Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ian Roome this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 61–70 of 70 · Department of Health and Social Care
Pursuant to his oral contribution in response to the Question from the hon. Member for North Devon on 20 January 2025, Official Report, column 769, when he will visit North Devon District Hospital.
I remain committed to visiting North Devon District Hospital. Ministers regularly consider visits across the country to see the impact of their policy areas. Any plans to visit specific locations will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.
What guidance he has issued to GP practices in England on giving patients access to copies of their records.
Practices are contractually obliged to provide full prospective record access to all patients, for those aged 16 years old and above, unless exceptions apply or if the patient has informed the practice that they do not, or no longer, wish to have access.Since 2022, functionality and supporting guidance was successfully tested with early adopter general practice (GP) sites, and was rolled out nationwide to give all patients access to new health record entries online. This guidance is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/nhs-app-guidance-for-gp-practices/guidance-on-nhs-app-features/online-access-to-gp-health-records/what-general-practice-staff-should-know/prospective-record-access-manually-enabling-patient-access#:~:text=Practices%20are%20contractually%20obliged%20to,longer%2C%20wish%20to%20have%20access. In addition, NHS England worked with GPs and GP IT suppliers on the steps to take to restrict access to health records for vulnerable patients. NHS England has also provided guidance on its website on how anyone can request access to their GP record, using an online account such as the NHS App.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the gap in healthy life expectancy between regions in England.
The Government recognises that health inequalities in the United Kingdom are stark, with life expectancy differing dramatically between and within communities. At the heart of our Health Mission is a focus on addressing the social determinants of health, with the goal of halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between regions of England, so more people live longer and in good health.Work is currently underway across the Department and with NHS England and the regional Directors of Public Health to develop approaches to address regional health inequalities. In line with the Government’s Health Mission, the Department’s goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory healthiness targets for large supermarket retailers.
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children and tackling the three biggest killers which will require effort from across society on not just obesity but alcohol and smoking. We have made a start with Tobacco and Vapes Bill and will continue to speak to partners across industry and civic society to best understand what actions help to change behaviours in a way that puts power in the hands of consumers.As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to achieving our health mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, and under the 10-Year Health Plan to shift from ‘sickness to prevention’. Making the healthier choice the easier choice is a major part of creating a food environment that is fairer, with the fewest lives lost to the biggest killers and where everyone lives well for longer. Obesity is one of the key drivers of ill health, economic inactivity and premature mortality, as highlighted in the recently published Get Britain Working White Paper.As part of considerations around mandatory healthiness targets, the Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP) was created prior to the 2024 General Election; this was a shared programme of work across the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, and the Food Standards Agency. The FDTP was paused at the election and is being reviewed alongside other obesity policies.
What assessment his Department has made of potential increased maintenance costs for NHS Hospitals whose construction projects have been delayed under(a) wave 2 and (b) wave 3 of the New Hospital Programme review.
The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. The New Hospital Programme review considered the clinical impacts of the quality of the estate as part of the prioritisation exercise involving a multi-criteria decision support analysis tool.Integrated care boards will collectively receive over £4 billion in annual capital allocations in 2025/26. These allocations are managed at a local level, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including estate maintenance works. In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also committed over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and to tackle dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Further detail on funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance. Capital funding levels for future years will be determined through the current Spending Review which concludes in June 2025. Future Spending Reviews will consider needs across the NHS estate, including hospitals whose constructions have been delayed.
What his Department's definition of pre-construction works is in the context of Wave 3 of the New Hospital Programme Review.
Pre-construction works are carried out prior to main construction commencing and include a wide range of activity including business case development, enabling works, site surveys, and design and planning work for the new hospital.
What steps his Department is taking to increase (a) planned and (b) preventative maintenance at NHS hospitals impacted by delays to the New Hospital Programme.
Repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create a National Health Service that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan.Integrated care boards will continue to receive annual capital allocations. These allocations are managed at a local level, with funds allocated according to local priorities, including for estate maintenance works. In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced over £1 billion to make inroads into the backlog of critical maintenance and to tackle dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. Further details on funding will follow at the earliest opportunity, including local capital allocations and national capital programmes for 2025 to 2026, as part of NHS planning guidance. Capital funding levels for future years will be determined through the current Spending Review, which concludes in June 2025.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of registration timeframes for new healthcare providers registering with the Care Quality Commission.
The Department is aware of delays experienced by new healthcare providers registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and has increased its oversight of the CQC to ensure the backlog of applications that are over 10 weeks old, is reduced. The CQC is prioritising applications that increase the capacity to the health and social care system, and/or that help manage winter pressures in the National Health Service or social care.The CQC is reviewing their IT systems to inform the changes it will need to implement to ensure the registration process is efficient.
Whether the New Hospital Programme Review has been completed; and when he plans to announce the results of the review.
The review is complete, and we will publish the outcome of the review, including a new and realistic delivery schedule for the New Hospital Programme, shortly.
If he will hold discussions with the NHS England Investment Committee on the time it has taken to review the business case for North Devon District Hospital.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the new North Devon District Hospital scheme. Following approval of their SOC, they will need to develop their Outline Business Case, and then a Full Business Case, prior to commencing construction as soon as possible, as is usual for large infrastructure projects.The New Hospital Programme Investment Committee met in November 2024 and considered the business case put forward by the trust for accommodation on the site. However, the committee recommended that the trust address several conditions for approval. We are working with the trust on options to resubmit the case to the committee in December 2024.