Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rachael Maskell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 141 · Department of Health and Social Care
If he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of an increase in the public health grant.
Lord Darzi’s investigation into the National Health Service set out the impact of past reductions to local government public health funding. We will confirm 2025/26 public health grant allocations as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
How many (a) ambulance call outs and (b) hospital admissions took place due to the use of nitazines in each of the last three years.
The Department is actively monitoring the threat posed by synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, and is working to increase awareness of their dangers. Information on synthetic opioids and the dangers they pose is available from the helpline and website Talk to FRANK, the national drug information and advice service supported by the Government.Education on drug use is also a statutory component of relationships, sex, and health education in England. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the Department for Education have commissioned lesson plans and other resources to support teachers to deliver quality drug prevention, which are available to schools. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. These resources are in the process of being updated and there will be increased emphasis on the risks of synthetic drugs. Drug and alcohol treatment services and local authority public health teams raise awareness of the risks of drug use through targeted campaigns with their local populations, and the OHID supports them in this. The number of ambulance call outs and hospital admissions due to the use of nitazenes is not collected in the format requested.
What steps he is taking to raise public awareness of the risks of nitazines use.
The Department is actively monitoring the threat posed by synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, and is working to increase awareness of their dangers. Information on synthetic opioids and the dangers they pose is available from the helpline and website Talk to FRANK, the national drug information and advice service supported by the Government.Education on drug use is also a statutory component of relationships, sex, and health education in England. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the Department for Education have commissioned lesson plans and other resources to support teachers to deliver quality drug prevention, which are available to schools. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. These resources are in the process of being updated and there will be increased emphasis on the risks of synthetic drugs. Drug and alcohol treatment services and local authority public health teams raise awareness of the risks of drug use through targeted campaigns with their local populations, and the OHID supports them in this. The number of ambulance call outs and hospital admissions due to the use of nitazenes is not collected in the format requested.
How many prisoners have required medical attention for (a) suspected overdoses and (b) drug-related ill health in each quarter of each of the last ten years.
The Department does not hold information on the number of prisoners requiring medical attention for suspected overdoses and drug related ill health.
What steps he is taking to help support people who have alcohol dependencies.
A vital part of delivering the Health Mission shift to prevention will be action to reduce the harms from excess alcohol consumption. The Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol treatment services to ensure those in need can access high quality help and support. Funding for alcohol treatment services is provided through the public health grant. In addition, local authorities have a further £267 million from the Department this year to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. This additional investment is improving the quality and capacity of alcohol treatment services in England which includes action to expand the alcohol treatment and recovery workforce.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, over £30 million of national funding has been invested between 2019 and 2025, on an ambitious programme to establish new, or optimise the existing, Alcohol Care Teams in the 25% hospitals with the highest need, which are 47 out of 188 eligible sites in England. This is estimated to prevent 50,000 avoidable admissions over five years.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published a Commissioning Quality Standard providing guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas. The UK Clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment are expected to be published later this year which will include recommendations to promote good practice. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services
What progress he has on the negotiations for a new NHS dentistry contract.
To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of capacity in (a) the ambulance service and (b) emergency departments on trends in the level of excess deaths in (i) York and (ii) the UK.
The method used by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Office for National Statistics, does not allow an assessment to be made of the potential influence of capacity in the ambulance service and emergency departments on estimates of excess deaths.
What steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of services being delivered in the community instead of in secondary care;, and how he plans to take account of such monitoring in his response to the Darzi Review.
Some services traditionally delivered in secondary care, such as particular diagnostic tests, are already being delivered in the community. Services delivered in the community which can support reductions in acute care demand or hospital occupancy, for example virtual wards or urgent community response services, are monitored locally and nationally. There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of a range of community services in supporting better outcomes for patients, as well as reducing healthcare costs, and this will help inform the ambitious 10-Year Health Plan to reform the health service.The 10 Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to build a National Health Service fit for the future: moving healthcare from hospital to the community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. This includes plans to move towards Neighbourhood Health Services, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier and shift care closer to peoples’ homes. It will be a key part of the response to the Darzi review.A core part of the development of the 10-Year Health Plan, including its approach to secondary care services, will be an extensive engagement exercise with the public, staff, and stakeholders, including the third sector. Further details on how to get involved will be set out in the coming weeks
What steps he is taking to help prevent alcohol use among children and young people.
Our mission-based approach will ensure that every child has the best start in life and that we create the healthiest generation of children ever. Statutory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education requires all primary and secondary schools to ensure that pupils know the key facts and risks associated with alcohol use, as well as how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe.The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to develop the lesson plans on alcohol, and has commissioned an update of the resources to be published later this year. Further information is available at the following link:https://pshe-association.org.uk/drugeducationThe Government also has an alcohol and drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce alcohol and drug use and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents and concerned others. Information on alcohol and its harms is available on the Tank to FRANK website at, at the following link:https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/alcohol
If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding available for the provision of harm reduction programmes by alcohol and drug services.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol and drug related health harm, based upon local need. The Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment services to ensure those in need can access high quality help and support. Funding for treatment services is provided through the public health grant.In addition, local authorities have a further £267 million from the Department this year to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made jointly available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. This additional investment is improving the quality and capacity of alcohol and drug treatment services in England. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced updates to the fiscal framework and launched the next Spending Review, which will settle 2025-26 budgets in October 2024 and conclude the multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025.
If he will take steps to introduce a ban on fast food outlets near schools.
As part of a consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, undertaken from 30 July to 24 September 2024, the Government sought views on how national planning policy could better support local authorities in promoting heathy communities and in tackling childhood obesity. Consultation responses are being considered and the Government will set out its plans in due course.
If he will take steps to pilot the community delivery of secondary care services.
Some services traditionally delivered in secondary care, such as particular diagnostic tests, are already being delivered in the community. Services delivered in the community which can support reductions in acute care demand or hospital occupancy, for example virtual wards or urgent community response services, are monitored locally and nationally. There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of a range of community services in supporting better outcomes for patients, as well as reducing healthcare costs, and this will help inform the ambitious 10-Year Health Plan to reform the health service.The 10 Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to build a National Health Service fit for the future: moving healthcare from hospital to the community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. This includes plans to move towards Neighbourhood Health Services, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier and shift care closer to peoples’ homes. It will be a key part of the response to the Darzi review.A core part of the development of the 10-Year Health Plan, including its approach to secondary care services, will be an extensive engagement exercise with the public, staff, and stakeholders, including the third sector. Further details on how to get involved will be set out in the coming weeks
How much funding he plans to provide for community mental health hubs in the next three financial years.
The Department does not hold this information centrally.Investment in NHS community services for children and adults is subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment on reducing particulate matter in the air.
The Department works closely with departments across the Government to improve public health. The Department of Health and Social Care has regular engagement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at both a ministerial and an official level on various issues, including air quality.
If he will implement a strategy to reduce levels of (a) diabetes and (b) complications as a result of diabetes.
The Department has no current plans to publish a written strategy on the prevalence of, and complications arising from, diabetes. However, we are taking important steps to prevent type 2 diabetes and to improve care for people living with diabetes. The NHS Health Check identifies people at risk of diabetes and refers them into behaviour change interventions such as weight management and the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP), to reduce their risk of developing the condition. For those living with type 2 diabetes, there is the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and the highly effective Pathways to Remission programme.The recovery and delivery of routine diabetes care following the pandemic is a key priority for the NHS England Diabetes Programme, and rates of routine care delivery are now almost back to the pre-pandemic level.
What steps he is taking to expand community pharmacy provision in York.
We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies. We want to develop and better utilise the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to improve access to care in local communities and address inequalities.That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. In preparation, NHS England is piloting the use of prescribing by community pharmacists in a range of pathways that will enable them to play an increasing role in delivering clinical services in primary care.Local authorities’ health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and to keep these assessments up to date until the next assessment is produced. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 outline minimum statutory requirements for PNAs, and an information pack was published in October 2021 to support HWBs in meeting their duty.Whilst PNAs inform integrated care board commissioning and decisions on applications by new contractors wishing to provide NHS pharmaceutical services in the local area, contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy if they can demonstrate that they will meet a need that was not foreseen by the PNA.
If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments.
We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies. We want to develop and better utilise the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to improve access to care in local communities and address inequalities.That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. In preparation, NHS England is piloting the use of prescribing by community pharmacists in a range of pathways that will enable them to play an increasing role in delivering clinical services in primary care.Local authorities’ health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and to keep these assessments up to date until the next assessment is produced. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 outline minimum statutory requirements for PNAs, and an information pack was published in October 2021 to support HWBs in meeting their duty.Whilst PNAs inform integrated care board commissioning and decisions on applications by new contractors wishing to provide NHS pharmaceutical services in the local area, contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy if they can demonstrate that they will meet a need that was not foreseen by the PNA.
If he will place more mental health services in primary care.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we will make sure mental health care is delivered in the community wherever possible, so that more people are prevented from needing to go into hospital, through new models of care and support available for those who are struggling.
If he will take steps to expand the scope of the Pharmacy First scheme to include the (a) management of long-term conditions and (b) provision of public health advice.
We are committed to expanding the role of community pharmacies. We want to develop and better utilise the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to improve access to care in local communities and address inequalities.That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. In preparation, NHS England is piloting the use of prescribing by community pharmacists in a range of pathways that will enable them to play an increasing role in delivering clinical services in primary care.Local authorities’ health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have a statutory duty to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and to keep these assessments up to date until the next assessment is produced. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 outline minimum statutory requirements for PNAs, and an information pack was published in October 2021 to support HWBs in meeting their duty.Whilst PNAs inform integrated care board commissioning and decisions on applications by new contractors wishing to provide NHS pharmaceutical services in the local area, contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy if they can demonstrate that they will meet a need that was not foreseen by the PNA.
If he will take steps to ensure that health checks are available at all stages of life.
Health checks throughout all stages of life are important, from ensuring the best start in life, through five health and development reviews before a child reaches two and a half years old, to 12 screening programmes from birth through to adulthood that help identify and protect people from a range of diseases, including cancer. In addition, through the NHS Health Check, all eligible people aged 40 to 74 years old are invited to have a cardiovascular disease check every five years. The Government has extended heart health checks to over 130,000 people in their workplaces, to make checks more accessible.