Tuesday Volume 663 23 July 2019 No. 335 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 23 July 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/. 1191 23 JULY 2019 1192 Matt Hancock: The assurance I can give is that, House of Commons ahead of 29 March, we put in place the measures that are necessary to ensure that the hon. Gentleman’s constituent and others get the medicines they need, and Tuesday 23 July 2019 we have taken forward those proposals and that work ahead of an exit from the European Union on 31 October. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab): The Secretary of State will be aware of the expert evidence, including PRAYERS from the BioIndustry Association, warning that, although we may be able to stockpile the bog-standard drugs, it will be very difficult to do so for specialist treatments. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] What guarantees can he give that we will have access to those specialist medicines? Matt Hancock: Ahead of 29 March, we managed to Oral Answers to Questions put in place a full programme to ensure access to drugs. Of course, the approach is not just about ensuring stockpiles—there are adequate stockpiles for so many medicines all the time—but is about ensuring the flow HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE of materials and finished drugs across the channel via ferries and, where necessary, aircraft. The Secretary of State was asked— Rural Areas: Health Service Funding Leaving the EU: Access to Drugs 2. Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon-Tweed) (Con): 1. John Mc Nally (Falkirk) (SNP): What steps he is What steps he is taking to increase the level of funding taking to ensure access to drugs after the UK leaves the for health services in rural areas. [912111] EU. [912109] The Minister for Health (Stephen Hammond): NHS 6. Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline and West Fife) England is responsible for funding allocations to clinical (SNP): What steps he is taking to ensure access to drugs commissioning groups, which already take into account after the UK leaves the EU. [912116] the relative health needs of local areas. NHS England is now introducing a new community services formula, The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care which will better recognise the needs of rural, coastal (Matt Hancock): Our highest priority is for patients to and remote areas. continue to have access to medicines and medical products in all Brexit scenarios. As a responsible Government, Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Will the Minister update the we will minimise any disruption in our exit, deal or House in more detail on how the Department plans to no deal. support CCGs such as Northumberland, where managing On 26 June, we set out our approach to ensuring the extra costs associated with the extreme rurality of continuity of supply. I discussed this last week with the communities like the Coquet valley, the most rural in head of the NHS, and Professor Keith Willett wrote to England, means it simply is not possible for community all NHS trusts yesterday to advise on no-deal planning. nurses and general practitioners to reach as many patients in a day? John Mc Nally: Concerned breast cancer charities have asked me and others to ask the Secretary of State Stephen Hammond: Adjustments are already being if he will confirm to us, and to them, whether he is made in the funding formula for differences in costs leasing enough ferry capacity to ship in medicines in the related to rurality or location. Northumberland CCG very likely event of shortages in the UK when we leave will receive an extra £1.1 million in funding this year to the EU. provide emergency ambulance services in sparsely populated areas. By 2023-24, Northumberland CCG will receive Matt Hancock: Yes, we secured the requirements £98.5 million more funding. ahead of a potential exit on 29 March, and we are doing My hon. Friend has already spoken to me about the necessary work to ensure that capacity is available, Rothbury Community Hospital in her constituency, whatever the Brexit scenario, on 31 October. and I would be delighted to speak to her about it again. Douglas Chapman: My constituent Jonathan Fisher, Mr Ivan Lewis (Bury South) (Ind): People in rural known as the Bold Joff, has complex health needs due areas need more investment in social care services. I do to a rare genetic condition called Lowe syndrome. He not always agree with the Daily Mail, but is it not right requires six regular medications, three of which come when it says that we now need a national dementia fund from the EU. They are all vital to his health, but one in and an all-party approach to defining the nature and particular, Epilim, is critical to his epilepsy care. What funding of the social care system in this country? Successive reassurances can the Secretary of State give to Jonathan Governments have failed in that respect, and older and his mother, Fiona, that when we leave the EU there people, disabled people and their families are being let will be no disruption to his supply of this vital medication? down as a consequence. When will we see some action? 1193 Oral Answers 23 JULY 2019 Oral Answers 1194 Stephen Hammond: The hon. Gentleman is right, that the standard model of delivery will be developed which is why the Green Paper will have long-term plans for use in smaller acute hospitals that serve rural on mental health and, indeed, dementia. I think he will populations. be pleased to see that when the Green Paper is released shortly. Anne Marie Morris: I thank the Minister for his answer, but some rural villages, including some in Devon, Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con): What have no ambulance service at all—a fact masked by can the Minister do to expedite the provision of primary high-level statistical reporting. Will the Government care services in those rural areas where the population is work with me and the National Centre for Rural Health growing fast as a consequence of new housing? and Care to expose the real rural healthcare deficit, which is so masked, and work with us to rectify the Stephen Hammond: My right hon. Friend is right to situation and provide the appropriate care and medical raise that point, which has been raised with me several support necessary by putting in place a robust and times. The new funding formula that the independent accountable rural health and care strategy and plan? advisory committee is setting up will take into account the growth in population. It will look at the growth in Stephen Hammond: I know that my hon. Friend has the electoral register every year, rather than over a worked with the National Centre for Rural Health and five-year period, as it does now, so it will be able to Care and chairs the all-party group on rural health and respond more quickly than is currently the case. social care. She is right to mention the fact that there are particular challenges in the delivery of the best-quality Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab): Will the Minister healthcare that we want to see in rural areas. I would be bear in mind the fact that dementia comes in many delighted to work with her and the all-party group on different forms? My mother had one form and she the matter. lasted a number of years, but it finally took hold. My sister, on the other hand, went within a short period of time, because she would not eat at all. My best friend at Rosie Duffield (Canterbury) (Lab): It has now been the time in the National Union of Mineworkers, Peter almost 18 months since health commissioners proposed Heathfield, finished his life being violent, struggling that the two options for acute medical care in east Kent with three people who tried to get him to the toilet. Bear be put forward for public consultation. My constituents, that in mind carefully, Minister. Dementia is not a static particularly those in rural areas, are simply fed up with illness; it is very different for different people. waiting for a new hospital. Will the Minister please confirm for me today just when a full public consultation Stephen Hammond: I do not always agree with the on the future provision of acute services in east Kent hon. Gentleman, but he is right to make that point. I will finally take place? know from very personal experience that dementia affects people in different ways, which is why I am proud to be Stephen Hammond: The hon. Lady asks a good question part of a Government who are committed to delivering on behalf of her constituents. I cannot confirm today in full on the challenge on dementia 2020, to make when that will happen, but I will look into the matter England the best country in the world for dementia and write to her to make sure that she gets the answer. care. Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD): The (Lab): One in 10 women have endometriosis. The average huge rural area covered by the Morecambe Bay NHS wait for diagnosis is seven and a half years and can be Foundation Trust has and needs three hospitals, but it is even longer in rural areas, and there is currently no test funded as if it had only one.