Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the procurement process was to award contracts for the Change NHS online portal.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A procurement mini competition was launched via the RM6126 CCS Research and Insights framework on 2 August 2024, with bids returned by 19 August 2024.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
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 value for money of including GPs in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Over a thousand newly qualified GPs will be recruited through changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, as a result of additional funding to address GP unemployment over 24/25. The change will allow patients to get access to the care they need through increasing appointments.
The change follows extensive engagement and consideration of options to support employment of additional GPs who have been trained and can provide necessary clinical capacity in general practice. No explicit assessment has been made of the potential value for money of the change.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
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 improve access to dentistry in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist particularly in more rural and coastal areas. This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS 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 and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
We also know that the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital is to have rotting teeth removed. That is why we will also introduce a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for children aged three to five, targeting the areas of highest need.
From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue the previous Government's commitment to deliver fluoride varnish treatments to more than 165,000 children in under-served areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are currently reviewing the previous Government’s Dental Recovery Plan, Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, including proposals to deliver fluoride varnish treatments to more than 165,000 children in under-served areas, and what elements can be taken forward effectively. We will implement our Dental Rescue Plan, including introducing a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for three- to five-year-olds which targets the areas of highest need, and prioritise initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to National Health Service dental care.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of opening each trial neighbourhood health centre.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to trialling Neighbourhood Health Centres, to bring together a range of services under one roof. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities, to spot problems earlier. Costs will ultimately be dependent on the scope of facilities and delivery model, and the Government will confirm further details and next steps in due course.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral answer of 23 July 2024 from the Minister for Secondary Care, Official Report, column 510, whether he plans to announce further steps on the delivery of neighbourhood health centres.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As my Rt hon. Friend the Minister for Secondary Care sets out, we have committed to trialling Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring together a range of services under one roof. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier. We are working with officials to determine the next steps internally, and will provide further updates in due course.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a dementia strategy.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone should have access to high quality care that supports choice and control, and enables people to live independent, dignified lives. This includes people living with dementia. We know that the health and social care system faces significant challenges, and that long-term reform is needed. This is why we plan to create a National Care Service and are developing a 10-year plan to radically reform the National Health Service and build a health service that is fit for the future. As part of this work, we will consider how best to meet the needs of people with dementia, including whether it is appropriate to develop a dementia strategy.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to ringfence dentistry budgets within the budgets of integrated care boards.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has issued guidance on the ringfencing of dental budgets for 2024/25 and will be reviewing for the next financial year. Ringfencing funding for future years will be reviewed as part of the Planning Guidance process. The guidance is available at the following link:
To ensure compliance against this requirement, and to strengthen oversight of funding that is used to deliver access to National Health Service dental care, NHS England will meet with and collect monthly returns from all integrated care boards to establish current and planned spend against the ringfenced dental allocations budget.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, at what proportion of NHS spending he plans to set funding for GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We greatly value the critical role general practitioners (GPs) play, and we are determined to address the issues they face by shifting the focus of the National Health Service beyond hospitals and into the community. Under the previous government, primary care and GPs have been receiving a smaller proportion of NHS resources, and we’re committed to reversing that. Departmental budgets for 2025/26 will be confirmed at my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget, on 30 October 2024.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, published on 7 February 2024, whether he plans to continue the Smile for Life programme.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are currently reviewing the policy paper, including proposals for a Smile for Life programme, and what elements can be taken forward effectively. We will implement our Dental Rescue Plan and prioritise initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to National Health Service dental care.