Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Women’s Health Services

Tuesday 25 March 2025 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government welcomes the work done by Paulette Hamilton and the Caribbean and African Health Network to highlight health inequalities for black women regarding fibroids.
  • Screening access and uptake for breast cancer are shockingly low across the country, and the Government aims to improve awareness and early diagnosis for better outcomes.
  • The Health Secretary visited Nottingham and met families affected by serious failings in maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust, committing to further support.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paulette Hamilton Lab Birmingham Erdington
NHS Women & Equalities
Context

The question arises from the statistic that fibroids are three times more likely to appear in black women than in white women, highlighting a significant health inequality.

Question

What assessment has the Minister made of the adequacy of research into and the provision of fibroid treatment for women, taking into consideration that fibroids are three times more likely to appear in black women than in white women?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

The Government welcome the work my hon. Friend has undertaken and the work of the Caribbean and African Health Network in highlighting health inequalities for black women. She highlights shocking and unacceptable statistics. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has funded a significant amount of research into women’s health issues, including a £1.5 million trial comparing treatment options for fibroids. I am happy to make sure she is updated on that work and on the details of that work.

Partly answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 James Cleverly Con Braintree
NHS
Context

The MP seeks specific actions by the government to encourage awareness and early diagnosis of all types of breast cancer symptoms.

Question

What specifically will the Government do to encourage greater awareness of the full range of breast cancer symptoms, and to encourage women to get early diagnosis and treatment for better outcomes?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that question and for the work he has supported on behalf of his wife to raise awareness. Screening access and uptake are shockingly low across the country right now, and looking at that is a key part of what we need to do to ensure that women come forward for the screening test. The AI work will support the faster response time so that we can get women treated more quickly, and will absolutely form part of what we need to do in the coming years.

Partly answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
NHS
Context

The MP acknowledges the Health Secretary's visit to Nottingham where he met families affected by failings in maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust, seeking a commitment on implementing 22 recommendations from the Shrewsbury and Telford Ockenden review.

Question

I want to put on the record my thanks to the Health Secretary for coming to Nottingham last week and meeting some of the families who have been harmed by extremely serious failings in maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust, and for his sincere commitment to them. It was clear just how moved he was by their stories. One of their asks is that the Government implement the 22 recommendations from the Shrewsbury and Telford Ockenden review, so I ask the Minister today to commit to doing that.

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

I know that my hon. Friend and other Members representing that area have supported the trust and particularly the families who have been affected. As she highlights, my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary visited last week and was deeply moved by those stories, and has committed to visiting again. The Government are working through those recommendations and will update the House shortly.

Partly answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 Jess Brown-Fuller Lib Dem Chichester
NHS
Context

The MP held a debate on maternity services and heard from families who experienced failures, seeking a commitment on how quickly real changes will be seen.

Question

Following on from the question asked by the hon. Member for Nottingham East (Nadia Whittome), I held a debate in Westminster Hall a few weeks ago on maternity services and spoke to families across the country who have experienced failures in the system that ultimately left them without their babies to take home. It was a devastating experience for all involved. The immediate and essential actions in the Ockenden review were supported by the previous Government, and the Secretary of State for Health has been vocal in his support for their implementation. However, those families want to know how quickly they will see real change in maternity services up and down the country so that families can confidently go to deliver their babies.

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

The hon. Lady is right to highlight the impact of the failures in maternity services on women and their families across the country. As she highlights, my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary takes this matter personally and is looking at it. We will continue to work closely with Donna Ockenden on those recommendations and will continue to update the House regularly. This is an important issue for Members across the House representing their constituents, whether in this Chamber or Westminster Hall, and we are very keen to ensure that we support staff, build that confidence for women and their families and give them a good experience of maternity services.

Partly answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)