Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hospital to Community Care

Tuesday 21 October 2025 · 2 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

  • Parkinson's disease nurse specialists are highlighted as key figures for providing regular support and advice according to NICE guidelines.
  • The forthcoming 10-year workforce plan aims to address shortages and skills gaps in the healthcare sector.
  • The Minister offered to investigate a specific case regarding the NHS acute trust league table after being prompted by Graham Stuart.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jas Athwal Lab Ilford South
NHS
Context

The Darzi investigation highlighted NHS resources being overly focused on hospitals rather than community care. There is a disparity in access to Parkinson’s nurses, with many patients lacking local support and having to travel long distances.

Question

Transferring care into the community will give many more patients quick and easy access to specialist care when they need it. However, access to Parkinson's nurses remains deeply unequal, with patients often left without nurses and having to travel a long way to see a specialist nurse. The few available nurses are predominantly funded by Parkinson’s UK. What steps are being taken to increase equitable access to Parkinson’s nurses across the country?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

Regular support and advice from a Parkinson’s disease nurse specialist is highlighted as a key intervention in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on Parkinson’s disease in adults. The forthcoming 10-year workforce plan will address workforce shortages and skills gaps, which is crucial to delivering quality and accessible care for those with Parkinson’s.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific steps or timeline for increasing equitable access to Parkinson's nurses.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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

Q2 Graham Stuart Con Beverley and Holderness
NHS
Context

Hull University teaching hospitals NHS trust has been placed in segment 4 of the NHS acute trust league table, indicating urgent need for improvement. The chief executive acknowledges the need for change but requires additional support.

Question

Getting care out of hospitals and into the community very much depends on a functioning hospital. Last month, I met the group chief executive officer of Hull University teaching hospitals NHS trust, which has been placed in segment 4 of the NHS acute trust league table. She acknowledged the urgent need for improvement but cannot deliver transformation alone. Could the Minister meet me to discuss what more can be done to support this important hospital on its road to transformation and improvement?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question and I am not familiar with the details of that case, but if he would not mind writing to me, I would be very happy to take that issue forward. He is right that there is a mountain to climb, not least because of the mess left by the previous Government, but we are climbing that mountain step by step. The 10-year plan is a big step in the right direction; it is now all about delivery, and that is what we are doing every day.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to meeting Graham Stuart but offered to take up the issue if written correspondence was provided.

How: We Are Climbing That Mountain Step By Step

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

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