Every parliamentary written question tabled by Beccy Cooper this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 66 · Department of Health and Social Care
What steps he is taking to help increase the uptake of NHS stop smoking services amongst underage smokers.
On 5 November 2024, the Government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. It will create the first smoke-free generation, as children turning 15 years old this year or you...
What steps he is taking to support the (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing of nursing staff.
It is important that National Health Service staff are able to work in a supportive and compassionate environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. NHS England has a wide-ranging package of mental health and wellbeing support for all staff, inc...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in levels of demand for patient care on the capacity of the nursing workforce.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. The Long Term Workforce Plan, which included assessments of nursing demand and supply, will be reviewed following ...
What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of voluntary sugar reduction programmes.
Children currently consume twice the recommended level of sugar. There is strong evidence that high sugar intakes increase the risk of tooth decay and weight gain. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some can...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving access to healthy food on the number of people who cannot work due to long-term illness.
In the United Kingdom, most people’s diet is not in line with the Government’s dietary recommendations as encapsulated in the Eatwell Guide. Most people consume too many calories, too much salt, sugar, and saturated fat, and not enough fibre, fruit, and v...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing auto-enrolment for the Healthy Start scheme.
The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review. There have been no discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a h...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of improving access to healthy food on NHS waiting lists.
Poor diet and obesity are major drivers of physical and mental ill health. No assessment has been made to date to specifically assess the impact of improving access to healthy food on National Health Service waiting lists, however shifting the focus from ...
What steps his Department is taking to update guidance to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) on the need to offer gluten free staples on NHS prescription for people with coeliac disease.
NHS England has no plans to update the guidance. The Department undertook a national consultation in 2017 on the prescribing of gluten-free (GF) foods in primary care. The rationale for this was the increased availability of these products in supermarkets...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of physical advertising for unhealthy food products on levels of child obesity.
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of outdoor physical advertising for less healthy food and drink products on levels of child obesity. However, the Government welcomes recent action at a local level to ban junk food marketing across publ...
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of pathways for the earlier detection of non-alcohol related fatty liver disease.
There are 10 community diagnostic centres (CDC) currently providing ultrasound liver elastography, otherwise known as a fibroscan. NHS England has plans to understand the diagnostic pathways for liver disease and how CDCs can further support this. The p...
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing parents to buy first-stage baby formula using (a) loyalty points, (b) grocery vouchers, (c) food bank vouchers and (d) other cash-e
Infant formula legislation sets robust nutritional and compositional standards to ensure that all infant formula meets the nutritional needs of babies for healthy growth and development, irrespective of brand or price. The legislation also restricts the m...
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the prevalence of non-alcohol related fatty liver disease in children.
NHS England is assessing the role of screening for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children as part of the initial 30 Complication from Excess Weight clinics. Children and young people are assessed within these clinics for a range of physical and men...
What steps he is taking to increase the numbers of (a) health visitors and (b) school nurses.
We are committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever. To achieve this, we must ensure that families have the support they need to give their babies and children the best start and the building blocks for a healthy life.The child health ...
What the timeframe is for implementation of the review by Lord Darzi entitled Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, published on 12 September 2024.
Lord Darzi’s full report has laid bare the true extent of the challenges facing our health service, giving us the frank assessment necessary to face these problems honestly and properly and do the hard work required to fix them. Lord Darzi’s findings will...
What steps his Department has taken to establish a health mission board.
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, chairs a cross-government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the health mission to ‘build a health and social care system fit for the future'.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring people with lung conditions are given an annual (a) review and (b) medication check.
Annual reviews, including reviews of medication, play a key role in the ongoing management of people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). They are recommended by the National Institute for Health and...
If he will commission a review into the adequacy of adult liver services across the NHS.
There are currently no plans for a review into the adequacy of adult liver services across the National Health Service. The commissioning of services for liver disease is generally the responsibility of integrated care systems (ICS). ICS are responsible f...
What steps he is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) accessibility of online NHS health information.
We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experience for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face t...
What steps he is taking to help reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods.
As set out in the King's Speech, the Government will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation to ban junk food advertising to children and to stop the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16-year-olds. We face an obesity crisis, and we will take action to tackle it head on, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.There is no universally agreed definition of ultra-processed foods (UPF), although NOVA is the most widely used classification system. NOVA categorises foods by how processed they are, rather than their nutritional composition.In July 2023, the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a position statement on processed foods and health, and concluded that observed associations between UPF and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content. Given the SACN’s concerns, they added the topic of processed foods and health to their watching brief and will consider it at their next horizon scan meeting in October 2024.Government dietary advice, based on recommendations from the SACN, and as depicted within the Eatwell Guide, already shows that many foods that would be classified as ultra-processed are not part of a healthy, balanced diet as they are high in calories, saturated fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS). The Government’s advice on healthy eating, including the Eatwell Guide’s principles, are communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns such as Better Health, Healthier Families, and Start for Life.As UPFs tend to be HFSS, they are also likely to be the focus of policies to reduce consumption of HFSS foods, including the regulations being brought forward to ban junk food advertising to children and stopping the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to 16-year-olds.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of childhood obesity on inequalities in health outcomes between (a) deprived communities and (b) less deprived communities.
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on children aged four to five years old, who would be in reception, and 10 to 11 years old, who would be in year 6. It provides detailed data on childhood obesity by age, sex, deprivation, and ethnicity, as well as geographic analyses.NCMP data for 2022/23 shows that, for children living in the most deprived areas, obesity prevalence was twice as high compared with those living in the least deprived areas in both reception and year 6.For children in reception, the data for 2022/23 shows a gap of 6.6% for obesity prevalence between the most and least deprived areas. This is the smallest disparity gap seen since 2014/15, and has been driven by a greater drop in obesity prevalence in the most deprived areas, which is at its lowest level since 2015/16. For children in year 6, the gap in obesity prevalence between the most and least deprived areas in 2022/23 has reduced to 17.1%, but is still much larger than that seen in pre-pandemic years.A growing number of children living with obesity are developing health conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, bone and joint problems, tooth decay, and type 2 diabetes.Further health outcomes associated with obesity occur in adulthood. Approximately 80% of adolescents living with obesity will continue to live with excess weight as adults, so it is important to create an environment which helps children maintain a healthy weight.Where a child lives therefore influences their weight status and health outcomes. There are large and persistent disparities between the most and least deprived communities of England.