To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Autism: South of England
Friday 10th March 2023

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 effectiveness of health commissioners for (a) identifying local demand and (b) implementing the right services and support for people with autism in (i) West Sussex, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) Surrey.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

There are no current plans to make this specific assessment. NHS England publish quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment, and for how long, by local area. The data provides useful information to support local areas to identify local demand.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population in line with relevant guidance, including assessments and services of support for autistic people.

In 2021, Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership published the Autism Strategy for Surrey (2021-26). Sussex Health and Care Integrated Care System have been implementing the Sussex All Age Learning Disability and Autism Strategy (2021-2024) since 2021.

The Provider Collaborative for Wessex and Dorset, responsible for Hampshire, are working in partnership with relevant ICBs on Dynamic Support Registers to ensure young people are assessed at an early point and there are timely interventions that will prevent escalation. Additionally, where gaps in commissioning are identified, system partners are working together to address these.


Written Question
Autism: South of England
Thursday 9th March 2023

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many places in residential care settings dedicated for profoundly autistic adults there are in (a) West Sussex, (b) Hampshire and (c) Surrey.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not available. The Department does not collect data on care settings places for autism only. The following table shows data on total capacity in care homes that are able to serve users with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder.

Local authority

Hampshire

Surrey

West Sussex

Number of beds in care homes that can serve users with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder

1,659

2,338

1,585

All Care Home Beds in local authority

14,127

13,567

9,950

Source: The CQC Care Directory data as of 1 March 2023.


Written Question
NHS: Pensions
Thursday 16th June 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 ending current pensions abatement for NHS staff in October 2022 on levels of (a) workforce retention and (b) patient care.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Pension abatement was temporarily suspended as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is set to resume in October 2022. The Department is keeping the position under review.

Abatement normally applies to staff who return to NHS service before the age of 60 years old having used a special reserved right to retire early from the age of 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Staff with these ‘special class’ pension rights have not paid extra contributions for this benefit, which is unavailable to other staff in the National Health Service. Abatement therefore ensures there is fairness to all scheme members. Staff without these special retirement rights are not subject to abatement after taking their pension. However, where abatement applies, staff with long careers can perform substantial amounts of work. Typically they can work at least half-time before reaching their abatement ceiling and the Department will ensure that staff potentially affected by abatement are aware of the amount of work which can be undertaken.


Written Question
NHS: Pensions
Thursday 16th June 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 impact of rules relating to pensions abatement for NHS staff after October 2022 on those staff affected.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Pension abatement was temporarily suspended as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is set to resume in October 2022. The Department is keeping the position under review.

Abatement normally applies to staff who return to NHS service before the age of 60 years old having used a special reserved right to retire early from the age of 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Staff with these ‘special class’ pension rights have not paid extra contributions for this benefit, which is unavailable to other staff in the National Health Service. Abatement therefore ensures there is fairness to all scheme members. Staff without these special retirement rights are not subject to abatement after taking their pension. However, where abatement applies, staff with long careers can perform substantial amounts of work. Typically they can work at least half-time before reaching their abatement ceiling and the Department will ensure that staff potentially affected by abatement are aware of the amount of work which can be undertaken.


Written Question
Dentistry: Assessments
Thursday 6th January 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 assess the number of dentists scheduled to have taken the part 2 exam since the start of the covid-19 outbreak; what constraints there are to taking the ORE assessment for British citizens and others; what steps he will take to suspend or overcome the impact of the five year limit; and what the outcome has been relevant discussions with the General Dental Council on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Dentists Act 1984 requires overseas applicants to the General Dental Council’s register to undertake its Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) to confirm they have the requisite skills and knowledge to practise dentistry in the United Kingdom. This legislation restricts system capacity, including the availability of places on the ORE exam. The Department is currently working with the General Dental Council on legislative proposals to allow it greater flexibility to expand the registration routes open to international applicants.

Safety restrictions brought in as part of the COVID-19 response made it necessary for the General Dental Council to suspend Parts 1 and 2 of the ORE in April 2020. On 2 December 2021, it announced a planned sitting of the Part 2 exam in January 2022. The legislation also restricts Part 2 ORE places being offered to candidates where five or more years have passed since they first attempted Part 1 of the exam. Therefore, the General Dental Council has not been able to offer places for the January 2022 sitting to any candidates whose five-year period expired during the time that the ORE has been suspended. Before the pandemic, three sittings a year were offered for the Part 2 exam, each with a capacity of 144 candidates.

Officials are working with the General Dental Council to develop proposals which will provide candidates with additional time to take the Part 2 assessment in the future. We plan to consult on this proposed legislative change, alongside proposals to change the Council’s international registration processes, in early 2022.


Written Question
NHS: Coronavirus
Wednesday 13th October 2021

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason boxes of three months supply of covid-19 tests are no longer available to people working for and volunteering in the NHS.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Previously, NHS Test and Trace supplied tests directly to National Health Service distribution centres. However, from July 2021, we moved to the universal testing offer to enable staff to order directly from GOV.UK, and maintain a regular supply delivered to their home. This testing offer can be used by both NHS staff and volunteers.


Written Question
Dental Services
Monday 12th July 2021

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 restore full NHS dentistry services in (a) England and (b) West Sussex; and what the planned timescale is for ensuring that new patients can be registered across West Sussex.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

NHS England has set a threshold of 60% of normal activity volumes for the first six months of 2021/22. Dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as possible, focussing first on urgent care and vulnerable groups followed by overdue appointments. There are also 718 urgent dental centres continuing to support the provision of services across England. In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement have provided a flexible commissioning toolkit to local commissioners to help focus the available capacity on those that need it most and to reduce oral health inequalities.

In Sussex, NHS England has offered practices additional funding for delivering appointments during evenings or weekends to patients who do not have a regular dentist. Two practices will be offering these sessions and NHS England are in the process of arranging additional services. There is no longer a requirement for registration in order to receive care.


Written Question
Contraceptives
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled, Women's Lives, Women's Rights: Strengthening Access to Contraception Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic, published by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health on 10 September 2020, what steps his Department is taking to preserve the institutional expertise and leadership on women's contraceptive care within Public Health England during its reorganisation.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Preventing ill-health and reducing health inequalities remains one of the top priorities. Alongside work to establish the National Institute for Health Protection, we will continue to focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health with support from expertise within Public Health England (PHE). We are not anticipating that there will be any changes to PHE’s current functions and responsibilities before spring 2021. There is much to do between now and then but work is ongoing and the intricacies of the system are still in development.


Written Question
Contraceptives
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 funding for training and professional development for members of the NHS workforce involved in delivering contraceptive care.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Health Education England funds training programmes for obstetrics and gynaecology, community sexual and reproductive health and general practice. However, the training curricula for these specialties are set by other organisations, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, their Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Curricula must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council and be formally approved by them.

No specific assessment has been made around the adequacy of funding for training and professional development. Training and workforce issues for contraception care will be considered in the development of our new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy.


Written Question
Hepatitis: Primary Health Care
Monday 13th May 2019

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

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 awareness of hepatitis C among primary care professionals.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

A variety of initiatives are underway in England to improve hepatitis C awareness and case finding, re-engagement and linkage to care, especially in drug services, primary care, prisons and accident and emergency centres. In addition, NHS England is funding access to new hepatitis C treatments in accordance with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Public Health England has developed and shared materials with a range of stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, to help raise awareness of hepatitis C infection and highlight the need for those at risk to seek testing and treatment. The resources and materials available comprise of posters, a quiz, social media videos and social banners in a variety of different languages; all of these resources are available online to download or order by healthcare professionals as well as the public themselves.