Every parliamentary written question tabled by Saqib Bhatti this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–48 of 48 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether it is his policy to ringfence dentistry budgets within the budgets of integrated care boards.
NHS England has issued guidance on the ringfencing of dental budgets for 2024/25 and will be reviewing for the next financial year. Ringfencing funding for future years will be reviewed as part of the Planning Guidance process. The guidance is available a...
With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, published on 7 February 2024, whether he plans to continue the Smi
We are currently reviewing the policy paper, including proposals for a Smile for Life programme, and what elements can be taken forward effectively. We will implement our Dental Rescue Plan and prioritise initiatives that will see the biggest impact on ac...
At what proportion of NHS spending he plans to set funding for GPs.
We greatly value the critical role general practitioners (GPs) play, and we are determined to address the issues they face by shifting the focus of the National Health Service beyond hospitals and into the community. Under the previous government, primary care and GPs have been receiving a smaller proportion of NHS resources, and we’re committed to reversing that. Departmental budgets for 2025/26 will be confirmed at my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget, on 30 October 2024.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential value for money of providing financial incentives for GPs to deliver continuity of care.
While an official assessment has not been made, the Government has committed to bringing back the family doctor for those who would benefit from seeing the same clinician regularly, for example those living with chronic illness. Improved continuity of care with the same general practitioner (GP) is associated with better health outcomes, fewer GP appointments over time, and fewer accident and emergency attendances. This will be achieved by incentivising GPs to see the same patients, and we will work with the profession and engage with stakeholders to inform how this is delivered.Delivering our other commitments relating to GPs will also support improvements in the provision of continuity of care. For instance: building capacity in practices by training thousands more GPs; guaranteeing face-to-face appointments for all those who want one; delivering a modern appointment booking system; and shifting resources to primary and community care services over time.
When he plans to respond to the consultation on the provisional registration for overseas-qualified dentists.
No date has been set. The Government is determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, and strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. Dentists that meet our high standards should be able to enter the workforce efficiently, and we are exploring the best ways to achieve this, including whether there is merit to the introduction of a provisional registration status for overseas-qualified dentists.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential value for money of including GPs in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme
Over a thousand newly qualified GPs will be recruited through changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, as a result of additional funding to address GP unemployment over 24/25. The change will allow patients to get access to the care they need through increasing appointments.The change follows extensive engagement and consideration of options to support employment of additional GPs who have been trained and can provide necessary clinical capacity in general practice. No explicit assessment has been made of the potential value for money of the change.
What steps he is taking to improve access to dentistry in rural areas.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist particularly in more rural and coastal areas. This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.We also know that the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital is to have rotting teeth removed. That is why we will also introduce a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for children aged three to five, targeting the areas of highest need.From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.
Whether he plans to build Midland Metropolitan University Hospital by 2030.
The new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital is currently in construction and is expected to open to patients in the next year.As my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced, and as subsequently confirmed in the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July 2024, we will be undertaking a full and comprehensive review of the New Hospital Programme to provide a realistic and costed timetable for delivery.The Secretary of State will consider the findings and update Parliament on the outcome of the review reporting back to patients, clinicians, and local communities on the next steps for the New Hospital Programme. We will provide a clear and realistic timetable for delivery of the Programme and agree the investment needed to get patients the care they deserve.