Tag: NHS

Bishop of Newcastle highlights the importance of social care to the stability of the NHS

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the long-term sustainability of the NHS on 18th April 2024, emphasising the importance of social care and the work of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Patel, for securing this debate. It is a pleasure to follow my friend, the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, and I commend the noble Baroness, Lady Ramsey, on her excellent maiden speech. I welcome this debate’s focus on health and social care and in this regard I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Warwick, for her speech. Too often, social care is considered in public debates primarily in the context of ensuring that the NHS is not overwhelmed.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of introduction of physicians assistants in NHS settings

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 26th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS staff have sufficient capacity to supervise and support new associate staff.
  • what steps they are taking to ensure that there is clarity for patients about different roles within clinical teams in healthcare settings, including regarding anaesthesia and physician associates.
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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about plans to introduce Physician Associates in NHS settings

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 25th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, in view of the expected growth in the supply of physician associates (PAs) to 10,000 by 2036–37 under the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, how many PAs are expected to work in each setting.

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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?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about NHS key targets

On 16th January 2024, the Bishop of St Albans tabled a question on plans to ensure NHS key targets are met, raising concerns regarding the length of ambulance response times:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have in place to ensure the National Health Service meets its key targets.

Lord Markham (Con, Department of Health & Social Care): The NHS has made progress against its targets, especially given the challenges of recovering from Covid-19, the changing demography and winter pressures. The Government recognise that there is still a way to go and are working non-stop to support the NHS to do better. I take this opportunity to thank all NHS staff for their hard work to improve performance this winter.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of cold weather and winter viruses on the NHS

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the NHS to build additional capacity over winter, in light of pressures including high numbers of patients being admitted with winter viruses.

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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.

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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 75th 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.

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Bishop of London speaks in debate on age-determination regulations in immigration enforcement

The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on a motion to approve the use of X-rays as age determining tools for individuals subject to immigration control on 27th November 2023, raising the issue of informed consent, and of potential lack of capacity to perform the required X-rays:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I promise that I will be brief. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, for moving this regret amendment and thank all those who have spoken so far and so well. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Winston, for pointing out that this is not science; it is the use of scientific instruments. My two concerns relate to consent, as many have spoken about, and to the workforce.

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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?

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