the latest GP surgery set up in England, Tunbridge Wells constituency, and Kent is as follows:
To note:
The data included has been taken from GP and GP practice related data - NHS England Digital (file epraccur.csv), and is labelled ‘GP Practices’, however this is not entirely accurate as it comes from NHS Prescribing Services and identifies cost centre codes for prescribing activity. This data wasn't created to list GP Practices; instead, it's meant to track prescribing activity and pay dispensing contractors. It has since been used as a reference for IT systems operations.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the name of the last GP surgery set up in Tunbridge Wells constituency; and when that surgery was set up.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information regarding the name and date of establishment for the latest GP surgery set up in England, Tunbridge Wells constituency, and Kent is as follows:
To note:
The data included has been taken from GP and GP practice related data - NHS England Digital (file epraccur.csv), and is labelled ‘GP Practices’, however this is not entirely accurate as it comes from NHS Prescribing Services and identifies cost centre codes for prescribing activity. This data wasn't created to list GP Practices; instead, it's meant to track prescribing activity and pay dispensing contractors. It has since been used as a reference for IT systems operations.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the last time a GP surgery was set up from scratch in Kent was.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information regarding the name and date of establishment for the latest GP surgery set up in England, Tunbridge Wells constituency, and Kent is as follows:
To note:
The data included has been taken from GP and GP practice related data - NHS England Digital (file epraccur.csv), and is labelled ‘GP Practices’, however this is not entirely accurate as it comes from NHS Prescribing Services and identifies cost centre codes for prescribing activity. This data wasn't created to list GP Practices; instead, it's meant to track prescribing activity and pay dispensing contractors. It has since been used as a reference for IT systems operations.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the amount of funding received by the most recently-established independent NHS GP surgery in Kent.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data regarding the amount of funding received by the most recently established independent National Health Service general practice (GP) surgery in Kent, the Tunbridge Wells constituency, and England, is as follows:
It should be noted that the latest data we have available relating to these requests is published data for NHS Payment to GP Practices for 2022/23, which is available at the following link:
The data can be found in Table 2 of Annex 1 Tables and Charts on this page. The totals columns are available on the far right of Table 2.
NHS Payments to General Practice, England 2022/23 provides information on NHS payments to individual providers of GP services in England. Figures are given for the main payment categories, which include Global Sum, the Balance of Primary Medical Services expenditure, the Quality Outcomes Framework, and Local Incentive Schemes.
It is not a record of the amount of money available for direct patient care, nor the total invested in patient care through GPs. Instead, it constitutes the majority of actual monies paid to practices for all activities and costs during the 2022/23 financial year.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department allocated to the most recently established independent NHS GP surgery in (a) Tunbridge Wells constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data regarding the amount of funding received by the most recently established independent National Health Service general practice (GP) surgery in Kent, the Tunbridge Wells constituency, and England, is as follows:
It should be noted that the latest data we have available relating to these requests is published data for NHS Payment to GP Practices for 2022/23, which is available at the following link:
The data can be found in Table 2 of Annex 1 Tables and Charts on this page. The totals columns are available on the far right of Table 2.
NHS Payments to General Practice, England 2022/23 provides information on NHS payments to individual providers of GP services in England. Figures are given for the main payment categories, which include Global Sum, the Balance of Primary Medical Services expenditure, the Quality Outcomes Framework, and Local Incentive Schemes.
It is not a record of the amount of money available for direct patient care, nor the total invested in patient care through GPs. Instead, it constitutes the majority of actual monies paid to practices for all activities and costs during the 2022/23 financial year.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 adequacy of the Haller index threshold for pectus excavatum surgery provided on the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2023, NHS England published an interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement on pectus excavatum surgery. The statement concluded that the Haller Index, a mathematical calculation used to measure the severity of the deformity, is adequate and serves as a key component of the eligibility criteria for surgery, alongside measures of severe physiological impact.
The policy statement is available at the following link:
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to review the GP contract.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We hugely value the critical role that general practitioners (GPs) play. We want to work with doctors to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so it works for patients and staff. Our plan to restore GPs will require both investment and reform.
The GP contract is reviewed and amended annually following consultation with relevant stakeholders, and we will begin the process in the coming months. Further detail will be made available to relevant stakeholders in due course.