Submit Evidence (by 11 Dec 2024)

Successive governments have presented reform ideas for adult social care, yet few of these have been implemented. This inquiry seeks to understand what this inaction is costing. We will investigate the cost of inaction to individuals, the NHS, local authorities and also to the wider economy and HM Treasury, focussing not only on the financial cost, but also on the personal costs and on potential benefits that are being missed. The inquiry will consider social care for both older and working age adults.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many abortion clinics run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, MSI Reproductive Choices and the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service have (1) never been inspected by the Care Quality Commission, or (2) not been inspected by it since 30 September 2021.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the number of abortion clinics which have never been inspected by the Care Quality Commission, as well as the number of clinics which have not been inspected since 30 September 2021:

Source: Care Quality Commission.

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 update the NHS website to include up-to-date information on menstrual health conditions using (a) plain and (b) accessible English.

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

The Department worked with NHS England to introduce a new women’s health area on the National Health Service’s website in 2023. This brings together over 100 health topics including periods, gynaecological conditions, fertility, pregnancy, heart health, and cancers, and is designed to be a first port of call for women seeking health information. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/womens-health/

As part of this work, a number of pages were updated, including pages on heavy periods and endometriosis, and a new page on adenomyosis was created. One of the key goals of the NHS website is to provide users with clear and accurate health information. There are no current plans to further update the NHS website on menstrual conditions, subject to the standard review of all editorial content at least every three years.

The NHS has also used its YouTube channel to provide up-to-date information on endometriosis and heavy menstrual bleeding, with further information on both topics available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABi1ncHorBY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pgm30RYVIs&list=PLnhASgDToTkvLigKt1XBE-iwZVJxd7Lto

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 the number of (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers receiving free dental treatment on the NHS (i) nationally and (ii) by region.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure the change.nhs.uk consultation is accessible to (a) people living with disabilities and (b) people without access to the internet.

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

The Change NHS engagement exercise will give the public, staff, and partners the opportunity to share their views and help develop the 10-Year Health Plan. This will be done through our recently launched online platform, change.NHS.UK, and through online and in-person events.

The online platform provides a variety of formats and ways to respond, to meet the range of accessibility needs. British Sign Language and easy-read formats of the Change NHS surveys are available on the online platform as of 1 November. We are also working to ensure that the online platform is accessible for people using assistive technology. This in line with public sector accessibility requirements that we set out in the contract with the external supplier responsible for the platform.

There is an option to respond via post with a printed copy of the survey content, for those who cannot respond online. Anyone having any difficultly responding can get in touch using the contact details available on the website to request assistance or an alternative way to respond.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve how NHS England works with clinically trained volunteers.

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

NHS England does not directly manage volunteers, with volunteering services being managed and delivered by National Health Service organisations and commissioned partners.

The 2023 NHS Volunteering Taskforce report highlighted the untapped potential of volunteering to tackle some of the NHS's greatest challenges, particularly in improving health outcomes for patients, reducing health inequalities, and increasing the resilience of health and care services at times of extreme pressure. NHS England is committed to delivering on the recommendations outlined in the report, in order to maximise the all-round benefits of involving volunteers.

The NHS continues to appreciate the contribution of clinically trained volunteers, from the thousands of trained Community First Responders across the ambulance service, to volunteers from partner organisations such as St John Ambulance who are commissioned to deliver NHS England’s national ambulance auxiliary offer.

NHS England continues to support the growth and development of volunteering across the NHS, which includes volunteer roles that support the delivery of clinical care, where this is appropriate, whilst ensuring that volunteers are never substituted for our substantive paid workforce.

Building on learning from the pandemic, NHS England is working with national emergency preparedness, resilience, and response teams, NHS organisations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners, regarding the role of volunteers and the VCSE sector in enhancing NHS resilience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the NHS database hack by Qilin in June, (1) how many individual patients' data were hacked, (2) whether data were hacked that could be used to identify any individual, (3) whether, and what, medical information was hacked, and (4) whether any results were hacked and, if so, what type of results.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data leaked following the cyber-attack on Synnovis is still being investigated by Synnovis. This involves interrogation to identify the personal data that has been affected. The complexity of the investigation means it will take time for Synnovis to clarify and identify which individuals and organisations have been impacted and the nature of the data.

We understand that the data leaked in the Synnovis cyber-attack was not taken from a single database but was a partial copy of content from Synnovis’s administrative working drives.

When any databases which contain personal data are established by an organisation, the organisation has its own legal responsibilities as a controller of the data to ensure data protection by design and default in the design and development of a database, and to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) under UK General Data Protection Regulation. A DPIA includes an assessment of any risks to individuals, and how these risks are mitigated.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS staff (a) were dismissed and (b) resigned due to mandatory Covid-19 vaccination regulations.

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

No National Health Service staff were dismissed due to the regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment. Those regulations were revoked before they came into force. The information requested on resignations is not held by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been (a) budgeted and (b) spent by the Care Quality Commission on the (i) design, (ii) development and (iii) rollout of its new regulatory platform.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) budget for its new regulatory platform was £88.3 million. The actual cost of the regulatory platform is £92.4 million, including the utilisation of contingency, which isn’t accounted for in the budget, and so is the reason for the variance. The actual cost comprises spending on contingent labour, internal staffing, professional services, and non-pay costs. All spending during the CQC’s transformation was subject to appropriate governance, and any procurement was undertaken in line with public sector standards.

The regulatory platform was gradually delivered and implemented over a five-year period to the end of March 2024. The CQC is unable to provide a breakdown of the figures into design, development, and rollout as the regulatory platform was broken down into various services and each of these had a different design, build, test, and deploy phase. These phases overlapped due to the phased rollout.

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 develop volunteering as a route to an NHS career; and what support his Department provides to (a) NHS Cadets and (b) other programmes to help support a (i) diverse and (ii) inclusive NHS workforce.

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

NHS England has been working in partnership with Helpforce, St John Ambulance, and Barnardos on a range of initiatives to better support volunteers to take the next step into a career in the National Health Service. With Helpforce, this has included supporting 28 pilot organisations to initiate a Volunteer to Career programme, offering routes into careers with a particular focus on clinical workforce pathways. In addition, NHS England’s partnership with St John Ambulance has led to over 5,000 14 to 18-year-olds enrolling on the NHS Cadets programme to date. In the last year, 80% of those new to the programme were from deprived or under-represented groups who might not otherwise have considered a healthcare career. Finally, with Barnardos, NHS England has developed the Young People’s Health Challenge to inspire seven to 14-year-olds from deprived communities and underrepresented groups to find out more about the NHS, raise health literacy, create aspirations to work or volunteer with the NHS, and reduce health inequalities.

NHS England is working to embed the Young People’s Health Challenge and NHS Cadets programme across the NHS, and ensure sustainability beyond 2024/25. NHS England is also working to share the learning and experiences of the Volunteer to Career programme, developing tools, resources, and guidance that enables all health and care organisations to better support volunteers to move onto careers within the NHS, if they wish to do so.

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 support cancer care in Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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

The Department is working closely with NHS England to make sure we have the right workforce with the right skills up and down the country, including in Milton Keynes. This also includes cancer care and treatment.

The Government believes that cancer patients are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster. We will improve patients’ experience across the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the database hack by Qilin in June, what assessment they have made of the use of single databases for storage of information in the NHS; and what risks they have identified.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data leaked following the cyber-attack on Synnovis is still being investigated by Synnovis. This involves interrogation to identify the personal data that has been affected. The complexity of the investigation means it will take time for Synnovis to clarify and identify which individuals and organisations have been impacted and the nature of the data.

We understand that the data leaked in the Synnovis cyber-attack was not taken from a single database but was a partial copy of content from Synnovis’s administrative working drives.

When any databases which contain personal data are established by an organisation, the organisation has its own legal responsibilities as a controller of the data to ensure data protection by design and default in the design and development of a database, and to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) under UK General Data Protection Regulation. A DPIA includes an assessment of any risks to individuals, and how these risks are mitigated.

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 reduce waiting times for NHS treatment in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

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

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government, as we get the National Health Service back on its feet. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has now announced new investment to support this. Funding has been provided to support the delivery of our commitment to an extra 40,000 NHS operations, scans, and appointments per week. A £1.5 billion capital investment has also been announced towards new surgical hubs and scanners, alongside £70 million for new radiotherapy machines. We will be supporting NHS trusts to deliver more activity through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.

We are transforming diagnostics to cut long waits through the Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs). In Cheshire there are four CDCs currently delivering much needed diagnostic activity, specifically: the Congleton War Memorial CDC; the Shopping City CDC; the Warrington and Halton CDC; and the CDC at Victoria Infirmary Northwich, located within the Mid-cheshire constituency, which has been delivering activity since October 2021.

Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are transforming the way the NHS providers elective care by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries. Across England, there are currently 110 operational surgical hubs as of September 2024. In Cheshire, a new surgical hub is due to open in April 2025, the Cheshire and Merseyside Surgical Centre, and will provide services to patients across Cheshire and Merseyside.

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 support improvements in stroke care services at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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

Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) is demonstrating an ongoing commitment to delivering stroke services in line with the best practise, set out in the National Stroke Service Model.

MKUH operates a 24-bed Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit, providing a seven-day thrombolysis service from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with additional services outside these hours offered at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Rated B by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, the MKUH Stroke Unit had an average Door-to-Needle time of 31 minutes over the last year, compared to the national average of 55 minutes. MKUH is the second-best performing trust in England for door-in-and-out transfer time for thrombectomy to Oxford University Hospitals, with a median time of 84 minutes versus the national average of 133 minutes, and ranks 4th nationally for mechanical thrombectomy rates, at 5.9%, compared to 2.6% nationally.

MKUH also uses artificial intelligence powered software called e-Stroke to analyse computed tomography scans, identify brain damage, and automatically alert the clinical team, supporting quicker clinical decisions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the number of people waiting more than 6 weeks for a colonoscopy in England.

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

Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. It is unacceptable that some patients are waiting over six weeks for a diagnostic test, including for a colonoscopy. To cut waiting lists for diagnostic tests, each integrated care board will have a recovery plan for diagnostic services, including endoscopy as needed.

NHS England is continuing to develop gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy networks across the country, which will address variations in care, including in the timely access to care. The Department is supporting NHS England in completing the rollout and expansion of the community diagnostic programme, including delivering additional endoscopy capacity closer to patients in the community. GI endoscopy training academies have also been established, with one per region, to enable the training and education of the required workforce.

The National Health Service is delivering on a number of specific steps to reduce waiting times for GI endoscopy services, including colonoscopy procedures. This includes the establishment of a national transformation project to enable and support the timely recovery of GI endoscopy services, and investment into an expected net increase of 80 additional dedicated endoscopy rooms to expand capacity, as well as a number of Community Diagnostic Centres offering endoscopy services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long-Term Workforce plan, what steps his Department plans to take to recognise the clinical capability of volunteers in enhancing NHS resilience and delivering NHS Career pathways.

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

The Department and NHS England value the excellent contribution that clinically trained volunteers make in supporting the National Health Service, from the thousands of trained Community First Responders across the ambulance service, to volunteers from partner organisations such as St John Ambulance who are commissioned to deliver NHS England’s national ambulance auxiliary offer.

NHS England continues to support the growth and development of volunteering across the NHS, which includes volunteer roles that support the delivery of clinical care where this is appropriate, whilst ensuring volunteers are never substituted for our substantive paid workforce.

Building on learning from the pandemic, NHS England is working with national emergency preparedness, resilience, and response teams, NHS organisations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners, regarding the role of volunteers and the VCSE sector in enhancing NHS resilience.

NHS England has also been working in partnership with Helpforce, St John Ambulance, and Barnardos on a range of initiatives to better support volunteers to take the next step into a career in the NHS.

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 recent trends in the amount of time it takes to diagnose brain tumours in (a) children and (b) young adults on long-term health outcomes; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a brain tumour strategy to help improve (i) the coordination of approaches to funding research, (ii) treatment pathways and (iii) support services for people affected by brain tumours.

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

The Department recognises that children and young adults with brain cancer are often waiting too long for diagnosis. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform our broken National Health Service, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Brain cancer in children remains one of the hardest to treat cancers and a challenging area of research, but the Government is taking several steps to improve outcomes. In September 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients. This also included a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support before during and after treatment, quality of life, and patient rehabilitation.

To support faster and earlier diagnosis, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits. NHS England is delivering a range of interventions to support general practices in diagnosing brain cancer earlier, for example, in April 2020, NHS England introduced the early cancer diagnosis service specification for Primary Care Networks. This is designed to support improvements in rates of early cancer diagnosis by requiring Primary Care Networks to review the quality of their practices’ referrals for suspected cancer and take steps to improve this.

We are also improving treatment and support for brain tumour patients. NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres of excellence in the management of brain tumours, with nine centres having achieved designation. The mission has a workstream on training to expand the brain tumour treatment workforce, in collaboration with NHS bodies, royal colleges, and charities.

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 address the specific needs of children diagnosed with brain tumours; and whether he plans to take steps to establish a national brain tumour strategy to improve (a) early diagnosis, (b) treatment options and (c) post-treatment support.

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

The Department recognises that children and young adults with brain cancer are often waiting too long for diagnosis. As part of our 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform our broken National Health Service, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Brain cancer in children remains one of the hardest to treat cancers and a challenging area of research, but the Government is taking several steps to improve outcomes. In September 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients. This also included a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support before during and after treatment, quality of life, and patient rehabilitation.

To support faster and earlier diagnosis, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits. NHS England is delivering a range of interventions to support general practices in diagnosing brain cancer earlier, for example, in April 2020, NHS England introduced the early cancer diagnosis service specification for Primary Care Networks. This is designed to support improvements in rates of early cancer diagnosis by requiring Primary Care Networks to review the quality of their practices’ referrals for suspected cancer and take steps to improve this.

We are also improving treatment and support for brain tumour patients. NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres of excellence in the management of brain tumours, with nine centres having achieved designation. The mission has a workstream on training to expand the brain tumour treatment workforce, in collaboration with NHS bodies, royal colleges, and charities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to standardise data systems for prescriptions between (a) health authority areas, (b) the NHS and (c) GP community services.

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

Approximately 95% of all primary care prescriptions are standardised using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). The EPS allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, such as a pharmacy, nominated by the patient. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and healthcare workers. The EPS is a national service and transcends health authority or integrated care board boundaries, because a prescriber using the EPS can prescribe a prescription that can be dispensed in any pharmacy in England. The EPS can also be used by prescribers in urgent and emergency care, using the NHS 111 or 111 Online services.

The Digital Medicines programme is introducing this capability for secondary care, specifically acute and community hospital trusts and mental health trusts, so National Health Service trusts can implement and use EPS, where clinically and legally appropriate, meaning patients treated in secondary care settings will also be able to receive their medicines from any dispensary in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what procedures they apply to NHS product supply chains to identify if any products which contains cotton are grown in the Xinjiang area of China.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Section 47 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022 mandated my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to conduct a review of the risks associated with slavery and human trafficking in National Health Service supply chains, with an emphasis on cotton-based products. The report was laid in parliament on 14 December 2023.

The report revealed that while many NHS tier one suppliers are United Kingdom-based, their supply chains often connect through multiple tiers to higher-risk countries, where many of the suppliers of cotton are based. Approximately 34% of high-risk suppliers were registered as based in China, where there is significant concern of forced labour, especially in Xinjiang's cotton production. Concern has also been raised about Pakistan's Sialkot region, a major source of surgical instruments where production is often subcontracted to the largely unregulated informal sector. Concerns also extend to cotton-producing nations like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and to Malaysia and China for personal protective equipment manufacturing.

The supply chain mapping undertaken for the purpose of the review was identified as inappropriate for the size and range of products supplied to the NHS, requiring extensive effort by the buyer and suppliers to collect information that was still insufficient to affect change. Many of the suppliers identified as having high risk supply chains are UK based, however their supply chains are global.

In response to the findings the review makes a series of recommendations, outlined in detail in the publication. It advises a joint-department strategy for better risk assessment and mapping in NHS supply chains, urging ongoing emphasis on managing modern slavery risks, including updating procurement practices and standardising assessments integrated with e-commerce systems.

It recommends bolstering NHS staff's ability to tackle modern slavery, and improving supply chain mapping capability. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements, alongside the introduction of a consistent risk assessment embedded into the health family’s e-commerce system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any checks of products they use which contain cotton to ascertain where the cotton was grown.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Section 47 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022 mandated my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to conduct a review of the risks associated with slavery and human trafficking in National Health Service supply chains, with an emphasis on cotton-based products. The report was laid in parliament on 14 December 2023.

The report revealed that while many NHS tier one suppliers are United Kingdom-based, their supply chains often connect through multiple tiers to higher-risk countries, where many of the suppliers of cotton are based. Approximately 34% of high-risk suppliers were registered as based in China, where there is significant concern of forced labour, especially in Xinjiang's cotton production. Concern has also been raised about Pakistan's Sialkot region, a major source of surgical instruments where production is often subcontracted to the largely unregulated informal sector. Concerns also extend to cotton-producing nations like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and to Malaysia and China for personal protective equipment manufacturing.

The supply chain mapping undertaken for the purpose of the review was identified as inappropriate for the size and range of products supplied to the NHS, requiring extensive effort by the buyer and suppliers to collect information that was still insufficient to affect change. Many of the suppliers identified as having high risk supply chains are UK based, however their supply chains are global.

In response to the findings the review makes a series of recommendations, outlined in detail in the publication. It advises a joint-department strategy for better risk assessment and mapping in NHS supply chains, urging ongoing emphasis on managing modern slavery risks, including updating procurement practices and standardising assessments integrated with e-commerce systems.

It recommends bolstering NHS staff's ability to tackle modern slavery, and improving supply chain mapping capability. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements, alongside the introduction of a consistent risk assessment embedded into the health family’s e-commerce system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence about access to innovative treatments for sickle cell disease.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including access to new and innovative treatments for a range of diseases and conditions.

The NICE makes evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE is currently evaluating exagamglogene autotemcel within its licensed indication for treating sickle cell, and has not yet published final guidance.

The NICE will aim to publish guidance on any new, licensed treatment for sickle cell disease as soon as possible after licensing.

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 availability of GP appointments in West Dorset constituency.

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

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), we know that this applies to the constituents of West Dorset, and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs.

West Dorset sits within the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, where the number of appointments delivered in August 2024 was 396,000. In August 2023, 409,000 appointments were delivered. This is a decrease of 3.2%.

Our plan will require both investment and reform. Firstly, we will increase the proportion of funding for GPs, starting with a commitment to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system.

Additionally, we will deliver a modern booking system to end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments and will bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the NHS recruitment requirement for new psychologists working with children with gender dysphoria to “practice in a gender affirming manner in line with WPATH SOC 8”, that is, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's standards of care, is in line with its endorsement of the Cass Review.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All of the National Health Service’s new Children and Young People’s gender services are being established closely in line with recommendations from the Cass Review, which the Government and NHS England are committed to implementing in full.

The recruitment campaign referred to relates to a temporary service which was set up solely to provide psychosocial support for the relatively small number of children and young people already referred to endocrine clinics by the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service clinic, prior to the closure of that service in March 2024. The trust has acknowledged that old terminology was used in the job advertisement, including the references to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's standards of care, and is amending it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of working from home on efficiency and outcomes in NHS England.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is for NHS England to decide the best way to recruit and retain staff whilst also promoting productive outcomes. NHS England will continue to model their ways of working on what allows them to maximise outcomes, and work with optimal efficiency.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in his Department since the dissolution of the last Parliament; and on what items this was spent.

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

The Department has not spent any money on new furniture, fittings, or refurbishment of ministerial offices since the dissolution of the last Parliament.

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 improve maternity services in the West Yorkshire region.

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

We are committed to improving maternity and neonatal services across the country, to ensure that all women and babies receive the care they deserve. The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS), as part of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, focuses on transforming maternity services through NHS England’s three-year delivery plan, ensuring that care is personalised, and women are listened to. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.wypartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/maternity

The West Yorkshire and Harrogate LMNS has multiple working groups, which focus on the four key themes of the three-year delivery plan. This work includes implementing the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle version 3, which is a package of initiatives designed to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth, and meeting the requirements of the Maternity Incentive Scheme which provides financial incentives for trusts to meet certain safety requirements.

The LMNS has oversight and assurance through various metrics including clinical outcome data, workforce data, patient and staff surveys, a health inequalities dashboard, and a perinatal quality surveillance model.

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) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) ongoing care for (i) endometriosis, (ii) polycystic ovary syndrome and (iii) other menstrual health conditions in (A) Redditch and (B) England; and what steps he is taking to align these efforts with the Women's Health Strategy for England.

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

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions. We are considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy for England.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. The NICE has published Women’s and reproductive health guidelines, which are available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/hub/indevelopment/gid-hub10001

In April 2024, the NICE published updated recommendations on the treatment of endometriosis when fertility is a priority. The NICE is also updating the guidance on the diagnosis of endometriosis, and is planning the development of a guideline on the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. The NICE has also published a guideline on heavy menstrual bleeding assessment and management. Women's health is also embedded into the Royal College of General Practitioners curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs).

Women’s health hubs also play a key role in improving care for gynaecological conditions. The Department has invested £25 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system. NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to report regularly on their progress implementing the funding. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB has reported to NHS England that it is using the funding to set up two pilot hubs, one within Herefordshire and one within Worcestershire. To date, the pathway redesign as part of the women’s health hubs has been priority for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with initial focus on menopause. Following implementation of a menopause pilot, focus will be on the remaining core services, specifically menstrual health.

Healthcare services in Herefordshire and Worcestershire offer advice, care, and treatment for menstrual conditions, including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The integrated care system is focused on women’s health and hosts a monthly Gynaecology Forum which incorporates clinical and operational discussion on all elements of women’s health. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust qualifies as a Specialist Endometriosis Centre, with clinics and operations offered in Kidderminster, Redditch, and Worcester. GP referral pathways, specialist endometriosis and pain clinics, and multi-disciplinary meetings provide diagnosis and treatment of all stages of endometriosis. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust also employs a dedicated Endometriosis Specialist Nurse and hosts an Endometriosis Support Group for patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Care Quality Commission about discharging its obligations under section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to update the health and social care sectors on how frequently it will assess the providers it regulates.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was planning to publish information about their expectations of the frequency of future assessments in July 2024. Due to the timing of the review into the operational effectiveness of the CQC led by Dr Penny Dash, the CQC did not share this information as planned.

The interim findings of Dr Dash’s review, as well as the full and final report published on 15 October 2024, made clear recommendations on how the CQC needs to change its regulatory approach. The CQC has committed to making those changes.

The CQC will publish an update on how frequently it will be carrying out its future assessments in due course, in consultation with stakeholders and others, as outlined by Section 46 (7) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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 29 July 2024 to Question 92 on Gender Dysphoria: Children, what his planned timetable is for (a) the study team to finalise their application for funding and (b) this application to be assessed by an independent scientific review study.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

A study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as one of the treatment options for children and young people with gender incongruence is being developed through a joint programme between NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research arm of the Department. The research will be co-sponsored by King’s College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The study team has submitted its research application, and this is currently undergoing scientific review. In August, NHS England stated that the study protocol should be complete by December 2024 and, subject to academic approval, recruitment to the trial would commence in early 2025. Subject to the study achieving the necessary approvals, the NIHR will publish details of the award, including the planned trial duration and study completion date, on its website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of prisoners diagnosed with Huntington's disease in the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neither the Department nor NHS England holds the information requested centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS trusts use apprenticeship funding to develop their clinical workforce.

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

Provisional data, published by the Department for Education and covering all apprenticeships, indicates that there were 18,400 NHS apprenticeship starts from 191 NHS employers for the 2023/24 financial year.

'Public sector apprenticeships - aggregate return values by sub-sector' from 'Apprenticeships', Permanent data table - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

With regards to the number of clinical apprenticeships within NHS Trusts, data is not validated.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Ministers in his Department have met representatives of the Mermaids charity since 5 July 2024.

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

Ministers from the Department have not met with representatives of the Mermaids charity since 5 July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they have on the impact of mental health support teams on (1) improving pupil mental health, and (2) improving teacher mental health.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

There were almost 8,500 schools and colleges participating in the mental health support team programme in 2023/24, which equates to 34% of the schools and colleges in England.

Assuming the average number of schools or colleges and pupils or learners per mental health support team remains constant, we estimate that coverage would increase to 54% of pupils or learners and 42% of schools or colleges by March 2025.

An interim report, titled Early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme: a rapid mixed-methods study, was published in June 2023 and highlights the impacts of mental health support teams on improving pupil mental health and improving teacher mental health. A copy of the report is attached.

Data regarding the latest coverage of the mental health support team programme is routinely collected and published by the Department for Education.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of emergency department patients at Milton Keynes University Hospital were seen within four hours in each of the last three years.

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

The following table shows the percentage of accident and emergency attendances to Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, that were admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours, in each of the last three years:

Source: Hospital Accident and Emergency Activity statistics, published by NHS Digital, and available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the McCloud remedy is implemented for affected NHS workers by April 2025.

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

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is implementing the McCloud remedy for impacted members of the NHS Pension Scheme. Remedy implementation is a complex and large-scale undertaking. The core element of the remedy will provide members with a choice of benefits at retirement for the period the discrimination identified by the McCloud judgment was effective. Approximately 350,000 retired members will be offered this choice retrospectively.

The Department expects that the majority of impacted retired members will not receive their choice until after April 2025.Whilst the majority of impacted retired members are likely to already be in receipt of their most beneficial set of benefits, the Department is working with the NHSBSA to accelerate the provision of this choice, particularly for members for whom there would be an immediate financial impact. The NHSBSA will communicate revised timelines with members once these are confirmed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why there is disparity in the legal prescribing rights of various professions when nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers, dietitians and paramedics all undertake prescribing training together, and are assessed in the same way.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Non-medical prescribers must work within their own level of expertise. This, together with the requirements of the roles in which different professions are employed, is reflected in the differences between the legal prescribing responsibilities of these professions. Regulators keep records of which healthcare professionals can prescribe, and employers have a responsibility to ensure that non-medical prescribers undertake the relevant training and development, so that their knowledge and skills remain up to date. This is to ensure clinicians work within their sphere of competence.

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 address the shortage of healthcare assistants at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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

We are committed to building a health service fit for the future, with the workforce it needs to get patients seen on time and cared for by the right professional when and where they need it, but bringing in the necessary staff will take time.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual NHS Trusts. NHS Trusts manage their recruitment at a local level ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Department for Health and Social Care on 7 October (HC4240), what guidance (1) the Department for Health and Social Care, and (2) NHS England, have given to NHS trusts and its arms-length bodies on reducing external spending on equality, diversity, and inclusion programmes.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance was published on 14 May 2024, and required all Departments and arm's length bodies to set controls on all equality, diversity, and inclusion related expenditure. No further guidance was issued by the Department to National Health Service trusts.

NHS England has not published written guidance to NHS trusts and arm’s length bodies on reducing external spending on equality, diversity, and inclusion programmes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their anticipated timescale for rolling out mental health support teams to every school and college.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for mental health support teams in schools to include a specialist child counsellor.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to support the work of Air Ambulance charities.

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

The Department and the National Health Service continue to support the work of air ambulance charities, including through NHS ambulance trusts’ provision of key clinical staff and medical equipment, which supports the operation of air ambulances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to enable Integrated Care Boards to draw on surge capacity from auxiliary organisations such as St John Ambulance to help support NHS emergency preparedness.

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

The independent investigation into National Health Service performance, published on 12 September, is helping to inform a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and build a health service that is more resilient and fit for the future.

It is for local integrated care boards, in partnership with providers and stakeholders, to take decisions on how NHS services, including those delivered by the voluntary and charitable sectors, can best meet the needs of their local populations, and help improve patient outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of Lord Darzi's Independent investigation of the NHS in England, published on 12 September 2024, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen NHS resilience; and whether he plans to collaborate with auxiliary support partners such as St John Ambulance to help (a) reduce NHS pressures and (b) improve health outcomes.

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

The independent investigation into National Health Service performance, published on 12 September, is helping to inform a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and build a health service that is more resilient and fit for the future.

It is for local integrated care boards, in partnership with providers and stakeholders, to take decisions on how NHS services, including those delivered by the voluntary and charitable sectors, can best meet the needs of their local populations, and help improve patient 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 reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of bowel cancer.

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

Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the National Health Service, and the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival. In particular, he has highlighted the need to improve the number of patients starting their treatment within 62 days of referral, and increase the number of patients diagnosed at an earlier stage.

The NHS will maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and ensuring timely implementation of the new CDC locations, and upgrades to existing CDCs, with capacity prioritised for cancer diagnostics.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services, and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Furthermore, in 2024/25, we will continue to extend the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to additional cohorts, specifically to 50 to 52-year olds.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether automated external defibrillators installed on Government buildings are registered onto The Circuit national defibrillator network.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on the Circuit. The Circuit is a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

Once installed, these AEDS are required to be registered on the Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian, or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.

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 suitable stockpiles of essential medications are available to the NHS to limit the effects of production shortages.

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

Whilst stock of a small number of medicines is held by the Government, for example as a result of COVID-19 preparedness, stockpiling essential medicines centrally is not a tool that the Department uses to limit the effects of production shortages. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they do arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage community organisations in (a) Warrington and (b) the rest of England to register their automated external defibrillators onto The Circuit national defibrillator network.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on the Circuit. The Circuit is a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

Once installed, these AEDS are required to be registered on the Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian, or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.

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 reduce waiting lists for diagnostic services at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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

Cutting waiting lists, including for diagnostic tests, is a key priority for the Government. We will provide the number of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other tests that are needed to increase capacity and reduce elective and cancer waits. It is unacceptable that, as of August 2024, 23.9% of patients are waiting over six weeks for a test, against an objective in the 2024/25 Operational Planning Guidance for no more than 5% to wait six weeks.

The Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has implemented several initiatives to improve access to diagnostic services and to meet the needs of its growing community. This includes the opening of the Lloyds Court Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Milton Keynes and the Whitehouse Health Centre CDC in Whitehouse, as part of national efforts to bring essential diagnostic services into the local community.

Construction has also commenced for a new three-storey imaging centre at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital through the New Hospital Programme. This facility will provide a modern central location for several imaging diagnostic services, and will include two MRI scanners, two CT scanners, and a new Ultrasound Department. Locating imaging services in one place will improve efficiency and enhance patient’s experience of the service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to (a) help increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) increase the availability of defibrillators in Warrington.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on the Circuit. The Circuit is a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

Once installed, these AEDS are required to be registered on the Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian, or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department requires recipients of the Community Automated External Defibrillator Fund to register their automated external defibrillators onto The Circuit national defibrillator network.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on the Circuit. The Circuit is a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

Once installed, these AEDS are required to be registered on the Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian, or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps under the NHS 10-Year Plan to improve public access to first aid (a) training and (b) equipment to help (i) increase the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate and (ii) reduce health inequalities.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan will consider the change needed to meet the three health mission goals of; a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer: a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers. Meeting these goals will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area.

We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 9 October (HL Deb col 1995), whether the working group considering apheresis capacity intends to consult stakeholders, including (1) the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, and (2) the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre network, prior to publishing its report.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The apheresis working group was established to address issues around apheresis capacity and improve the resilience of stem cell supply for the United Kingdom. The working group is currently in the evidence gathering phase ahead of publishing its report in spring 2025.

The group is comprised of stakeholders from apheresis users, commissioning bodies, patient representatives, and subject matter experts. Each member has a responsibility for keeping wider stakeholders informed. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is already represented within the working group. The catapult is responsible for coordination of the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre network. Through submissions from, and engagement with, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, a report is in preparation on apheresis capacity across users to be discussed at the next working group meeting.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that everyone who needs one is able to access a NHS dentist.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory menopause training for GPs.

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

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has a holistic curriculum of training that all GPs must cover before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and work independently as a GP. There is a specific section on women’s health, including the menopause. As a result, the menopause is already a core competency of all qualified GPs.

To support practicing GPs, the RCGP has developed a Women’s Health Library drawing together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health so primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date information. This includes a specific section on menopause, and more information on the Library is available at the following link:

https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/index.php?categoryid=57

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 number of face-to-face GP appointments in Mid Cheshire constituency.

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

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP). Patients can’t get through the front door of the National Health Service, so they aren’t getting the timely care they need.

Mid-Cheshire sits within the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, where 62.8% of appointments were face-to-face in June 2024. Compared to August 2023, where 66.2% of appointments were face-to-face, appointments delivered face-to-face are down by 3.4%.

We have pledged to guarantee a face-to-face appointment for all those who want one. We will make sure the future of GPs is sustainable by training thousands more GPs, ensuring increased capacity across the NHS to deliver this commitment and secure a future pipeline of GPs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many faxes his Department has (a) sent and (b) received since the general election.

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

The Department does not have the corporate capability to send or receive faxes.

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 reduce health inequalities for women managing menopause in areas of high health inequalities.

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

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for providing services that meet the needs of their local population, including menopause services. ICBs are also expected to have a dedicated focus on tackling health inequalities.

A recent rise in prescriptions for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a promising sign that more women are getting the advice and help they need. The HRT Prescription Pre Payment-Certificate continues to provide significant savings for patients who are prescribed applicable HRT medications.

The Department has invested £25 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system. One of the aims of women’s health hubs is to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. Menopause care is a core service for pilot women’s health hubs.

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 trends in the levels of non-fatal drug overdoses.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We know that most overdoses take place in the community. They are largely transitory and hidden events, making it difficult to accurately monitor trends in non-fatal overdoses. The Department monitors hospital admissions data for drug poisonings, which predominantly relate to non-fatal cases.

We will continue to report this proxy data to local authorities to inform monitoring of local progress on reducing deaths and harms from drugs. We are reviewing the best approach for monitoring national trends in harms.

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 young people on waiting lists for gender affirming care are transitioned to adult waiting lists when they turn 18.

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

NHS England published a new service specification in August 2024 for the referral pathway of Children and Young People’s Gender Services. The service specification sets out that young people are removed from the waiting list for Children and Young People’s Gender Services once they reach the age of 17 years and nine months.

NHS England has determined that it is not clinically appropriate to directly transfer a young person onto the waiting list of an adult service. This is because, as a commissioner of health services rather than a provider, it has no direct knowledge of the aims and intentions of the individual young person in regard to their gender identity and how these may have changed while they were on the national waiting list.

Those who are removed from the national waiting list are advised to seek advice from their general practitioner, who is best placed to support the young person in considering the appropriateness of a referral to an adult Gender Dysphoria Clinic. Should a referral be made to the adult service, the original referral date to the children's service will be honoured for this purpose. As NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services expand, this approach will be regularly reviewed.

In August, NHS England published an implementation plan detailing how it intends to implement recommendations from Dr Cass’s report. This includes establishing a follow through service for people aged between 17 and 25 years old. NHS England has started to explore with potential partner organisations the feasibility of establishing this service. The planning assumption is that this follow-through service will become operational no sooner than April 2025. Further development of the design of this part of care will be informed by NHS England’s systemic review of adult gender services.

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 28 October 2024 to Question 10393 on NHS, whether the Health Minister in each devolved Administration is a working level contact.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

An interministerial group meeting is currently being diarised for December 2024. At this meeting, all of the Health Ministers from across the United Kingdom will convene to discuss the 10-Year Health Plan in further detail, including any opportunities for alignment and information sharing across the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the number of NHS staff working on maternity units.

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

We are committed to growing workforce capacity as quickly as possible to meet local needs and achieve safe staffing levels. Bringing in the staff we need will take time, but this is an absolute priority for the Government. We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future.

One of the themes in NHS England’s Three-Year Delivery Plan covers growing, retaining, and supporting our workforce. NHS England is boosting the midwifery workforce through undergraduate training, apprenticeships, postgraduate conversion, return to midwifery programmes, and international recruitment.

We also remain committed to the Long-Term Workforce Plan, which sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. It will put the workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of women’s health hubs on health disparities in the treatment of (a) endometriosis, (b) polycystic ovary syndrome, (c) other menstrual health conditions and (d) other women’s healthcare.

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

Women’s health hubs bring together healthcare professionals and existing services to provide integrated women’s health services in the community, centred on meeting women’s needs across their life course. Hubs have potential to have a positive impact on reducing inequalities in treatment of menstrual health conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Birmingham, RAND, and the Cambridge Rapid Evaluation Centre conducted a scoping evaluation of women’s health hubs established between 2001 and 2022. The report was published in September 2024, and it identified reducing inequalities and improving quality of care as key aims of women’s health hub pilots. The report found that hub leaders were committed to reducing inequalities and many were implementing strategies to do so, but noted that evidence on hub benefits was still evolving.

The report highlights that the impact on inequalities could be determined through a set of measures, one of these being diagnosis for conditions such as endometriosis. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hsdr/JYFT5036/#/abstract

The Department has invested £25 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, with one of the aims being to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. Care for menstrual problems, including PCOS and endometriosis, is included as a core service for these pilot hubs.

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 with Cabinet colleagues to provide adequate funding for research into blood cancer (a) treatment and (b) care; and what steps he is taking to help tackle delays in blood cancer diagnosis.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research into blood cancer through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

In blood cancer research, the NIHR is funding the £2.6 million PROPEL trial, testing whether a package of enhanced personalised prehabilitation can help people with acute myeloid leukaemia cope better with treatment. The NIHR is also funding a £3 million trial of the drug ibrutinib for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and a £2.2 million study to evaluate the digital health platform, AscelusTM, for management of blood disorders, including cancers.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancers. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. 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.

We are committed to improving cancer survival rates and hitting all National Health Service cancer waiting time standards within five years, so no patient waits longer than they should. We will also address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce waits.

We are committed to achieving the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which aims to ensure patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral from a general practice (GP) or screening services. We are expanding direct access to diagnostic scans across all GPs, helping to cut waiting times and speeding up a cancer diagnosis or all-clear for patients.

The NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with vague and non-specific symptoms, which do not clearly align to a cancer type. This aims to reduce the delays experienced by some patients, and are expected to be of particular benefit to people presenting with signs and symptoms that could be due to blood cancer.

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 taking steps to increase the number of clinical academics dedicated to blood cancer research.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is the largest funder of clinical academic training in the United Kingdom, delivering a comprehensive research career pathway for the full range of clinicians. The NIHR welcomes applications for training awards from the clinical and non-clinical academic workforce conducting research into any aspect of human health, including blood cancer. The NIHR continuously reviews the training offer to identify and address gaps across specialism, geography, and profession, in line with the Department’s priorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on allowing people with financial interests in the private healthcare sector to be (a) employed in and (b) non executive directors at his Department.

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

All Department employees are subject to the Department’s policy on the Declaration and Management of Outside Interests. The policy is in alignment with the model Cabinet Office guidance in this area for Civil Servants, published on the GOV.UK website, which sets out how staff can identify when a perceived, potential, or actual conflict of interest arises, and what action must be taken in those circumstances. This includes a discussion between the employee and manager to determine whether there is a conflict of interest in the first instance, or perceived conflict of interest, such that the employee should be excluded from the activity, or that the employee may continue with the activity but must implement actions to mitigate any risk. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/declaration-and-management-of-outside-interests-in-the-civil-service/declaration-and-management-of-outside-interests-in-the-civil-service

Prior to appointment and throughout their term of office, non-executive board members are required to declare all relevant interests, and for any areas where a potential conflict of interest could be seen to arise, mitigations are required to be put in place and approved by the Department. Declarations of interest are published each year in the Register of Interests in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

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 reduce waiting times at Sheffield Gender Identity Clinic.

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

The Gender Identity Clinic in Sheffield is one of seven nationally commissioned adult Gender Dysphoria clinics in England. To reduce wait times, NHS England has expanded the number of clinical and administrative posts available within the Sheffield Clinic, in addition to improving the training and support offered to primary care to support hormone prescribing. Those who are on the waiting list are also supported by dedicated Peer Support Workers.

NHS England is committed to reducing wait times across all gender services. Since July 2020, NHS England has increased clinical capacity with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics. The rollout of these new clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times, which had increased due to a shortage of specialist clinical staff to meet the rapidly rising demand.

NHS England is currently undertaking a review of adult gender services, chaired by Dr David Levy. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients, with the aim of producing an updated service specification

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 reduce delays in response times in mental health services in (a) Wiltshire and (b) Gloucestershire.

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

It is unacceptable that too many people in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long.

That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers nationally across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services to improve response times, reduce delays, and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.

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 improve mental health services in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

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

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

NHS Talking Therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, provide treatment to adults, including in the Cannock Chase constituency and Staffordshire, with common mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. People can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies services or be referred by their general practitioner.

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 improve mental health service provision for young people in Buckinghamshire.

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

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people, including in Buckinghamshire, are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long.

The Department is working across Government to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

Alongside this we are working towards rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community and working with colleagues at NHS England to consider options to deliver our commitment to recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

It will be important that these commitments can provide appropriate support for children and young people with a range of mental health needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.72 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, whether the £600 million for social care is in addition to Accelerating Reform Fund money yet to be released to councils.

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

The Budget announced that the Government is providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care in 2025/26, as part of the broader estimated real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%. To support our unpaid carers, from April 2025, the Government will also increase the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, which is the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage.

The funding announced at the budget for 2025/26 is distinct from the £22.6 million intended to support the Accelerating Reform Fund in 24/25.

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 increasing the amount of funding provided to community pharmacies for delivering primary healthcare services.

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

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.

Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25. We are unable to say more until these have been concluded.

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 support community pharmacies in providing primary healthcare consultations.

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

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists as we shift care from hospital to the community.

Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25. We are unable to say more until these have been concluded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) increase funding for community pharmacies in Boston and Skegness constituency and (b) provide additional support to encourage such pharmacies to take on more responsibilities in (i) patient care and (ii) urgent health advice.

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

The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as we shift care from hospitals into the community.

Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25. We are unable to say more until these have been concluded.

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 improve the provision of mental health services for young people in Slough.

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

It is the responsibility of the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board to make available appropriate provision to meet the mental health and other care needs of children and young people in Slough.

Nationally, we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across children and adult mental health services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy children and young people’s mental health services.

We will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school in England so that mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life. We will also roll out open access Young Futures hubs for children and young people in every community. This national network is expected to bring local services together, and deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges.

We are currently working with colleagues at NHS England and across Government to consider options to deliver these commitments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the creation of a National Care Service.

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

The Government is committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service, including by engaging cross-party and with people who draw on care and support.

Alongside our plan for health, we will create a 10-year plan for social care which recognises the importance of social care in its own right, as well as its role in the success of the National Health Service. On 10 October, we took a critical step by introducing legislation to establish the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals to ensure care workers are recognised and fairly rewarded for the important work they do.

To stabilise the system in the short term, we are providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care to support local authorities. This is part of a broader real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%.

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 ensure that NHS dental practices in Northampton North constituency have the capacity to treat more patients.

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

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Northampton North constituency, this is the NHS Northamptonshire ICB.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the availability of appropriate SEND educational placements with care support.

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

As announced by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in last week’s budget, this Government are committed to reforming special educational needs provision, and we recognise the importance of improving outcomes for our most vulnerable children.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly engages in conversations with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

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 community pharmacies with (a) funding, (b) workforce and (c) supply of medicines.

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

The Government is committed to expanding the pharmacy workforce and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as we shift care from the hospital to the community.

We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability. We know how frustrating this can be for patients and community pharmacists. We are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.

Now that the budget for the Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25. We are unable to say more until these have been concluded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve access to NHS dentistry in Northampton North constituency.

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

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Northampton North constituency, this is the NHS Northamptonshire ICB.

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 domiciliary care is sustainably funded.

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

The Government is committed to reforming adult social care and improving the quality of care for people in need. That’s why we are taking steps to ensure all adult social care is sustainably funded, including domiciliary care. In 2025/26, the Government is providing at least £600 million in new grant funding for social care, as part of a broader estimated real terms increase in local government spending power of approximately 3.2%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new dementia treatments can be deemed cost-effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in the light of the investment required to scale up diagnostics.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund NICE-recommended medicines, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. The NICE only recommends medicines that offer additional health benefits to patients and their carers, and demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer.

The NICE is currently evaluating two new licensed disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and has been unable to recommend them in its draft guidance. The NICE concluded that the relatively small benefits they provide balanced against the overall cost of providing the treatments, including intensive monitoring for serious side effects, means that they cannot currently be considered good value for the taxpayer. However, the NICE has not yet published final guidance and will take the comments received in response to its draft guidance fully into account in developing its final recommendations.

A number of other disease-modifying treatments for dementia are in late-stage development and are expected to come to market in the next few years. To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working to ensure that diagnostic and treatment capacity, and clinical pathway redesign and investment are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatments as soon as possible.

The Government will transform the NHS from a late diagnosis, late treatment health service, to one that catches illness earlier and prevents it in the first place. We will also put Britain at the forefront of transforming treatment for dementia by backing more research into the disease. Part of this will be ensuring that we support manufacturers to develop products that are potentially cost effective to implement, and that new treatments assessed as clinically and cost effective are rolled out in a safe and timely way.

The Department funds dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the NIHR is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that disease-modifying dementia treatments are available through the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund NICE-recommended medicines, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. The NICE only recommends medicines that offer additional health benefits to patients and their carers, and demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer.

The NICE is currently evaluating two new licensed disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and has been unable to recommend them in its draft guidance. The NICE concluded that the relatively small benefits they provide balanced against the overall cost of providing the treatments, including intensive monitoring for serious side effects, means that they cannot currently be considered good value for the taxpayer. However, the NICE has not yet published final guidance and will take the comments received in response to its draft guidance fully into account in developing its final recommendations.

A number of other disease-modifying treatments for dementia are in late-stage development and are expected to come to market in the next few years. To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working to ensure that diagnostic and treatment capacity, and clinical pathway redesign and investment are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatments as soon as possible.

The Government will transform the NHS from a late diagnosis, late treatment health service, to one that catches illness earlier and prevents it in the first place. We will also put Britain at the forefront of transforming treatment for dementia by backing more research into the disease. Part of this will be ensuring that we support manufacturers to develop products that are potentially cost effective to implement, and that new treatments assessed as clinically and cost effective are rolled out in a safe and timely way.

The Department funds dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the NIHR is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper From Harm to Hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives, published in December 2021, whether they will secure funding for local drug treatment services to help ensure the continuity of care for those released from custody with a drug treatment need.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol and drug related health harms, in response to local need. This includes supporting those who have been released from custody with high quality drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

The Department of Health and Social Care is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services to enable people to access high quality help and support should they need it. Funding for drug and alcohol services in England is provided through the public health grant. In addition, in 2024/25, the Department of Health and Social Care has allocated local authorities a further £267 million to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing and employment outcomes for people with drug and alcohol problems. The Chancellor will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government which integrated care boards are reporting a projected system-wide deficit for this financial year; and what is the projected deficit for each of them.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

31 out of the 42 integrated care boards agreed a deficit plan for the year for their overall systems with NHS England, which aggregated to a total planned overspend of £2.3 billion. NHS England has since provided additional funding to systems to match those plans, meaning there are currently no projected system-wide deficits based on those start year plans.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting was for an irregular migrant to see a (a) healthcare professional and (b) dentist in the latest period for which data is available.

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

We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.

We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on dental services for irregular migrants in each year since 2018.

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

We do not hold data on the expenditure of dental services for irregular migrants, or the average waiting time to see a healthcare professional or a dentist.

We are tackling the immediate dental crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups. We are dedicated to ensuring that people live well for longer, spending less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 27 September (HL1033), whether NHS England has a list of banned words and phrases.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England does not have a list of banned words or phrases. NHS England encourages the use of plain English and inclusive language to help everyone to make informed decisions about their health needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what cross-departmental work they are undertaking to address gambling-related suicide.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023-2028, published September 2023, sets out a commitment to address common risk factors linked to suicide, including gambling, by providing early intervention and tailored support. The Department of Health and Social Care is continuing to work across Government to progress this.

Along with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, we are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.

In addition, the Gambling Commission has strengthened the requirement on gambling operators to inform the commission about deaths by suicide among customers. The licensee must notify the commission, as soon as reasonably practicable, if it knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a person who has gambled with it has died by suicide, whether or not such suicide is known or suspected to be associated with gambling.

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 impact of the Mental Health Act 1983 on individuals with complex mental health needs.

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

The independent review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, and published in 2018, provided an assessment of how the Act is working, its impact on those detained under the Act, including individuals with complex needs, and what improvements are needed to make it fit for the 21st century.

The Act has an important role in our society, and it is crucial to get the balance right to ensure that people get the support and treatment they need when necessary, for their own protection or that of others. However, we recognise that detention under the Act can be a traumatic experience, and more needs to be done to improve this.

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. The Bill will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

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 the Mental Health Act 1983 on black people.

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

We know that rates of detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 for Black people were more than three times higher than that for White people in 2023/24, with use of Community Treatment Orders for Black people being seven times higher than for White people. Black people were also the most likely to be subject to repeated detention, with 20.1 per cent of this group being detained more than once. More information is available in the NHS England Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance June 2024, which are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-june-2024

The NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework arose out of Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, and became mandatory for all mental health trusts in the National Health Service from April 2024. It supports mental health trusts to improve access, experience and outcomes and reduce disparities for people from ethnic minority groups. All mental health trusts will be required to have a framework in place by March 2025.

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

Pilots are currently underway to test models of Culturally Appropriate Advocacy, which provide tailored support to hundreds of people from ethnic minorities to better understand their rights when detained under the Act.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to tackle changes in the level of fertility rates.

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

No specific steps are being taken to make changes in the level of fertility rates. However, the Government will be receiving advice on the provision of National Health Service funded fertility services, and will be considering future policy options shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access to drug treatment services for those leaving prison on day of release.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Everyone leaving prison with a need for drug and alcohol treatment should be able to access high-quality provision that enables them to recover from their problems as quickly as possible. We will continue to ensure that the full range of evidence-based treatment interventions is available to address drug and alcohol needs among people who are in prison, or who have left prison, including abstinence-based interventions, to support recovery from drug and alcohol dependency.

A cross-Government implementation group has been established to support the introduction of the changes to the Standard Determinate Sentences (SDS40) that were announced in July, and includes the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, the Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England.

In September, the Department and NHS England issued clear clinical advice to support the delivery of SDS40 and give local services more flexibility to use additional drug and alcohol treatment and recovery grants to meet local needs.

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Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the office budget will be for the Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Commissioner will be supported by a team of experts from HM Treasury, the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Government Commercial Function, the Government Debt Management Function and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that people who (a) cannot and (b) choose not to be online are not excluded by the NHS’s planned transition from analogue to digital.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. It means ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. We understand, however, that some people will remain offline by choice, and that alternative, accessible pathways to access public services need to be readily available and advertised. We are working across government departments to develop our approach on tackling digital exclusion, including colleagues at DHSC and NHS England.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to improve the (a) safeguarding and (b) wellbeing of children with allergies in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. This includes allergies.

The accompanying statutory guidance, 'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions', makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions' includes guidance on individual healthcare plans and specifies that they should ensure that the school assesses and manages risks to the child’s education, health and social wellbeing, and minimises disruption.

The department included a reminder to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin in both March and September 2024. In the same communication we also alerted schools to the newly created Schools Allergy Code. The Code was developed by The Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, who are all trusted voices on the matter of allergies. The department has now also added a link to the Code to its online allergy guidance, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/allergy-guidance-for-schools.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) have produced guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. DHSC have also produced guidance on emergency inhalers in schools, including the purchase of spares, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-asthma-inhalers-for-use-in-schools.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of drug-related deaths.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Drug-related deaths are tragically at record highs and this government is committed to gripping this problem.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is actively working to reduce the number of drug-related deaths and has invested an additional £267 million in drug and alcohol treatment this year, improving the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment services in England.

This is supporting delivery of a national action plan to prevent a greater number of drug and alcohol-related deaths. The plan has five priorities around improving: treatment practice; local systems; toxicology and surveillance; stigma; and poly-drug and alcohol use. Guidance was published in September 2024 Preventing drug and alcohol deaths: partnership review process - GOV.UK to help local partnerships set up and evaluate their review processes for drug-related deaths, alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses.

Alongside this, the Home Office is providing funding to law enforcement partners to target the organised crime groups and county lines gangs supplying harmful drugs to our streets.

A further part of our response is addressing the threat from synthetic drugs, including synthetic opioids like nitazenes, as well as synthetic cannabinoids and benzodiazepines, which have been linked to drug related deaths in the UK. The Home Office, DHSC, National Crime Agency, Border Force and the National Police Chiefs Council are working with local partners to proactively monitor the situation, tracking drug related deaths and other intelligence to ensure a quick response to respond to the threat as required. This includes expanding access to naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, including synthetic opioids.

Through our mission-driven government, we will continue to work with partners across health, policing, devolved governments and wider public services to coordinate and drive down drug use and build a fairer Britain for all.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 3.19 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if she will publish an allocation breakdown of the £20.4 billion spending on research and development for 2025-26.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

To fully harness the potential of the UK's excellent science base and to foster a dynamic investment economy, the Budget protects record levels of government research and development (R&D) investment with £20.4 billion allocated in 2025-26. This is allocated as per the table below.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if her Department will publish a tabular summary of Capital DEL allocated in the Budget to research and development by Department.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

To fully harness the potential of the UK's excellent science base and to foster a dynamic investment economy, the Budget protects record levels of government research and development (R&D) investment with £20.4 billion allocated in 2025-26. This is allocated as per the table below.

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