Contributions
1,737 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRecovering Access to Primary CareMy Lords, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place: “Madam Deputy Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a Statement on the primary care recovery plan. For…09 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenI am familiar with that report, and the more recent Kirkup report on east Kent mentions some of the same issues. That is why part of the investment has been in a training…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenThe point I was trying to make is that I think all noble Lords would agree that the NHS does a fantastic job in addressing and reaching people of all ethnic minorities. That is…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenWhile births in England are among the safest globally, we must do more to tackle maternal disparities. Local maternity and neonatal systems have begun to publish action plans to…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenI thank the noble Baroness; there were a number of questions there. I accept that there is a disparity, which is why the Maternity Disparities Taskforce was set up. I was speaking…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenMy noble friend is right. I was speaking to Minister Caulfield about this very subject this morning. She pointed out that a lot of the reasons for the differences are underlying…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenThat is what the equity and equality plans are all about: understanding the local needs of an area. As I mentioned before, a lot of this is often due to the underlying health…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenI do not think I would categorise this in any way in terms of institutionalised racism, and I do not believe that noble Lords would think that of the NHS. Clearly, work needs to…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenMy understanding is that since the task force was set up, which was little more than a year ago, it has had as many as four or five meetings. If that is incorrect, I will correct…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenAs I have said, this is a complex area. I do not think we understand all the underlying reasons. Underlying health is a reason, and access is another. What the statistics show is…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenFirst, through its local maternity and neonatal systems, every ICB is responsible for publishing an equity and equality plan. It will then be the job of both the CQC and the…03 May 2023HANSARDChildbirth: Black WomenThe noble Lord is correct that data is an issue. A lot of the frustration that Minister Caulfield expressed is about the fact that we are having to look in the rear-view mirror,…03 May 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceThe Government consider a range of metrics when determining our approach to pensions, health and insurance, including life expectancy where relevant. We are committed to improving…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceThe noble Baroness is absolutely correct: any strike action is regrettable, and we have a part to play, as do the unions, in trying to make sure that we reach a sensible place. We…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceThis goes very much to our strategy of improving healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035. “Healthy” is a key component of that, taking the major conditions strategy and…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceI know that my health brief is broad but including pensions and insurance in it is quite a challenge. Like other noble Lords, I am very aware of the impact of inflation on the…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceMy noble friend, whom I thank for that question, has characterised this issue in exactly the right way. Life expectancy is still increasing, but not at the rate it was. That is…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceAs noble Lords are aware, we have been putting significant investment into mental health; from memory, there has been a £2 billion-plus increase over the last year. In recognition…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceMy noble friend is correct: it is a key issue. There have been successes such as the sugar tax levy, which has reduced sugar consumption by about 40%. But clearly, you need only…26 Apr 2023HANSARDLife Expectancy: Pensions, Health and InsuranceMy understanding is that people are predicted to live a healthy life until around age 63. It is about looking at that aspect as well; it is not just about the length of life but…26 Apr 2023