healthcare – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London opposes legislation and calls for comprehensive funding of palliative care system

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, opposing the bill and outlining the need for fully funded palliative and social care services in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, has already pointed out, we in this Chamber share the same goal: for people to die with dignity and compassion. They are critical concerns for those who, like me, believe that the Bill is deeply flawed. Noble Lords will know that I am a former government Chief Nursing Officer, and I chaired the UK Commission on Bereavement. As a nurse, a priest, a daughter and a granddaughter, I have had the privilege to be with many people as they die. Most people die well although, as we have heard and will continue to hear, that is not always the case. I have known people to experience some of the most valuable days of their life as it comes to an end, including those with terminal illnesses.

Still-Birth (Definition) Bill: Bishop of Guildford welcomes legislation

On 4th July 2025, the Bishop of Guildford spoke at the second reading of the Still-Birth (Definition) Bill [HL], a private members bill tabled by Baroness Benjamin, supporting the bill and welcoming its principles behind it:

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: My Lords, I will speak in support of the principles of this Bill, and I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Benjamin, for having brought it to the House. One of the best traits in human nature is using the difficult experiences that we ourselves encounter to speak up for others facing similar situations. I applaud the noble Baroness for using her experience and her voice in this way, and especially for the achievement of the introduction of certificates of loss last year.

During my time as a vicar in south-west London, another inspiring woman from within my then congregation came to me with the idea of starting a listening service for women who had miscarried or were facing difficult or unintended pregnancies. This was partly born out of her own experience and partly out of the fact that she lived around the corner from a large BPAS abortion clinic, where a constant trickle of women, sometimes accompanied by their partners or their mums and sometimes quite alone, would make their way to the front door, often in considerable distress, with very little time or opportunity to think through what was for some a desperately difficult decision. It was not long before my congregation member had assembled a small group of other people—about six in all—who were enthused by the vision. They undertook substantial training, not least given the extreme sensitivity of what they would be doing and the need to ensure that they were both professional and non-directive in their approach.

Bishop of London asks about growing workforce in disability nursing field

The Bishop of London asked a question on growing the workforce in the field of learning disability nursing on 17th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the NHS England 2025 best practice guide has a number of suggestions for growing the learning disability nursing workforce, including requiring CQC-registered providers to provide staff with training for learning disabilities and autism. Can the Minister say what the Government are doing to ensure that this is implemented equitably across the integrated care systems?

Bishop of Bristol asks about impact of the immigration health surcharge

The Bishop of Bristol received the following written answer on 17th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase to the immigration health surcharge by 66 per cent in 2024.

Bishop of Bristol asks about health services for migrants

The Bishop of Bristol received the following written answer on 2nd June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol asked His Majesty’s Government how much income the NHS has received from immigration health surcharge payments in each of the last two financial years.

Bishop of London speaks in debate on new healthcare roles

The Bishop of London took part in a debate on the upcoming review of the Physician and Anaesthetist Associate Roles on 5th December 2024, highlighting the need for clarity and trust in the healthcare system:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is good to participate in this important debate and I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, for having secured it. I declare my entry in the register of interests, specifically that I was formerly the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer.

This is clearly a complex issue, and I join other noble Lords in welcoming the Government’s recently announced review of the physician associates and anaesthetist associates. In building an NHS fit for the future, it is right that the right people with the right training and the right competence undertake the right roles. Over the last 20 years, we have seen an expanding of roles to release medical staff to do what only they can do; for example, the development of nurse-led assessment, advanced nurse practitioners and nurse prescribing, and the expansion of the role of pharmacists. In some sense, the development of physician associates and anaesthetist associates is part of this change. However, any change in role and the healthcare workforce needs to be carefully implemented and regulated. Therefore, I welcome the regulation of physician associates and anaesthetist associates, but I too question whether their regulation should take into account the outcome of this review, rather than moving ahead at present.

The main points I will make are around clarity and trust. Noble Lords will often hear me speak in this place about the essential commodity of trust in healthcare and the health of the nation. Research carried out by Healthwatch found that the public awareness of physician associate roles is mixed, particularly among older people, who are less likely to know the difference between a PA and a GP. Clear information needs to be given to people about the healthcare worker they are seeing, and they need to be reassured that they are competent and working to clear standards.

Bishop of London asks about leadership in heathcare

The Bishop of London asked a question on leadership and productivity in the healthcare service on 5th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, productivity is now often spoken of in relation to the National Health Service, which the Minister mentioned in his Answer to the Question. The Health Foundation looked at NHS productivity and identified maintaining morale and motivating the workforce as key to it. Alongside essential things such as targets, what effort are the Government making to continue softer leadership, including listening to the workforce and fostering good industrial relations?

Bishop of St Albans asks about disability, international health cooperation, and vaccine access

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 7th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 5 August (HL273), when they will review their commitments in the Disability Action Plan, published on 5 February; and where they will publish their response.

Bishop of London speaks in debate on COVID-19 Enquiry Report

On 3rd September 2024, the Bishop of London spoke in a debate on the first report of the COVID-19 Enquiry, highlighting the reports findings on pre-existing health inequalities in the UK, and the significance of faith to healthcare needs:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I declare my interest as set out in the register. It is good to have this opportunity to speak in this debate and to acknowledge the important recommendations of this first report from the Covid inquiry. The pandemic was a seismic event for us all, and a great tragedy for many. My thoughts and prayers go to those who have lost individuals because of the pandemic. My thanks and gratitude go to those who stepped up and beyond to care for and protect us.

I want to highlight a couple of points from the report. The first is that the clearest flaw identified in the risk assessment was the underlying health of the UK population prior to 2020, as mentioned by the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler. We are all aware of the entrenching and exposing effect that the pandemic had on health inequalities. We are all aware of the impact that non-clinical factors such as housing have on our health. We are all aware of the vast difference in healthy life expectancy depending on where we live. We are all aware that those living in more deprived areas are more clinically vulnerable on average, but spend much more time in front-line jobs.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of London calls for reform in the social care sector

The Bishop of London gave a speech during the debate on the King’s Speech on 19th July 2024, on the topic of health and social care, drawing attention to the need for reform in the social care sector:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is an honour to respond to the gracious Speech. I welcome the Minister as she joins us in this House at the Dispatch Box. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Jolly, for her contribution to the House, not just on health and social care; those of us who are female priests and bishops thank her for her support.

I welcome many of the Government’s healthcare announcements, especially the two public health legislative measures. I too am glad to see the tobacco and vapes Bill continue. Smoking continues to be one of the leading causes of preventable deaths following the lines of inequality, so bringing forward this Bill will be a significant step forward in our public health agenda. The announcement that the Government will legislate to restrict the advertising of junk food to children and the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks is also welcome. As we have heard, obesity is one of the major health challenges that we face and, again, its impacts are hugely unequal.

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