Submit Evidence (by 4 Feb 2025)

The Committee is undertaking an inquiry into community mental health services. The inquiry will examine what good looks like from the perspective of service users and their families/carers. The Committee would like the inquiry to shine a light on case studies of innovative practice and high-quality care across the country, and to undertake meaningful and impactful engagement with people accessing these services. 

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that people with Down Syndrome can receive direct payments from local councils.

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

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities should allow those drawing on care to receive their personal budget as a direct payment, where they are satisfied this would be suitable to meet their eligible care needs, and where they have capacity under the conditions of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act to make this request, and manage the direct payment either themselves, with aide from an authorised person, or through an authorised person acting on their behalf.

Additionally, under the Down Syndrome Act 2022, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required to give guidance to the relevant authorities in health and social care on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. Officials are taking forward, as a priority, development of Down Syndrome Act guidance. We expect to publish the draft guidance for public consultation in the new year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13775 on Hospices: Children, what his timescale is for announcing funding arrangements for the Children's Hospice Grant for 2025/26.

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

We are aware that clarity on the 2025/26 funding arrangements is needed to help children’s hospices, as they confirm their budgets. I have met NHS England, Together for Short Lives, and one of the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children Who Need Palliative Care, Lord Balfe, and discussed these issues at length.

The Department is working to confirm funding arrangements as a matter of urgency.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of a (a) safe and (b) effective Group B Streptococcus vaccine.

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

The UK Health Security Agency’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) has been supporting the creation of a safe and effective maternal vaccine for Group B Streptococcus (GBS).

A maternal vaccine for GBS, which protects infants from both the early and late onset of the disease, will have a positive impact on infant mortality and morbidity. It will also lead to a sharp reduction in the use of antibiotics in neonatal units worldwide. By focusing on effectiveness, through advanced immune response evaluations, these efforts are accelerating the development of a reliable GBS vaccine that can protect vulnerable populations worldwide. Further information on how VDEC is supporting a GBS vaccine to prevent newborn deaths is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/vdec-is-supporting-a-gbs-vaccine-to-prevent-newborn-deaths.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what procedure central government funding is allocated to institutions providing hospice care.

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

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on the demand in that ICB area, but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

From 2007/8 until 2023/24, children and young people’s hospices received funding via the Children’s Hospice Grant. While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by ICBs, on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before. Since 2022/23, individual allocations of this funding have been determined using a prevalence-based model, enabling allocations to reflect local population need.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he and (b) his Department has had discussions with representatives of the vaping industry since the general election.

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

Since July 2024, no members of the Department have met with the vaping industry. This includes my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Details of ministerial meetings are updated quarterly in arrears, on the GOV.UK website.

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 people aged (a) 14-17, (b) 18-25 and (c) 26 and over who enter prison custody and are screened for brain injury within 24 hours are found to have an acquired brain injury.

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

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

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 people aged (a) 14-17, (b) 18-25 and (c) 26 and over who enter prison custody receive a screening for previously acquired brain injury within 24 hours.

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

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

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 people aged (a) 14-17, (b) 18-25 and (c) 26 and over who enter prison custody receive an assessment for previously acquired brain injury within seven days.

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

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the prior consultation on the Down Syndrome Act 2022; and when he plans to publish the statutory guidance.

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

The Down Syndrome Act 2022 started as a Private Members Bill, introduced into the House of Commons in summer 2021. As such, this specific assessment has not been made.

A national call for evidence was launched on 19 July 2022 to inform the development of the statutory guidance required under the Down Syndrome Act. The call for evidence remained open for 16 weeks and received over 1,500 responses, including responses from people with Down syndrome, their families and carers, professionals, organisations, and stakeholder groups representing people with genetic conditions.

Officials are taking forward, as a priority, development of the Down Syndrome guidance. We expect to publish the draft guidance for public consultation as soon as possible in the new year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of General Practitioners in rural communities.

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

We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring that rural areas, including West Dorset, have the resources to continue serving their patients. To address this, we will increase capacity in general practice (GP) and ensure rural areas have the necessary workforce to provide integrated, patient-centred services.

We are committed to training thousands more GPs across the country, including in rural areas. We have also committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs. This will increase capacity, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance contributions rise on the provision of fast-track care to patients applying for Continuing Healthcare funding.

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

The employer National Insurance contributions rise will be implemented in April 2025. The Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year 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 his Department is taking to tackle medication shortages.

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

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

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and 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 NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for ambulances in the East Midlands.

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

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.

As a first step, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure that ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter, sent to all integrated care boards, including those in the East Midlands, is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient supplies of (a) lamotrigine, (b) Epilim Chronosphere and (c) other epilepsy medication.

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

The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with some carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.

There was a supply issue with all strengths of lamotrigine tablets, used to manage epilepsy, due to manufacturing issues. The supply issue has recently resolved, and supply is expected to return to normal levels through early December 2024.

We are aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets with the resupply date to be confirmed. Other manufacturers of topiramate tablets can meet the increased demand during this time. We have confirmed with the supplier of Epilim Chronosphere that there are currently no issues with supply.

The Department continues to work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce ambulance hand over times at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

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

Ambulance services experiencing long delays when handing over patients to hospitals is a priority for the National Health Service to address, because it holds up ambulances that could be responding to further 999 calls.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Cornwall Hospital are working on improving ambulance handover times by supporting patients flow through the health and care system.

To support longer term urgent and emergency care performance, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of shortages of building inspectors on (a) repairs and (b) maintenance projects across the NHS Estate.

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

Building inspectors working on National Health Service estate repairs or maintenance projects may be employed by NHS trusts, local councils, private companies, or contractors working on behalf of the NHS. Their work ensures that buildings are safe for use, accessible, and in good condition.

While the Department has not made any specific assessment of the potential impact of shortages of building inspectors, NHS England is taking forward implementation of the Estates and Facilities Workforce Action Plan, which aims to strengthen the NHS estates workforce and its governance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS long-term health plan complements the National Cancer Strategy in the context of the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) radiographers and (ii) radiologists.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts in the focus of healthcare, from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

The Department will also refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to fit the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, so the National Health Service has the staff it needs to treat patients on time again. NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and ensure the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, and the cancer plan will reflect this.

We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be, and will provide updates on this 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 his Department is taking to ensure that patients requiring radiotherapy start their treatment with 31 days of a doctor deciding on their treatment plan.

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

We understand that cancer patients are waiting longer than they should for the care they need, and we are taking action to address this. The Government is committed to improving cancer care and reducing waiting times for treatment, including for radiotherapy. We will also be spending £70 million on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent defending Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme appeals linked to Covid-19 vaccinations since 2021; and how many Vaccine Damage Payment Schemes appeals linked to Covid-19 vaccinations have been escalated to tribunal since 2021.

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

Between 1 November 2021 and 1 December 2024, the total spent by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department to defend against appeals within the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme was £104,005.05. As of December 2024, 49 appeals linked to COVID-19 vaccinations have been escalated to a tribunal.

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 people aged (a) 14-17, (b) 18-25 and (c) 26 and over who enter prison custody and are assessed for brain injury within seven days are found to have an acquired brain injury.

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

The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.

The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.

Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:

• whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
• whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.

Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:

• note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
• note any memory or concentration impairments; and
• ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.

It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to dependant rules for health and social care visas on closures of care homes; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing health and social care workers to bring dependants subject to the requirement to pay the health surcharge.

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

In December 2023, the Home Office published their estimated immigration impacts of the announced legal migration changes, including the restriction on bringing dependants for care workers and senior care workers. These are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-migration-statement-estimated-immigration-impacts/legal-migration-statement-estimated-immigration-impacts-accessible

This was followed by the 2024 spring Immigration Rules: impact assessment published in September 2024, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-immigration-rules-impact-assessments/2024-spring-immigration-rules-impact-assessment-accessible

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a tracking coding system to record people in temporary accommodation that access health services.

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

There is no central requirement on what information is captured in local clinical or Patient Administration Systems about people’s housing status and whether they are in temporary accommodation.

The NHS Data Model and Dictionary, however, provides a reference point for approved Information Standards Notices to support health and care activities within the National Health Service in England. It is used for secondary use purposes and supports secondary use statistical reporting. The Model and Dictionary has codes for accommodation types that include temporary housing. This is used in the Improving Access to Psychology Therapies Data set and the Mental Health Services Data set. The Community Services Data Set also records the accommodation status code. It includes codes for: night shelter; emergency hostel or direct access hostel; and placed in temporary accommodation by a local authority.

There is no plan to assess the merits of tracking people in temporary accommodation accessing health services, using coded or other recorded information. However, the Department recognises the importance of reducing barriers to services for those experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, and has supported the development of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline, Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness. This provides recommendations on ways to improve access to, and engagement with, health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness, including those staying in temporary accommodation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce medication wastage.

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

Medicine wastage can be reduced by ensuring that medicines are not overprescribed and those that are prescribed are taken as intended, resulting in the best outcomes for patients.

Overprescribing can be addressed by taking a shared decision-making approach and optimising a person's medicines, ensuring that patients are prescribed the right medicines, at the right time, in the right doses. The National Health Service is driving changes in this area by:

• improving the repeat prescription processes, as this will reduce the oversupply of medicines which contributes to waste;
• implementing the National Medicines Optimisation Opportunities for integrated care boards, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-medicines-optimisation-opportunities-2023-24/;
• addressing problematic polypharmacy; and
• delivering Structured Medication Reviews, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/smr/.

In addition, the New Medicines Service in Community Pharmacy supports patients with newly prescribed medication for long term conditions in understanding how to take the medication effectively, and improves adherence and health gains.

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 21 November 2024 to Question 13772 on Cardiovascular Diseases: Emergency Calls, if he will provide this data for the period between March 2015 and March 2021; and what assessment he has made of potential impact of the (a) ageing population and (b) number of patients with multiple comorbidities on trends in the number of category one incidents.

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

Information on ambulance service demand is published by NHS England, including, as of April 2018, the monthly total number of cardiac arrests responded to by ambulance services. The following table shows the total number of cardiac arrests each month from April 2018 to June 2024:

Source: the data is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

The increasing aging population and complexity that comes with more patients with multiple comorbidities may be reflected in the trend of rising in category 1 incidents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times in Cornwall.

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

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times.

As a first step, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter, sent to all integrated care boards including those in Cornwall, is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the hours lost to handover delays by South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust.

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

Ambulance services experiencing long delays when handing over patients to hospitals is a priority for the National Health Service to address, because it holds up ambulances that could be responding to further 999 calls.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Cornwall Hospital are working on improving ambulance handover times by supporting patients flow through the health and care system.

To support longer term urgent and emergency care performance, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the staffing budget for the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

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

The allocation of National Health Service funding, including local staffing budgets, is set by NHS England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of care for people with ME.

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

No assessment has been made on the adequacy of the implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance NG206 on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). NICE guidelines are not mandatory, but the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.

There are steps that the Government is taking to improve care for patients with ME/CFS. It is a priority for the Department to publish the final ME/CFS delivery plan. We cannot comment on the exact content of the final delivery plan at this time, but it will be shaped by the consultation responses, along with continued close engagement with stakeholders, with three broad themes of attitudes and education, research, and living with ME/CFS. We aim to publish it at the end of March 2025.

The Department is also currently working with NHS England to develop an e-learning course on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, the Government funds research into ME/CFS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC), through UK Research and Innovation. In 2020, the NIHR and the MRC came together to fund 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. Further details of the study are available at the following link:

www.decodeme.org.uk

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients living with rare inherited retinal diseases receive (a) timely and (b) equitable access to new treatments.

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

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as rare inherited retinal diseases. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, including improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework, and will publish an England action plan in 2025.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all licensed new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits, and NHS England ensures that funding is available for any licensed new medicines recommended by the NICE. The NICE aims to issue guidance on new medicines, including for rare diseases, as close to the time of licensing as possible. The NICE operates a separate Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme for very rare diseases, with significantly higher cost-effectiveness thresholds than those evaluated under the NICE’s standard technology appraisal processes. Decisions on whether new medicines should be evaluated through the HST programme are taken by the NICE against published routing criteria.

The NICE is currently appraising one treatment for treating visual impairment caused by a rare inherited retinal disease, and final guidance is expected to be published in April 2025.

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 15 November 2024 to Question 13928 on Cancer: Health Services and with reference to the Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, CP 1210, published on 5 December 2024, whether it remains his policy to meet all NHS cancer waiting time targets within five years.

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

The Government recognises the importance of, and remains committed to meeting, all three National Health Service cancer waiting time standards across England. These are the 28-day faster diagnosis standard, the 31-day decision to treat to treatment standard, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard.

Lord Darzi’s report has laid bare the true extent of the challenges facing our health service, which is why we have launched our 10 Year Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including improving performance against the cancer waiting time standards.

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 October 2024 to Question Question 8906 on cancer and with reference to the Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, CP 1210, published on 5 December 2024, whether it remains his policy to meet all NHS cancer waiting time targets within five years.

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

The Government recognises the importance of, and remains committed to meeting, all three National Health Service cancer waiting time standards across England. These are the 28-day faster diagnosis standard, the 31-day decision to treat to treatment standard, and the 62-day referral to treatment standard.

Lord Darzi’s report has laid bare the true extent of the challenges facing our health service, which is why we have launched our 10 Year Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including improving performance against the cancer waiting time standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken steps to introduce the measurement of infant head circumference to existing health visits since his meeting with Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust on 6 November 2024; and whether he has set a deadline for commissioning a clinical review into infant head circumference measurement.

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

It is vitally important that babies are diagnosed as early as possible, so treatment can be provided. Current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends measuring the head circumference of babies in the first week, at approximately eight weeks old, and at other times only if there are concerns. The baby’s general practitioner, or nominated primary care examiner, has a responsibility for ensuring the six-to-eight-week newborn infant physical examination screen, where head size is measured, is completed for all registered babies. The Department is seeking advice from the NICE and the royal colleges on the value of a clinical review of the current guidelines surrounding infant head circumference.

The Healthy Child Programme sets out the requirements for health visiting services, including five mandated reviews where the child’s health and development is assessed. This includes when the baby is 10 to 14 days old and at six-to-eight-weeks old, and additional contacts depending on need, providing an opportunity to identify any health or development concerns and to make the appropriate referrals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what account his review of the frequency of infant head measurements will take of (a) research by Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust and (b) the experience of other developed countries.

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

It is vitally important that babies are diagnosed as early as possible, so treatment can be provided. Current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends measuring the head circumference of babies in the first week, at approximately eight weeks old, and at other times only if there are concerns. The baby’s general practitioner, or nominated primary care examiner, has a responsibility for ensuring the six-to-eight-week newborn infant physical examination screen, where head size is measured, is completed for all registered babies. The Department is seeking advice from the NICE and the royal colleges on the value of a clinical review of the current guidelines surrounding infant head circumference.

The Healthy Child Programme sets out the requirements for health visiting services, including five mandated reviews where the child’s health and development is assessed. This includes when the baby is 10 to 14 days old and at six-to-eight-weeks old, and additional contacts depending on need, providing an opportunity to identify any health or development concerns and to make the appropriate referrals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early detection of breast cancer in women under 50 who do not routinely undergo mammogram screenings.

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

Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should.

Screening is also crucial to improving early diagnosis, and current United Kingdom guidelines recommend that women with a moderate or high risk of breast cancer because of their family history should start having screening mammograms every year in their forties. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on the management of people with a family history of breast cancer was introduced in 2004, and has changed over time. The current version of this guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg164

We currently do not screen those younger than 50 years old for breast cancer due to the lower risk of women under this age developing breast cancer, and the fact that women below 50 years old tend to have denser breast tissue, which reduces the ability of getting an accurate mammogram. It may also increase the risk of overtreatment and distress for women who do not have breast cancer, but would be subject to invasive and painful medical treatments and diagnostic tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of cancer in teenagers and young adults in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board area.

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

We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive, including children, teenagers, and young adults.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has set out detailed guidance for general practices on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms, ensuring that children and young people are being diagnosed faster.

The Department is also taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups in England, by delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, the NHS will maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres. They will also increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on what the (a) most common illnesses and (b) incidence of each of those illnesses experienced by babies and children in temporary accommodation were in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The Department does not hold specific data on the most common illnesses, or the incidence of illnesses experienced by babies and children specifically in temporary accommodation. However, general data on hospital admissions for all children, including babies, is published by NHS England in the Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity reports. These reports provide detailed information on admissions and episodes by primary diagnosis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that measures to improve the management of long-term conditions are included within the NHS 10 year plan.

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

The number of individuals living with long term conditions is expected to rise significantly over the next decade. Currently, the National Health Service operates a model focused on treating acute episodes, organised around fragmented services rather than holistic patient needs. To ensure the NHS is fit for the future, we must improve care for those with long-term conditions.

One of the working groups supporting the development of the 10-Year Health Plan has been asked to develop a vision for how the NHS can evolve to provide responsive, joined-up care to better support individuals with complex health needs, who may require frequent, ongoing engagement with the NHS. The group, chaired by Dr Claire Fuller and Caroline Abrahams CBE, will consider what improved care would look like for both individuals living with a single, or multiple long-term conditions, including, for example, mental health conditions, or disabilities, as well as individuals with multiple complex needs, including those that are frail or approaching the end of their life.

Starting with the patient perspective, we have asked this group to consider what people of all ages want and need from services across the NHS to manage their condition or conditions on an ongoing basis, and what the care offer should look and feel like in practice, so that the NHS can empower patients, enhance their self-management capabilities, and promote independence through a holistic, person-centred and responsive service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial can be acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively.

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

Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.

As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with Group B Strep Support to discuss the importance of (a) early and (b)consistent diagnosis of Group B Streptococcus.

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

Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.

As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.

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 12 November 2024 to Question 12590 on Breast Cancer: Genetics, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regional inequities in access to genetic counselling.

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

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, such as genetic counsellors, as well as the technology and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of implementation of NICE guideline NG206 on myalgic encephalomyelitis.

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

No assessment has been made on the adequacy of the implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance NG206 on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). NICE guidelines are not mandatory, but the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.

There are steps that the Government is taking to improve care for patients with ME/CFS. It is a priority for the Department to publish the final ME/CFS delivery plan. We cannot comment on the exact content of the final delivery plan at this time, but it will be shaped by the consultation responses, along with continued close engagement with stakeholders, with three broad themes of attitudes and education, research, and living with ME/CFS. We aim to publish it at the end of March 2025.

The Department is also currently working with NHS England to develop an e-learning course on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, the Government funds research into ME/CFS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC), through UK Research and Innovation. In 2020, the NIHR and the MRC came together to fund 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. Further details of the study are available at the following link:

www.decodeme.org.uk

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Written Answers by Baroness Merron on 4 November (HL1904 and HL1905), when they plan to publish the upcoming regulations under section 12ZC of the National Health Service Act 2006.

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

A Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) was laid in both Houses of Parliament on 21 November to launch the consultation on the proposed modern slavery regulations for the National Health Service, and is available on the parliament.UK website, in an online only format. As stated in the WMS, the regulations and guidance have been published in draft form alongside the consultation and, subject to the outcome of the consultation, the Department intends to lay draft regulations before Parliament in due course.

The published guidance, which is available on the GOV.UK website in an online only format, refers to a risk assessment tool that NHS England is currently developing based on the six characteristics to help assess modern slavery risks, as set out in Public Procurement Policy Note 02/23 -Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains, a copy of which is attached. These characteristics are: industry type; nature of the workforce; supplier location; context in which the supplier operates; commodity type; and business or supply chain model.

The Department would of course welcome ideas and suggestions on risk assessment tools and methodologies in responses to the consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had with (1) the General Medical Council, (2) the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, (3) other health regulators, since 5 July.

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

The Central Government Corporate Transparency Commitments require Government departments to publish details of ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals or organisations on a quarterly basis. We will be publishing the meetings that my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care attended, in accordance with the transparency guidelines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication in Woking.

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

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We expect supply to improve in the UK throughout December 2024 and January 2025. However, we anticipate supply to be limited for some strengths, and we continue to work with all suppliers to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as soon as possible. To improve supply chain resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.

We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England is establishing to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.

To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the NHS, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically, or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. The SPS website also offers additional guidance from NHS England specialists to help systems and healthcare professionals manage ADHD supply disruptions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of Bowel Cancer UK's report entitled Delivering the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan: A review of progress of bowel cancer in England, published on 3 December 2024.

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

The Health Mission sets the objective of building a National Health Service fit for the future. As part of that work, and in response to Lord Darzi’s report, we have launched an extensive programme of engagement to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS highlighted that there is more to be done to increase the speed at which patients are diagnosed with, and treated for, cancer. His report will inform our 10-year plan to reform the NHS, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for bowel cancer. We are also currently in discussions about what form a potential cancer plan for England should take, including its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission, and will provide updates in due course.

In addition, the Department is taking steps to improve the rate of early diagnosis for all cancers, including bowel and bowel-related cancers. We will support the NHS to transform diagnostic services by spending £1.5 billion on new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to build capacity for over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) disabled, and (2) older people, charged by their local authority for statutory non-residential social care and support have cut back or withdrawn from their care package since 2020–21; and what data they hold on the reasons for care package reduction and withdrawal.

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

Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory Guidance. The responsibility for interpreting and applying the law and the guidance rests with local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to respond to the open letter by Clinically Vulnerable Families entitled Maintain Covid-19 Vaccine Access for All Clinically Vulnerable People, published on 19 November 2024.

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

We have received the open letter by Clinically Vulnerable Families on 14 November 2024, and will respond shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what factors informed the decision to limit treatment eligibility to 300 people in its licensed indication, or 500 people across all indications, in England under the second routing criterion of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Highly Specialised Technologies programme, and what scope there is for change to these limits in the forthcoming consultation.

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

The criteria for routing topics to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme for evaluation were developed through stakeholder and public consultation. The HST programme aims to strike a balance between the desirability of supporting access to treatments for ultra rare diseases, and the associated reduction in overall health gain across the National Health Service.

The eligible population number was based on an analysis undertaken of previous, current, and potential future HST topics, along with referencing to NHS England and NHS Improvement’s criteria for defining populations eligible for highly specialised services.

The NICE is currently reviewing the criteria and is presenting its proposal to its board on 11 December 2024 and, if the board approves, will proceed with a public consultation from 19 December 2024. The proposed revisions aim to enhance the predictability and transparency of the application of the HST routing criteria, while maintaining the intent of the HST vision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable GPs to prescribe antivirals, including Paxlovid, for the treatment of Covid in accordance with NICE evaluations.

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

Decisions on whether licensed medicines, including antivirals for COVID-19, should be recommended for routine National Health Service funding are made independently by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), on the basis of the evidence of costs and benefits.

The NICE recommends the antiviral Paxlovid, a combination of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, as an option for treating COVID-19 in adults, only if they do not need supplemental oxygen for COVID-19, and they have any of the following:

• an increased risk for progression to severe COVID-19, as defined in the guidance;
• are aged 70 years old and over;
• a body mass index of 35 kilogram per square metre or more;
• diabetes; or
• heart failure.

A phased implementation of the NICE’s recommendations on Paxlovid has been agreed, to allow more time for the NHS to put in place the capacity and infrastructure needed for the full rollout to all eligible patients. Prescribers, including general practitioners, are currently able to prescribe Paxlovid to NHS patients at the highest risk of severe COVID-19, in line with the approach to rollout set out in the NICE’s guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications they received for funding to establish Health Protection Research Units based in (1) the North East, (2) Yorkshire, and (3) the North West.

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

In September 2023, the Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research launched a two-stage open competition to fund 13 new Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs). Each HPRU is a collaborative research partnership between the UK Health Security Agency and a university or group of universities. Overall, the HPRUs have been awarded £77 million of funding over five years for research to protect the public from health threats.

The following table sets out the applications received by region, and where the university is either the lead applicant or a collaborating partner on the HPRU application:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has exercised its discretionary power to exercise flexibility in its application of routing criterion two of its Highly Specialised Technologies programme in circumstances where there is uncertainty on the incidence and prevalence of the disease and high unmet clinical need, to ensure fair and equitable access to innovative new treatments.

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

Since the introduction of the current criteria used for routing topics to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme, the NICE has identified one topic routed to the HST programme where flexibility was exercised in relation to the eligible patient population. This topic was pegzilarginase for treating arginase-1 deficiency, for which the estimated eligible patient population was 320.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote earlier detection and diagnosis of heart valve disease in women and to ensure better outcomes.

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

Heart valve disease (HVD) affects over 1.5 million people over the age of 65 years old in the United Kingdom, and this number is expected to increase in line with general population growth and the increase in the number of older people. Continuous improvements have been made in the HVD pathway for service users, but there remains unwarranted variation and inequalities in gender.

A review of health inequalities for all specialised cardiac services, including aortic stenosis services, a type of HVD, is currently being undertaken. This will specifically consider the presentation of males versus females with aortic stenosis. In addition, work to improve HVD outcomes includes:

• NHS England working with providers to implement a single point of access pathway for severe aortic stenosis;
• the NHS Long Term Plan, published in 2019, includes a number of key ambitions to improve care and outcomes for those individuals with cardiovascular disease, such as HVD, including enhanced diagnostic support in the community, better personalised planning, and increasing access to cardiac rehabilitation;
• NHS England publishing a learning package for healthcare professionals on heart failure and HVD, which supports clinicians across primary care and community settings to better recognise the symptoms, diagnose, manage, and support patients with heart failure and HVD, as well as support on palliative and end of life care; and
• an NHS England commission of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society to develop a new referral form to support the investigation of HVD to guide primary healthcare teams to confidently refer patients with suspected, or known, HVD for specialist assessment or echocardiography, or both, where appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce forensic analysis to the NHS supply chain to identify whether cotton from China is in the supply chain.

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

A Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) was laid in both Houses of Parliament on 21 November to launch the consultation on the proposed modern slavery regulations for the National Health Service, and is available on the parliament.UK website, in an online only format. As stated in the WMS, the regulations and guidance have been published in draft form alongside the consultation and, subject to the outcome of the consultation, the Department intends to lay draft regulations before Parliament in due course.

The published guidance, which is available on the GOV.UK website in an online only format, refers to a risk assessment tool that NHS England is currently developing based on the six characteristics to help assess modern slavery risks, as set out in Public Procurement Policy Note 02/23 -Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains, a copy of which is attached. These characteristics are: industry type; nature of the workforce; supplier location; context in which the supplier operates; commodity type; and business or supply chain model.

The Department would of course welcome ideas and suggestions on risk assessment tools and methodologies in responses to the consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the resources available to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to reduce the time it takes for new drugs to enter the market.

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

The Government is committed to providing the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) the resources it needs. It is funded predominately by charging fees to industry for the services it delivers, with additional funding being provided by the Department.

Departmental funding to MHRA is set in advance through collaborative spending review processes which consider the agency’s needs in detail. The Agency also regularly consults on its fees to ensure all costs involved in delivery are recovered.

The Agency is taking significant steps to assess licensing applications within the shortest time possible. It is working to reduce timelines by bringing in additional resources and developing processes that will result in significantly improved response times, while protecting patient safety.

As an effective regulator, it is committed to the highest of standards of performance and delivering the right outcomes for patients and public health. These changes are already resulting in improvements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when before 1 April 2025 they will confirm whether mental health funding will increase as a share of overall NHS expenditure in 2025–26, as required under section 3(2) of the Health and Care Act 2022.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will set out expectations for mental health funding, including the share of overall National Health Service expenditure in 2025/26, in due course, as required under section 3(2) of the Health and Care Act 2022.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of ADHD medication in the North East.

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

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We expect supply to improve in the UK throughout December 2024 and January 2025. However, we anticipate supply to be limited for some strengths, and we continue to work with all suppliers to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as soon as possible. To improve supply chain resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.

We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England is establishing to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.

To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the NHS, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically, or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. The SPS website also offers additional guidance from NHS England specialists to help systems and healthcare professionals manage ADHD supply disruptions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 2 December (HL Deb col 905), what specific plans are or will be put in place to consult public service interpreters about the NHS 10-Year Health Plan given that they are not employed as NHS staff but work on a freelance basis.

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

On 21 October, we launched a national conversation on the future of the National Health Service, inviting views from across the country on how to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. This includes the Change NHS portal, which is open to everyone, and is available on the change.NHS.UK website. Public service interpreters can respond to the surveys on the website, including on the dedicated workforce section. We want a wide range of health and care staff to share their views, irrespective of whether they are NHS employees. We would welcome public service interpreters sharing their experience. We have been in touch with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters to ensure interpreters are aware of the engagement exercise.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they hold, if any, on (1) which local authorities in England use external civil enforcement for the recovery of social care charge-related debt in cases other than in claims against estates and cases of convicted fraud, and (2) which local authorities in England disregard higher-rate disability benefits as chargeable income in the financial assessment of residents for non-residential social care contributions.

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

Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory Guidance. The responsibility for interpreting and applying the law and the guidance rests with local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of non-residential social care contributions income raised in 2023–24 by each local authority in England with responsibility for social care provision was collected.

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

Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory Guidance. The responsibility for interpreting and applying the law and the guidance rests with local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) quantity of medical research in the NHS.

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

The Department is improving the quality and quantity of clinical research in the National Health Service, and health and care research more widely, through investing in the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The recent Budget provides record levels of Government research and development investment, with funding for research through the Department increasing to over £2 billion in 2025/26.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy that health visitors should make routine visits to families with babies that are living in temporary accommodation.

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

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children. The child health workforce, which includes health visiting teams, is central to how we support all families to give their child the best start in life.

Health visiting teams provide vital advice and support for all eligible parents, carers, and children, through five mandated health and development reviews, up to the age of two to two and a half years old, and additional support for those who need it. Health visiting is a universal service offered to all families, regardless of their type of accommodation.

We will refresh the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan next summer to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, to deliver the care that babies, and their carers and families need, when they need it.

Health visitors are specialist community public health nurses. Health visitors carry out the Government’s mandated five health and development reviews through the healthy child programme, specifically: during pregnancy; when the baby is 10 to 14 days old; at six to eight weeks old; at one years old; and between two to two and a half years old. These are carried out by health visiting teams. Health visitors can support parents to develop confidence and self-efficacy in understanding and accessing health and care information, advice, and services.

Health visitors support families on various issues including breast feeding, infant feeding, nutrition, and healthy eating. Health visitors have a crucial role in sign posting to additional support and advice, including the Healthy Start scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the staffing budget for the East of England Ambulance Service.

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

The allocation of National Health Service funding, including local staffing budgets, is set by NHS England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the proportion of attendees who waited 12 hours or more from their time of arrival to be (a) transferred, (b) admitted and (c) discharged from Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust Emergency Department.

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

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance, including at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), and achieving the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, which includes that 95% of patients attending accident and emergency are admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours.

We are also committed to improving accident and emergency waiting times for patients waiting over 12 hours to be admitted, transferred, or discharged through increasing bed capacity and improving hospital discharge, both nationally and at the RCHT.

The Government appointed the Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September 2024 and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-year plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of patients (a) transferred, (b) admitted and (c) discharged within four hours at the Emergency Department in Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

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

The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance, including at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), and achieving the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, which includes that 95% of patients attending accident and emergency are admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours.

We are also committed to improving accident and emergency waiting times for patients waiting over 12 hours to be admitted, transferred, or discharged through increasing bed capacity and improving hospital discharge, both nationally and at the RCHT.

The Government appointed the Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September 2024 and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-year plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a redress scheme for victims of the Sodium Valproate scandal in line with recommendations in the Hughes Report.

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

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have consulted companies engaged in forensic analysis of products to improve the NHS supply chain.

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

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

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

In response to the findings, the review made a series of recommendations, outlined in detail in the publication. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements, alongside the introduction of a consistent risk assessment embedded into the health family’s e-commerce system, Atamis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence regarding the licensing of Amivantamab for the treatment of NHS cancer patients; and when they expect a licence to be granted.

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

Department officials have regular discussions with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including access to new treatments for a range of diseases and conditions.

Amivantamab was granted a conditional marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for the treatment of adults with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with activating EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, after failure of platinum-based therapy, in November 2021.

The NICE makes evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE was unable to recommend amivantamab as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources for treating EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy in final guidance published in December 2022.

The NICE is planning to appraise amivantamab with lazertinib for untreated EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and amivantamab with carboplatin and pemetrexed for untreated EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, subject to a licence being granted for these indications. The NICE is expected to publish final guidance on both next year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve dementia care and support for families post-diagnosis in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision of dementia care services. NHS England expects ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, and supports them with relevant resources, such as the recently updated RightCare scenario for dementia.

Lincolnshire is committed to continuing to look at how it can improve its offer to support the local population, following a diagnosis of dementia. The ICB is developing plans for a dedicated standalone service which will increase its capacity to offer support before, during, and after diagnosis.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network has been commissioned by NHS England to develop a tool for local health systems to support investigation of the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates. This includes the assessment of underlying population characteristics, such as rurality and socio-economic deprivation. The aim of this work is to provide context for variation, and to enable targeted investigation and provision of support at a local level to enhance diagnosis rates. The tool has been released, and is available via the NHS Futures Collaboration platform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients unable to secure appointments with their GP due to (a) digital exclusion and (b) lack of telephone access.

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

General practices (GPs) and other National Health Service organisations are encouraged to support patients to use online routes where this would be convenient for them, and there is work to improve the usability of digital tools so that they are accessible to larger numbers of patients. However, a choice of access routes should remain available.

As outlined in the GP Contract, digital services should be provided in addition to other channels for accessing GPs, such as in person visits, rather than as a replacement. Practice receptions should also remain open to ensure that those without access to a telephone or online services are not disadvantaged.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to hospitals on visiting times for friends and family.

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

Contact with family and friends is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and people in hospital. We have worked with NHS England and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to develop the policy options to strengthen the expectation for care providers and hospitals in England to allow visiting. This included introducing secondary legislation to amend CQC regulations. Further information on CQC regulations, specifically Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices, is available at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations/regulation-9a-visiting-and-accompanying

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support community pharmacies to ensure (a) financial sustainability, (b) consistency in the provision of services, and (c) dispensing of prescriptions.

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

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

Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on dental practices which provide NHS dentistry.

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

The employer National Insurance rise will be implemented April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) irregular migrants and (b) asylum seekers attended how many NHS therapy sessions in the most recent year for which information is available; and what the cost to the public purse was of (i) those sessions and (ii) interpreters at those sessions.

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

While NHS England does hold some data on this, the information is not considered robust enough to be published, given that only a small number of providers have recorded data in a format that allows asylum seekers and refugees to be separately identified. It is not possible to identify irregular migrants within this information. Neither would it be possible to provide information on the actual cost of these therapy sessions, as this information is not held at this level of granularity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on community pharmacies.

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

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26. Now that the Budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to National Insurance contributions on the retention and recruitment of non-clinical staff in GP surgeries.

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

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases to employers National Insurance contributions on the (a) retention and (b) recruitment of nurses in GP surgeries.

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

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in employers' National Insurance contributions on the (a) retention and (b) recruitment of salaried GPs.

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

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of raising employer’s National Insurance Contributions on (a) trends in the level of recruitment and (b) the provision of care in the social care sector.

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

On 4 July, the Government inherited public finances that were in their worst state since the Second World War. We have considered the cost pressures facing adult social care as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process.

In response to these pressures, the Government is providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care in 2025/26, as part of the broader estimated real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%. We will continue to work with the adult social care sector to understand the pressures on adult social care delivery and local authority budgets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a hardship fund for parents of children who have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses and have been hospitalised for more than 2 months.

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

The Building the Right Support Action Plan, published in 2022, contains commitments which have not yet passed their delivery dates, including the commitment to reform the Mental Health Act.

We do not plan to create new actions in a new action plan while the bill is before Parliament. However, we recognise that this is a vitally important area, and we are considering how to ensure that more people with a learning disability and autistic people are supported well in the community, ahead of the commencement of the Mental Health Act reforms.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the (a) mental health and (b) social needs of kidney patients.

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

Local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs, including kidney patients, and where eligible, for meeting those needs. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from their local authorities in making their own arrangements for care services, as set out in the Care Act 2014.

Local authorities further have a duty to shape their care markets and commission a diverse range of care and support services that enables people to access quality care.

We recognise that too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure that we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people, including kidney patients where appropriate, can be confident in accessing high-quality mental health support when they need it.

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

The 10-Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. On 21 October, we launched a national conversation on the future of the NHS, inviting views from across the country on how to deliver a health service fit for the future. Patients, staff, and organisations, including those with experience of or expertise in kidney disease, can make themselves heard by logging onto the online portal, which is available at the following link:

www.change.nhs.uk

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure the weekly personal expense allowance for those living in care homes is increased by the rate of inflation each financial year.

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

The social care allowance rates, which include the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), are reviewed each year. The PEA rates have been uprated in line with inflation every year since 2022, and the rates for the 2025/26 financial year will be published in early 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Pharmacy supervision which closed on 29 February 2024.

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

A previous consultation on pharmacy supervision was published earlier this year. The Government and devolved administrations will set out plans for the policy when it responds to that consultation, in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the benefits of a review of the cost effectiveness of the care home vaccine mandate during COVID.

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

There are no plans to carry out such an assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to SGLT2 inhibitor treatments for people with chronic kidney disease from underserved communities.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.

The NICE has been able to recommend two SGLT2 inhibitors, empagliflozin and dapagliflozin, for treating chronic kidney disease, subject to specified clinical criteria. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance, so these treatments should now be available for healthcare professionals to prescribe to NHS patients in line with the NICE’s recommendations.

In September 2024, the NICE added links to the relevant technology appraisal guidance on SGLT-2s, for empagliflozin, which has a NICE reference number of TA942, and for dapagliflozin, which has a NICE reference number of TA775, to the guideline Chronic kidney disease: assessment and management. This is to provide easy access to the relevant appraisal guidance at the right point in the guideline, and to help users find the information more easily. Further information on the guidance for chronic kidney disease, specifically recommendation 1.6.9 on SGLT-2s, is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203/chapter/Recommendations#pharmacotherapy

The NICE publishes a range of resources to support services in putting its recommendations into practice. The NICE has also published a general practice indicator on chronic kidney disease and SGLT2 inhibitors. NICE indicators measure outcomes that reflect the quality of care or processes, and can be used in a number of different settings to support high quality care, including the uptake of NICE-recommended treatments, such as SGLT2 inhibitors.

The responsibility for implementing NICE guidance rests with the relevant commissioner.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase uptake of SGLT2 inhibitor treatments for people with chronic kidney disease.

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

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.

The NICE has been able to recommend two SGLT2 inhibitors, empagliflozin and dapagliflozin, for treating chronic kidney disease, subject to specified clinical criteria. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance, so these treatments should now be available for healthcare professionals to prescribe to NHS patients in line with the NICE’s recommendations.

In September 2024, the NICE added links to the relevant technology appraisal guidance on SGLT-2s, for empagliflozin, which has a NICE reference number of TA942, and for dapagliflozin, which has a NICE reference number of TA775, to the guideline Chronic kidney disease: assessment and management. This is to provide easy access to the relevant appraisal guidance at the right point in the guideline, and to help users find the information more easily. Further information on the guidance for chronic kidney disease, specifically recommendation 1.6.9 on SGLT-2s, is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203/chapter/Recommendations#pharmacotherapy

The NICE publishes a range of resources to support services in putting its recommendations into practice. The NICE has also published a general practice indicator on chronic kidney disease and SGLT2 inhibitors. NICE indicators measure outcomes that reflect the quality of care or processes, and can be used in a number of different settings to support high quality care, including the uptake of NICE-recommended treatments, such as SGLT2 inhibitors.

The responsibility for implementing NICE guidance rests with the relevant commissioner.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve the study of tropical diseases in medical school curricula.

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

It is the responsibility of individual UK medical schools to determine the content of their own curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula has to meet the standards set by the medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), who monitors and checks to make sure that these standards are maintained. GMC standards require the curriculum to be formed in a way that allows all medical students to meet the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates by the time they complete their medical degree, which describes the knowledge, skills and behaviour they have to show as newly registered doctors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a maximum time within which applications for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding to NHS Dorset must be actioned; and whether redress is available to applicants whose applications have not been decided within 12 months.

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

Statutory guidance and assurance regimes are in place in respect of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) so that people are assessed and receive care in a timely way. NHS CHC guidance sets the expectation that the overall assessment and eligibility decision-making process should, in most cases, not exceed 28 calendar days from when the integrated care board (ICB) receives a positive NHS CHC Checklist, or other notice of potential eligibility, to the eligibility decision being made. To support this, NHS England’s assurance standard requires ICBs to ensure that in more than 80% of referrals for standard NHS CHC, the eligibility decision should be made within 28 days of this notification.

An individual should not be left without appropriate support while they await the outcome of the NHS CHC assessment and decision-making process. Redress is not available to applicants whose applications have not been decided within twelve months. If, however, an individual is unhappy with how their application has been handled, they can make a complaint to the relevant ICB. If an individual remains dissatisfied with the ICB’s response, they can make a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will reinstate the availability of medications previously available on prescription for (a) households on low incomes and (b) pensioners so that they are free of charge.

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

There are currently no plans to review the list of items that formed part of the NHS England review into medicines that cannot be routinely supplied. Prescribers are free to make their own decisions on which medicines to prescribe, unless they are banned or restricted, and are held accountable for their prescribing decisions by their employer, and professional regulator. A range of prescription charge exemptions are already in place to help people on low incomes and those aged 60 years old and over.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national training centre for robotic surgery within the NHS to provide surgical training that is independent of the manufacturers of robotic surgery equipment.

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

The Department has no current plans to establish such a national training centre. The Department continues to work with the National Health Service and other partners to develop pathways for delivering innovative medical technology into the hands of front-line clinicians.

The curricula and method of delivery of surgical specialty training is set by the Royal College of Surgeons. The General Medical Council approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to review the impact of alcohol on mental health..

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

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in September 2023, identifies substance misuse, including alcohol, as a key common risk factor for action, and we will explore opportunities to go further. The negative impact that alcohol can have on mental health is also acknowledged and highlighted on the NHS England website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to use (a) robots and (b) AI to help support training on innovative surgical techniques.

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

The Department and NHS England support the development and use of innovative surgical approaches across the system, where clinically appropriate. Use of such innovative approaches can drive efficiency and improve patient outcomes, but should and will be driven by local and specific need.

The curricula and method of delivery of surgical specialty training is set by the Royal College of Surgeons. The General Medical Council approves the curricula and assessment systems for each training programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current status of the Building the Right Support Action Plan; and what plans they have to create a new Building the Right Support Action Plan to support reforms proposed in the Mental Health Bill.

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

The Building the Right Support Action Plan, published in 2022, contains commitments which have not yet passed their delivery dates, including the commitment to reform the Mental Health Act.

We do not plan to create new actions in a new action plan while the bill is before Parliament. However, we recognise that this is a vitally important area, and we are considering how to ensure that more people with a learning disability and autistic people are supported well in the community, ahead of the commencement of the Mental Health Act reforms.

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) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other medical professionals were struck off from practicing in the NHS in 2022-23; and if he will publish the country of origin of their baseline medical qualifications.

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

The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. All groups of healthcare professionals have their own regulatory bodies, for example, the General Medical Council is the regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council is the regulator of all nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. Healthcare professional regulators are independent of the Government, are directly accountable to Parliament, and are responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. Regulators will hold data on professionals removed from their registers, and may be able to share this information upon request.

Any general practitioner, optometrist, or dentist offering National Health Service primary care services must also be registered on the NHS England Performers Lists. NHS England will hold data on professionals removed from the Performers Lists.

The Department does not intend to publish the country of origin of the baseline medical qualifications held by healthcare professionals removed from regulators’ registers or the Performers Lists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of facilities staff are on Agenda For Change contracts.

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

Facilities staff in the National Health Service may be employed both directly by NHS bodies but also by separate companies who are contracted to deliver services. The Department does not hold information on the number of staff who are employed by companies contracted from outside the NHS to provide services.

Information is held on staff directly employed by NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. From this we can see that as of August 2024, there were 66,597 full time equivalent staff providing hotel, property, and estates functions in NHS trusts and other core organisations. Of these, 4,770, or 7.2%, where not on Agenda For Change pay bands. This staff group will include people employed in roles such as housekeepers, cleaners, porters, catering staff, maintenance roles, and other estates works.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pressurised metered dose inhalers were prescribed by the NHS in the last year for which data is available.

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

Information provided by the NHS Business Services Authority gives the quantities of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The total number of pressurised inhalers that were dispensed in England from October 2023 to September 2024 was 42.3 million.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of standardising of NHS IT systems to help increase levels of efficiency.

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

Interoperability between IT systems would improve the quality of care and safety for patients, as well as enabling better informed clinical and care decision-making, by allowing for information to be shared easily, in real time, between organisations that use different systems.

Information standards relating to information technology would enable such interoperability. The Government will shortly commence section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022 and introduce regulations, which will, with Parliament’s approval, set out the procedure for preparing and publishing mandatory information standards for public and private health and adult social care providers.

The Data (Use and Access) (DUA) Bill will, Parliament permitting, subsequently make standards mandatory for IT providers in the health and care system, and make provision for ensuring compliance.

The impact assessment for these measures in the DUA Bill estimates benefits in terms of efficiencies of over £100 million over ten years. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6719388b0d1a5bc610b778cd/data_use_and_access_bill_open_data_architecture_information_standards_impact_assessment.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many officials were working in his Department, excluding Arm’s Length Bodies, on (a) 13 November 2023, (b) 5 July 2024 and (c) 27 November 2024.

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

The Department only holds data on the number of officials working in the Department at the end of each calendar month. The following table shows the data for the end of each calendar month from July 2022 to October 2024:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on its decision to not proceed with the approval of Durvalumab for recovering cancer patients.

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

The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including access to cancer treatments for National Health Service patients.

The NICE currently has a number of appraisals related to durvalumab in development or awaiting development, and has made no decision not to proceed with an appraisal of durvalumab related to recovering cancer patients.

Earlier this year, the NICE combined its appraisals of durvalumab for hepatocellular carcinoma at high risk of recurrence into a single appraisal. The NICE’s guidance for this topic is currently awaiting development, and information regarding the timelines for this appraisal will be available at the earliest opportunity, on the NICE’s website, at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/awaiting-development/gid-ta11222

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many international (a) air miles and (b) flights have been completed by (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in their Department since 5 July 2024.

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

The number of international air miles travelled by officials in the Department between 5 July and 29 November 2024 was 504,421. The number of flights taken by officials in the Department was 166. We have interpreted officials as all other Departmental staff.

The number of international air miles travelled by ministers in the Department was 36,489. We have not provided the number of flights taken by ministers as this is published on a quarterly basis, a quarter in arrears, on the GOV.UK website. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent guidance his Department has issued to NHS Foundation Trusts on the provision of early pregnancy services (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.

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

The Government is determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.

We will continue to work with NHS England to ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including recommendations from the pregnancy loss review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence products.

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

There are no plans to issue statutory guidance on the provision of absorbent products for adult incontinence, as there is already existing guidance to which the National Health Service must have regard.

NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff, and which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/

NHS England will consider next steps on Excellence in Continence Care through its National Bladder and Bowel Health Project, which aims to improve continence care across the whole public health and care system.

In addition, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the management of faecal incontinence in adults, which healthcare professionals and commissioners are expected to take fully into account when delivering services for people with bowel incontinence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on government procurement card purchases (a) above and (b) below £500 net of refunded payments in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

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

The Department publishes procurement card transactions of a value greater than £500, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dh-spending-over-500

The following table shows the total spend, net of refunds, for transactions lower than £500, for 2022 and 2023:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for families affected by baby loss including (a) access to counselling services, (b) support for siblings and (c) training for healthcare professionals in providing compassionate care.

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

NHS England’s Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal services sets out how the National Health Service will make care safer, more personalised, and equitable. The plan includes a commitment to provide compassionate and high-quality care for bereaved families.

To deliver on this commitment, NHS England has made additional funding available to ensure all trusts can offer a seven day a week bereavement service. NHS England has also invested in Maternal Mental Health Services to provide care for women with moderate to complex or severe mental health difficulties, and published the Core Competency Framework for providers, to address known variation in multi-professional training and competency assessment, including for bereavement care.

Additionally, the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) aims to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the NHS to ensure that parents receive quality and consistent care after pregnancy or baby loss. The pathway acts as a set of standards and guidance that trusts should follow when a patient has suffered a pregnancy or baby loss, with the aim of ensuring that all bereaved parents are offered equal, high quality, individualised, safe, and sensitive care. Since June 2024, all NHS England trusts had signed up to the NBCP.

To support NHS staff to handle a range of difficult situations, NHS England has also launched an e-learning module, Handling difficult situations – Caring for yourself and others with compassion, for NHS staff in frontline, patient facing roles. This e-learning module, which is available for free, aims to help upskill colleagues in how to handle difficult situations with compassion, using appropriate communication techniques and active listening skills.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS Trusts to speed up access to innovative therapies before MHRA approval through Early Access Programmes.

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

NHS England has issued national policy guidelines on free of charge schemes, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

The only free of charge schemes supported by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England are those through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme. Other, company led early access programmes operate under the unlicensed medicines scheme, but these are not approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, nor supported by NHS England nationally. Participation in such programmes is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, in the form of an agreement between the trust and a pharmaceutical company.

Found: Communities and Local Government, local authorities (LAs), Ministry of Justice, and Department of Health and Social Care

Found: I am assuming that it is the Department of Health and Social Care that will be answering.

Found: Examiner implementation has required many parts of government and wider delivery partners (including DHSC

Found: Department of Health and Social Care (2014) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deafblind-people-guidance-for-local-authorities

Found: but there is a national strategy, of which we are part, along with DEFRA and the Department of Health and Social Care

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government investment in myelodysplastic syndrome research was in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into Hodgkin lymphoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and through which public bodies that funding was provided.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into stem cell research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into haemophilia research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into human immunodeficiency disease research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into vitamin B12 deficiency research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into thalassaemia research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into sickle cell research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into neural tube defect prevention research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into malaria vaccination research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally.

UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes a wide variety of areas including physiological, biological and mechanistic aspects that are applicable to many diseases, disorders and other conditions.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government investment into vitamin D deficiency disease research there was in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government investment into compression fracture research there was in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government investment into multiple myeloma there was in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into osteoporosis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into osteomalacia research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into ankylosing spondylitis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into fibromyalgia research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into lyme disease research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into stills disease research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into systemic lupus erythematosus research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into joint replacement research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into crystal arthropathy research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into psoriatic arthritis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into reactive arthritis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into rheumatoid arthritis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Government funding there was into osteoarthritis arthritis research in 2023-24; and which public bodies provided that funding.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) supports the best scientific research to improve human health, with work ranging from molecular level science to public health medicine. MRC plays a key role in funding underpinning research which may not be attributable to a specific disease but will benefit medical research more generally. As part of this, UKRI funds research on immunology which is relevant to all of these diseases and will not be categorised per disease.

Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) language and (b) communication skills of children under three.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Early language skills are vital to enable children to thrive in the early years and later in life.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The three prime areas of learning and development within the EYFS are particularly important for building a strong foundation, with communication and language being one of these prime areas.

Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support. The assessment requirements in the EYFS includes the progress check at age two and the EYFS profile, both of which involve reviewing a child’s development in communication and language.

To support early language skills, the department is providing funding for settings to undertake evidence-based continuous professional development programmes, including those focused on speech, language and communication, via a national network of Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs. Additionally, we are providing training through the Professional Development Programme and the online early years child development training, both of which include a specific module focused on early language. Furthermore, we are providing training for up to 7,000 special educational needs coordinators that will help children with speech, language and communication needs and support earlier identification of needs.

In partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), we have also developed the early language identification measure, which supports local area health and early years partnerships to work in a more integrated way, helping to identify speech, language and communication needs as early as possible. We are also enabling Family Hubs to train practitioners to support families with the home learning environment and to help parents learn new skills, including providing effective support for children’s speech and communication.

Furthermore, we are developing programmes to support early language development, such as the department’s joint home learning campaign with the DHSC, Little Moments Together, which encourages parents to chat, play and read with their children, and provides helpful tips on activities on learning to talk. The campaign can be accessed here: https://campaignresources.dhsc.gov.uk/campaigns/better-health-start-for-life/better-health-start-for-life-home-learning-environment-2024/.

We are also working in partnership with NHS England to deliver the Early Language Support for Every Child pathfinders for 2-11 year-olds, working with partners to deliver an Early Language Local Innovation and Excellence programme which includes implementation of published speech and language communication pathway guidance and an early language identification measure. We are also publishing early years special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) assessment guidance and resources, which includes practical advice, tools and downloadable resources. These will help educators assess children with SEND, capture their voice, and set learning targets. It includes a dedicated tool for communication and interaction.

Found: T he Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice are together responsible for the

Found: programmes at speed Latest reports Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24

Found: social care in England November 2024 This report examined how the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC

Found: expertise in the Public Sector Fraud Authority, Government Commercial Function, and Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Security and Net Zero 10 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 11 Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and

Found: Work and Pensions 22817383 25232825 24369980 25028744 25134215 24626854 147210001 Department of Health and Social Care

Found: The MOD, the Department of Health and Social Care, the relevant bodies of the NHS, and the devolved

Found: On Op RESTORE, we are pleased that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have continued

Found: Business and Trade, the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Department of Health and Social Care 0 3 Serious: undeclared conflict of interest; failure to obtain

Found: Scottish Government d) the Executive Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly e) the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Productivity benefits are calculated using the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) guidance

Found: The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) provides funding to local authorities under the public

Found: Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: to the CHC evidence base as it provides robust evidence to use within SCBA, using Green Book and DHSC

Found: missing deadlines contributing to delays in the annual report and accounts of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: subgroup (SP I-M) was a subgroup of SAGE during the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to run with DHSC

Found: TheUKHealthcarefamily, includingtheDepartmentforHealthandSocialCare(DHSC),NHSEngland,NHSBloodandTransport

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: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: /2021/51st MEETING NOT FOR PUBLICATION 4 3.3 The EWG were informed that the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: NHS England Public Health Scotland Public Health England Dr Laura Squire DHSC

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: strategies in immunocompromised patients was approved on 19h July 2021 by MHRA- CTU and is supported by DHSC

Found: It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and UKRI/DHSC/NIHR.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Found: Education and Skills Funding Agency DFE Teaching Regulation Agency DFE UK Health Security Agency DHSC