Topical Questions

Question

I am concerned that over 10 million 'not fit for work' fit notes were issued last year and most were repeats without any new advice. What steps is my right hon Friend taking to reform this system so people can remain in work?

Question

According to the ABHI, it takes on average 17 years for new technologies to be adopted. What steps is my right hon Friend taking to speed up this process so more lives can be saved?

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The Health Secretary promised an extra 2.5 million dental appointments this year, yet the dentistry Minister claims the figure is unreliable. Which one should we trust?

Question

The BDA says the dental recovery plan does not meet targets. Who should the public trust, and why should they trust the Health Secretary to deliver?

Question

My right hon Friend heard from another Member that the Mid and South Essex ICB has proposed closing St Peter's Hospital and relocating services. Will she look at the consultation outcomes?

Question

The recent announcements on fit note reform are the latest in a long series of attacks on the most vulnerable. Does she understand how much more difficult these changes will make life for people?

Question

I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. The British Psychological Society has commended the benefit of Government support for staff mental health and wellbeing hubs and is keen to see that support continue. Will the Minister therefore give an update on the support being provided and the progress being made on the vital issue of staff mental health and wellbeing?

Question

There is an increasing incidence of bowel cancer among younger patients, such as my constituent Emily, who received a late diagnosis after many months of attending her GP with iron deficiency anaemia. Younger patients often report that bowel cancer was dismissed as a possibility by their GP because of their age, and that symptoms such as iron deficiency anaemia are not taken seriously enough and are not included currently on the list of commons symptoms on the NHS website. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure that NHS guidelines and practice are fit for purpose for younger patients, who far too often receive a late diagnosis of bowel cancer?

Question

Following discussions with constituents who are living with Parkinson's and with Parkinson's UK, I am concerned that North Yorkshire has only one dedicated Parkinson's nurse. Given the complexity of the condition, what steps are being taken further to incentivise nurses to specialise in Parkinson's and on long-term delivery?

Question

The main issue raised by residents at the community coffee morning at the Compton centre in Leeds yesterday was the difficulty in getting access to dentists. The Secretary of State struggled to give any credible answer on this question today. Is she aware of the “Dentists for All” campaign and will she back it? Its three demands are: to provide access to an NHS dentist for everyone; to restore funding for dental services and recruit more NHS dentists; and to change the contracts, because they are simply not fit for purpose. Does the Secretary of State agree with that, and, if not, why not?

Question

Ministers will be aware of a rather boastful claim last weekend by the makers of Elfbar and Lost Mary vapes. They have already launched rechargeable, refillable products, which, with a coil in each pod, are not by definition single-use or disposable according to the published regulations. Can the Minister reassure the House and parents that they are alive to that and will pivot as necessary now that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is going into Committee?

Question

I was disappointed to see the chair of my local hospital trust and the east midlands Labour mayoral candidate use my hospital as a political campaign prop by inviting the shadow Health and Social Care Secretary and the Leader of the Opposition to canvass patients and staff. Can the Minister please explain to me how we can rein in this type of gutter politics and prevent my local hospital being used for Labour's dog-whistle politics?

Question

Just yesterday, the Office for National Statistics released data showing that alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 were 4.2% higher than in 2021 and a massive 32.8% higher than in 2019. Will my right hon. Friend now seriously consider a stand-alone alcohol strategy based on this worrying trend and agree to meet me and other interested parties to discuss a way forward to tackle alcohol-specific deaths?

Question

I am concerned about a young woman who made four GP appointments over several months for unexplained stomach cramps. Only an emergency admission abroad led to the diagnosis and removal of her tumour. How long will it be before the symptoms of female-specific conditions are taken seriously by our medical establishment, from initial training onwards?

Question

What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure that the UK Health Security Agency has the budget and the capabilities it needs, especially given the lessons learned from the bird flu situation?

Question

What can Ministers do about a company known as Young Vibes, Peaky Parents, Kactus Kids, 'themumsnet', and Anxiety Recovery that offers to fix children's anxiety in mere weeks but operates outside regulatory frameworks?

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Could my right hon. Friend update the House on commercial clinical trial patient recruitment?

Question

Does the Minister accept that privatising NHS services bit by bit has disastrous implications, and will he listen to patients in my constituency and commit to maintaining our NHS dialysis provision?

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Will my hon. Friend join me in recognising the work of the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and is that model being rolled out across the country?

Question

Why is mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid happening so slowly, at such a low level and applied to too few products?

Question

Why has the promised 2026 Whipps Cross Hospital redevelopement not been agreed with the Department and what is causing the delay?

Question

I again thank the Secretary of State for visiting Watford General Hospital earlier this year, where we shared exciting plans for the new hospital, with preparation work starting this year, and construction starting by the end of 2026. I spoke with the West Hertfordshire NHS Trust leadership team this week, who confirmed that they are on track for that delivery within those timescales. Will my right hon. Friend please join me in thanking them for their hard work on that?

Question

As a practical measure to improve radiotherapy waiting times, will the Minister agree to further work on the radiotherapy dataset, to include the collection of data on delays at each stage of the radiotherapy pathway, and by tumour type, so that we can better understand pinch points in services?

Question

West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust is at the front of the queue for the new hospital programme. We have the land, planning permission, building design, political and staff support, and enabling works are under way. But, like many other trusts around the country, the hospital trust is being asked to submit business case after business case. Will the Secretary of State clarify whether those delays are down to bureaucracy and the new hospital programme, or are they deliberate delaying tactics by a Government who do not want to release funds to hospitals before the general election?