Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has allocated to pancreatic cancer research in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.3 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR's research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23, and the NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

The NIHR funded nine research projects on pancreatic cancer since 2018/19, with a committed funding value of £4.3 million.

The following table shows NIHR spending on pancreatic cancer research for the period April 2018 to March 2023, based on contracted funding over this period, correct as of 29 April 2024:

In addition, NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and NIHR Clinical Research Facilities spent a further £6.5 million between 2018/19 and 2022/23 supporting an annual portfolio of around 85 early clinical studies in pancreatic cancer.

The NIHR also supports delivery in the health and care system of research into pancreatic cancer, funded by research funding partners in the charity and public sectors. Since 2018/19 the NIHR supported 73 clinical research studies through the Clinical Research Network.

The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a National Clinical Director within NHS England for coeliac disease.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme.

To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of coeliac disease, and improve the diagnostic pathway nationally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced the guidance, Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management [NG20].

NICE guidelines represent best practice, and both healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, and service commissioners are expected to take them fully into account. Guidelines published by the NICE are not mandatory, and do not replace the judgement of clinicians in determining the most appropriate treatment for individual patients.

To assist with increasing the visibility of coeliac disease, the NICE promotes guidance via its website, newsletters, and other media. It also publishes information for the public, which explains the care people with coeliac disease should receive, as set out in the NICE guideline. Information for the public on coeliac disease is also published by the National Health Service and is available on the NHS website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of numbers of Parkinson's specialist staff in (a) West Yorkshire integrated care board area and (b) England.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of June 2023, there were 5.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) Parkinson’s Consultants working in the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts. There were 10.49 FTE Parkinson’s Clinical Nurse Specialists. This only includes those working in acute hospital services.

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the numbers working in the wider speciality of neurology. As of January 2024, there are over 1,800 FTE doctors working in the specialty of neurology in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes over 900 FTE consultant neurologists. In 2023, the fill rate for recruitment into the specialty of neurology in England was 94%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many infrastructure failures at NHS trusts have been recorded in each of the last five years; and how many such failures had an impact on clinical service delivery in each of those years.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service publishes the annual Estates Returns Information Collection, which includes detailed information on the NHS estate. Individual NHS Trusts are responsible for providing the data for the Estates Returns Information Collection and ensuring the accuracy of their returns. The information can be found at:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collected on other countries that have restricted smoking when drafting the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes around one in four UK cancer deaths. It also costs society £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. The latest estimates from Action on Smoking and Health put the cost of smoking to the NHS and social care at £3 billion a year.

As part of our impact assessment, we reviewed evidence and data from a range of countries. This included modelling from New Zealand, Singapore, and the Solomon Islands on the estimated impact of a smokefree generation policy on smoking prevalence, smoking attributable mortality, and other health impacts. We also considered evidence and data from countries that have already implemented an increase in the age of sale for tobacco to a particular age. For example, we analysed data and evidence from the United States on the impact that raising the age of sale from 18 to 21 years old had on smoking prevalence.

This was in addition to considering evidence and data from the UK on the impact that previous increases in the age of sale for tobacco have had on smoking prevalence. A copy of our Tobacco and Vapes Bill - impact assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) level, and (2) geographical distribution, of drug shortages in pharmacies.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level, so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. We receive notifications of supply issues from United Kingdom medicine license holders. In 2022 and 2023, the number of notifications of supply issues remained broadly stable, at approximately 1,600 per year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure equity and quality in care and support across the entire cancer pathway, including (1) fairness and equity in diagnostics, (2) on time treatment, and (3) patients being offered conversations about the additional care and support they may need.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is taking steps to ensure equity and quality in care and support for patients is available across the entire cancer pathway. Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer diagnosis and treatment are a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as this is a key contributor to reducing cancer health inequalities. The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity. As part of this, we are increasing diagnostic capacity by rolling out community diagnostic centres across England, with capacity prioritised for cancer checks. Additionally, and as outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.

The Department's ministers and officials frequently meet with key stakeholders within the cancer community, including discussions on support for patients and their families. The National Health Service provides personalised cancer care and support plans, to support both patients and their families at all stages of their cancer journey. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.

General practice surgeries also conduct cancer care reviews at regular intervals after cancer diagnosis, to offer support with any needs patients may have. This includes providing access to other specialist-led services who work alongside patients’ medical teams, to support patients and their families, such as counsellors, rehabilitation specialists, or social prescribers, who can connect you to community groups or services for more support.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for cancer patients. NHS England provides access to a personal health budget, which is an amount of NHS money that is allocated to support the health and wellbeing needs of a patient, if eligible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to support NHS England’s pilot to reduce the faecal immunochemical test threshold for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme from 120µg/g to 80µg/g; and whether they have had discussions with NHS England regarding geographical areas for the pilot.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to improving the NHS Bowel Screening programme, and welcome NHS England’s plans for pilot areas, which will reduce the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) down to 80µg/g. NHS England plans to publish an Expression of Interest to give all bowel screening services, and their partner symptomatic endoscopy providers, an opportunity to submit their interest in becoming a FIT@80 pilot site. These pilot sites are planned to be selected and launched later in 2024/25, and attention will be paid to ensure there is regional variation across the pilot sites selected.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Royal College of Radiologists report Clinical Radiology Workforce Census 2022, published on 8 June 2023, what steps they will take to address the shortfall in clinical oncologists in England.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) sets out the steps the National Health Service 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.

We are building our cancer workforce. In January 2024 there were over 35,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the cancer workforce, an increase of over 13,300, or 60.7% since January 2010.

Regarding clinical oncology specifically, as of January 2024, there are currently over 1,600 FTE doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 2.2% more than last year, 27.7% more than 2019, and 66.5% more than in 2010. This includes over 900 FTE consultants. This is 5.1% more than last year, 22.0% more than in 2019, and 80.2% more than in 2010.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England holds integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service providers to account for delivery of national priorities and statutory functions, and oversees them via the NHS oversight framework.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB has been in receipt of nationally mandated support via NHS England's Recovery Support Programme since June 2023, which is helping to strengthen the financial performance of the system, and deliver other key commitments. NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each ICB in each financial year and publish a summary of its findings, taking into consideration how well they are carrying out their statutory functions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to (1) the recent Royal College of Radiologists’ Radiotherapy Briefing, published in May, and (2) the HERO (Health Economics in Radiation Oncology) report by the UK Radiotherapy Board, published on 2 May, what is their current assessment of the state of radiotherapy services in England.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

According to the latest data, of those 10,328 cancer patients referred for first or subsequent treatment for radiotherapy in March 2024, 89.7% were treated within 31 days. Since 2016, there has been significant investment in radiotherapy equipment, so that every radiotherapy provider had access to modern, cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment, enabling the rollout of new techniques like stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. The total central investment made between 2016 and 2021 was £162 million, and enabled the replacement or upgrade of approximately 100 radiotherapy treatment machines. This is investment on top of that committed by National Health Service trusts, either from their own capital budgets or via donations.

From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems. As outlined in the 2024/25 NHS Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer. This is supported by the 2021 Spending Review, which set aside £12 billion in operational capital for the NHS.

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. We are building our cancer workforce. In January 2024 there were over 35,200 full-time equivalent staff in the cancer workforce, an increase of over 13,300, or 60.7% since January 2010.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards ensuring that people with cancer who require radiotherapy treatment can start treatment within their target of 31 days.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are seeing continued high levels of urgent cancer referrals, with over 12,000 urgent referrals seen for suspected cancer per working day in March 2024, compared to approximately 9,000 in March 2019. In March 2023, 89.7% of patients received a first or subsequent radiotherapy treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, which is 0.6% higher than last year. From March 2023/24, 127,336 people received a first or subsequent radiotherapy treatment, which is 1,359 more than the previous year.

The Government continues to work with NHS England on implementing the Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.

We are building our cancer workforce. In January 2024 there were over 35,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the cancer workforce, an increase of over 13,300, or 60.7% since January 2010. This includes over 8,100 FTE consultants in January 2024, an increase of over 3,300, or 69.6% since January 2010.

Since 2016, the Department has invested £162 million into cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment to replace or upgrade more than 100 radiotherapy treatment machines, so we can deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. From April 2022, the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines sits with local systems.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to meet their target of 96 per cent of cancer patients receiving treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Tackling cancer is a key priority for the Government. Ministers and officials continue to work closely with NHS England to increase positive outcomes for all cancer types. The Government has allocated an additional £8 billion across this Spending Review period, to increase capacity and support elective recovery.

As outlined in the 2024/25 NHS Planning Guidance, NHS England are providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances to support delivery of the operational priorities for cancer, increasing and prioritising diagnostic and treatment capacity.

We are building our cancer workforce. In January 2024 there were over 35,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the cancer workforce, an increase of over 13,300, or 60.7%, since January 2010. This includes over 8,100 FTE consultants in January 2024, an increase of over 3,300, or 69.6%, since January 2010.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total amount spent by the NHS on radiotherapy services in England in the past year, broken down by (1) region, and (2) NHS trust.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst data for the past year is not yet available, the latest published data on radiotherapy costs is from the National Health Service national cost collection for 2021/22, where spend is reported as £550 million. More detailed data by the NHS trusts is also available at the NHS website, in an online only format.

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 18 April 2024 to Question 21490 on Prosthetics, how many prosthetic limbs are produced by the 35 NHS commissioned prosthetic centres; whether the prostheses produced are of the highest market standard; who the NHS commissioned prosthetic centre providers are; and how many patients are waiting for prosthetic limbs from the NHS.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The prosthetic centres do not produce limbs. Limbs, and the components thereof, are supplied through the NHS Supply Chain, directly from the manufacturers. The NHS Supply Chain ensures that all regulatory quality assurance requirements are met.

National Health Service prosthetic providers do not hold a waiting list for the provision of limbs. Patients will be assessed and prescribed an appropriate limb, when clinically appropriate, following amputation. This will depend on the time required for the residual limb to heal to allow a prosthesis to be fitted, and will vary between patients. NHS England commissions 35 prosthetic centres, which are listed below:

- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;

- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust;

- Sussex Community NHS Trust;

- North Bristol NHS Foundation Trust;

- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust;

- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust;

- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust;

- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;

- Kent and Medway NHS Social Care Partnership Trust;

- North East London NHS Foundation Trust;

- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Isle of Wight NHS Trust;

- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust;

- Leicester Specialist Mobility Centre;

- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust;

- Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust;

- St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust;

- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust;

- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust;

- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust;

- Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust;

- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust;

- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Livewell Plymouth;

- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust;

- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust;

- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and

- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on the Interim Delivery Plan for ME/CFS.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In August 2023, the Department published My Full Reality, a cross-Government interim delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which sets out a number of actions to improve the experiences and outcomes for people with the condition through an expansion of research, better education of professionals, improvements in attitudes towards the condition, and improvements to service provision.

Alongside the publication of the interim Delivery Plan, we ran a public consultation to gather the views and experiences of healthcare professionals, organisations, and individuals with lived experiences of ME/CFS. The aim of the consultation is to build a picture of how well the interim delivery plan identifies and meets the needs of the ME/CFS community, and to understand where there are any gaps where further action may be necessary.

The consultation received well over 3,000 highly detailed responses, which are in the process of being analysed. The consideration and analysis of these responses is progressing steadily, and we are on track to publish a summary of the consultation responses shortly. The consultation responses, along with continued close engagement with stakeholders, will inform the development of the final delivery plan, which we aim to publish later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to salary sacrifice schemes for NHS staff on lower pay-bands in the context of the increase in the minimum wage before the implementation of an NHS pay award for the 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Employers in the National Health Service offer a broad range of salary sacrifice schemes, which have varying value. The interaction with the national minimum wage (NMW) must be considered for all employees that participate in one or more of these schemes, to ensure that participation does not breach HM Revenue and Customs’ rules. The Department is currently working with employers in the NHS to understand the potential impacts of the NMW increase on access to salary sacrifice schemes for all NHS staff.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she last held discussions with NHS trusts on hospital car parking fees.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had any discussions with National Health Service trusts about hospital car parking fees.

We have delivered on our commitment to providing free hospital car parking for those in greatest need, including NHS staff working overnight.

All Trusts should follow the NHS Car Parking guidance, which is clear that where hospital car parking charges are in force they should be reasonable and not significantly more than other hospitals in the local area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder have died within four weeks of being discharged from a mental health hospital in each year since 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

This information is not held in the format requested, as the recording of diagnoses within the Mental Health Services Data Set is not mandatory.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder have died while an inpatient at a mental health hospital in each year since 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

This information is not held in the format requested, as the recording of diagnoses within the Mental Health Services Data Set is not mandatory.

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 increase (a) awareness and (b) optimum management of prosthetic infection in primary care.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practitioners (GP) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date, including for prosthetic joint infection, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence that doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance. The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and must meet the standards set by the GMC.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the NHS of pipe smoking.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Tobacco is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes approximately one in four UK cancer deaths. It also costs our country £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Latest estimates from Action on Smoking and Health put the cost of smoking to the NHS and social care at £3 billion a year.

All smoked tobacco is extremely harmful, including pipe smoking. Smoking is the main driver for conditions such as lung cancer and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is a major factor for others such as premature cardiovascular disease.

Data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities Smoking Profile showed that in 2019/20 there were an estimated 448,031 smoking attributable hospital admissions, but we cannot differentiate by the type of tobacco. As such, the Department does not hold data on the annual costs to the NHS of pipe smoking, nor data on the number of hospital admissions for issues related to pipe smoking in the last 12 months, five years, or 20 years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many shellfish waters were categorised into class (a) A, (b) B, (c), C and (d) below class C for E.coli concentration in each year between 2019 and 2024.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following 17 classification zones have been prohibited for more than one year: Bailey’s Hard; Prinstead; Thurstaston East; Turnaway Point Relay; Wisemans; Mersey, specifically Wallasey; Dodnor; Aldingham; Plym; Tamar; Lytchett Bay; Fareham Lake Middle; Ribble Channel; Silloth South, specifically Catherinehole Scar; Itchen River; Eling; and Hythe. The following table provides a breakdown of classifications awarded, and the number of areas designated as prohibited for commercial harvesting, each year between 2019 and 2024:

Notes:

1. These figures were accurate as of 14 May 2024 and are subject to change due to interim classification updates.
2. These figures are inclusive of areas which carry seasonal classification on time-limited prohibition.

Annual classification for 2024 will be published on 1 December 2024, however, the current classification stands at 63 class A, 229 class B and 8 class C beds.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which shellfish waters have been categorised as below class C, or prohibited, for more than one year.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following 17 classification zones have been prohibited for more than one year: Bailey’s Hard; Prinstead; Thurstaston East; Turnaway Point Relay; Wisemans; Mersey, specifically Wallasey; Dodnor; Aldingham; Plym; Tamar; Lytchett Bay; Fareham Lake Middle; Ribble Channel; Silloth South, specifically Catherinehole Scar; Itchen River; Eling; and Hythe. The following table provides a breakdown of classifications awarded, and the number of areas designated as prohibited for commercial harvesting, each year between 2019 and 2024:

Notes:

1. These figures were accurate as of 14 May 2024 and are subject to change due to interim classification updates.
2. These figures are inclusive of areas which carry seasonal classification on time-limited prohibition.

Annual classification for 2024 will be published on 1 December 2024, however, the current classification stands at 63 class A, 229 class B and 8 class C beds.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address complication rates identified in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities statistics published 23 November 2023 (1) for women under 20 in home and clinical settings, and (2) for those who had abortions after more than ten weeks gestation in a clinical setting.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s comparison of statistics on abortion complications in England, using data from the Abortion Notification System, compared to data on hospital admissions for abortion complications from Hospital Episode Statistics for the years 2017 to 2021, found that women under 20 years old had the lowest complication rates of any age group.

Abortion continues to be a very safe procedure for which major complications are rare at all gestations. However, it is known that the risk of complications increases at higher gestations. The Department works closely with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and abortion providers to ensure that abortions are provided safely, in accordance with the legal framework set by the Abortion Act 1967.

It is a legal requirement under the 1967 Abortion Act that the Chief Medical Officer must be notified of all abortions within 14 days of the procedure. The Department provides the HSA4 abortion notification form for this purpose. HSA4 forms record known complications, up until the time of the patient’s discharge from the abortion service.

To consider the completeness of abortion complications data submitted via abortion notifications, the Department committed to publishing a one-time analysis comparing data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics. This was published in November 2023. The Department is inviting views on abortion statistics for England and Wales, including the future publication of abortion complications data, via an online user engagement survey and via email. We welcome responses from abortion providers and all interested parties on this matter.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure statistics on abortion complications are accurately collected and analysed to develop policies to improve women's health.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s comparison of statistics on abortion complications in England, using data from the Abortion Notification System, compared to data on hospital admissions for abortion complications from Hospital Episode Statistics for the years 2017 to 2021, found that women under 20 years old had the lowest complication rates of any age group.

Abortion continues to be a very safe procedure for which major complications are rare at all gestations. However, it is known that the risk of complications increases at higher gestations. The Department works closely with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and abortion providers to ensure that abortions are provided safely, in accordance with the legal framework set by the Abortion Act 1967.

It is a legal requirement under the 1967 Abortion Act that the Chief Medical Officer must be notified of all abortions within 14 days of the procedure. The Department provides the HSA4 abortion notification form for this purpose. HSA4 forms record known complications, up until the time of the patient’s discharge from the abortion service.

To consider the completeness of abortion complications data submitted via abortion notifications, the Department committed to publishing a one-time analysis comparing data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics. This was published in November 2023. The Department is inviting views on abortion statistics for England and Wales, including the future publication of abortion complications data, via an online user engagement survey and via email. We welcome responses from abortion providers and all interested parties on this matter.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) cars and (b) other vehicles used by her Department were made in Britain.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not operate any fleet vehicles.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the impact of ultra-processed foods on public health in (a) the UK and (b) other countries; and whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the UK exiting the EU on levels of consumption of ultra-processed food.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In July 2023, the SACN published a position statement on processed foods and health, summarising a scoping review of the evidence on food processing and health. The statement can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health-summary-report#:~:text=Consumption%20of%20(ultra-)%20processed,fruit%20and%20vegetables%20and%20fibre.

The statement included an evaluation of the methods of applying the ultra-processed food (UPF) definition in the UK, the suitability of such methods, and consideration of the availability and quality of evidence on food processing and health.

It made reference to international policy and recommendations with respect to food processing and estimates of processed food consumption in the United States and France. The statement notes that estimated average UPF consumption in the United States was comparable to estimates conducted for the UK. Estimated average UPF consumption in France was somewhat lower than the UK. However, it is unclear if this is due to differences in dietary patterns, data collection methods, the methods used to estimate UPF consumption, or a combination of some, or all, of these issues.

The SACN concluded that observed associations between UPF and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content. Given the SACN’s concerns, the committee has added the topic of processed foods to its watching brief and will consider it at its next horizon scan meeting in June 2024. No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the UK exiting the European Union on levels of UPF consumption.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of consumption of ultra-processed foods on health.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In July 2023, the SACN published a position statement on processed foods and health, summarising a scoping review of the evidence on food processing and health. The statement can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health/sacn-statement-on-processed-foods-and-health-summary-report#:~:text=Consumption%20of%20(ultra-)%20processed,fruit%20and%20vegetables%20and%20fibre.

The statement included an evaluation of the methods of applying the ultra-processed food (UPF) definition in the UK, the suitability of such methods, and consideration of the availability and quality of evidence on food processing and health.

It made reference to international policy and recommendations with respect to food processing and estimates of processed food consumption in the United States and France. The statement notes that estimated average UPF consumption in the United States was comparable to estimates conducted for the UK. Estimated average UPF consumption in France was somewhat lower than the UK. However, it is unclear if this is due to differences in dietary patterns, data collection methods, the methods used to estimate UPF consumption, or a combination of some, or all, of these issues.

The SACN concluded that observed associations between UPF and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content. Given the SACN’s concerns, the committee has added the topic of processed foods to its watching brief and will consider it at its next horizon scan meeting in June 2024. No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the UK exiting the European Union on levels of UPF consumption.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ban the advertising of nicotine products in (a) Formula One and (b) other sports; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of nicotine advertising on public health.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, but the Government is concerned about the worrying rise in vaping among children, with youth vaping tripling in the last three years and one in five children having now used a vape. This is extremely worrying given the unknown long-term health impacts and the addictive nature of the nicotine contained in vapes.

Collectively, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, the Communications Act 2003, the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, and the Broadcast Code outline restrictions on the marketing and promotion of vapes. This includes a ban on advertising on television, radio, and through information society services, such as internet advertising or commercial email.

It is still concerning, however, that vapes are still being marketed and advertised to children, including in sports settings. As the Government stated during the Commons Committee Stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we have committed to explore the steps we can take to further restrict vape advertising and sponsorship, and we will revert with further updates on proposals for the Report Stage.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of hospital admissions for issues related to pipe smoking in the last (a) 12 months, (b) five years and (c) 20 years.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Tobacco is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes approximately one in four UK cancer deaths. It also costs our country £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Latest estimates from Action on Smoking and Health put the cost of smoking to the NHS and social care at £3 billion a year.

All smoked tobacco is extremely harmful, including pipe smoking. Smoking is the main driver for conditions such as lung cancer and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is a major factor for others such as premature cardiovascular disease.

Data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities Smoking Profile showed that in 2019/20 there were an estimated 448,031 smoking attributable hospital admissions, but we cannot differentiate by the type of tobacco. As such, the Department does not hold data on the annual costs to the NHS of pipe smoking, nor data on the number of hospital admissions for issues related to pipe smoking in the last 12 months, five years, or 20 years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to have any discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence about routinely taking into consideration the impact on the physical and mental health of the person with a rare condition and their wider family.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently, in line with its established methods and processes, which have been developed through extensive engagement with interested parties. In developing its guidance, the NICE takes into account all physical and mental health-related costs and benefits including, where relevant, the health-related benefits to carers and the wider family.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government which profession has primary responsibility for providing initial point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems, and whether physician associates are the appropriate profession for this work.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

While general practice (GP) remains at the heart of primary care, a wide range of clinicians are well suited to supporting patients in GP, as part of multi-disciplinary teams. This includes Physician Associates (PAs), who work alongside GPs and the wider practice teams, to provide care. PAs are not substitutes for GPs or doctors in training, rather they are specifically trained to work collaboratively with doctors and others. PAs work within a defined scope of practice and limits of competence. NHS England has provided recent guidance on the use of PAs in GP teams.

As set out in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service, where their named GP supervisor is satisfied that adequate supervision, supporting governance and systems are in place, PAs can provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems. Underpinning this is the supervising GP’s confidence in the PA’s competence, based on the knowledge and skills gained through their training and development.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 40 new hospitals confirmed by the then Prime Minister on 2 October 2020 have been completed and are operational.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The New Hospital Programme has opened six hospitals, listed as follows:

- the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, for the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust;

- the Royal Liverpool Hospital, for the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;

- stage 1 of the 3Ts Hospital, for the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust;

- the Northgate Hospital and Ferndene Hospital, specifically phase 1 and phase 2 of the Care Environment Development and Re-provision Programme, for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust;

- the Dyson Cancer Centre, for the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust; and

- the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Centre, for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Two more hospitals are due to open this financial year, listed as follows:

- the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; and

- the National Rehabilitation Centre, for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable evaluation of health programmes and investments to account for productivity benefits, in line with guidance issued in the Green Book.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has well-established policies and mechanisms in place to ensure health programmes and investments are subject to systematic evaluation at key stages in their lifecycle, in accordance with HM Treasury’s business case guidance. This includes reviewing quantitative and qualitative evidence on whether approved health projects achieve their objectives and deliver the promised benefits within the agreed budget, timescale, and scope. Lessons from post-project evaluation are widely disseminated, to support better investment decisions in future, and more robustly developed business cases.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much each NHS Integrated Care Systems owed to NHS England for historic deficits at the end of the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well as in the Department’s 2023/24 Annual Report and Accounts, to be published later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS (a) integrated care systems and (b) trusts were in deficit at the end of the 2023-24 financial year; and if she will publish a breakdown of those figures by (i) acute, (ii) mental health, (iii) community health, (iv) ambulance services and (v) other types of trust.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well as in the Department’s 2023/24 Annual Report and Accounts, to be published later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the overall year end deficit for integrated care systems was in the financial year 2023-24.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The final year-end financial position for the integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts, and foundation trusts has not yet been finalised. All figures are due to be audited and will be reported in the accounts for all organisations, as well as in the Department’s 2023/24 Annual Report and Accounts, to be published later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last three years, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data relating to the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in England and Wales is captured by the National Diabetes Audit Report. The most current figures published cover the period 2017-18 to 2021-22, which have been published online and can be found on the NHS Digital website:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit/report-1-care-processes-and-treatment-targets-2021-22-full-report/section-1---incidence-and-prevalence-17-18---21-22-copy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which part of NHS England has accountability for coeliac disease diagnoses.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICB) commission services to meet the needs of their local populace. Diagnosis of coeliac disease falls within the portfolio of ICB-commissioned services. As such, NHS England does not have central accountability. However, NHS England has invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme.

The diagnosis of coeliac disease commonly involves a blood test and, in some cases, a biopsy of the small intestine. Post-diagnosis, further blood tests, which check the levels of iron and other vitamins and minerals, may be required to assess how the condition has affected the individual, such as the potential for iron deficiency anaemia due to poor absorption of nutrients. A bone density scan may also be recommended if the condition is thought to affect the individual’s bones.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to improve awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases such as sickle cell disease, and published the UK Rare Diseases Framework in January 2021, providing the high-level approach for rare diseases. The framework outlines future priorities including increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals. In England we publish action plans annually to address these priorities. As part of this plan we committed to developing an innovative digital educational resource, ‘GeNotes’, providing healthcare professionals with relevant and concise information to support patient management, linking to the NHS Genomic Test Directories, and signposting to extended learning opportunities. This resource includes information on sickle cell disease and is updated regularly.

There have been recent improvements to the haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease now described in the curriculum as a core competency. The National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme has launched several products to support NHS England in raising awareness of sickle cell disease among healthcare professionals including NHS England’s Can you tell it's Sickle Cell campaign and e-learning module and a communications campaign to raise awareness of existing NHS England arrangements to support people with sickle cell disease to save money on the costs of regular prescriptions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of NHS provision of specialist ME or chronic fatigue syndrome services; and if she will take steps to increase the number of clinicians who specialise in ME or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), provides funding for research projects which aim to understand the underlying causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and find new treatments for the condition. As part of this, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council have funded the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes, or an increased risk of developing the condition. By helping us to understand ME/CFS better, this research has the potential to lead to new treatments for the condition.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist ME/CFS services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021. In addition, in October 2023, the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS published the ME/CFS National Services Survey. This report provides insight into the services being delivered for adults, children, and young people with ME/CFS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department (a) has and (b) plans to provide funding for new treatments for ME or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), provides funding for research projects which aim to understand the underlying causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and find new treatments for the condition. As part of this, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council have funded the world’s largest genome-wide association study of ME/CFS. This £3.2 million study, termed DecodeME, will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME/CFS to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes, or an increased risk of developing the condition. By helping us to understand ME/CFS better, this research has the potential to lead to new treatments for the condition.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning specialist ME/CFS services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. The process of commissioning services should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on ME/CFS diagnosis and management, published in October 2021. In addition, in October 2023, the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS published the ME/CFS National Services Survey. This report provides insight into the services being delivered for adults, children, and young people with ME/CFS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of nicotine gum usage (a) across the whole population and (b) by young adults below the age of 18.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

When accompanied by behavioural support, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has proven to be effective for smoking cessation, including for adolescents, although to a lesser degree. Since 2008, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends prescribing slow acting NRTs, such as patches and gum, for young smokers aged 12 to 17 years old, combined with behavioural support. Further information on the use of NRTs, which includes nicotine gum, in local NHS Stop Smoking Services is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-nhs-stop-smoking-services-in-england/april-2021-to-march-2022/part-3---stop-smoking-services.

In 2022/23, 360,619 NRTs were dispensed, a decrease from 2021/22, in which 374,169 NRTs were dispensed. The number of NRTs prescribed has been decreasing for a number of years, and is now less than a quarter of the total dispensed items in 2010/11, which was 1.5 million. However, the Department does not hold data on the level of nicotine gum usage specifically, for either adults or children.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people who start smoking tobacco as a result of using vapes.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is no current evidence to show a significant gateway effect from vaping into smoking, and no data to show the number of people who start smoking, as a result of vaping. Youth and adult smoking rates continue to fall and are at an all-time low, although they remain significant. Recent evidence shows that, for many adult smokers, vapes are an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation, especially when combined with expert support. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub7/full

However, youth vaping has tripled in the last three years, with one in five children having now used a vape. The health advice is clear, young people, and those who have never smoked, should not vape. We have a duty to protect our children from the potential harms associated with underage vaping, while their lungs and brains are still developing. This is why we are committed to reducing the access, appeal, and affordability of vapes and tobacco through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to stop future generations of smokers and nicotine users.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of the bottleneck between foundation and speciality training for NHS doctors; and what steps they are taking to address this.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government continues to keep the number of medical speciality training places it funds under review, and has taken significant action to expand places over recent years. In January 2023, Health Education England, now part of NHS England, announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts had been created for that year, including more than 500 in the key areas of mental health and cancer treatment. This built on funding for more than 750 additional training posts across speciality programmes for 2022. Future specialty growth will take the total increase to more than 2,000 places over three years, from 2021 to 2024.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan published in June last year set out a commitment to double the number of medical school places in England by 2031/32. The plan also included a commitment to ensure there is adequate growth in foundation placement capacity, as students begin to graduate from the expanded number of medical school places, and a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the National Health Service in England, in the future. We will work with stakeholders to ensure this growth is sustainable, and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in reducing inequalities in outcomes for breast cancer patients from black and minority ethnic backgrounds over the past (1) 10 years, (2) five years, and (3) two years.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Reducing inequalities and improving breast cancer outcomes for ethnic minority women is a priority for the Government. To support this work, NHS England has commissioned six new cancer clinical audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatments and outcomes for patients, including for breast cancer. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October 2022, and the first outcomes are expected in September 2024.

NHS England is also leading a programme of work to tackle healthcare inequalities centred around five clear priorities, which are set out in the operational planning guidance for the health system. The Core20PLUS5 approach proactively targets groups that are less likely to engage with services in the most deprived quintile of the population, along with ethnic minority communities and inclusion health groups, across five clinical areas which includes early cancer diagnosis, specifically screening and early referral.

The issue of improving equality monitoring, by reference to ethnicity and the other eight protected characteristics, is being considered at a national level under the programme called the Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics (UISPC). Evaluating the use of the 2021 ethnicity census categories is part of this programme. The UISPC Publication Steering Group is reporting to NHS England and the Department this year, which will inform a view on the next steps, including any plans for publication and consultation, and an implementation timetable. Preparatory work has been undertaken by NHS England that would facilitate the introduction of the 2021 ethnicity codes, should a decision be made to adopt the 2021 ethnicity census codes, or to implement an alternative approach to ethnicity, if recommended.

NHS England’s operational planning guidance recognises the importance of improving the quality of data for patient characteristics. This is one of the five strategic priorities in their drive to reduce healthcare inequalities, as improved data quality will help to reveal health inequalities and inform action to address them. NHS England has therefore asked systems to continue to improve the collection and recording of ethnicity data across primary care, outpatients, accident and emergency, mental health, community services, and specialised commissioning.

NHS England’s National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) collects ethnicity data for all cancer patients through a variety of routine, national data feeds, including the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset, Hospital Episode Statistics data, and Patient Administration System data. The NDRS publishes key performance indicator data on the national registration statistics for England. The latest published indicator data, for invasive cancer cases excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, diagnosed in 2020, shows that ethnicity data is complete for 94.9% of cases.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the collection and reporting of ethnicity data for breast cancer patients to support understanding of variations in outcomes and patient experience of NHS care.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Reducing inequalities and improving breast cancer outcomes for ethnic minority women is a priority for the Government. To support this work, NHS England has commissioned six new cancer clinical audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatments and outcomes for patients, including for breast cancer. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October 2022, and the first outcomes are expected in September 2024.

NHS England is also leading a programme of work to tackle healthcare inequalities centred around five clear priorities, which are set out in the operational planning guidance for the health system. The Core20PLUS5 approach proactively targets groups that are less likely to engage with services in the most deprived quintile of the population, along with ethnic minority communities and inclusion health groups, across five clinical areas which includes early cancer diagnosis, specifically screening and early referral.

The issue of improving equality monitoring, by reference to ethnicity and the other eight protected characteristics, is being considered at a national level under the programme called the Unified Information Standard for Protected Characteristics (UISPC). Evaluating the use of the 2021 ethnicity census categories is part of this programme. The UISPC Publication Steering Group is reporting to NHS England and the Department this year, which will inform a view on the next steps, including any plans for publication and consultation, and an implementation timetable. Preparatory work has been undertaken by NHS England that would facilitate the introduction of the 2021 ethnicity codes, should a decision be made to adopt the 2021 ethnicity census codes, or to implement an alternative approach to ethnicity, if recommended.

NHS England’s operational planning guidance recognises the importance of improving the quality of data for patient characteristics. This is one of the five strategic priorities in their drive to reduce healthcare inequalities, as improved data quality will help to reveal health inequalities and inform action to address them. NHS England has therefore asked systems to continue to improve the collection and recording of ethnicity data across primary care, outpatients, accident and emergency, mental health, community services, and specialised commissioning.

NHS England’s National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) collects ethnicity data for all cancer patients through a variety of routine, national data feeds, including the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset, Hospital Episode Statistics data, and Patient Administration System data. The NDRS publishes key performance indicator data on the national registration statistics for England. The latest published indicator data, for invasive cancer cases excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, diagnosed in 2020, shows that ethnicity data is complete for 94.9% of cases.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the number of GPs currently seeking, yet unable to obtain, employment.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is no centrally held data on the number of general practice vacancies.

The Government remains committed to growing the number of doctors working in general practice. NHS England has made available a number of recruitment schemes, including the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme and the Return to Practice Programme.

The headcount of doctors working in general practice in March 2024 was 4,282 more, including 2,709 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors, than in March 2019.

The latest available data, as of March 2024, shows that the headcount of doctors in general practice in England was 47,173, including 37,235 FTE doctors, of whom 37,399 (27,574 FTE) were fully qualified general practioners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of GPs now seeking and unable to obtain employment.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is no centrally held data on the number of general practice vacancies.

The Government remains committed to growing the number of doctors working in general practice. NHS England has made available a number of recruitment schemes, including the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme and the Return to Practice Programme.

The headcount of doctors working in general practice in March 2024 was 4,282 more, including 2,709 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors, than in March 2019.

The latest available data, as of March 2024, shows that the headcount of doctors in general practice in England was 47,173, including 37,235 FTE doctors, of whom 37,399 (27,574 FTE) were fully qualified general practioners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of NHS England’s ability to categorise neuro-developmental conditions in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The term neurodevelopmental condition encompasses a wide range of conditions. The majority of services for neurodevelopmental conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). There is no singular dataset which provides data on the number of all neurodevelopmental conditions by region. There are, however, some datasets which provide useful information nationally and locally on the numbers of people being referred for assessments or diagnosed with specific neurodevelopmental conditions, to support local service commissioning and provision. This includes the autism waiting times statistics, the Assuring Transformation data collection, the Mental Health Services Data Set, Community Services Data Set, and the Commissioning Data Sets. There is also an indicator in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service monthly publication which is a count of all patients that have a diagnosis of autism in their general practice (GP) records, by each GP.

No assessment has been made of NHS England’s ability to categorise neurodevelopmental conditions in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and ICBs, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance for which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

Patients with neurodevelopmental conditions are not categorised by NHS England as to whether they meet the definition of disabled under the Equality Act 2010, and nor does the act require this.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Departments monitors the number of neuro-developmental conditions confirmed by NHS England by region.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The term neurodevelopmental condition encompasses a wide range of conditions. The majority of services for neurodevelopmental conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). There is no singular dataset which provides data on the number of all neurodevelopmental conditions by region. There are, however, some datasets which provide useful information nationally and locally on the numbers of people being referred for assessments or diagnosed with specific neurodevelopmental conditions, to support local service commissioning and provision. This includes the autism waiting times statistics, the Assuring Transformation data collection, the Mental Health Services Data Set, Community Services Data Set, and the Commissioning Data Sets. There is also an indicator in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service monthly publication which is a count of all patients that have a diagnosis of autism in their general practice (GP) records, by each GP.

No assessment has been made of NHS England’s ability to categorise neurodevelopmental conditions in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and ICBs, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance for which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

Patients with neurodevelopmental conditions are not categorised by NHS England as to whether they meet the definition of disabled under the Equality Act 2010, and nor does the act require this.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to help ensure that ultra-processed foods are easily identifiable to consumers.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Nutrition labelling helps to support consumers in making informed choices about their food and non-alcoholic drinks by providing information on the nutrient content of products. Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling is intended to support healthier choices by communicating complex nutritional information via colour coding, in a way that is easy and quick to understand.

While there is no universally agreed definition of ultra-processed foods, NOVA is the most widely used classification system. NOVA categorises foods by how much processing they have been through rather than their nutritional composition. There are considerable uncertainties about whether these foods are unhealthy due to processing, or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt.

The Government’s dietary advice, as depicted within the Eatwell Guide, already shows that many foods that would be classified as ultra-processed are not part of a healthy, balanced diet, as they are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt. The Government’s advice on healthy eating, including the Eatwell Guide principles, is communicated through the NHS.UK website and Government social marketing campaigns such as Better Health, Healthier Families and Start for Life. Further information on the Eatwell Guide is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to extend the opt-out HIV testing programme.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the HIV Action Plan, NHS England made an initial £20 million available over three years up to 2025 for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) opt-out testing in 34 emergency departments in areas with extremely high HIV prevalence, with five or more HIV cases per 1,000 residents aged 15 to 59 years old. This includes Blackpool at 4.9 HIV cases in 2019, and the whole of London, including some local areas with high HIV prevalence, specifically with two to five HIV cases per 1,000 residents aged 15 to 59 years old, with additional funding from NHS London.

The programme shows extremely encouraging outcomes and in the first two years, it has preliminarily delivered nearly 1.9 million HIV tests, and helped find more than 1,000 people with undiagnosed or untreated HIV.

In November 2023, the Department announced a new research project to evaluate an expansion of HIV opt-out testing in emergency departments in England. Backed by a further £20 million of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the research project will evaluate the testing programme in 47 new sites across England, where HIV prevalence is high. The research project is currently in its set-up phase and will run until the end of 2025/26, with sites receiving twelve months of funding for testing.

Decisions on whether to continue offering opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments in local areas with extremely high and high HIV prevalence will be based on outcomes of the current opt-out HIV testing programme and research project, as well as available funding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people diagnosed with cancer underwent a needs assessment and were given a personalised care and support plan in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available, as the data is not collected in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who completed cancer treatment were offered an 'end of treatment summary' in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information is not available, as the data is not collected in the format requested.

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 14 May 2024 to Question 25289 on Visual Impairment: Rehabilitation, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) holding and (b) collecting data on the provision of vision rehabilitation support.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Department is working with local authorities and other organisations to identify the data needed to support the delivery of adult social care, and provide insight into adult social care outcomes. We are committed to reducing the burden of data collection on local authorities and adult social care providers, so the benefits of any new data collection will need to be balanced against the potential burden it would create.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that local authority trading standards bodies have sufficient (a) funding and (b) other resources to tackle (i) illicit vapes and (ii) underage sales.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is concerned about the increase in the number of illicit vapes in the United Kingdom’s market, and the easy access and availability of these vapes to children. To strengthen our enforcement activity, we are providing an additional £30 million per year for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, to support work in tackling illicit and underage sales. We are working closely with Trading Standards to consider how the new funding can best support their programmes of local-level enforcement.

In April last year, we also provided £3 million of new funding for a new enforcement unit to tackle the illegal and underage sale of vapes, which has conducted targeted inspections in retail outlets and ports, upskilled Trading Standards officers, and piloted online underage test programmes.

The Government will also introduce fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the underage sale of tobacco and vaping products. This will support Trading Standards in taking quicker and more proportionate enforcement action against the irresponsible retailers who allow underage sales. Enforcement authorities will retain all the proceeds from FPNs, to reinvest in the enforcement of tobacco and vaping product legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the sale of illegal vapes to people under the age of 18.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is concerned about the increase in the number of illicit vapes in the United Kingdom’s market, and the easy access and availability of these vapes to children. To strengthen our enforcement activity, we are providing an additional £30 million per year for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, to support work in tackling illicit and underage sales. We are working closely with Trading Standards to consider how the new funding can best support their programmes of local-level enforcement.

In April last year, we also provided £3 million of new funding for a new enforcement unit to tackle the illegal and underage sale of vapes, which has conducted targeted inspections in retail outlets and ports, upskilled Trading Standards officers, and piloted online underage test programmes.

The Government will also introduce fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the underage sale of tobacco and vaping products. This will support Trading Standards in taking quicker and more proportionate enforcement action against the irresponsible retailers who allow underage sales. Enforcement authorities will retain all the proceeds from FPNs, to reinvest in the enforcement of tobacco and vaping product legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve rates of retention in HIV care among (a) Black African women, (b) Black Caribbean women, (c) White women and (d) women of other ethnicities.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The HIV Action Plan is the cornerstone of our approach to drive forward progress and achieve our goal of ending new human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) transmissions, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030. A key principle of our approach is to ensure that all populations benefit equally from improvements made in HIV outcomes, including through testing, and high-quality care for those with a positive HIV status.

While the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant drop in HIV testing, we are pleased that services are recovering, and testing rates among gay and bisexual men are now at the highest level on record, with a 23% increase from 2019 to 2022. However, more progress is needed across all groups, which we are targeting through various initiatives.

As part of the HIV Action Plan, the Department funds the HIV Prevention Programme, which annually runs a National HIV Testing Week (NHTW) campaign to encourage those in underrepresented groups, such as women and black ethnic groups, to test for HIV. In 2023, we introduced the self-testing option, which we know is very popular with harder to reach groups. During the 2024 NHTW campaign, self-testing orders from black African women nearly doubled when compared with 2023, and orders of these kits by heterosexual women increased by 39%.

The introduction of opt-out testing for HIV in emergency departments, in the areas with extremely high diagnosed HIV prevalence, is also a crucial strategy to help us identify those living with undiagnosed or untreated HIV. By normalising testing as part of an emergency department attendance when blood is drawn, we help reach communities that are currently underserved by testing opportunities, such as black African and black Caribbean ethnic groups and women, and reduce the number of people presenting with a late HIV diagnosis.

A subgroup of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group (ISG), the Retention and Re-engagement in Care Task and Finish Group, is providing advice on increasing the number of people retained and re-engaged in care and receiving effective medical care, in particularly considering women and other groups disproportionally affected by HIV, which will be reviewed by the ISG in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that HIV testing rates among women (a) return to and (b) exceed pre covid-19 levels.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The HIV Action Plan is the cornerstone of our approach to drive forward progress and achieve our goal of ending new human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) transmissions, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030. A key principle of our approach is to ensure that all populations benefit equally from improvements made in HIV outcomes, including through testing, and high-quality care for those with a positive HIV status.

While the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant drop in HIV testing, we are pleased that services are recovering, and testing rates among gay and bisexual men are now at the highest level on record, with a 23% increase from 2019 to 2022. However, more progress is needed across all groups, which we are targeting through various initiatives.

As part of the HIV Action Plan, the Department funds the HIV Prevention Programme, which annually runs a National HIV Testing Week (NHTW) campaign to encourage those in underrepresented groups, such as women and black ethnic groups, to test for HIV. In 2023, we introduced the self-testing option, which we know is very popular with harder to reach groups. During the 2024 NHTW campaign, self-testing orders from black African women nearly doubled when compared with 2023, and orders of these kits by heterosexual women increased by 39%.

The introduction of opt-out testing for HIV in emergency departments, in the areas with extremely high diagnosed HIV prevalence, is also a crucial strategy to help us identify those living with undiagnosed or untreated HIV. By normalising testing as part of an emergency department attendance when blood is drawn, we help reach communities that are currently underserved by testing opportunities, such as black African and black Caribbean ethnic groups and women, and reduce the number of people presenting with a late HIV diagnosis.

A subgroup of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group (ISG), the Retention and Re-engagement in Care Task and Finish Group, is providing advice on increasing the number of people retained and re-engaged in care and receiving effective medical care, in particularly considering women and other groups disproportionally affected by HIV, which will be reviewed by the ISG in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will require integrated care boards to collect data on the availability of NHS dental care services in their locality.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for undertaking oral health needs assessments, including any data collection, to identify areas of oral health need, inform local commissioning intentions, and determine the local priorities for investment. It is a contractual responsibility for all National Health Service dental practices to update their NHS.UK profiles at least once every 90 days. The Find a Dentist website gives details of the dental practices in an area, and whether they are accepting new patients, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

ICB-level data on the number of Units of Dental Activity and courses of treatment delivered, as well as the numbers of adults and children seen, is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Royal Association for Deaf people on the accessibility of GP appointments for deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ensuring that general practice appointments are accessible to everyone, including those who are deaf or hearing-impaired, is a top priority for the Government. Our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, published in May 2023, outlines the implementation of a new Modern General Practice Access model, which offers an alternative option to the traditional telephone-based booking system. This is underpinned by £240 million of retargeted funding to improve digital access routes, and support practices to implement new technology. Digital systems will give patients, including the hearing-impaired, the choice to use an online form on the practice’s website to seek help, instead of having to phone for an appointment, or visit in person. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not recently met with the Royal Association for Deaf People.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department issues guidance to GPs on alternatives to phone-based booking systems for access to appointments for deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ensuring that general practice appointments are accessible to everyone, including those who are deaf or hearing-impaired, is a top priority for the Government. Our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, published in May 2023, outlines the implementation of a new Modern General Practice Access model, which offers an alternative option to the traditional telephone-based booking system. This is underpinned by £240 million of retargeted funding to improve digital access routes, and support practices to implement new technology. Digital systems will give patients, including the hearing-impaired, the choice to use an online form on the practice’s website to seek help, instead of having to phone for an appointment, or visit in person. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not recently met with the Royal Association for Deaf People.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental appointments have been commissioned by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board in Easington constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Activity in National Health Service dentistry is measured by the number of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) commissioned and delivered, and by the number of courses of treatment delivered, rather than by the number of appointments. Data on the number of UDAs commissioned and delivered is published each month on the NHS Business Services Authority Open Data Portal, which currently holds data up to February 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/english-contractor-monthly-general-dental-activity

Data on the number of courses of treatment delivered in 2022/23, and in previous years, is published by NHS Digital, and available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that patients taking pancreatic enzymes continue to receive them.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of supply issues with three pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies: Creon 10000 gastro-resistant capsules; Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules; and Nutrizym 22 gastro-resistant capsules. We understand that these are due to limited availability of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturing constraints in producing the volumes required to meet demand. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals regarding treatment of patients while there is a disruption to the supply of these pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies. We are having regular conversations with the suppliers of these products, to ask that they expedite deliveries and increase production forecasts, and to confirm that they are taking action to address the root causes of the issues, to ensure continuity of supply. We are also working with specialist importers to source unlicensed imports from abroad.

Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes 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, 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, how much hospice-provided palliative care was commissioned by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial years; and how that funding allocation was determined.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards receive a general allocation to deliver their responsibilities, including those related to palliative and end of life care. There is no separately identified allocation for hospice-provided palliative care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental appointments have been commissioned by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Activity in National Health Service dentistry is measured by the number of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) commissioned and delivered, and by the number of courses of treatment delivered, rather than by the number of appointments. Data on the number of UDAs commissioned and delivered is published each month on the NHS Business Services Authority Open Data Portal, which currently holds data up to February 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/english-contractor-monthly-general-dental-activity

Data on the number of courses of treatment delivered in 2022/23, and in previous years, is published by NHS Digital, and available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

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 increase (a) awareness and (b) optimum management of prosthetic infection in all healthcare settings.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Ensuring that healthcare staff have the requisite skills and training to implement and improve infection prevention and control (IPC) practices is the responsibility of each employer. The NHS England National Infection Prevention and Control manual (NIPCM), is an evidence-based practice manual that seeks to promote a common understanding, leading to improved knowledge and consistency of application of IPC practices. The manual supports the system in implementing IPC improvements aimed at minimising infection risk and meeting the ambitions set out in the United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance national action plan across England.

In general, the management of prosthetic infection in all healthcare settings consists of surgery and antimicrobial therapy, with the approach depending on the timing and microbiology of infection, implant condition, soft tissue envelope quality, and individual patient circumstances.

Getting It Right First Time is an improvement programme within the National Health Service led by frontline clinicians designed to improve the quality of care within the NHS by reducing unwarranted variations. By sharing best practice nationally, it identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes and delivers efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings.

The UK Health Security Agency manages the national Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Service (SSISS). This service enhances the quality of patient care by providing hospitals with a framework for collection and comparison of their rates of SSI against national benchmarks. The information is used to review and guide clinical practice to reduce the risk of infection following surgery. There are 17 categories of surgery under surveillance by hospitals, which include hip and knee replacement. For all NHS hospitals undertaking orthopaedic surgery, mandatory surveillance is carried out in at least one orthopaedic surgical category each quarter of the financial year, with hip and knee replacements being the most numerous. The service also encourages voluntary surveillance, which includes limb amputation.

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 reduce ambulance waiting times in (a) Suffolk and (b) Suffolk Coastal constituency.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services sets out the range of measures being taken to achieve our ambition of reducing average Category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes across 2024/25, including in Suffolk. A summary of the progress made, and actions taken in 2024/25 is set out in Urgent and emergency care recovery plan year 2: building on learning from 2023/24, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/urgent-and-emergency-care-recovery-plan-year-2-building-on-learning-from-2023-24/

Nationally, ambulance trusts received £200 million of additional funding in 2023/24 to increase deployed hours and reduce response times, and this service capacity is being maintained in 2024/25. This is alongside the delivery of new ambulances, and action to reduce handover delays. With more ambulances on the roads, patients will receive the treatment they need more swiftly.

Since we published our plan, there has been significant improvement in ambulance response times, including in Suffolk. In 2023/24, average Category 2 ambulance response time in the East of England was over 23 minutes faster compared to the previous year, a reduction of over 34%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) prevalence of the use of, (b) adequacy of the standards of service provided by and (c) potential impact on patient outcomes of the use of the private sector in the provision of mental health services in the NHS; and what steps she has taken to help ensure compliance by the private sector with the Code of Practice: Mental Health Act 1983.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No such specific assessment has been made. Private companies have always played a role in the National Health Service, and patients should expect a safe and good quality service regardless of whether their care is delivered by private sector or public sector providers. Local integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health and care services for their local populations, in line with the standards set out in the NHS Standard Contract.

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and care services. All providers of regulated activities, including those in the private sector, must register with the Care Quality Commission, and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality, below which care should never fall.

The Care Quality Commission also has a duty under the Mental Health Act 1983 to monitor how services exercise their powers and discharge their duties under the act when patients are detained in hospital or are subject to community treatment orders or guardianship.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on (a) implementing the actions in the urgent and emergency care plan and (b) preventing ambulances queuing at hospitals.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have made significant progress in implementing the Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services since it was published in January 2023. A summary is set out in the document, Urgent and emergency care recovery plan Year 2: Building on learning from 2023/24, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/urgent-and-emergency-care-recovery-plan-year-2-building-on-learning-from-2023-24/

Progress includes delivering 5,000 additional core hospital beds, exceeding our virtual ward bed capacity ambition, with over 12,000 now available, and increasing same day emergency care services across the country. These measures are helping to improve patient flow through accident and emergency (A&E) and reduce the ambulance capacity lost to handover delays.

Since the publication of the plan, both A&E and ambulance performance has improved during 2023/24, compared to the previous year. In addition, average ambulance patient handover times have fallen to 32 minutes 42 seconds in April 2024, from 37 minutes 33 seconds in October 2023, when the publication of this data began.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in how many NHS trusts temporary buildings are in use.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service does not hold data on the number of temporary buildings in use.

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 improve (a) access to and (b) the provision of NHS dentistry in Easington constituency.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the 24 months to June 2023, 1,099,769 adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), the equivalent to 46% of the population. This figure is 10% higher than the year before, as in the 24 months to June 2022, 996,298 adults were seen by an NHS dentist.

On 7 February 2024, we published Faster, simpler, and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, which is backed by £200 million, and will fund approximately 2.5 million additional appointments. The plan sets out our actions to improve dental access for patients across the country, and to address the challenges facing NHS dentistry, including in Easington.

A New Patient Premium is supporting dentists to take on new patients, and since the end of January, nearly 500 more practices have said they are open to new patients. We have further supported dentists by raising the minimum Units of Dental Activity rate to £28 this year, making NHS work more attractive and sustainable.

From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all ICBs across England. The Northeast and North Cumbria ICB is responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need, and determine the priorities for investment across the ICB area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the (a) outcomes and (b) experiences of women with HIV; and what steps she plans to take to reflect those in the next HIV action plan.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to ensuring everyone benefits equally from progress on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), including women, as set out in our HIV Action Plan. In collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency, we are continuing to monitor the experiences of people living with HIV within the health and social care system, as well as within community settings, via the Positive Voices survey. Data from the latest Positive Voices report, published in January 2024, revealed that HIV treatment and care service provision has continued to be highly rated and equitable across the country.

We are encouraged by the progress made to date by the HIV Action Plan, driven by excellent leadership and joint efforts with partners across the system. We will be working closely together with our HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group partners and other key stakeholders, to understand the data trends and agree on the most effective strategies to continue driving our way forward. We will be considering and sharing next steps for the HIV Action Plan shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending the use of vapes for smoking cessation.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Recent evidence shows that, for many adult smokers, vapes can be an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation, especially when combined with expert support.

However, the health advice is clear: young people and those who have never smoked should not vape. We have a duty to protect our children from the potential harms associated with underage vaping, while their lungs and brains are still developing. This is why we are committed to reduce the access, appeal and affordability of vapes and tobacco through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress towards the measures to retain doctors included in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has a strong focus on retention, but is not starting from scratch. It builds on measures put in place though the NHS People Promise and NHS People Plan, to improve organisational culture, and the workplace experience of staff across the National Health Service.

The learning from the NHS National Retention Programme is that single retention interventions rarely have an impact, instead what is needed is sustained action over time, to address retention issues. Last month, NHS England set out a range of measures to improve the working lives of doctors in training, including improving choice and flexibility on rotas, streamlining and improving human resources and payroll support, and reforming statutory and mandatory training.

We have also taken action on pensions and changed the NHS Pension Scheme rules to make retirement more flexible, and encourage retired staff to return. This includes a new partial retirement option available from 1 October 2023 as an alternative to full retirement. Staff can now draw down some or all of their pension whilst continuing to work, and further building up their pension.

To ensure the delivery and review the progress of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, a Governance Board has been established to provide cross Government assurance of progress. The Government has committed to updating the modelling that underpins the Long Term Workforce Plan every two years, or in line with fiscal events as appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the guidance issued by Cambridge University Hospitals which states that: "Staff will be used as chaperones according to the gender they identify ... [and] will not share their trans status with patients nor would it be appropriate for any colleague either to share the trans status or another colleague with a patient or visitor”; and what assessment they have made of the compatibility of this guidance with the Government's definition of sex as biological sex in the context of intimate care.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cambridge University Hospital does not recognise the wording provided in the question as belonging to their chaperone’s guidance. The Government has been clear about the importance of biological sex, and the importance of respecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of all patients.

Our proposed changes to the NHS Constitution reinforce the National Health Services’ commitment to providing single-sex wards, and will empower patients to request that intimate care is carried out by someone of the same biological sex, where this is reasonably possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the NHS England uniform pricing policy on patients' access to innovative medicines.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has successfully secured patient access to a number of innovative medicines under its policy of uniform pricing. European industry data from April 2023 showed that for every four treatments available in Europe, there is an additional medicine available in England, and a quarter more cancer drugs available in England compared to the European average.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many commercial agreements NHS England has made with manufacturers of medicines which allow, support or result in non-uniform pricing by individual medicine.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since April 2020, NHS England has agreed to 37 commercial agreements that have resulted in non-uniform pricing by medicine, via either the Cancer Drugs Fund, or through bespoke commercial deals to support routine commissioning.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice her Department provides to NHS England on the categorisation of people’s disabilities as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department issues to NHS England regarding the use of reasonable adjustment digital flags.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disabilities.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that there is adequate information available for the public to understand if they meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department publishes information to assist people in establishing whether they meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS reasonable adjustment digital flag indicates that the NHS accept that the individual has a disability.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Further information on the definition of disability according to the act can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to NHS England on the categorisation of disability. NHS England has issued guidance for NHS commissioners on equality and health inequalities legal duties. It has also issued guidance with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision, to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else. These changes are called reasonable adjustments. The Flag was developed in the NHS Spine to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view details of reasonable adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. It is now accessible on the National Care Records Service, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-care-records-service

The Flag is designed to provide staff with information on their duties under the Equality Act 2010. It lists existing adjustments defined by clinical codes, such as communication needs defined using the Accessible Information Standard clinical codes, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

It also provides the opportunity to create highly individualised bespoke adjustments for patients. The service holds records for all patients in England who have been flagged as needing reasonable adjustments. A record is created for a patient when a health or social care worker first records the patient's reasonable adjustments.

The Flag provides basic context about a patient, key adjustments, and the details related to this and further information to aid health and care workers. This legal duty is anticipatory, which means a service should know about a person’s need for adjustments when they are referred or present for care. For this to happen, and for optimum care to be delivered, adjustments need to be recorded and shared across the NHS. The Flag can also record if a patient meets the Equality Act definition of disability, which is an impairment with substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day to day activity. It can also optionally contain details of the disability or long term condition that is the source of the patient’s impairment, in line with the Equality Act 2010 guidance. The impairment type list in the guidance shows the impairment types that can be recorded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many physically injured veterans are on a waiting list for rehabilitative care.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The information requested is not held centrally by NHS England. Veterans are not systematically identified in National Health Service systems, and therefore it is not possible to confirm how many veterans are on waiting lists for NHS services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has allocated to the Thirlwall Inquiry.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Decisions about the budget for the inquiry will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of (a) removing Value Added Tax on defibrillators and (b) other fiscal steps to encourage provision of automatic external defibrillators.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No recent discussions have been held regarding removing Value Added Tax on defibrillators or other fiscal steps to encourage provision of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).

As of 22 September 2023, community organisations had been able to apply for a grant to fund a life-saving defibrillator for their local area. An initial estimate of 1,000 new defibrillators were to be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.

Smarter Society received applications for 4,773 AEDs and has delivered 2,000 AEDs. This means that due to the high level of demand, Smarter Society has successfully delivered the fund and further applications are not being accepted at this time. The Department is considering how best to continue supporting organisations that want to obtain an AED in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many IT failures there have been at NHS trusts that affected clinical service delivery in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many IT failures there have been at NHS trusts in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the average timescale for a diagnosis of coeliac disease from the point a person presents to their GP with symptoms; and what assessment she has made of the impact of the time taken for a diagnosis on patient mental and physical health.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.

NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.

The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.

NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press notice entitled Major agreement to deliver new cancer vaccine trials, published on 5 July 2023, whether brain cancer patients will be given access to the treatments and therapies made available through that programme.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government’s partnership with BioNTech aims to provide up to 10,000 United Kingdom patients with personalised immunotherapies by 2030. As well as cancer vaccines, BioNTech has several other classes of cancer therapy under development, such as engineered cell therapies and antibodies. We are not able to comment at this stage on the exact pipeline of clinical trials that BioNTech will go on to launch in the UK, over the coming years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many veterans are on a waiting list for mental health treatment.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The information requested is not held centrally by NHS England. Veterans are not systematically identified in National Health Service systems, and therefore it is not possible to confirm how many veterans are on waiting lists for NHS services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many veterans are on a waiting list for dental care.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The information requested is not held centrally by NHS England. Veterans are not systematically identified in National Health Service systems, and therefore it is not possible to confirm how many veterans are on waiting lists for NHS services.

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 help increase public awareness of coeliac disease.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.

NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.

The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.

NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many responses were received to her Department's consultation entitled The disclosure of industry payments to the healthcare sector, which closed on 16 October 2023; and what her planned timetable is to respond to that consultation.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department launched a United Kingdom-wide public consultation on 4 September 2023 on the disclosure of industry payments to the healthcare sector. The consultation sought views on the possible introduction of regulations through new secondary legislation, as well as views on alternative options to regulations. There were 603 responses to the consultation. The Department is analysing the responses, and the Government’s response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for diagnosis of coeliac disease within NHS England; and what steps her Department takes to (a) monitor the adequacy of diagnostic services for coeliac disease and (b) ensure accountability of that role holder.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.

NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.

The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.

NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering breast cancer screening to women going through early menopause.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) currently recommends that all women aged 50 to 71 years old are invited for a breast screening every three years. The AgeX trial is looking at the impact of increasing or decreasing the screening age for breast screening, and the UK NSC will review its findings when they are available.

The UK NSC can be alerted to any new published peer reviewed evidence which may suggest the case for a new screening programme, or changes to an existing one. Proposals can be submitted via the UK NSC’s annual call in July 2024, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal/uk-nsc-annual-call-how-to-submit-a-proposal#:~:text=To%20submit%20a%20proposal%20for,your%20name

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of audiology services in England that have been outsourced to private providers by NHS (a) trusts and (b) integrated care boards.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Audiology services are directly commissioned via integrated care boards (ICBs), which have responsibility for overseeing the quality and effectiveness of these services. Waiting times are recorded for audiology assessments through the national diagnostic activity and waiting times collection. This data is reviewed and monitored monthly across ICBs and NHS England. The data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/

Found: response to long -term funding of adult social care report Correspondence from the Minister of State, Department

Found: the following written evidence be reported to the House for publication: Correspondence with the Department

Found: FDO0150 - Food, Diet and Obesity Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Written Evidence

Found: 29th Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 30th Non-executive appointments HC 460 31st Department

Found: (2023), and the related changes to dietary advice, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: Deputy Director for Mental Health Policy, Strategy & Delivery, Department of Health and S ocial Care (DHSC

Found: of Health and Social Care) were looking at tackling the recovery for ethnic minority groups and underlying

Found: example of where the out of home sector plays a role in the policymaking process is via the work of DHSC

Found: UKRI is working with government partners, including Defra and DHSC, to support investments to gather

Found: Food manufacturers rely on the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 27 Twenty -fourth report of Session 2023 -24 Department of Health and Social Care NHS Supply Chain

Found: 18 Twenty -second report of Session 2023 -24 Department of Health and Social Care Reforming adult

Found: Sean Povey, Deputy Director, Fit Note and Statutory Sick Pay, Joint Work and Health Directorate, Department

Found: d method of costing investments across government , and the approach had been agreed by PHE and DHSC

Found: 29th Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 30th Non-executive appointments HC 460 31st Department

Found: engagement exercises are already being run by the public sector, such as the £2m investment by DHSC

Found: The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department

Found: pension contributions and changes in responsibility for funding clinical training, with overall DHSC

Found: Marie Curie recommends that the committee seek further clarity from both DHSC and NHS England about

Found: (2)In the medium term, NHSE and DHSC should develop a children’s health workforce strategy.

Found: timely way. 23.We welcome the recent funding agreement with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: empowering frontline staff by reducing excess bureaucracy in health and care system in England’, (Department

Found: and the quality of training that trainees receive.16 Funding 35.Since the LTWP was published DHSC

Found: This is a vital moment for NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to address weaknesses

Found: www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nhs-long-term- workforce-plan-v1.21.pdf, page 72 xxxiv Department

Found: This is in part due to consolidation of new bodies and errors within DHSC accounts, which is consistent

Found: Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair, Public Accounts Committee, to Shona Dunn CB, Second Permanent Secretary, Department

Found: 29th Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 30th Non-executive appointments HC 460 31st Department

Found: 29th Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 30th Non-executive appointments HC 460 31st Department

Found: 29th Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 30th Non-executive appointments HC 460 31st Department

Found: The next Government should work across departments including DHSC, DSIT, Education and the Home Office

Found: assessed as being high in fat, salt, or sugar in accordance with the nutrient profiling scheme by the Department

Found: Association for Nutrition and former Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England (PHE) and the Department

Found: Front of Pack Labelling and guideline amounts are the responsibility of the DHSC in England whilst

Found: 2020-2026), in partnership with the Global Food Security Programme, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, Defra, DHSC

Found: It has been reported that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has made substantial staff

Found: ethnic backgrounds.37 As such, we are increasingly finding that children are being diagnosed at an 32 Department

Found: In the medium term the Ministry of Justice should work with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: However, our own experience, together with discussions with stakeholders including coroners, the CQC, DHSC

Found: Processing FoodsHFSS High Fat Sugar and Salt NHS National Health Service CHD Coronary Heart Disease DHSC

Found: other government departments such as Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department

Found: of Health and Social Care 12 S.I. 2024/492 12 Medical Certificate Cause Of Death Regulations 2024 Appendix

Found: Exclusive: National agency ‘decimated’ in DHSC restructure https://www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-regulation

Found: FSA is not able to pass legislation, and it is therefore a ministerial Department, ei ther Defra or DHSC

Found: Ombudsman, to Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 23 August 2023 61 Department

Found: The Home Office must work pragmatically with other Government bodies (DHSC, UK Visa and Immigration)

Found: healthier and more sustainable. ii.In England, obesity and dietary health fall under the remit of the Department

Found: from Dame Meg Hillier, Chair, Public Accounts Committee, to Shona Dunn, Second Permanent Secretary, Department

Found: Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re

Found: Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re

Found: Food policy is currently primarily divided between DEFRA and DHSC, although there are many elements

Found: restrictions on TV advertising of HFSS products in 2010 Ofcom described the idea of a 10 DCMS / DHSC

Found: Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UK diets are misaligned with dietary recommendations (DHSC 2020).

Found: In 2019, for its Impact Assessment (IA) of proposed marketing restrictions, DHSC/DCMS commissioned

Found: NHS England will work with DHSC and NHS Resolution to encourage the medical profession to engage in

Found: of Health and Social Care.

Found: (DHSC’s nutrient profiling technical guidance.) 27 DHSC (2021) The Food (Promotion and Placement)

Found: its use expanding to restrict in-store and on-line location and by volume price of unhealthy foods (DHSC

Found: This would be led by the Treasury, with support from the Department of Health and Social Care, as

Found: Annex 1: Illustrative list of meetings with DHSC and DCMS policymakers, July 2020 – July 2021.

Found: FDO0052 - Food, Diet and Obesity Department of Health and Social Care Written Evidence

Found: , Healthier Future project (1 of 5 national childhood obesity trailblazer programmes funded by DHSC

Found: Obesity Reviews, 2019; 20(4): 554-568. 26 Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: of Health and Social Care, “Consultation outcome - Introducing further advertising restrictions on

Found: For example, the Departments of Culture, Media and Sport as well as the Department of Health and

Found: new-stats-show-fast-food-giants-spending-record-sums-on-marketing-tactics-as-food-prices-soar/ 8 Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Department

Found: This programme has been in development since Autumn 2023 and is being led by colleagues at the DHSC

Found: remit, but SACN is aware that the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department

Found: give an example of this, because this is already happening in joint work that we are doing with the Department

Found: Letter from Lord Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the Lords), Department

Found: Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/healthy-child-programme ii Department of

Found: of Health and Social Care, Transforming Care: A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital , 10

Found: Work and Pensions; Maria Caulfield MP , Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy, Department

Found: variation in performance across secondary, primary and community care, and, alongside colleagues in DHSC

Found: The DHSC has published some guidance in recognition of this, so any social care provider who wishes

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) presented a paper to the group on the importance of

Found: What action are you taking with the DHSC to try to recover that situation?

Found: The second key development is that we have been working with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Department of Health and Social

Found: a cross-government approach to tackling some of this because, of course, it cannot just be done in DHSC

Found: Department of Health and Social Care, Department of Health and Social Care, and Department of Health

Found: We also work very closely with the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and Social Care and

Found: Surfers Against Sewage, Sewage Pollution Alerts , (accessed 30 April 2024). 27 Department of Health

Found: mergedBBC048BBC Property Development LtdBritish Broadcasting CorporationHEE033Health Education EnglandRemoved - DHSC

Found: DSIT DSIT Capital Grants paid DEFRA DEFRA Capital Grants paid DHSC

Found: charges44811000Levies44812000Royalties44814000Fines and penalties44818000Premia income44824000Total NHS income (DHSC

Found: Officer of the Order of the British Empire Professor Thomas David WAITE Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department

Found: to Education (Birmingham, West Midlands)Professor Thomas David WAITE Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department

Found: of Health and Social Care Reforming adult social care in England Introduction from the Committee

Found: of Health and Social Care Reforming adult social care in England Introduction from the Committee

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 10 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 11 Department

Found: 0 0 18 5 0.277777777777778 1 0.0555555555555556 9 3 0.333333333333333 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 Dept. of Health DHSC

Found: 5 0.277777777777778 1 0.0555555555555556 9 3 0.333333333333333 0 0.0 5 0 0.0 0 0.0 Dept. of Health DHSC

Found: of Health and Social Care Department of Health and Social Care 2020 -21 Annual Report and Accounts

Found: of Health and Social Care Department of Health and Social Care 2020 -21 Annual Report and Accounts

Found: of Health and Social Care.

Found: of Health and Social Care.

Found: Nordisk UK in agreement with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Department

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

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

Found: government/publications/motor-vehicles-amendment-regulations-2021-rpc-opinion2021-12-16 00:00:00RPC-DHSC

Found: DHSC has requested this information from providers.

Found: Details As part of wider considerations to improve the vitamin D status of the UK population, the Department

Found: MHRA may also share your responses, when anonymised, with Department of Health and Social Care, Government

Found: decisions are for the relevant NHS Trust but should visits be permitted to, for example, hospitals, the Department

Found: Advisory bodies 4.14 The UK Health Security Agency is an executive agency of the Department of Health

Found: outlined in the gambling white paper, published in April 2023, we have also committed to working with the Department

Found: Legislation laid by the Department of Health and Social Care in February 2024 reduces the use of fines

Found: Manager – Policy, Information and Communications Email: publicaffairs@ashscotland.org.uk i Department

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had or is planning to have discussions with manufacturers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in order to address any shortages.

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

The Scottish Government is aware that supplies of various ADHD medicines continue to be intermittent. At present, market data and information provided by the UK Government indicates that some of these supply issues will continue into Autumn 2024. Scottish Government officials continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and are maintaining a close dialogue with all Health Boards to help manage these medicine supply disruptions and provide support when needed.

The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group, set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.

The UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care, on behalf of all four nations, regularly meets with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines to discuss their supply chains challenges and any issues where they may require assistance, including providing an overview of current and forecasted demand to assist manufacturers with planning to increase production forecasts. T he Scottish Government has not had any separate engagement with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines.