Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance the Government has issued to healthcare providers on seeing patients face-to-face.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
An update to Infection Prevention and Control guidance for healthcare providers has recently been published. The guidance continues to advise that a physical distance of at least one metre should be maintained between and among patients, staff, and all other persons in healthcare settings. This distance should be increased wherever feasible, especially in indoor settings. A copy of the guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 patients can access adequate healthcare services from (a) GPs and (b) local authorities.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Local commissioners are responsible for the provision of medical services for the local population. On 14 October, we published ‘Our plan for improving access for patients and supporting general practice’. This included an additional investment of £250 million in a Winter Access Fund to improve the availability of general practitioner (GP) practices and increase the number of face-to-face appointments, while also investing in technology to make it easier for patients to see or speak to their GP.
The Department increased the Public Health Grant to £3.324 billion in 2021/22 and it will be maintained in real terms over the next three years. This will enable local authorities to deliver health services to improve the health and wellbeing of their local communities.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure patients are receiving the care they need.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS services are open for those who need them and we expect all patients to be able to access the healthcare that they need. This year, we are providing an extra £34 billion to support services.
To help to tackle backlogs in planned care, we have committed £2 billion this year, with £8 billion over the next three years. This could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks, scans and procedures. The delivery plan for tackling the elective care backlog will be published later this year.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 help clear the NHS backlogs.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS services are open for those who need them and we expect all patients to be able to access the healthcare that they need. This year, we are providing an extra £34 billion to support services.
To help to tackle backlogs in planned care, we have committed £2 billion this year, with £8 billion over the next three years. This could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks, scans and procedures. The delivery plan for tackling the elective care backlog will be published later this year.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 in the event that patients are unable to access the healthcare they need.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS services are open for those who need them and we expect all patients to be able to access the healthcare that they need. This year, we are providing an extra £34 billion to support services.
To help to tackle backlogs in planned care, we have committed £2 billion this year, with £8 billion over the next three years. This could deliver the equivalent of around nine million more checks, scans and procedures. The delivery plan for tackling the elective care backlog will be published later this year.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent guidance his Department has provided to NHS Trusts on allowing more than one visitor to visit patients; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that guidance is followed.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Since the end of national restrictions in England, hospital visiting is subject to local discretion by trusts and other National Health Service bodies, who will take into account the local prevalence of COVID-19.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 support hospices.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations that receive some statutory funding, mainly from clinical commissioning groups for providing local services. To support the palliative and end of life care sector, including hospices, NHS England and NHS Improvement have made funding available to seven palliative and end of life care strategic clinical networks to support the delivery of clinical care, with sustainability and commissioning as guiding principles.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have also funded Hospice UK to explore sustainable approaches to future care delivery. Their ‘Future Vision Programme - Discovery Phase’ report sets out a range of options for exploring future sustainability.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 increase funding for hospices.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
As part of the Government’s COVID-19 response, £257 million was made available to the independent hospice sector to increase discharge capacity and alleviate pressures on the acute sector. Independent hospices have since returned to business as usual funding arrangements, with their services commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England and NHS Improvement expect CCGs to ensure that the provision of these services effectively meets the needs of the local population and ensures high quality personalised care.
The NHS Long Term Plan also states that NHS England is increasing its contribution to the national children’s hospice grant by match-funding CCGs who commit to increase their investment in local children’s palliative and end of life care services, including children’s hospices. This will provide £25 million a year by 2023/24.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 primary care health practitioners are aware of the (a) symptoms of and (b) treatment for touching oak processionary moth caterpillars and nests in areas experiencing infestations.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Local health protection teams provide proactive advice and warnings for oak processionary moths and have promoted awareness among health professionals in areas with known infestations. People who come into contact with the caterpillars are directed to see a pharmacist for relief from milder skin or eye irritations following possible contact or consult a general practitioner or NHS 111 for more serious reactions.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 critically ill patients do not die alone in the hospital.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Since the end of the national restrictions, hospital visiting is subject to local discretion by trusts and other National Health Service bodies. Organisations should use their own risk-based assessment to decide to what extent more relaxed visiting arrangements can be facilitated for those at the end of life. Families should be reassured that if they are not present when their loved one dies, staff will always be with and comfort the patient.