Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) palliative and (b) end of life care for patients in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families, including those in Yeovil, receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that integrated care boards should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. St Margaret’s Hospice Care, which serves patients in the Yeovil constituency, is receiving £816,184 from this funding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) eye care services provision and (b) steps taken by Integrated Care Boards to ensure equality of access to eye care services in each region.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet local need. NHS sight tests are widely available across the country. The decision to commission enhanced eye care services will be determined by local ICBs following a local needs assessment.

ICBs are required to work with local authorities to assess the current and future health, care and wellbeing needs of their local populations. They will then set out in joint local health and wellbeing strategies how they will meet those needs, which could include addressing any identified inequalities in accessing services. ICBs will also want to take account of published waiting list information which is broken down by demographics to allow greater visibility of potential health inequalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) preparing and (b) publishing a national strategy for (i) palliative and (ii) end-of-life care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned timeline is for publishing the next iteration of the taxonomy being developed as part of the ongoing reforms to Drug Tariff Part IX.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The final draft, version 1.2, of the Part IX Drug Tariff (Med Tech in the community) Wave 1 categorisation was developed in collaboration with an Expert Reference Group and updated in line with stakeholder feedback over four iterations. The final version was published in October 2025 and can be found on the NHS Business Services Authority Website at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/manufacturers-and-suppliers/drug-tariff-part-ix-information

The Department is currently recruiting Independent Assessment Panels (IAPs) for Wave 1 and has agreed to ask them to review late feedback received from a company on the eye drops category. This is due to take place in February 2026 and will not require further input from industry as it has already been circulated for comment by them.

The Department has also offered to review Drug Tariff Committee feedback regarding the categorisation of medical devices that fall into waves 2 to 4.

The categorisation for waves 2 and 3 is currently being reviewed, and the Department expects to share the updated versions in early 2026 well in advance of the projected launch of waves 2 and 3 in 2027 and 2028 respectively. There are no confirmed plans for reviewing wave 4 at this time. The earliest launch would be in January 2029. All dates are subject to the outcome of the review of wave one.

The Department recognises that the categorisation is not stagnant and may need further amendments as medical devices continue to evolve and the IAPs are stood up. Companies can suggest further amendments when they apply to Part IX of the Drug Tariff or through the Drug Tariff Committee.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October to Question 77603 on Brain: Tumours, what steps he plans to take to incentivise pharmaceutical companies involved in developing vaccines for brain tumours to approach the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad for funding and support.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the financial year 2024/25, the NIHR’s reported spend on cancer research was over £141.6 million through its research programmes and infrastructure, reflecting cancer’s high priority.

The Government is taking measures to boost research into brain tumours. In December 2025, the NIHR announced the pioneering Brain Tumour Research Consortium to accelerate research into new brain tumour treatments. NIHR is investing an initial £13.7 million with significant further funding due to be awarded in 2026.

We also support the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. This bill aims to incentivise research and investment into treatment by introducing measures to streamline clinical trial recruitment, allow patients to be more easily contacted by researchers, and also mandates a review of orphan drug regulations.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain tumours. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) alter and (b) mitigate the National Institute for Care and Excellence's downgrading of terminal cancer to moderately severe.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not classified terminal cancer as moderately severe. The NICE is an independent body and is responsible for developing the methods and processes it uses to evaluate whether new medicines should be recommended for routine National Health Service funding.

In developing recommendations on whether medicines represent a clinically and cost effective use of NHS resources, NICE is able to apply a weighting that recognises the additional value that society places on treatments for severe conditions. The weighting that is applied is calculated for each appraisal based on information on the expected shortfall in life expectancy and quality of life of people with the condition taking into account existing treatment options. NICE has concluded for several appraisals of medicines for advanced cancer that a weighting should be applied based on the severity of the condition. The latest data for appraisals published up to September 2025, show that NICE has recommended 84.8% of treatments for advanced cancers since the severity modifier was introduced compared to 69.1% under its previous methods.

NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes made following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future. NICE has also commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future methods reviews.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women in the UK have received Allergan breast implants.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR), set up in 2016, collects all implant data, and explant data where possible.

Practically, it is always difficult and often impossible to identify a model and product code on an explant. If explanted devices, or patients undergoing explant, cannot be linked to data collected at time of implant, then this often reduces explant data to 'patient, surgeon, location, date'. This in turn makes it impossible to monitor trends in explant/failure.

NHS England is in the process of clarifying and mandating the detail required in the BCIR and other device-related collections.

This will place a greater responsibility on trusts to either identify a device at the point of explant, or to identify the device from internal trust records created during the same patient's implant procedure. This will only be possible if the implant and explant are performed at the same trust. It is then the intention of NHS England to provide the same matching service for implant/explant where the trusts differ.

This solution will, when implemented, give a full, proactive picture of device longevity/risk, for the purposes of research and surveillance, alongside the existing ability to identify patients affected by a device recall notice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the October 2024 report entitled Key Interventions to Transform Eye Care & Eye Health; and what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of that report’s recommendations for a national-roll out of (a) Community Urgent Eye Service and Minor Eye Conditions Service, (b) the Integrated Glaucoma Pathway and (c) the Integrated Cataract Pathway for pre and post assessments.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.

NHS England’s accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of the (a) Minor Eye Conditions Service and (b) Community Urgent Eyecare Service.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.

NHS England’s accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the regional provision of Minor Eye Conditions Services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.

NHS England’s accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure annual statutory reviews for people in care are undertaken.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must keep care and support plans under review, respond to reasonable requests for review, and update plans when circumstances change, involving the individual drawing on care and support, and their carer, if applicable, throughout.

Local authorities should establish systems that allow the proportionate monitoring of both care and support plans to ensure that needs are continuing to be met. In the absence of any request of a review, or any indication that circumstances may have changed, the local authority should conduct a periodic review of the plan. It is the expectation that local authorities should conduct a review of the plan no later than every 12 months after the plan is first agreed or last reviewed.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including how local authorities assess the needs of individuals who draw on care and support. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene. Reports are made available on the CQC’s website, at the following link:

www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a national strategy for (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end-of-life care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of professional accreditation of home care workers on levels of recruitment and retention; and what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on this issue.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are beneficial effects of accredited qualifications and structured learning on the recruitment and retention of care workers. Skills for Care data shows that turnover rates are approximately 10% lower for staff who hold a relevant qualification compared to those without. Additionally, staff who received more than 30 instances of training evidenced a turnover rate 3.4% lower than those who recorded only one to five instances, with further information available in Skills for Care’s the ‘State of’ report at the following link:

https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/workforceintelligence/Reports-and-visualisations/National-information/The-State-of-report.aspx

The Department introduced the Care Workforce Pathway, the first universal career structure for adult social care, which sets out clear skills, and progression routes to help retain staff and attract newcomers by recognising care workers as professionals and promoting development opportunities.

Additionally, we launched the Learning and Development Support Scheme, which provides funding support for training, including recognised qualifications like the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, which provides a portable, recognised foundation of skills and knowledge, aiming to reduce duplication of training and increase retention. Furthermore, the Quality Assured Care Learning Service ensures training is high-quality, meets sector needs, and supports career growth.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the Adult Oral Health survey published on 9 December 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Adult Oral Health Survey 2023 provides the first picture of adult oral health in England for more than a decade. It provides further evidence of the need for dental contract reform.

We are taking forward significant changes to the National Health Service dental contract. The reforms will prioritise patients with urgent dental needs and those requiring complex treatments, and will come in from April 2026. We are committed to fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract by the end of this Parliament, with a focus on improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly.

The Government is also focussed on prevention of poor dental health through our supervised toothbrushing programme to reach up to 600,000 children in the 20% most deprived areas of England, and by expanding community water fluoridation to the North East of England. This intervention will reach an additional 1.6 million people and will reduce tooth decay and inequalities in dental health, particularly in children and vulnerable adults.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to create capacity in hospital eye services by expanding the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.

NHS England’s accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand the use of community optometry services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.

NHS England’s accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the removal of ring-fenced funding for maternity services at Integrated Care Board level, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that maternity safety improvements are maintained.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has instructed the National Health Service to improve maternity services, as part of a drive to improve quality, as a priority in the Medium‑Term Planning Framework.

While the ringfence has been removed, the same level of funding is being delivered to allow local healthcare system leaders more autonomy to meet the needs of their local population. This approach is consistent with our wider approach to give local healthcare leaders, who are best placed to decide how to serve their local community, more flexibility.

Baroness Amos is leading a rapid, independent investigation in NHS Maternity and Neonatal services to help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will look into the maternity and neonatal system nationally, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of recommendations. This will also include local investigations of maternity and neonatal services in selected trusts.

On 9 December, Baroness Amos published reflections on what she has heard so far as part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, following engagement with women and families. Baroness Amos’ reflections and initial findings are available at the following link:

https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of consistency of NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments across (a) England, (b) the South East and (c) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Operational delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) with oversight from NHS England. The Department’s statutory guidance on CHC supports practitioners to undertake assessments and deliver CHC appropriately. Eligibility can vary across ICBs due to factors including, but not limited to, the age profile of the local population and health need variation between geographical regions.

NHS England’s assurance regime promotes accurate assessment, equal access, and consistency within CHC delivery. Their assurance model is focused on reducing variation in the delivery of CHC services across the country. The NHS Performance and Assessment Framework for 2025/26 includes specific metrics to support NHS England to monitor CHC delivery and support improved patient experience.

The NHS All Age Continuing Care Data Set, which was launched in April 2025, provides NHS England with regional, ICB, and sub-ICB-level data on CHC eligibility, referrals, and assessment outcomes to help monitor and improve CHC delivery.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) trends in the level of variation in access to NICE-recommended biologic medicines for severe asthma.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made. NHS England is working with the health innovation networks and has formed the Respiratory Transformation Partnership. Focusing on improving the outcomes of people living with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this programme seeks to find scalable ways to decrease premature mortality and bed occupancy from respiratory diseases. Initiatives will seek to improve disease recognition, optimise delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved approaches at neighbourhood level, and uptake of existing and emerging biologic therapies.

The current NHS England severe asthma service specification is being revised by the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group. The current service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/specialised-respiratory-services-adult-severe-asthma.pdf

The revised specification will support the management of patients who require further investigation and treatments including biological medicines. The specification will also be updated to reference the most recent clinical guidelines such as the British Thoracic Society, NICE, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network asthma guideline covering diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children, and which is expected to improve outcomes for people with asthma and identify early those who require further investigation and treatments including biologic medicines. This guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng245

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93580 on Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services, which external stakeholders his Department is engaging with in the development of the modern service framework for mental health.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to publish the modern service framework for severe mental illness in the latter half of 2026.

Engagement on the modern service framework will involve a wide range of stakeholders, such as people with lived experience, clinicians, allied professionals, social workers, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, commissioners, and National Health Service Leaders. We have recruited a third Co-Chair for the Modern Service Framework, Jo Lomani, who is a national mental health co-production lead and expert by lived and living experience, to support the implementation of our lived-experience involvement and co-production strategy. This aims to ensure that people who use mental health services stay at the centre of everything we do.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93580 on Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services, when the Government expects to publish the modern service framework for mental health.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to publish the modern service framework for severe mental illness in the latter half of 2026.

Engagement on the modern service framework will involve a wide range of stakeholders, such as people with lived experience, clinicians, allied professionals, social workers, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, commissioners, and National Health Service Leaders. We have recruited a third Co-Chair for the Modern Service Framework, Jo Lomani, who is a national mental health co-production lead and expert by lived and living experience, to support the implementation of our lived-experience involvement and co-production strategy. This aims to ensure that people who use mental health services stay at the centre of everything we do.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent engagement his Department has had with the devolved Administrations in relation to the recommendations of The Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024; and whether any Ministerial-level discussions are planned with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

While health is predominantly devolved, the Department holds some reserved functions and working together across the United Kingdom on health and social care is ingrained in the values of our National Health Service and social care sector.

The Patient Safety Commissioner’s report covered England-only, however, any response by the Government to the recommendations of the Hughes Report in England will likely have implications for the devolved administrations and their constituents. Engagement between officials across the UK occurs regularly and during an Inter-Ministerial Group meeting on 11 December 2025, the Hughes report was discussed and ministers across the four nations agreed to meet in January 2026 for further engagement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the introduction of digital and AI tools in mental health care enhances rather than replaces the work of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, in line with guidance from professional bodies such as the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To deliver the shift from analogue to digital that is set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will create a digital front door for mental health care through the NHS App to boost access to early support and empower people to take steps to manage their symptoms.

Digital and artificial intelligence (AI) tools in mental health care can enhance and complement the work of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, not replace human-delivered care. These tools can help with routine tasks like managing appointments, answering basic queries, updating clinical notes, and booking sessions. This means that clinicians can spend more time providing care to patients and patients have an improved experience across the care pathway, for example through reduced waiting times. Any new tools are introduced within a comprehensive regulatory framework in the National Health Service, underpinned by rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, ethics, and data protection.

Publicly available AI applications that are not deployed by the NHS, such as ChatGPT and Character.AI, are not regulated as medical technologies and may offer incorrect or harmful information. Users are strongly advised to be careful when using these technologies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve patient experience of the NHS App.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS App is at the forefront of a major digital transformation and will revolutionise access to healthcare by putting patients at the centre of a modern, personalised, and data-driven service. One of the key aims is to empower individuals with greater choice, transparency, and control over their care.

The NHS App is co-designed with patients from a wide range of background and needs, with 14,000 users involved in user research in 2025 alongside 42,000 survey completions. Our research teams also have a rule of always doing rounds of research with often excluded or disadvantaged groups. This is often facilitated by partners like the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Mencap who help us to involve the appropriate people.

The NHS App is already helping people manage their health more easily, whether that’s viewing records, booking appointments, ordering prescriptions, or accessing test results. In the past year alone, the app has sent over 181 million messages, supported over 32 million vaccination invites, and offered more than 16 million vaccination appointments, many in local pharmacies. These numbers show how the app is not just supporting care but actively shifting it closer to home.

By 2030, patients will be able to manage their care remotely, contribute to their health records, and navigate the system with confidence, driving better outcomes and a more integrated, responsive National Health Service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) breast implants and (b) PIP breast implants have ruptured and had to be removed in the last 10 years; and how many of those ruptured implants were not listed on the breast and cosmetic implant registry when implanted.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR), set up in 2016, collects all implant data, and explant data where possible.

Practically, it is always difficult and often impossible to identify a model and product code on an explant. If explanted devices, or patients undergoing explant, cannot be linked to data collected at time of implant, then this often reduces explant data to 'patient, surgeon, location, date'. This in turn makes it impossible to monitor trends in explant/failure.

NHS England is in the process of clarifying and mandating the detail required in the BCIR and other device-related collections.

This will place a greater responsibility on trusts to either identify a device at the point of explant, or to identify the device from internal trust records created during the same patient's implant procedure. This will only be possible if the implant and explant are performed at the same trust. It is then the intention of NHS England to provide the same matching service for implant/explant where the trusts differ.

This solution will, when implemented, give a full, proactive picture of device longevity/risk, for the purposes of research and surveillance, alongside the existing ability to identify patients affected by a device recall notice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision in prisons; and what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners have timely access to appropriate medical treatment.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including, primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams. This includes the care and management of those with long term conditions such as diabetes. All prisons offer a range of appointments to meet the needs of patients, and this includes routine appointments and urgent appointments.

NHS England commissions health care in prison that is the equivalence of community health care. The National Service Specification for primary care defines what this means for patients who require support. Access to health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, and this begins at the point of entry. NHS England also commissions health needs assessments across prisons to determine the needs and requirements of the prison population.

NHS England is reviewing the National Primary Care Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision in prisons for inmates with diabetes; and what steps he is taking to ensure that diabetic prisoners have timely access to appropriate medical treatment.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including, primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams. This includes the care and management of those with long term conditions such as diabetes. All prisons offer a range of appointments to meet the needs of patients, and this includes routine appointments and urgent appointments.

NHS England commissions health care in prison that is the equivalence of community health care. The National Service Specification for primary care defines what this means for patients who require support. Access to health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, and this begins at the point of entry. NHS England also commissions health needs assessments across prisons to determine the needs and requirements of the prison population.

NHS England is reviewing the National Primary Care Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made for the potential implications for his policies of the BSL Advisory Board report on Health and Social Care, published on 27 November 2025.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to support deaf patients in the community.

We welcome the British Sign Language Advisory Board’s report titled Locked out: Exclusion of deaf and deafblind BSL users from health and social care in the UK. We will carefully consider its recommendations, including how, in the context of our work on the 10-Year Health Plan and reform of adult social care, we can improve the experiences of Deaf people when accessing health and care services and experience of Deaf people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has reviewed the rate of uptake of biologic medicines for severe asthma relative to the eligible population.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not conducted any such review, but this information is available via the NHS England Innovation Scorecard, which is published bi-annually.

Across all disease areas, though the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Government has commitment to reducing friction in the system to optimise access and uptake of new medicines so the most clinically and cost-effective can reach patients faster. These actions will speed up market access for new medicines and reduce local unwarranted variation in medicine use.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend the eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.

Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.

As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people who suffer from severe gambling addiction receive prompt treatment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Services receive over 1,000 referrals for gambling addition each quarter, with plans to expand capacity.

In April, the new statutory levy on gambling operators came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities are working collaboratively on the development of their respective gambling treatment and prevention programmes during this transition year.

The availability of levy funding will enable oversight and consistency across NHS and voluntary, community, and social enterprise provision, and the expansion of available capacity.

NHS England continues to work at pace to take on commissioning responsibility for the full treatment pathway in England, from referral and triage through to aftercare. Evidence- based commissioning decisions will be made to ensure optimal treatment modalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with malaria in the last 12 months.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There has been a total of 1,812 cases of malaria reported in the United Kingdom in the twelve months between January and December 2024. The UK Health Security Agency publishes annual malaria statistics in an annual report, titled Malaria in the UK. The statistics for the twelve months between January and December 2025 will be published in 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures his Department is taking to improve the access people experiencing homelessness have to health and social care services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that people experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate health and social care services. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline 214, titled Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, sets out clear expectations for services to be accessible and tailored to individual needs, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214/chapter/Recommendations#intermediate-care

We are exploring how best to encourage integrated care boards to adopt and embed this guidance within their commissioning processes.

People experiencing homelessness are considered as an inclusion health group. Inclusion health groups are a key cohort within the locally identified priority ‘PLUS’ populations in NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 framework to reduce healthcare inequalities. Further information on NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/national-healthcare-inequalities-improvement-programme/core20plus5/

Integrated care boards are responsible for implementing this approach, aiming to reduce inequalities in health outcomes and improve equitable access to healthcare treatments and services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending free milk eligibility to the end of the academic year in which a child turns five.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five years old who attend a setting for two or more hours per day. Schools can claim reimbursement from the scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five years old.

There are no plans to extend eligibility for the Nursery Milk Scheme to cover children until the end of the academic year, during which they reach their fifth birthday. Separate legislation allows pupils from lower-income families, and who are eligible for free school meals, to continue to receive free milk at school after the age of five years old.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease receiving annual reviews.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Annual reviews, including reviews of medication, play a key role in the ongoing management of people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, as part of its guidance for the diagnosis and management of asthma and COPD

The majority of patients with COPD and asthma are managed by general practitioners and members of the primary care team. The provision of annual reviews is incentivised in primary care through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. There are indicators for annual reviews for both COPD, namely COPD010,and asthma, namely AST007, within this framework.

Further details on these indicators are available in the QOF guidance at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/quality-outcomes-framework-guidance-for-2025-26.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve breastfeeding support in the West Midlands.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and support for breastfeeding plays an important role in achieving this.

Most families will receive breastfeeding information and support from midwives and health visitors. We are currently refreshing the guidance for The Healthy Child Programme to strengthen the quality of services, including health visiting. We have increased the number of midwives, with 1,056 more full time equivalent midwives working in the National Health Service in September 2025 compared to September 2024.

Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding support in 75 local authorities. This includes Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Telford and Wrekin, and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands. Our investment has also increased the capacity of the National Breastfeeding Helpline so that families across the United Kingdom can access breastfeeding support 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to conduct a review of JCVI eligibility criteria and to reinstate free Covid‑19 vaccinations for all clinically vulnerable people, in line with the existing approach to NHS flu vaccinations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults; and

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

Although seasonal flu and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen and the JCVI has considered each programme individually.

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential benefits of increasing eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.

Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.

As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to utilise electronic health records indicating familial genetic predisposition to improve risk identification for men at increased risk of prostate cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Retrospective Genetic Testing Programme is using electronic health records to identify people who have had a cancer diagnosis, between 2008 and 2018, making them eligible for inherited breast and ovarian cancer genetic testing on R208/R207 panels in line with the criteria set out in the National Genomic Test Directory, but who have not received testing. This will identify more people and their family members who have cancer susceptibility genes, including BRCA1/2 variants, enabling them to access relevant National Health Service screening and care pathways as appropriate.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will consider the final recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on screening for prostate cancer when it is received. He will make a decision on implementation, including any changes to the identification of men at risk of prostate cancer at that point.

It is anticipated that the final recommendation will be provided in early 2026 after the conclusion of a 12 week consultation which opened on 28 November 2025. This seeks views on an evidence review and a draft recommendation to:

- offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years, from 45 years old to 61 years old;

- not recommend population screening;

- not recommend targeted screening of black men;

- not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; and

- collaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history as soon as the trial data becomes available, and to await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of benefit and harm of screening.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential benefits of increasing eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.

Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.

As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend the eligibility for free Covid vaccines to people with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 and RSV vaccination programmes is the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths.

Although RSV and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity, following recovery from infection, and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

In line with JCVI advice, RSV vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at greatest risk of harm from RSV infection.

As for all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the take up of flu vaccinations so far this year.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Monthly national and regional level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers is available from October to January. The first monthly data for the 2025 to 2026 season includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 31 October 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Compared with the equivalent time period last season, from 2024 to 2025, influenza vaccine uptake is higher in two and three year olds, school-aged children, pregnant women, and frontline healthcare workers, and for those who are aged 65 years old and over and those in clinical at-risk groups, uptake is comparable, with a less than a 1% difference.

Final end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring, with data available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Annual reports contain final end of season data from multiple previous seasons.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to reduce rates of cardiovascular disease in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire have implemented a number of programmes to reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including:

- One You Lincolnshire, which provides holistic support for adults to act on modifiable risk factors for CVD such as smoking cessation and weight management;

- targeted collaboration between pharmacies and general practices to provide home blood pressure monitors to key at-risk groups of the population; and

- continued support and promotion of the NHS Health Check in a range of community settings, including initiatives to provide translation support and one-to-one guidance, to help increase both the uptake and awareness of the programme.

The Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. To accelerate progress on this ambition and tackle unwarranted variation across the country, we will publish a CVD modern service framework in 2026. The framework will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation last reviewed the cost-effectiveness model for providing the Meningitis B vaccine to teenagers; and whether his Department plans to commission an updated model.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2013, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the cost-effectiveness of an adolescent Meningitis B (MenB) vaccination programme would be dependent on the impact of the vaccine on protection against meningococcal carriage, which was uncertain at the time. Since this advice was published, the JCVI has continued to review the MenB vaccination programme. Recent evidence, discussed by the JCVI meningococcal sub-committee in March 2025, indicated that MenB vaccination in adolescents has little to no effect on meningococcal carriage.

The sub-committee noted that when available, they would like to review a model evaluating the impact of MenB vaccine when given in a teenage programme in a two-dose schedule, including impact on meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of improving systems to identify men with (a) BRCA1 and (b) BRCA2 gene variations who may be eligible for prostate cancer screening.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register (NICPR), launched 1 July 2025, captures data on all individuals with a likely pathogenic/pathogenic variant in a cancer susceptibility gene in England. This world-first national dataset of individuals at increased cancer risk provides significant opportunities for improved clinical care, audit, and research.

The NICPR is part of the National Disease Registration Service and is a new initiative for NHS England. In view of the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) draft recommendations on screening men for prostate cancer, NHS England is working closely with colleagues in regional clinical genetics services to ensure that accurate data is gathered and can be applied effectively to inform future work.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will consider the final recommendation of the UK NSC on screening for prostate cancer when it is received. He will make a decision on implementation, including any changes to BRCA testing eligibility, at that point.

It is anticipated that the final recommendation will be provided in early 2026 after the conclusion of a 12 week consultation which opened on 28 November 2025. This seeks views on an evidence review and a draft recommendation to:

- offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years, from 45 years old to 61 years old;

- not recommend population screening;

- not recommend targeted screening of black men;

- not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; and

- collaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history as soon as the trial data becomes available, and to await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of benefit and harm of screening.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the financial impact of brain tumours on people with brain tumours.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the importance of sufficient support for cancer patients, including those with brain tumours. NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns.

The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including to those on low incomes to access cancer treatments and appropriate care.

The National Cancer Plan will be published in the new year. It will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and aftercare. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including those with brain tumours.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support people with brain tumours.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the importance of sufficient support for cancer patients, including those with brain tumours. NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns.

The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including to those on low incomes to access cancer treatments and appropriate care.

The National Cancer Plan will be published in the new year. It will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and aftercare. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including those with brain tumours.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Autumn 2025 Covid-19 vaccination eligibility criteria on people with asthma; what consideration was given to including asthma as a qualifying condition for free Covid vaccination; and what assessment he has made of the affordability and pricing of privately purchased Covid vaccines for those no longer eligible for free vaccination.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has increased due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years old and over;
• residents in care homes for older adults; and
• individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed.

As with other United Kingdom vaccination programmes, the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination carefully considers the evidence on the risk of illness, serious disease, or death as a consequence of infection, in specific groups, as well as cost-effectiveness analysis. Further detail can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

As with other vaccines provided privately, the availability and price of COVID-19 vaccines provided through the private market is a matter for the companies concerned. All those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination this autumn through the National Health Service, in line with advice by the independent expert JCVI, are encouraged to take up this offer. The national programme launched on 1 October 2025 and runs until 31 January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to monitor the success of the NHS scheme to identify breast cancer risk by testing for the BRCA gene.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Genomic Medicine Service provides a national genomics unit which is responsible for strategic oversight, direction, commissioning and funding, and performance monitoring of genomics service.

The National Health Service is ensuring that people have access to tests that can help them to understand any inherited risks to their health. This includes the offer of ‘catch up’ BRCA testing for people who are eligible, but who have no record of having received a genetic test to date and other initiatives, such as our NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme. This initiative has identified 551 BRCA carriers to date, of which 279 are eligible and have been referred into the Very High-Risk Breast Screening Programme for regular screening, demonstrating the potential for this initiative to identify cancer earlier.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that the needs of patients with severe and very severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are fully addressed within future NHS service provision.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Most of the actions included in the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which we published in July, will benefit all patients with ME/CFS, irrespective of condition severity. However, we are taking specific steps to ensure that patients with severe and very severe ME/CFS are not overlooked. For instance, the ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme are now available at the following link:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288

The 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service also sets out a plan to shift healthcare from hospitals to the community, enabling people to feel supported managing their long-term conditions, including ME/CFS, closer to home. The Neighbourhood Health Service, delivered by new multidisciplinary teams of professionals, will support more services being delivered in the community, helping to create capacity within secondary services for those patients that need it. This will aim to help ensure that those who suffer from ME/CFS are able to live as independently as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will create a National Brain Tumour Strategy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. The National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with rarer and less common cancers such as brain tumours.

Additionally, in September 2024, the National Institute for Health Research announced a new package of support to stimulate high quality brain tumour research applications, as part of the Government’s commitment to developing new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.

A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium was established in December 2024 to bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat cancers in adults and children.

In addition to speeding up diagnosis and treatment, the work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals have been made for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as part of the Targeted Lung Health Checks programme; and what regional variation there has been in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnoses arising from that programme.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data requested is not available centrally. To enable faster diagnosis and earlier access to treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is growing and will continue to do so as more sites come online. The first five months of 2025/26 saw an increase in CDC spirometry testing of approximately 2,000 tests per month more than in the previous year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to a) issue guidance or b) take action to prevent excessive charges for privately provided COVID-19 vaccinations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As with other vaccines provided privately, the availability and price of COVID-19 vaccines available through the private market is a matter for the companies concerned. All those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination this autumn through the National Health Service, in line with advice by the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, are encouraged to take up this offer. The national programme launched on 1 October 2025 and runs until 31 January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department are taking steps to support the use of the Play Well Toolkit in NHS healthcare settings.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play in healthcare settings. Games and active play in all settings build social skills and promote children’s well-being.

To support this, in June 2025 NHS England and Starlight, a national charity for children’s play in healthcare, co-published the Play Well Toolkit. The toolkit provides guidance on best practice, and includes a checklist to support the auditing, monitoring, and evaluation of services. NHS England is promoting the Play Well toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his department collects to monitor potential inequalities in multiple sclerosis care access; and how those findings are used to inform policy and service delivery improvements.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not collect patient-level clinical data directly but works with NHS England and other bodies to monitor inequalities in access to multiple sclerosis (MS) services through a range of national programmes and datasets.

The UK Multiple Sclerosis Register, which is managed by Swansea University and supported by the MS Society, provides a comprehensive evidence base on the experiences and outcomes of people living with MS across the United Kingdom. It combines patient-reported data with clinical information from National Health Services, enabling analysis of variations in access to treatments, specialist care, and support by geography, deprivation, ethnicity and other demographic factors.

Findings from the register are used to inform research policy development and service improvement initiatives. This evidence supports NHS England and integrated care boards in identifying variations in access to treatment and care, guiding commissioning decisions, and helping to reduce health inequalities for people living with MS.

Additionally, initiatives such as NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and its RightCare programme both aim to reduce unwarranted variation in services and improve equity of care for people with MS.

GIRFT undertakes clinically-led, data-driven reviews of neurology services across all neuroscience centres and trusts. Its national neurology report sets out recommendations to standardise care, improve access to specialist services closer to home, and share best practice between providers. By addressing these variations, GIRFT helps to ensure that people with MS receive more consistent, high-quality care regardless of where they live.

RightCare focuses on population health and on reducing inequalities by providing commissioners with toolkits and benchmarking resources. Its Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit supports systems to assess current provision for conditions such as MS, identify gaps, and prioritise improvements. It promotes integrated, person-centred care and encourages commissioners to benchmark services against national standards, helping to reduce disparities in access and outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the uptake of the Flu Jab in Autumn 2025.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Provisional monthly national, regional, and local level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers is available throughout the season. The first monthly data for the 2025 to 2026 season includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 31 October 2025 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Compared with the equivalent time period last season, 2024 to 2025, influenza vaccine uptake is higher in two and three years olds, school-aged children, pregnant women, and frontline healthcare worker, and for those aged 65 years old and over and those in clinical at-risk groups, uptake is comparable, with less than a 1% difference. Final end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures.

Annual reports contain final end-of-season data from multiple previous seasons.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve early diagnosis and treatment for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in Essex.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) gastroenterology programme is supporting local integrated care boards to reduce unwarranted variation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services and to promote earlier diagnosis, proactive disease management, and increased access to IBD specialist nurses. GIRFT recommends measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity, which together help shorten diagnostic times and improve treatment pathways for patients.

To strengthen early and accurate diagnosis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides evidence‑based guidance, including on the use of faecal calprotectin testing to differentiate IBD from functional bowel disorders and on ensuring timely referral for specialist assessment. The NICE quality standard for IBD sets out that people with suspected IBD should receive a specialist assessment within four weeks of referral, and local systems, including those in Essex, are expected to take this into account when planning and delivering services.

NHS England has also developed an IBD RightCare scenario, which sets out what high‑quality, joined‑up IBD care should look like across the entire patient pathway, from suspicion of IBD through to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management. This tool will support local commissioners and clinicians, including those in Essex, to identify opportunities to streamline referrals, reduce waiting times, and deliver consistent, evidence‑based care.

Together, these initiatives are improving early diagnosis, supporting more personalised and coordinated treatment, and helping to ensure that people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex can access high‑quality, timely National Health Service care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the submissions from (a) Greece, (b) Slovakia, (c) Romania and (d) Czechia on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill through the EU TRIS process.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Technical Regulatory Information System notification is a standard process which applies under the Windsor Framework. It is not an approval process. The Government’s position remains that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will apply in Northern Ireland and is consistent with both our domestic and international obligations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) regulate the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations offered by private providers for people who are not eligible for a free vaccination.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The availability of COVID-19 vaccines to supply the private market and the price charged for private COVID-19 vaccination is a matter for the companies concerned, not for the Government. All those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination this autumn through the National Health Service, in line with advice by the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, are encouraged to take up this offer. The national programme launched on 1 October 2025 and runs until 31 January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-year Health Plan, when he plans to publish the healthy food standard.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan committed to introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector before the end of this Parliament as well as targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities.

To fulfil this commitment, the Government is working towards a Spring 2026 public consultation on Healthier Food Targets and Reporting.

Decisions on policy proposals and implementation will be taken following consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will publish the outcome of the Healthy Start extension for families with the No Recourse to Public Funds condition; and whether a timeline has been set for bringing the scheme into law.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is currently considering options following the consultation titled Eligibility for Healthy Start for groups that have no recourse to public funds or are subject to immigration controls. Further information will be available in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an update on the rollout of a Fracture Liaison Service, due to be implemented by 2030.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Stockton West on 13 October 2025 to Question 77172.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of restricting eligibility for free covid-19 vaccinations on (a) infection rates, (b) hospital admissions and (c) mortality during winter 2025–26 on adults aged between 65 and 74 years old.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI is an independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI’s advice on COVID-19 vaccination for autumn 2025 is based on published analysis which considers the health impacts of vaccination against COVID-19 in various groups. This is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X25002452

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years old and over;
• residents in care homes for older adults; and
• individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor COVID-19 through a variety of indicators and surveillance systems. Data are analysed and published by the UKHSA in weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Surveillance Report. For the autumn 2025 campaign, this is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of variations in the availability of wider support services for children undergoing NHS treatment in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with serious health needs, receive appropriate care and support whenever and wherever they need it. We know that there is variation in the availability of support across the country which is why we are taking action.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the varied needs of their local populations. Local areas will be expected to develop Neighbourhood Health Plans under the leadership of health and wellbeing boards, bringing care closer to babies, children, and young people, including those with serious health needs. We will be publishing further guidance to support local areas to develop Neighbourhood Health Plans in due course.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework also sets out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system and states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. This will improve the consistency of support to children with serious health needs and reduce variability. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

After a procurement process focused on opportunities to reduce unwarranted variation and offer equitable access to community services for children across the Surrey footprint, HCRG Care Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of child and family health services, was commissioned by the Surrey ICB to manage children’s community health services in Surrey, including the Surrey Heath constituency, from 1 April 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve consistency in NHS support for children with serious health needs in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with serious health needs, receive appropriate care and support whenever and wherever they need it. We know that there is variation in the availability of support across the country which is why we are taking action.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the varied needs of their local populations. Local areas will be expected to develop Neighbourhood Health Plans under the leadership of health and wellbeing boards, bringing care closer to babies, children, and young people, including those with serious health needs. We will be publishing further guidance to support local areas to develop Neighbourhood Health Plans in due course.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework also sets out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system and states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. This will improve the consistency of support to children with serious health needs and reduce variability. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

After a procurement process focused on opportunities to reduce unwarranted variation and offer equitable access to community services for children across the Surrey footprint, HCRG Care Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of child and family health services, was commissioned by the Surrey ICB to manage children’s community health services in Surrey, including the Surrey Heath constituency, from 1 April 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of restricting eligibility for free covid-19 vaccinations on (a) infection rates, (b) hospital admissions and (c) levels of mortality during winter 2025–26.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI is an independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI’s advice on COVID-19 vaccination for autumn 2025 is based on published analysis which considers the health impacts of vaccination against COVID-19 in various groups. This is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X25002452

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

• adults aged 75 years old and over;
• residents in care homes for older adults; and
• individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor COVID-19 through a variety of indicators and surveillance systems. Data are analysed and published by the UKHSA in weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Surveillance Report. For the autumn 2025 campaign, this is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent the spread of measles in schools.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect children and staff against measles. In England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to improve uptake of the routine childhood immunisation programme, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The UKHSA also works closely with the Department for Education and a broad range of stakeholders and partners at the national, regional, and local level to communicate the importance of the MMR vaccine and the risk of measles, across media, social media, and through engagement with local communities.

The UKHSA Health Protection Teams work closely with local partners and schools to respond to measles outbreaks when they arise. Guidance for educational settings on preventing and managing infectious disease like measles is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities

Information for parents whose children have contracted measles can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/

From 1 January 2026, general practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella instead of MMR, as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-a-routine-varicella-mmrv-vaccination-programme

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department holds data on the number of neurologists with specialist training in Parkinson's disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialty of neurology. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending routine NHS vaccination against Meningitis B to teenagers and first-year university students.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Policy regarding vaccination programmes is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review, and the meningococcal sub-committee have met a number of times over the past year to discuss the meningococcal vaccination programme. The minutes of all JCVI meetings are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation#sub-committee-membership-and-minutes

In 2013, the JCVI advised that the cost-effectiveness of an adolescent Meningitis B (MenB) vaccination programme would be dependent on the impact of the vaccine on protection against meningococcal carriage, which was uncertain at the time. Recent evidence considered by the meningococcal sub-committee indicates that MenB vaccines do not protect against carriage of meningococcus serogroup B in adolescents.

The sub-committee noted that when available, they would like to review a model evaluating the impact of the MenB vaccine when given in a teenage programme in a two-dose schedule, including the impact on meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea.

Adolescents remain eligible for the MenACWY vaccine until their 25th birthday.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) applications have been received under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme from people reporting disabilities resulting from the COVID-19 vaccination and (b) awards related to covid-19 vaccinations have been made through that scheme.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The latest data from the National Health Service Business Services Authority, the administrators of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), show that as of 3 October 2025 (a) 22,079 VDPS applications have been received through the scheme relating to COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, following medical assessment, (b) 237 applications have resulted in a payment being awarded.

Information about COVID-19 claims to the VDPS is published on a quarterly basis by the NHS Business Service Authority. Data is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of Meningitis B cases among teenagers and university students; and what steps he is taking to help reduce that level.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency continually monitors the incidence and profile of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in England across all age groups to provide information to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to help inform policy decisions.

The United Kingdom has a world-leading meningococcal vaccine programme, and we were the first country to introduce a national Meningitis C (MenC) vaccine programme in 1999 and an infant programme targeting Meningitis B (MenB) disease in 2015, the year in which the teenage MenACWY vaccination was also introduced.

Cases of IMD in England have fallen from over 2,500 in 1998/99, before the first routine meningococcal vaccination against MenC, was introduced, to 378 cases in 2024/225. The MenACWY vaccine also stops carriage and transmission. With this high population-level control of MenACWY disease, MenB disease accounted for 313 of the 378, or 83% of, cases in 2024/25.

MenB remains rare but is now the leading cause of meningococcal disease in all age groups in England, including teenagers and young adults. Further information for the 2024 to 2025 epidemiological year, running from July 2024 to June 2025, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-laboratory-confirmed-cases-in-england-2024-to-2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action his Department is taking to ensure that 85 per cent of breast cancer patients start treatment within 62 days of urgent referral.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. The Government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS and is opening up community diagnostic centres at evening and weekends, to help catch cancer earlier, including breast cancer.

The NHS has exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, having now delivered over five million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment. Between October 2024 to September 2025, approximately 139,000 more patients were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days compared to the previous 12 months.

To ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it, and so that patients can be treated sooner, the Government has invested £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase clinic capacity to help ensure that urgent breast referrals meet the 28 day Faster Diagnosis Standard.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. The Government is investing an extra £26 billion in the NHS and is opening up community diagnostic centres at evening and weekends, to help catch cancer earlier, including breast cancer.

The NHS has exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, having now delivered over five million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster access to treatment. Between October 2024 to September 2025, approximately 139,000 more patients were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days compared to the previous 12 months.

To ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it, and so that patients can be treated sooner, the Government has invested £70 million of central funding to replace outdated radiotherapy machines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to include a) gyms, b) swimming pools, and c) leisure centres in the Men’s Health Strategy and 10 Year Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Both the Men’s Health Strategy and the 10-Year Health Plan commit to cross sector action to reduce physical inactivity. Addressing physical inactivity and getting people moving more is important for improving health outcomes, reducing demand on the National Health Service, and supporting economic growth. The Government recognises the important role that gyms, swimming pools, and leisure centres play in providing affordable and accessible opportunities for people to increase their physical activity levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the levels of life expectancy in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham; and what progress is being made to improve outcomes.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Life expectancy estimates for England and sub-national areas are produced by the Office for National Statistics and are available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/lifeexpectancyforlocalareasoftheuk/between2001to2003and2022to2024

Following falls in 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy has since increased for both sexes in England, Greater Manchester, and Oldham. For both sexes, life expectancy in each of these areas in 2024 was similar to pre-pandemic estimates for 2019. Life expectancy in Greater Manchester and Oldham remains significantly lower than in England.

The Government is committed to addressing health inequalities through a comprehensive, long-term, and collaborative approach, rooted in the priorities outlined in the Government's 10-Year Health Plan. This includes an ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while raising healthy life expectancy for everyone. Central to this is a shift from treating illness to prioritising prevention, thereby ensuring that every individual, regardless of background or financial circumstance, has the opportunity for better health outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities experienced by people affected by homelessness.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups, including those experiencing homelessness. We are working with integrated care systems, local authorities, and directors of public health to embed regional and local solutions to reducing inequalities, ensuring communities have the power and resources to improve health outcomes.

NICE guideline 214, Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, sets out clear expectations for services to be accessible and tailored to individual needs. This guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214/chapter/Recommendations#intermediate-care

We are exploring how best to encourage integrated care boards to adopt and embed this guidance within their commissioning processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on a) diagnosis and b) survival rates for glioblastoma.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Published Cancer Registration Statistics for England, including glioblastoma, are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023

Cancer mortality statistics for England for 2023 are also available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023/cancer-mortality

Alternately, these are combined in the National Disease Registration Service Cancer Incidence and Mortality interactive dashboard, which is available at the following link:

https://nhsd-ndrs.shinyapps.io/incidence_and_mortality/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered guarantees on specialist care provision for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and very severe ME.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The commissioning of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards, based on the needs of their local population.

The final delivery plan on ME/CFS, which we published in July, includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how will GPs be supported with increases in workload demand for ADHD, gender medicine and weight-management prescribing.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are investing an additional £1.1 billion in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26, which is the biggest cash increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is greater than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget as a whole.

Since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. Over 2,600 individual GPs have now been recruited, preventing them from graduating into unemployment. We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the system.

The Government is committed to ensuring the GP workforce is sustainable, supported, and valued for the work they do. Good staff experience is crucial in ensuring the NHS is able to recruit and retain staff and its importance is recognised and illustrated in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Later this year we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure that staff will be better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produces evidence-based guidance for health and care practitioners on best practice for a variety of conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. NHS England has also published service specifications that describe how clinical and medical care is offered to people with gender dysphoria.

GPs have access to a range of support from their integrated care boards and NHS England has developed a suite of implementation materials, delivery guidance and protocols, and has provided access to training resources to help GPs with weight management prescribing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle alcohol misuse in people under 25.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities and can invest in interventions that strengthen the support available to children and young people affected by alcohol, according to a local assessment of need. £13.4 billion will be invested over the next three years, a 5.6% cash increase, in local authorities’ vital public health work through a consolidated Public Health Grant. This includes the overall £1 billion Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant over the next three years.

The Government also has an alcohol and drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce alcohol and drug use and its harms by providing awareness to young people, parents, and concerned others.

In addition, in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.

The Government has committed to tackling harmful levels of alcohol consumption through exploring options to encourage consumers to reduce their alcohol intake by substituting standard strength drinks with no- and low-alcohol alternatives. The Government will explore measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol products in line with other alcoholic beverages, including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department expects to publish new national hydration and nutrition guidance, further to the review conducted by NHS England’s Nursing Directorate; and if he will publish the findings of that review.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has undertaken a comprehensive review and refresh of the Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration 2015–2018 guidance to ensure that it reflects current evidence base, national food standards, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, regulatory requirements, evidence based best practice, current research, and system structures.

This work was overseen by a National Nutrition and Hydration Advisory Board representative of key stakeholders and relevant experts.

This work included an in-depth engagement phase with patient groups, patient representatives, National Health Service and social care organisations, professional networks, voluntary and community sector organisations, other key organisations, and researchers to share work on the policy development to date and to seek their views. Feedback received from the engagement phase was analysed, themes and key findings shared with the National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board members, and where relevant and appropriate, incorporated into the final version of the policy.

The National Hydration and Nutrition Advisory Board reviewed and endorsed the updated policy at their November 2025 meeting. It will be published in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the uptake of the Covid Booster Jab in Autumn 2025.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

COVID-19 vaccination uptake figures are published regularly during the spring and winter campaigns, as part of the national flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the first-wave Neighbourhood Health Centre sites have prioritised neurology within a) initial service plans and b) delivery models.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services. It outlines how specialised neurology services should support integrated and responsive care for individuals with long-term neurological conditions through collaboration between hospital and community providers. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the Neurology Transformation Programme.

We have announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme, with 120 delivered by 2030, with rollout starting in areas of the greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in different places across the country.

We will be publishing further guidance to support local areas to develop Neighbourhood Health Plans in due course.  This will set out how the National Health Service, local authorities, and partners should work together under the leadership of Health and Wellbeing Boards to develop and implement plans.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered strengthening the licensing requirements of the General Dental Council to improve access to dentistry for children, as recommended in a recent Policy Exchange report.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentistry in the United Kingdom. The GDC sets the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to the UK dental register. As an independent regulator, it would be for the GDC to determine whether any changes are required to its standards in response to the Policy Exchange report’s recommendations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review financial relief for pharmacies on PFI estates, including rent-subsidy schemes and a statutory cap on PFI rents for NHS pharmacy contractors.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.

Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.

Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider NHS funding adjustments for pharmacies to offset increases in National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.

Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.

Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help support the sustainability of NHS pharmacies operating on PFI sites.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.

Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.

Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure local health services are prepared to respond to incidents of mass carbon monoxide exposure in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All National Health Service organisations, including in Surrey, are required to prepare for, and respond to, a wide range of incidents or emergencies that could adversely affect the health of the population.

In the event of an incident of mass carbon monoxide exposure, ambulance services can dispatch a Hazardous Area Response Team. This provides the initial NHS response with trained and equipped paramedics who can safely enter a contaminated area to support casualties and provide clinical care.

As an integrated care board, NHS Surrey Heartlands has policies for emergency preparedness, resilience, and response, in order to support local resilience partners and maintain critical services in the event of an incident.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of issuing guidance to retailers on reducing the cost of infant formula for low-income families on that cost.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government, working with the devolved administrations of Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, has set out a strong package of measures on 3 December 2025 in the four-nations’ Government response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study on competition in the infant formula market. This will give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula products, encourage manufacturers and retailers to compete more on price, and remove unnecessary barriers to making infant formula more affordable.

As part of this work, we will update guidance to retailers making clear when store loyalty card points, coupons, or gift vouchers may be used as payment for infant formula, in lieu of cash.

We anticipate that the guidance will remove an unnecessary barrier to supporting families with the cost of infant formula, as well as enabling retailers to confidently offer the use of these cash alternatives in compliance with the infant formula regulations.

Modelling by the Competition and Market’s Authority estimated that switching from the most expensive to the cheapest infant formula products on the market could save families up to £540 in a baby’s first year. Our package of measures is aimed at supporting parents to make informed choices, including understanding that all infant formula products meet the same nutritional standards and are sufficient for a growing baby’s needs, regardless of the price or brand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of how loneliness among older people is considered within health and social care planning in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst no specific assessment of the adequacy of how loneliness among older people has been considered in health and care planning in Surrey Heath, the Department aims to ensure that all demographics, including older people are considered in its policies.

One of the interventions that can work well for people who are experiencing loneliness is social prescribing. Referrals to social prescribing can be made through general practitioners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, but also wider statutory services such as social care and the voluntary sector, as well as self-referral. Social Prescribing Link Workers connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.

Under the Care Act 2014 local authorities have a duty to promote wellbeing when carrying out care and support duties.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle “dental deserts” where very few NHS dentists are available.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage more dentists to provide NHS dentistry.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government acknowledges the challenges that National Health Service dental patients are facing in accessing a dentist in particular areas of the country, and we are taking action to improve this. Integrated care boards are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme, which will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in underserved areas for three years; and as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments and better oral health.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on shorter term improvements to the NHS dental contract on 16 December 2025. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest needs first while incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

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Found: The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  

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Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) uses the provider sub-consolidation as part of the DHSC

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Found: British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) Department of Health and Social Care

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Found: Forum • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Forum • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Oncology Nursing Society • UK Renal Pharmacy Group • Urology Foundation Others • Department of Health and Social Care

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of an epidural kit shortage.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The supply of medicines, including managing shortages, is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The Scottish Government works closely with the UK Government on all related medicines supply issues and there are well-established and robust processes in place to communicate, address and mitigate any risks as result of any medicines supply issues that occur.

On 2 December, a National Patient Safety Alert was issued about the supply issues affecting epidural bags. The alert outlines actions to minimise the potential impact of the shortage. The DHSC has also sourced sufficient supplies of clinically equivalent alternatives. In Scotland, NHS National Procurement has confirmed that the situation is stable from a supply perspective and Health Boards are receiving allocations of alternative epidural bags, meaning that patients should see no change in their care.

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