Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 241–260 of 267 · Department of Health and Social Care
What charges were issued to non-UK residents of what nationalities not entitled to free secondary healthcare by the James Paget NHS trust for each treatment in each of the last three financial years; and how much of that amount was recovered in each of those last three financial years.
The Department of Health and Social Care does not collect the information requested.
How many NHS IVF treatments were provided to asylum seekers in each of the last five years.
Neither the Department nor NHS England holds data on who accesses IVF treatment. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority publishes information on the numbers and IVF cycles carried out, including whether they were privately or NHS funded, but this does not cover the immigration status of the patient.
How many social care staff (a) were dismissed and (b) resigned due to mandatory Covid-19 vaccination regulations.
The Government does not hold this data.
What information his Department holds on (a) the number of GP appointments available and (b) excess demand for those appointments in each of the last five years.
The 12-month rolling sum of appointments in each of the last five years, excluding COVID-19 vaccination appointments, is as follows:284,800,000 as of September 2020;302,910,000 as of September 2021;325,100,000 as of September 2022;351,758,870 as of September 2023; and376,460,990 as of September 2024.We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs. Our plan to restore GPs will require both investment and reform, and we have already invested £82 million to recruit 1,000 newly qualified GPs in 2024/25, which will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs and take pressure off those currently working in the system.
How many (a) attendances at accident and emergency departments and (b) emergency admissions there were for dentistry-related issues in each of the last 10 years.
The following table shows how many attendances to accident and emergency departments there were for dentistry-related issues, specifically those with a first diagnosis code of dental abscess or dental caries, for each of the last four years:Year2020/212021/222022/232023/24Attendances60,33069,85967,31073,088Source: the data is published on NHS Digital, and is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity/2023-24Note: due to changes in recording methods, data from the last ten years is not available. In addition, the following table shows the number of emergency admissions for dentistry-related issues, specifically the number if Finished Admission Episodes for dental-related issues, for each of the last ten years:YearAdmissions2014/1516,2792015/1616,7492016/1717,2852017/1818,7442018/1920,5432019/2022,1292020/2117,5402021/2219,3402022/2319,9792023/2423,109Source: the data is published on NHS Digital, and is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24
What information his Department holds on complaints about GPs, broken down by GP nationality, in each of the last five years.
Data is not collected or held on the nationality status of general practitioners (GPs) when undergoing a complaints procedure. Under the GP contract, practices must establish and operate a complaints procedure to deal with complaints made in relation to the provision of services. This includes practices making available to their patients a leaflet with details on how they may make a complaint or comment on the provision of services. Patients may either choose to complain to their healthcare provider, for instance a GP, or their local National Health Service commissioner.
How many complaints there were about to the standard of English of (a) GPs, (b) consultants and (c) other health care professionals in the NHS in each of the last 10 years.
No such data is collected. Many of the statutory health regulatory bodies have adopted the use of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to assess workers for the health care setting. The overall IELTS English language test score of 7.0 has been set, which is the equivalent of C1 of the Common European Framework for Reference of Languages.A public authority must also operate a complaints procedure so that if a member of the public feels that a public-facing public authority worker has insufficient proficiency in spoken English for the performance of their role, they can make a formal complaint to the public authority which is then investigated, and a response provided.
What steps his Department plans to take to improve mental health provision for farmers.
We plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations.The Suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028, published September 2023, sets out an ambition to conduct and commission research and data linkage projects, including supporting the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to look at agricultural workers to understand the unique challenges in that occupational group and respond appropriately.Through its Farming and Countryside Programme, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with a range of farming charities, including the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and the Yellow Wellies charity, which have highlighted mental health challenges for farming communities.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or hospital admission.
How much and what proportion of personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased to respond to covid-19 was incinerated; and what the value was of the incinerated PPE.
As of the end of September 2024, approximately 1,049,700 pallets, or 23%, of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been recycled through energy from waste and recycling. The original cost to purchase was £8.644 billion, and all stock categorised as excess has no residual market value.Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the total cost of storing PPE in China was £60.6 million. PPE has not been stored outside of the United Kingdom since June 2023.
What the cost to the public purse was of storing personal protective equipment in China since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic.
As of the end of September 2024, approximately 1,049,700 pallets, or 23%, of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been recycled through energy from waste and recycling. The original cost to purchase was £8.644 billion, and all stock categorised as excess has no residual market value.Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the total cost of storing PPE in China was £60.6 million. PPE has not been stored outside of the United Kingdom since June 2023.
With reference to paragraph 2.70 of Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the proportion of additional funding for the NHS that will be spent on (a) staff, (b) equipment and (c) services directly involved in the care of patients.
The Budget set out the Revenue Departmental Expenditure Limit (RDEL) for the Department, which is increasing by £22.6 billion for day-to-day spending, including staff, compared to 2023/24, and the Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (CDEL), which is increasing by £3.1 billion, including for equipment spending.Exact breakdowns of RDEL and CDEL plans for staff, equipment, and services directly involved in the care of patients will be known once the planning round for 2025/26 has concluded, following the publication of system allocations and planning guidance for the next financial year.
How much the NHS paid in compensation in each of the last five years.
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHSR administers claims covered by several indemnity schemes. The two main schemes are: the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, which provides cover for clinical negligence claims against secondary care providers, including all NHS trusts; and the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, which provides cover for clinical negligence claims relating to NHS services provided in general practice, for incidents occurring on or after 1 April 2019. NHSR also administers the Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme for non-clinical claims against NHS trusts, such as public and employer’s liability.The following table shows the payments made for clinical negligence claims, broken down into damages, NHS legal costs, claimant legal costs, and sum total paid, between the financial years 2019/20 and 2023/24:Financial yearDamages paidNHS legal costs paidClaimant legal costs paidTotal paid2019/20£1,644,216,037£145,231,480£475,257,408£2,264,704,9262020/21£1,588,102,706£150,740,413£432,972,932£2,171,816,0512021/22£1,777,244,213£157,860,991£470,329,975£2,405,435,1792022/23£1,985,073,662£161,232,916£489,738,305£2,636,044,8832023/24£2,111,274,291£171,207,686£544,941,740£2,827,423,717Total£9,105,910,909£786,273,487£2,413,240,360£12,305,424,756In addition, the following table shows the payments made for non-clinical claims, also broken down into damages, NHS legal costs, claimant legal costs, and sum total paid, between the financial years 2019/20 and 2023/24:Financial yearDamages paidNHS legal costs paidClaimant legal costs paidTotal paid2019/20£29,385,103£7,235,444£18,155,566£54,776,1132020/21£28,523,132£6,244,463£16,379,137£51,146,7322021/22£32,118,571£6,529,827£17,314,793£55,963,1922022/23£26,857,633£6,081,045£16,314,408£49,253,0862023/24£26,166,825£7,091,718£16,635,005£49,893,548Total£143,051,264£33,182,497£84,798,910£261,032,671Notes:1) NHSR has advised that the values for the payments reported for each year will be different from those reported in the published Annual report and accounts (ARA), because: accruals for NHS legal costs are included in the accounting records used for the ARA and are not included at the last day of the financial year in the Claims Management System used to provide these more detailed tables; timing differences in manual postings, for instance income received is reflected in the financial records used for the ARA and not included at the last day of the financial year in the Claims Management System used to provide these more detailed tables; and payments made in 2019/20 and 2020/21 for some older general practice claims (ELGP), during their transition to NHSR, are included in the accounting records used for the ARA, however, those ELGP payments are not included in the Claims Management System used for these tables during the oversight period, as NHSR was not managing the cases within its claims management systems; and2) there may be other compensation schemes involving the NHS that are not covered by NHSR, however, this information is not held centrally.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of running a public awareness campaign to remove all COVID signs.
No assessment of the merits of running a public awareness campaign to remove all COVID-19 signs has been made.
How many staff in their Department work outside of the UK; where these staff work; and what the cost is of salaries for these staff.
The Department does not have any staff who work outside of the United Kingdom.
How much was spent by NHS Trusts on celebrating Pride Month in June (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
This information is not collected by NHS England.
Whether he is taking steps to tackle changes in the level of fertility rates.
No specific steps are being taken to make changes in the level of fertility rates. However, the Government will be receiving advice on the provision of National Health Service funded fertility services, and will be considering future policy options shortly.
How much his Department has spent on dental services for irregular migrants in each year since 2018.
We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.
What the average waiting was for an irregular migrant to see a (a) healthcare professional and (b) dentist in the latest period for which data is available.
We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.
How many NHS staff (a) were dismissed and (b) resigned due to mandatory Covid-19 vaccination regulations.
No National Health Service staff were dismissed due to the regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment. Those regulations were revoked before they came into force. The information requested on resignations is not held by the Department.
How much his Department has spent on (a) external tenders and (b) contracts for (i) translation and (ii) interpretation services in the NHS in each of the last five years.
The following table shows the Department’s expenditure against current and expired contracts with external suppliers of translation or interpretation services, in each of the last five financial years:Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Expenditure£9,857£72,898£898,354£133,148£28,830 The majority of this work has been for supporting different initiatives and functions within the National Health Service.*The significant increase in expenditure was due to additional services required to support the response to Covid-19 in the NHS e.g. at vaccination and testing sites.