healthcare – Page 4 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Bristol asks about early detection methods for osteoporosis

The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on progress in early detection of osteoporosis on 5th February 2024, during a debate on plans to invest in NHS Fracture Liaison Services in England:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Black, for his dedicated work in bringing this important topic to the attention of the House. Around this time a year ago, the noble Lord asked another Question on the early detection of osteoporosis, which is the leading cause of fractures in those aged over 50, particularly women. In his answer, the Minister, who is answering the Question again today, noted that

“a fractured femur is the second biggest reason for intake into hospitals, in terms of beds”—[Official Report, 19/1/23; col. 1926]

and that he would be happy to report on progress on this to the House. Will he tell us whether any progress has been made since he gave that answer one year ago?

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about medical care for migrant detainees at MOD Wethersfield

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 31st Janaury 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 11 December 2023 (HL597), how often is the doctor at the onsite primary healthcare available to hold in-person consultations for residents.

Bishop of St Albans asks about insufficiencies in primary care networks

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 10th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings in the Health Foundation report, Doing more for less?, published on 12 December, that (1) primary care network (PCN) funding is currently not sufficient to cover the additional challenges in areas of high deprivation, and (2) the current PCN contract focuses on addressing inequalities within PCNs, but not between PCNs.

Bishop of London leads debate on impact of the removal of free prescriptions for benefits claimants

The Bishop of London tabled a question for short debate on the impact of the proposed removal of free prescriptions for benefit claimants who fail to look for work on 30th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government what impact the removal of free prescriptions for benefit claimants who fail to look for work will have on their health, and the health of the workforce.

My Lords, I start by thanking your Lordships’ House for giving time for this important debate. I also thank the House of Lords Library for its very helpful briefing and the Minister for his engagement with me and for our helpful meeting earlier this week about this debate.

The measures we are discussing today relate to the announcement that the Government made in the Back to Work Plan and the Autumn Statement that people on universal credit who do not engage in activities designed to increase their skills and improve their employability after 18 months of support will have their claim terminated. With that termination, their accompanying passported benefits, including free prescriptions, will also be stopped.

Benefit claimants may disengage from Jobcentre Plus for many reasons, some of which I suspect we do not completely understand, and not solely because they have failed to look for work. I have brought this debate forward from a health perspective, and the central frame of my remarks today is around health inequalities, because the Back to Work Plan as it stands could serve to exacerbate these inequalities. There are many complexities within universal credit, and many exemptions and allowances that are made for vulnerabilities and medical conditions that are to be commended. I was grateful to hear about some of them at the meeting I had earlier in the week with the Minister and officials from DWP and DHSC. I understand that the number of people who will be affected by this is small: they are those without a vulnerability that would exempt them from having their claim ended, and who do not have an additional factor attached to their claim.

Bishop of London speaks in debate marking 75 year anniversary of the NHS

On 30th November 2023, the Bishop of London took part in a debate marking the 75^th Anniversary of the NHS, paying tribute to the NHS workforce and urging greater support for healthcare workers and community care:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I declare my interests in the register. It is a privilege to participate in this debate about one of our most valued institutions and to follow some excellent contributions. One of the focuses of my work in this House has been reducing health inequalities. The NHS was founded in the face of extreme inequality, in the hope that financial means would not be the sole determinant of health. The universal service that is free at the point of use is something we can be extremely proud of.

The 75th anniversary of the NHS is very close to the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation, which I will celebrate today. As we know, many of the passengers on HMT “Empire Windrush” took up roles in the NHS, which launched just two weeks later. When experiencing workforce shortages from 1948 onwards, British politicians visited the Caribbean as part of a recruitment programme that had 16 agencies in the British colonies by 1955. By 1977, 66% of overseas student nurses and midwives originated from the Caribbean. In the face of overt racism and unequal opportunities for professional development, their contribution has been truly extraordinary. Without it, the health service would not be what it is today.

Bishop of London speaks on health inequalities and community engagement in a post-COVID world

The Bishop of London took part in a debate on health and wellbeing in a post-COVID-19 world on 29th November 2023, raising the issue of health inequalities and opportunities for faith groups to aid in promoting local community health and resilience:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. First, it is a pleasure to be participating in an important debate on this report. I thank all those involved in the committee, particularly the chair, for all the work they have done. This report rightly encourages us to increase our understanding of the lessons we can learn from the pandemic and to act on them in having a long-term view of the future.

This is a crucial topic. I support the noble Baroness, Lady Lane-Fox, in her view that our electoral system does not naturally lend itself to having a long-term view of the future. I shall focus today on recommendations 1 and 2. They are, in fact, interconnected. Those topics are first, inequalities, following the noble Lord, Lord Patel, particularly in health, and, secondly, community engagement.

Bishop of London asks about healthcare apprenticeships

The Bishop of London asked a question on funding to backfill roles left open by uptake of apprenticeships by those working in the healthcare sector on 27th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I welcome both the Government’s efforts to make apprenticeships more accessible to ensure that people can be supported into key occupations and the expansion of this into the health service, especially with the recent NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. In healthcare professions, cover is required for apprentices’ roles when they are studying. Those apprentices are often on full-time salaries, so backfilled funding will have to be found to ensure that those workplaces can cope. As this cannot be covered by the apprenticeship levy, what support are the Government offering to ensure that those apprenticeship routes can be successful?

Bishop of Durham asks about delivering health services in disadvantaged communities

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 22nd November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to use schools and nurseries as hubs for delivering health services to support families and meet the health needs of children and young people, especially within disadvantaged communities.

Bishop of St Albans asks about numbers of doctors coming to the UK from overseas

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the number of doctors coming to work in the UK from other countries in the last year on 20th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, how many doctors, including GPs, have come from outside the UK in the last year for which we have records? What long-term plan is there to stop us relying on having to bring in doctors from countries that need them far more than we do because they are much poorer than here in the UK?

Bishop of Worcester asks about children’s hospices

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the work of hospices caring for children with terminal and long term conditions during a discussion on hospice funding on 14th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I am grateful for this announcement. We have a wonderful hospice in Worcester, the Acorns Children’s Hospice, which does extraordinary work with young people. Does the Minister accept that, although a minority of children die in hospices, the number of children cared for by them greatly exceeds that. Their work is invaluable.

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