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Tuesday Volume 659 7 May 2019 No. 296 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 7 May 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 423 7 MAY 2019 424 Jackie Doyle-Price: My hon. Friend is absolutely House of Commons right—health tourism is a major cost to the taxpayer, so it is important that we establish that people are entitled Tuesday 7 May 2019 to care. However, it is important to ensure that people without proof of ID and of residence are still entitled to healthcare. Where someone is not entitled to it, we The House met at half-past Two o’clock will, of course, pursue them for payment. PRAYERS Radiotherapy Services [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] 2. Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab): What funding his Department plans to allocate to radiotherapy services Mr Speaker: I am sure that the whole House will in the next five years. [910714] want to join me in sending Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex our warmest congratulations The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt on the birth of their son. Hancock): Our radiotherapy modernisation programme has so far delivered 80 upgrades or replacements, with more to come. Oral Answers to Questions Grahame Morris: One in four people currently receive radiotherapy—a number that will increase if the Government achieve their early diagnosis targets.Ministers HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE dispute that 20,000 people in England annually miss out on appropriate access to life-saving radiotherapy. The Secretary of State was asked— What is the Secretary of State’s estimate? Will he commit to meeting representatives of the Radiotherapy4Life Patient Registration: GP Surgeries campaign to discuss how we can improve radiotherapy provision in England? 1. Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab): What steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients Matt Hancock: I am absolutely happy to meet the with no (a) fixed address and (b) proof of identity can group. According to the latest figures, about four in register at GP surgeries. [910713] 10 of all cancer patients are treated with radiotherapy; it is a critical treatment to tackle cancer. As I say, there The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health has been an investment programme to replace and and Social Care (Jackie Doyle-Price): We are very clear upgrade radiotherapy equipment, with 80 upgrades or that GP surgeries cannot refuse to register somebody replacements over the past three years, but there is who is of no fixed abode or has no proof of identification. clearly more to do to make sure that people with cancer Where a practice does not properly provide correct get the best possible treatment. access to vulnerable groups,the commissioner will intervene to ensure that it corrects that. Ultimately,the commissioner 24. [910737] Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) can issue a remedial notice and can terminate a contract (Con): May I welcome the NHS long-term plan or practice that still does not abide by its obligations. commitment to complete the £130 million upgrade of radiotherapy machines throughout England? I ask my Kate Green: Has the Minister seen the report by a right hon. Friend to confirm that more effective mystery shopper from Friends, Families and Travellers radiotherapy will mean patients experiencing fewer side who attempted to register with 50 GP practices without effects and having shorter treatment. ID or proof of address? Twenty-four refused to register her or would not register her; all but two of those were rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission. Matt Hancock: Yes, that is exactly right. That is why The Minister says GPs must properly follow the guidance, we have put in place the new LINACs—linear accelerators, but does she agree that the CQC needs to ensure that it the equipment that is being rolled out across the country uses the inspection regime to enforce that guidance? in a £130 million programme. We are always looking at what more we can do to help people to beat cancer. Jackie Doyle-Price: I totally agree. I have seen the report, which I welcome; I will certainly take it up with Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD): Will the CQC. It is very important that we use all tools to the Secretary of State agree to look personally at the ensure that everyone has access to the healthcare they case for a new satellite radiotherapy unit at Westmorland deserve, because it is all too easy for some groups to General Hospital, tied to the Rosemere unit in Preston? remain discriminated against. I am grateful to the hon. I had the privilege last week of driving my constituent Lady for shining a light on this important issue. Kate Baron to her treatment at Royal Preston Hospital. Wonderful treatment though it is, it is a three-hour Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con): round trip that she has had to take on 15 separate We have one of the very few free at point of need health occasions—I went with her only the once. Hundreds of services in the world. Does the Minister agree, however, people in the south Lakes have to make debilitating, that checks are important in cracking down on health lengthy round trips to get treatment day after day, tourism? Does she have the latest assessment of the cost which is damaging to their long-term health and to of health tourism to our NHS? their ability to access radiotherapy at all. 425 Oral Answers 7 MAY 2019 Oral Answers 426 Matt Hancock: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman Stephen Hammond: I will not comment on the specifics for raising that point. He did not raise the individual of a leak from an outdated version of the plan. The case with me in advance, but I can see the point he is NHS has always recruited nurses internationally and making. The public health Minister, who is responsible there are no plans to change that. The workforce plan for cancer policy, will be very happy to meet him. will set out how more nurses, doctors and nursing associates will be recruited and retained inside the NHS. NHS Workforce Vacancies James Heappey (Wells) (Con): Many surgeries in my 3. Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab): What constituency augment the work of GPs with nurse recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of practitioners. Will the Minister join me in praising the workforce vacancies throughout the NHS. [910715] work of nurse practitioners and say what more the Government could do to grow their number so that they The Minister for Health (Stephen Hammond): The can continue their excellent work in surgeries around NHS employs more staff than at any time in its 70-year the country? history. Posts may be vacant for a variety of reasons, including maternity and career breaks. The latest data Stephen Hammond: I absolutely agree with my hon. shows that as of December 2018 about 80% of nursing Friend. Nurse practitioners do an extraordinarily valuable vacancies and 85% of medical vacancies are filled by a job across the country. The Government are committed combination of bank and agency staff. to training more nurses and more nursing practitioners. As I said in an earlier answer, that will be set out in the Lilian Greenwood: Recent data from NHS Digital workforce plan. shows that there are 720 fewer GPs in the east midlands than just two years ago. According to NHS England, Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes) (Change UK): The each month thousands of people wait more than four workforce shortfall is not evenly distributed across the weeks for a face-to-face GP appointment in Nottingham. NHS either geographically or by specialty. The Minister In January, 3,206 people had to wait more than 28 days will know that there are particularly serious nursing between making the appointment and seeing their doctor. shortfalls in learning disability and community services. Ultimately,that is leaving the GPs we do have overwhelmed He will also know of the implications of shortfalls—for and overworked. I know myself that it is creating huge example, for the ambition to deliver 75% of cancer pressures on the emergency department at Queen’sMedical diagnoses at stages 1 and 2. Will he look again at the Centre. What is the Minister going to do to change that evidence on mature students and the impact of losing system? bursaries on that section of the workforce? Will he meet me to discuss that? Stephen Hammond: The NHS long-term plan will set out vital strategic frameworks to ensure that the needs Stephen Hammond: The Chair of the Select Committee for the next 10 years are met. The hon. Lady will know is right: the vacancies are not evenly spread and are of that we are training an extra 5,000 GPs to work in particular concern in learning difficulties and a number primary care and general practice. If she writes to me of other areas. Of course we want to ensure that mature about the specifics of the numbers she mentioned in students come back to and stay within the health service. respect of Nottingham, I will be happy to respond. That is why a number of incentives are being put in place to encourage, recruit and retain mature students. I Victoria Prentis (Banbury) (Con): Those of us who would, of course, be happy to meet her to discuss this are campaigning to reopen a full obstetric unit at Horton matter in more depth.