Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge; how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs; and whether he will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to support with these costs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England.
The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) is designed to provide financial support for eligible patients to facilitate their journeys to and from National Health Service-funded secondary care. Eligibility for HTCS is set by DHSC and details are available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/
Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also several charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.
NHS England does not collect national patient-level data on uptake of the HTCS. This data is held by the organisation paying for the claim, often the hospital trust or integrated care board. Therefore, DHSC has not made a formal assessment of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge and how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs.
On 4 February 2025, DHSC relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve experience and outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the workforce modelling used as the basis for the 10 Year Workforce Plan will be independent; and whether the results of that modelling will be independently assessed and tested.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to updating workforce modelling which will be set out in and alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan when published in spring 2026. This will be supported by external scrutiny to independently assess and test it.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has attended meetings with the Secretary of State for Education on the allocation of new dental school places since 1 January 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers regularly engage with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
The independent Office for Students (OfS) has statutory responsibility for allocating funding for medical and dental school places. Allocation outcomes are based on guidance issued by the Government, alongside an OfS assessment of provider capability.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 potential implications for his policies of the availability of research into less survivable cancers; and what steps his Department is taking to incentivise people to undertake research into this area.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The Government is investing in new lifesaving and life-improving research to support those diagnosed with less survivable cancers. An example of this is the announcement of the NIHR’s new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, which will bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of making scientific advances in how we prevent, detect, manage and treat rarer but less-survivable cancers in adults and children.
The NIHR continue to welcome further high-quality proposals from researchers to inform approaches to prevention, treatment and care in relation to less survivable cancers.
Furthermore, the Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with rare cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on how the National Health Service will improve diagnosis and outcomes for all cancer patients in England, including for rare and less common cancers.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 prevent the closure of convalescence facilities in Norfolk.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that there are adequate services and facilities to support people to recover after a hospital stay. We expect local authorities to ensure that a diverse range of high-quality services are available, working with their NHS integrated care board. Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service shifts care from hospital to communities, so that services are delivered as close to people’s homes as possible.Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 support community-based preventative services for older people in Norfolk.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS is implementing various preventative services to support older people in maintaining their health and independence.
These services include:
These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to improve the quality of care and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions for older people. The NHS is working with partners across health and social care to ensure that older people receive the highest quality care when they need it.
Norfolk and Waveney ICB, working with Norfolk County Council, local authorities, the voluntary sector, and NHS providers, has established a wide range of preventative services to help older people live healthier, more independent lives. The ICB’s Protect NoW programme is tackling inequalities and improving access to health and care services through Population Health Management (PHM) and risk stratification. Projects include improving access to talking therapies, falls prevention, and the Dementia North Norfolk programme, which connects people to housing, benefits, social activities, and carers’ support.
In addition, the Health Connect initiative has supported over 9,000 residents after hospital discharge, reducing the risk of readmission through practical, emotional, health, and social support.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many payments under the dental recruitment incentive scheme have been allocated to North Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is not held on how many payments under the Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme have been allocated at the constituency level. The responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population is delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.
ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
Further information on the dental recruitment process can be found in guidance issued by NHS England, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 support the establishment of a dental school at the University of East Anglia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We would like to congratulate the University of East Anglia on its newly awarded dental school status and its ambitions to train the future dentistry workforce. Tackling the geographical disparities in access to National Health Service dentistry is vital, and the Government welcomes efforts to help to deliver this ambition.
Government approval or funding is not required to establish a new dental school. Provided that a prospective dental school meets the requirements of the General Dental Council and the Office for Students, it would be considered for any future Government-funded training places.
We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. It will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the NHS has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it. From now on, we will ensure that staff will be better treated, and have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so that they can achieve more.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 merits of ringfencing funding for cycle paramedic services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made.