Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts on the provision of support for long COVID (a) clinics and (b) patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Commissioning of post-COVID services transitioned from the long COVID national programme to local integrated care boards (ICBs) at the end of March 2024. Funding for post-COVID services in 2024/25 was expected to be allocated based on the 2023/24 distribution, to minimise disruption to funding flows and to maintain services.
NHS England has recently completed a long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) stocktake, aimed to provide a nationwide overview of service delivery in commissioning and contracting, assessing access, activity and outcomes. It was agreed that long COVID and ME/CFS services are rightly commissioned by ICBs, which have responsibility for ensuring coverage for their population.
To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long COVID.
NHS England has published commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out the commissioning, service requirements and oversight of post-COVID services by ICBs in England for adults, and children and young people. It outlines the elements that post-COVID services should comprise of and the principles of care for long COVID. The guidance is available at the following link:
There is specific advice for general practitioners to manage long COVID. Patients should be managed according to current clinical guidance such as that published and updated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; this is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG188
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36169 on Health Services, what tests (a) his Department and (b) NHS England require before a substantial planned service change.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The tests the Department requires are set out in NHS England’s guidance to the National Health Service on planning, assuring and delivering service change, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/planning-assuring-and-delivering-service-change-for-patients/
The Government’s four tests of service change are:
In any proposal includes plans to significantly reduce hospital bed numbers, NHS England will expect commissioners to be able to evidence that they can meet one of the following three conditions: demonstrate that sufficient alternative provision, such as increased general practice or community services, is being put in place alongside or ahead of bed closures, and that the new workforce will be there to deliver it; and/or show that specific new treatments or therapies, such as new anti-coagulation drugs used to treat strokes, will reduce specific categories of admissions; or where a hospital has been using beds less efficiently than the national average, that it has a credible plan to improve performance without affecting patient care, for example in line with the Getting it Right First Time programme.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 hospital radio stations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hospital radio can provide National Health Service patients and visitors with a positive experience at a time when they are feeling vulnerable. NHS trusts work locally with volunteers and organisations to provide this service. Decisions about supporting the service are made most appropriately at a local level.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which services GIRFT have been reviewing as part of the healthcare system that impacts on Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in the last two years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Getting It Right First Time team has been supporting the One Devon Programme with a particular focus on orthopaedics, spinal surgery, cardiology, gynaecology and ophthalmology services.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister has oversight of the Getting It Right First Time programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a national NHS England programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through an in-depth review of services and benchmarking, and by presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change. This key Government priority sits within my departmental portfolio.
The GIRFT team is working with systems and regions to help the National Health Service embed best practice in elective care, to reduce waiting times, improve patient outcomes and, ultimately, to support delivery of the commitment that 92% of all patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral-to-treatment by March 2029.
Responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding of healthcare services ultimately rests with the appropriate NHS commissioning body. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. All substantial planned service change is subject to a full public consultation and must meet the Government and NHS England’s ‘tests’ to ensure good decision making.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps should be taken prior to a test for change on a healthcare offer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a national NHS England programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through an in-depth review of services and benchmarking, and by presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change. This key Government priority sits within my departmental portfolio.
The GIRFT team is working with systems and regions to help the National Health Service embed best practice in elective care, to reduce waiting times, improve patient outcomes and, ultimately, to support delivery of the commitment that 92% of all patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral-to-treatment by March 2029.
Responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding of healthcare services ultimately rests with the appropriate NHS commissioning body. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. All substantial planned service change is subject to a full public consultation and must meet the Government and NHS England’s ‘tests’ to ensure good decision making.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many parents who have experienced the death of a child have waited more than three months to receive the final post-mortem report.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold post-mortem reporting data. It is likely to be held by National Health Service trusts and Coroner’s Offices for the post-mortems they are responsible for.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the expected timeline is for Baroness Casey's Commission into Adult Social Care, including the dates for evidence submission.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Baroness Casey’s commission into adult social care will begin in April 2025. The Commission is independent and the timetable, beyond the reporting stages (Phase 1, reporting in 2026, Phase 2 in 2028) will be developed by the commission itself and set out in due course.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 the number of NHS dentists in Torbay constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are determined to rebuild dentistry in the National Health Service. It will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
Integrated Care Boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
The 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.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the turnaround times for (a) hospital and (b) HM Coroner's Office post mortems in (i) neonatal and paediatric and (ii) other cases.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Workforce shortages in paediatric and perinatal pathology have led to longer turnaround times for hospital post-mortem reports in some areas of England. NHS England has established a national work programme to address these shortages.
A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, with further initiatives underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff.
Additional funding has also been provided in 2024/25 to create capacity in the service, whilst simultaneously exploring opportunities to streamline pathways through the use of digital and imaging techniques supported by the latest clinical evidence and practice.