Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The question follows from the initial concern about the roll-out of Healthy Babies funding to local authorities.
What steps his Department is taking to increase the roll-out of Healthy Babies funding to local authorities. Sure Start delivered long-term health benefits, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies finding that it reduced hospitalisations by 50%. It is appropriate for the Department of Health and Social Care to support Best Start family hubs, and Healthy Babies funding enables this. When will Derbyshire be able to benefit from Healthy Babies funding?
This Government are investing £200 million in Best Start family hubs and Healthy Babies, part of an almost £1 billion package. This funding will help areas integrate neighbourhood-based health services into hubs, rolling out to all areas over the next decade.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The specific timeline for Derbyshire's roll-out was not addressed.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The question follows from the initial concern about the roll-out of Healthy Babies funding to local authorities.
Sure Start delivered long-term health benefits, reducing hospitalisations by 50%. It is appropriate for the Department of Health and Social Care to support Best Start family hubs. Healthy Babies funding enables this. When will Derbyshire be able to benefit from Healthy Babies funding?
This Government are investing £200 million in Best Start family hubs and Healthy Babies, part of an almost £1 billion package. This funding will help areas integrate neighbourhood-based health services into hubs, rolling out to all areas over the next decade.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The specific timeline for Derbyshire's roll-out was not addressed.
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
▸
Context
A constituent's case of type 1 spinal muscular atrophy highlights the importance of newborn screening.
May I welcome the Minister to her new post? The Government's support for Healthy Babies is very welcome, but the best way to keep babies with type 1 SMA healthy and help them lead normal lives is by screening them at birth. My constituent Charlie would be walking now if he had been diagnosed at birth through screening. Will the Minister consider adding SMA type 1 screening to the newborn screening schedule?
On 19 January, the Secretary of State met Jesy Nelson and Giles Lomax from SMA UK to discuss newborn screening for SMA. The NHS is planning an in-service evaluation offering SMA screening to newborn babies in England, brought forward to October 2026.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy