Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health Inequalities

Tuesday 11 July 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kate Osborne questioned the minister about health inequalities in the north-east, highlighting issues with NHS waiting times and poverty affecting constituents' access to medication.
  • The minister responded by stating that 90% of prescriptions are free and announced plans to create 160 extra community diagnostic centres in areas of highest deprivation.
  • Martyn Day raised concerns about a local hospital trust facing a significant deficit and long A&E wait times, linking underfunding to increased mortality rates.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kate Osborne Lab Jarrow and Gateshead East
NHS
Context

Health inequalities persist in the north-east, with people dying younger and spending more years in ill health. Increased NHS waiting times exacerbate issues.

Question

People in the north-east die younger than people in the rest of England and spend more years in ill health. Increased NHS waiting times leaves them on medication for longer. The north-east has the highest level of people living in poverty, leaving many constituents unable to afford prescription charges. Some have told me they are taking paracetamol instead of prescribed medication, worsening health inequalities. Will the Minister commit to scrapping these unfair prescription charges?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

Nine out of 10 prescriptions are not paid for, but free at the point of delivery. We are creating 160 extra community diagnostic centres targeted at areas of highest deprivation and rolling out targeted lung health checks in 43 deprived areas. The cost of living support worth about £3,300 for average households in this country is one of the most generous schemes anywhere in Europe.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to scrap prescription charges

How: Cost Of Living Support, Community Diagnostic Centres

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Q2 Kate Osborne Lab Jarrow and Gateshead East
NHS
Context

Health inequalities can also be geographical, with some boroughs like Bexley receiving less funding than other parts of London.

Question

My hon. Friend will be aware that health inequalities can also be geographical within the south-east, with boroughs such as Bexley having historically received less funding than other parts of London. Does he therefore agree that further investment in the fantastic Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup would address that issue and improve health outcomes for people in south-east London?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

My hon. Friend is assiduous in making the case for his constituency. Ministers of course will meet him to discuss this matter, and I know he is closely following the progress of the CDC bid which we have been talking about.

Not addressed: Agreement on further investment

How: Meeting, Cdc Bid

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Q3 Louie French Con Old Bexley and Sidcup
NHS Mental Health
Context

Health inequalities are widening, with last year seeing a record high number of hospitalisations for malnutrition.

Question

From this complacent Minister's replies already, one would think that health inequalities in England were improving, not widening. Last year, 11,000 people, including 312 children, were hospitalised for malnutrition in the United Kingdom. That is the highest number since comparable records began. Why are so many people in Britain going hungry under the Tories?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

We need to have care in discussing these subjects. Eating disorders are a sensitive subject and the statistics quoted are a mix of different things. The Government is providing £3,300 of cost of living support for the average UK household with more targeted help for vulnerable households.

Not addressed: Explanation for high rates of malnutrition

How: Cost Of Living Support

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Q4 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
NHS Energy
Context

Millions with disabilities or serious medical conditions rely on expensive specialist equipment that personally costs them more to run.

Question

Will the Minister urge Cabinet colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to help tackle health inequalities by ensuring those relying on costly specialist equipment receive fair and timely reimbursement?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

Absolutely. We are conscious of the additional needs of people who have equipment like that. By the end of June, the Government had covered nearly half of a typical household's energy bill through support schemes we put in place, but we are always looking at what more we can do to help vulnerable households.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to ensure fair reimbursement for special equipment costs

How: Energy Bill, Support Schemes

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Q5 Martyn Day SNP
NHS
Context

The MP noted her local hospital trust faces a 45 million deficit and reports 8-hour A&E waits affecting 2,000 patients weekly.

Question

The MP noted her local hospital trust faces a 45 million deficit and reports 8-hour A&E waits affecting 2,000 patients weekly. She referenced the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's warning that underfunding directly correlates with increased mortality. She asked when the government will provide the 10 billion NHS funding increase promised in the manifesto and whether it will include capital investment for hospital infrastructure.

Answer from Neil O'Brien

We are tackling root causes of health inequalities. We doubled duty on cigarettes and introduced minimum excise tax on cheapest cigarettes, driving smoking rates down from 21% to 13%. A scheme helps a million smokers with stop smoking start vaping support. £40 million for weight-loss drugs, and major conditions strategy will address health inequalities.

Not addressed: Commitment to provide 10 billion in NHS funding increase, including capital investment

How: Tackling Root Causes, Smoking Rates

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