Department of Health and Social Care

We support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Wes Streeting
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Helen Morgan (LD - North Shropshire)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Danny Chambers (LD - Winchester)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
Lord Scriven (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Health)

Conservative
Edward Argar (Con - Melton and Syston)
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Kamall (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Caroline Johnson (Con - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Caroline Johnson (Con - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Luke Evans (Con - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
Ministers of State
Stephen Kinnock (Lab - Aberafan Maesteg)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ashley Dalton (Lab - West Lancashire)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Tuesday 1st April 2025
Eating Disorder Awareness
Westminster Hall
Select Committee Docs
Wednesday 2nd April 2025
10:20
Select Committee Inquiry
Friday 21st March 2025
The First 1000 Days: a renewed focus

The first 1000 days of life, from conception to age two, are widely recognised as a critical period for child …

Written Answers
Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Immunosuppression: Departmental Coordination
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the …
Secondary Legislation
Tuesday 25th March 2025
Health and Social Care Information Standards (Procedure) Regulations 2025
These Regulations make provision about the procedure to be followed in connection with the preparation and publication of an information …
Bills
Wednesday 6th November 2024
Mental Health Bill [HL] 2024-26
A Bill to make provision to amend the Mental Health Act 1983 in relation to mentally disordered persons; and for …
Dept. Publications
Monday 31st March 2025
16:46

Department of Health and Social Care Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Mar. 25
Oral Questions
Jan. 30
Urgent Questions
Apr. 01
Westminster Hall
View All Department of Health and Social Care Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations make provision about the procedure to be followed in connection with the preparation and publication of an information standard under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7) (“the 2012 Act”).
These Regulations further amend the National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/300) (“the 1995 Regulations”), the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Additional Voluntary Contributions) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/619) (“the 2000 Regulations”), the National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/653) (“the 2008 Regulations”), the National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/94) (“the 2015 Regulations”), the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/95) (“the Transitional Regulations”), the National Health Service Pension Schemes (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/301) (“the 2023 Regulations”) and the National Health Service Pension Schemes (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/985) (“the Remediable Service Regulations”).
View All Department of Health and Social Care Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

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Department of Health and Social Care has not participated in any petition debates
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Departmental Select Committee

Health and Social Care Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Health and Social Care Committee
Layla Moran Portrait
Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 9th September 2024
Gregory Stafford Portrait
Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Joe Robertson Portrait
Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Paulette Hamilton Portrait
Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Josh Fenton-Glynn Portrait
Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour - Calder Valley)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Jen Craft Portrait
Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Beccy Cooper Portrait
Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Ben Coleman Portrait
Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Danny Beales Portrait
Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Andrew George Portrait
Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Alex McIntyre Portrait
Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 17th March 2025
Health and Social Care Committee: Upcoming Events
Health and Social Care Committee - Oral evidence
Gambling- related harms
2 Apr 2025, 9:15 a.m.
View calendar - Save to Calendar
Health and Social Care Committee: Previous Inquiries
Department's White Paper on health and social care Pre-appointment hearing for the role of Chair of NICE Supporting those with dementia and their carers Social care: funding and workforce General Practice Data for Planning and Research Omicron variant update Long term funding of adult social care inquiry Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond Maternity services inquiry Planning for winter pressure in A&E departments inquiry NHS England current issues evidence session Suicide prevention inquiry Professional Standards Authority one off evidence session Department of Health and NHS finances Brexit and health and social care inquiry Impact of the Spending Review on health and social care Impact of membership of the EU on health policy in the UK Long-term Sustainability of the NHS - Report of the House of Lords Committee inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of National Health Service Improvement Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems inquiry Brexit – medicines, medical devices and substances of human origin inquiry Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement inquiry Nursing workforce inquiry Children and young people's mental health - role of education inquiry Care Quality Commission accountability inquiry Childhood obesity: follow-up Sustainability and Transformation Plans inquiry Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 inquiry National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination inquiry Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 inquiry NHS Capital inquiry Dentistry Services inquiry Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging inquiry Harding Review of health and social care workforce inquiry Kark Report inquiry Drugs policy inquiry Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis inquiry Suicide prevention: follow-up inquiry Availability of Orkambi on the NHS inquiry Budget and NHS long-term plan inquiry Impact of the Brexit withdrawal agreement on health and social care inquiry Impact of a no deal Brexit on health and social care inquiry Patient safety and gross negligence manslaughter in healthcare inquiry Care Quality Commission inquiry First 1000 days of life inquiry Sexual health inquiry NHS funding inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of NHS England NMC and Furness General Hospital inquiry NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Antimicrobial resistance inquiry Prison healthcare inquiry Alcohol minimum unit pricing inquiry Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing inquiry Implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Management of long-term conditions Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Emergency services and emergency care Post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health Act 2007 Nursing Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Public Expenditure Social Care Government's Alcohol Strategy Responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Health Commissioning Revalidation of Doctors Complaints and Litigation Follow-up inquiry into Commissioning Public Health Annual accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Annual accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Annual accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Annual accountability hearing with Monitor Report of the NHS Future Forum Public Expenditure 2 Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board Education, training and workforce planning Professional responsibility of Healthcare practitioners PIP breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions Accountability hearing with Monitor (2012) Public expenditure on health and care services Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of NICE Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Care Quality Commission 2013 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of Monitor 2013 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission End of Life Care The impact of physical activity and diet on health 2015 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council 2015 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council One-off session on the Ebola virus 2014 accountability hearing with Monitor 2014 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Public expenditure on health and social care 2015 accountability hearing with the General Dental Council Accident and emergency services Children's oral health Current issues in NHS England inquiry Primary care inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Public health post-2013 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission Establishment and work of NHS Improvement inquiry Children's and adolescent mental health and CAMHS Integrated Care Pioneers Complaints and raising concerns Handling of NHS patient data Urgent and Emergency Care Public expenditure on health and social care inquiry 2013 accountability hearing with Monitor Public Health England Health and Care Professions Council 2013 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Work of NICE Work of NHS England Safety of maternity services in England Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care Work of the Department Digital transformation in the NHS Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability IMDDS Review follow up one-off session Assisted dying/assisted suicide NHS dentistry Ambulance delays and strikes The situation in accident and emergency departments Prevention in health and social care Future cancer Pharmacy Men's health Management of the Coronavirus Outbreak Preparations for Coronavirus NHS leadership, performance and patient safety Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction The 10 Year Health Plan Community Mental Health Services The First 1000 Days: a renewed focus Coronavirus: recent developments Availability of Orkambi on the NHS Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 Dentistry Services Drugs policy Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis First 1000 days of life Budget and NHS long-term plan Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 Harding Review of health and social care workforce National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination NHS Capital NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging Sexual health Calls for cases of GP visa issues Long term funding of adult social care Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce inequalities in prostate cancer outcomes.

The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all people with prostate cancer.

To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men. We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups.

The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new National Cancer Plan. The plan will seek to improve outcomes and address disparities for all cancers, including for prostate cancer. A call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations, including ideas on how to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for prostate cancer, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people living in the most deprived areas receive earlier cancer diagnoses.

We recognise that there are challenges for several different populations, particularly for people living in the most deprived areas of the country, and that this impacts early diagnosis rates. The National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities includes early cancer diagnosis as a specific priority.

To ensure that people living in the most deprived areas receive earlier cancer diagnoses, we are directly targeting our activity in areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness-raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.

We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. People living in deprived areas are four times more likely to smoke, and smoking causes 72% of lung cancers. Through the lung cancer screening programme, early diagnosis rates have increased for all deprivation quintiles, with biggest gains among those living in most deprived areas. When fully rolled out, the programme is expected to detect approximately 9,000 cancers earlier each year.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to work with volunteers to (a) add resilience to the NHS workforce, (b) reduce waiting lists and (c) move care out-of-hospital and into the community.

The National Health Service has always benefitted from the generous support of volunteers. Volunteers will continue to play an important and complementary role in the NHS and care system, supporting patients, families, and staff.

NHS England invested £10 million last year to support programmes across 15 integrated care systems to improve volunteering infrastructure. NHS England is also continuing to invest in the NHS volunteer recruitment portal and deliver on recommendations from the NHS Volunteer Taskforce Report from 2023.

A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and those who support our workforce, so we can ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the right care to patients when they need it.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on that funding.

Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers, officials, NHS England, and a range of stakeholders across the sector have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely with Skills England to ensure that the National Health Service has access to the skilled workforce patients need, as we rebuild the NHS and make sure it is there for us all when we need it.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of NHS appointments.

We have already achieved our pledge to deliver two million extra elective appointments in England, as a first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to deliver more elective care in England. This includes: expecting community diagnostic centres to open 12 hours a day, seven days per week; launching and expanding 17 new surgical hubs; investing in new DEXA scanners to deliver 29,000 more scans; and streamlining patients’ care pathways and reducing unnecessary appointments.

We are also committed to improving access and capacity in general practices (GPs). That’s why, in October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, benefitting thousands of patients.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support immunocompromised people.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/specialist-immunology-adults-service-specification.pdf

The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ccp-for-the-use-of-therapeutic-immunoglobulin-england-2025.pdf

Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X

NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.


The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in the United Kingdom are clinically defined as immunocompromised.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/specialist-immunology-adults-service-specification.pdf

The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ccp-for-the-use-of-therapeutic-immunoglobulin-england-2025.pdf

Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X

NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.


The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department last issued guidance for clinicians on treating immunocompromised patients in health settings.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/specialist-immunology-adults-service-specification.pdf

The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ccp-for-the-use-of-therapeutic-immunoglobulin-england-2025.pdf

Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X

NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.


The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when did his Department last issue guidance to patients that are immunocompromised.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/specialist-immunology-adults-service-specification.pdf

The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ccp-for-the-use-of-therapeutic-immunoglobulin-england-2025.pdf

Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X

NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.


The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for for immunocompromised patients.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning has recently updated the specialist immunology service specification for adults with deficient immune systems, named the Specialist immunology services for adults with deficient immune systems. This sets out the standards of care that providers of specialist immunology services are expected to meet, including with regards to treatment and monitoring. Further information on the service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/specialist-immunology-adults-service-specification.pdf

The clinical commissioning policy for the use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in England has also recently been updated. The updated document describes all conditions for which therapeutic immunoglobulin is commissioned, including autoimmune conditions, and provides details on the role, dose, and place of therapeutic immunoglobulin in the treatment pathway for individual indications, alongside possible alternative treatment options for use of therapeutic immunoglobulin in both adults and children. Further information on the policy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ccp-for-the-use-of-therapeutic-immunoglobulin-england-2025.pdf

Sub Regional Immunoglobulin Assessment Panels (SRIAPs) are in place to provide immunoglobulin stewardship and oversight in line with this policy. In April 2025, a new framework for the supply of immunoglobulin will begin. In March 2025, NHS England Specialised Commissioning provided advice to the SRIAPs regarding patient access to immunoglobulin products, with the introduction of the new framework.

Neither the Department nor NHS England hold data centrally on the exact numbers of those who are clinically defined as immunocompromised. However, a recently published paper in the Journal of Infection identified 477,335 immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years old and over in England. This research paper is available at the following link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344532500026X

NHS England Specialised Commissioning is developing a patient information sheet to outline the changes to the range of immunoglobulin products available on the National Health Service. It is intended to support patients who rely on immunoglobulin treatment and may be required to switch to a different immunoglobulin product. This will be shared with patient organisations and clinical teams in April 2025.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is committed to working with partners, including NHS England and the Department, to protect the health of immunocompromised patients in the context of infectious disease hazards. Engaging with the Immunocompromised Coalition and other charities supporting vulnerable individuals, in partnership with the Department and the NHS as part of pandemic preparedness, is an important activity for the UKHSA. It enables the prompt implementation of appropriate protective measures with relevant, scalable additional support in the event of a pandemic or another emergency.


The UKHSA has also published COVID-19 guidance, last updated in May 2024, for those individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce for immunocompromised patients.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Department or agency leads on the Cross Government Working Level Group on Indoor Air Quality; how often it has met since Public Health England closed in September 2021; and which Ministers are involved in its meetings.

The Department co-ordinated the Cross Government Working Level Group on Indoor Air Quality following the closure of Public Health England in September 2021. Since that date the group has met five times, most recently in July 2023. Ministers have not attended this official-level group. Government departments involved in the group have included the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Education, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Transport, as well as the Scottish Government, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Health and Safety Executive.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff is aligned to the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the wider industrial strategy, the Government will take targeted, concerted, and aggressive action to unlock growth. The plan will focus on enabling world-class research and development, making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to start, scale, and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. This approach will support high-growth businesses, deliver better health outcomes, and cement the UK’s global leadership in life sciences. Backed by deep engagement with industry, the plan will tackle barriers head-on and lay the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth.

The reforms to Part IX of the Drug Tariff and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) late-stage assessments align with this approach by supporting the adoption of innovation. The Part IX reforms include a new two-year temporary listing mechanism so that innovative products can be made available for patients more quickly. The NICE’s late-stage assessments are a central element of the NICE’s lifecycle approach to evaluation, valuing incremental innovation in transformative products once they have become established or widely available to the National Health Service. The assessments will provide guidance on value, especially where there are claims of improvements and innovation over time, to support NHS commissioners, procurement teams, patients, and clinicians to select the most effective and cost-effective products, from those available on the market.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of how the NICE Late-Stage Assessment programme aligns with the ambitions of the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the wider industrial strategy, the Government will take targeted, concerted, and aggressive action to unlock growth. The plan will focus on enabling world-class research and development, making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to start, scale, and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. This approach will support high-growth businesses, deliver better health outcomes, and cement the UK’s global leadership in life sciences. Backed by deep engagement with industry, the plan will tackle barriers head-on and lay the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth.

The reforms to Part IX of the Drug Tariff and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) late-stage assessments align with this approach by supporting the adoption of innovation. The Part IX reforms include a new two-year temporary listing mechanism so that innovative products can be made available for patients more quickly. The NICE’s late-stage assessments are a central element of the NICE’s lifecycle approach to evaluation, valuing incremental innovation in transformative products once they have become established or widely available to the National Health Service. The assessments will provide guidance on value, especially where there are claims of improvements and innovation over time, to support NHS commissioners, procurement teams, patients, and clinicians to select the most effective and cost-effective products, from those available on the market.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle disparities in prostate cancer outcomes for Black men.

The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all people with prostate cancer, including for black men.

To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men. This is vital as previous trials have not included enough black men to adequately demonstrate the harms and benefits of screening for this group specifically, despite their significantly higher risk.

In addition, following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will develop a new National Cancer Plan. The plan will seek to improve outcomes and address disparities, including for prostate cancer. A call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations, including ideas on how to improve outcomes for prostate cancer, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the NHS's genomic testing capacity for patients diagnosed with cancer.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications, and which sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing.

In the 2019 NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England set the commitment to offer whole genome sequencing as part of routine care, including for children with cancer and for adults suffering from specific cancers. The latest data, from April 2024 to December 2024, showed cancer genomic testing activity of 129,610, which was half of all types of genomic testing in the same period.

To support more extensive cancer genomic testing, NHS England is working to ensure collaboration between pathology and genomics networks to address issues, including capacity, networking, and optimisation of cancer tissue pathways.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide additional funding for domestic plasma collection; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such funding on supply chains, in the context of the UK’s reliance on US plasma imports.

The Department, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), and NHS England are working in partnership to develop a more sufficient and resilient supply of plasma, reducing the need for reliance on imports of plasma derived medicines.

A new end-to-end supply chain has been built, enabling the first National Health Service patients to receive life-saving plasma treatments made from the blood of United Kingdom donors in March, and increasing self-sufficiency for plasma derived medicines, specifically for immunoglobulins, from 0% to 25% self-sufficiency, and for albumin, from 0% to 80% self-sufficiency.

NHSBT has incorporated plasma collection into its business model, enabling growth in domestic plasma collection. This includes the use of modern automated collection technologies, used to enhance efficiency and consistency in the donation process. NHSBT is currently exploring future locations to expand its collection footprint and develop more donor centres.

Plasma collection is benefitting from the Department’s investment in NHSBT’s work to increase blood collection capacity and resilience, as plasma is collected from whole blood donations as well as dedicated plasma donation.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide additional funding for plasma (a) collection and (b) automation technologies; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such funding on the resilience of plasma-derived medicine supply chains.

The Department, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), and NHS England are working in partnership to develop a more sufficient and resilient supply of plasma, reducing the need for reliance on imports of plasma derived medicines.

A new end-to-end supply chain has been built, enabling the first National Health Service patients to receive life-saving plasma treatments made from the blood of United Kingdom donors in March, and increasing self-sufficiency for plasma derived medicines, specifically for immunoglobulins, from 0% to 25% self-sufficiency, and for albumin, from 0% to 80% self-sufficiency.

NHSBT has incorporated plasma collection into its business model, enabling growth in domestic plasma collection. This includes the use of modern automated collection technologies, used to enhance efficiency and consistency in the donation process. NHSBT is currently exploring future locations to expand its collection footprint and develop more donor centres.

Plasma collection is benefitting from the Department’s investment in NHSBT’s work to increase blood collection capacity and resilience, as plasma is collected from whole blood donations as well as dedicated plasma donation.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to consult on the temporary exemption for sporting and cultural events at associated premises to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

From 26 April 2024 to 21 June 2024, a public consultation was run to gather views on the Government’s proposal. An easy read version was then made available from 13 August 2024 to 27 September 2024. The Government’s response to the consultation was published on 18 December 2024. A copy of the consultation response can be viewed on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-regulations-relating-to-the-care-quality-commission/outcome/government-response-to-the-results-of-the-consultation-on-changing-regulations-relating-to-the-cqc#:~:text=Across%20the%20easy%20read%20and,72%20hours%20of%20its%20use..

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that Parkinson’s Disease services across England are supported to provide the full range of NICE-approved treatment options to eligible patients in a timely manner.

We have delivered an additional two million appointments in England, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments. These additional appointments have taken place across a number of specialities, including neurology.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. 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, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients, including for those with Parkinson’s, across our communities.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).

The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the NHS to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within these specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

In addition, in February 2024, a new treatment for advanced-stage Parkinson’s, foslevodopa–foscarbidopa, was rolled out in the NHS. It has been shown to improve motor function, with patients experiencing longer periods of time without dyskinesia.

The NHS in England is legally required to make funding available for treatments recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance. If there are any concerns with the availability of a NICE-recommended treatment in a particular area, they should be raised with the local ICB in the first instance.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce variations in access to treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for advanced and complex Parkinson’s Disease.

We have delivered an additional two million appointments in England, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments. These additional appointments have taken place across a number of specialities, including neurology.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. 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, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients, including for those with Parkinson’s, across our communities.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).

The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the NHS to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered, and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within these specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

In addition, in February 2024, a new treatment for advanced-stage Parkinson’s, foslevodopa–foscarbidopa, was rolled out in the NHS. It has been shown to improve motor function, with patients experiencing longer periods of time without dyskinesia.

The NHS in England is legally required to make funding available for treatments recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance. If there are any concerns with the availability of a NICE-recommended treatment in a particular area, they should be raised with the local ICB in the first instance.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve diagnostic rates for cardiovascular conditions and diseases in young people in (a) Southampton and (b) England.

The Government is committed to tackling the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and our Health Mission sets an ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade. The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions such as CVD.

Specific national strategies targeting the improvement of CVD diagnostic rates in children and young people are not featured in current public health programs. However, NHS England’s work emphasises the importance of early intervention and prevention across all age groups, and is committed to improving CVD care and outcomes through enhanced diagnostic support in the community, better personalised planning, and increased access to disease-specific rehabilitation.

Southampton City Council’s Children and Young People’s Strategy 2022-2027 outlines how they will invest in prevention, working with schools and communities to identify needs and deliver services as early as possible. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy similarly focuses on promoting healthy choices and behaviours in children to reduce CVD risk factors. The Government and NHS England will support local leaders to make the best choices to meet the needs of their local populations.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 32628 on Parkinson's Disease: Medical Treatments, what steps he is taking to improve access to treatment for people with (a) advanced and (b) complex Parkinson's.

We have delivered an additional two million appointments in England, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments. These additional appointments have taken place across a number of specialities, including neurology.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s disease can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England. One of these neurological centres is based at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester.

Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

The service specification for neurology, which is in the process of being updated and published later this year, sets out the requirements for specialised neurology services, as well as the expectations of non-specialised neurology services, to support a system-wide approach.

Service specifications must be included in all future provider contracts for specialised services. This is agreed in jointly signed delegation agreements between integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS England regional teams. ICBs are responsible for monitoring provider compliance with service specifications and may periodically carry out more detailed compliance exercises with providers, as a means of ensuring and improving the quality of care.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure Parkinson's services in Integrated Care Systems meet the requirements of the neurology service specifications.

We have delivered an additional two million appointments in England, seven months ahead of schedule. This includes operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments. These additional appointments have taken place across a number of specialities, including neurology.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, the majority of people with Parkinson’s disease can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurology centres across England. One of these neurological centres is based at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester.

Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

The service specification for neurology, which is in the process of being updated and published later this year, sets out the requirements for specialised neurology services, as well as the expectations of non-specialised neurology services, to support a system-wide approach.

Service specifications must be included in all future provider contracts for specialised services. This is agreed in jointly signed delegation agreements between integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS England regional teams. ICBs are responsible for monitoring provider compliance with service specifications and may periodically carry out more detailed compliance exercises with providers, as a means of ensuring and improving the quality of care.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families receive support under the Healthy Start scheme in York.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the scheme in March 2025 in York was 595.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services.

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss acquired brain injuries and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short and long term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered from an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.

As such, whilst no assessment been made on the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services, the Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on the next steps for ABIs at the national level will be taken in due course.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to link pharmacy funding to inflation and National Living Wage increases.

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

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the length of funding periods of pharmacies.

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

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the impact assessment for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will be published.

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

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the quality of maternity care for women from Black and Asian backgrounds.

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

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of participating in the EU4Health programme as a third country.

A closer, more cooperative relationship with the European Union is in the United Kingdom’s national interest, and we are working to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit. However, the UK currently has no plans to join the EU4Health programme as an associated third country.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families are receiving Healthy Start in Islington North constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the scheme in March 2025 in Islington North was 1,763.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of recommendation on (a) screening and (b) research on prostate cancer in Council of the EU recommendation on cancer screening (update), adopted in December 2022.

The United Kingdom is not bound by the Council of the European Union's recommendations. The UK National Screening Committee is currently looking at the evidence for prostate cancer screening in accordance with its published processes. This work will evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the implementation of organised prostate cancer screening programmes. It therefore aligns with the Council of the European Union's recommendations.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the Care Quality Commission to regulate sporting and cultural events.

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume Two report, the Government sought to make the necessary changes in the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums, and at temporary sporting and cultural events. The CQC will not be responsible for regulating sports and cultural events as a whole.

The CQC has taken steps to ensure that any changes are implemented in a way that gives healthcare providers appropriate time to register with the CQC. This provides further reassurance to both event organisers and the public on the level of healthcare expected.

In addition to the recent public consultation, the CQC will consult further on their approach to regulating these activities. The Government and the CQC continues to engage with stakeholders within the health, sports, and events sector regarding the changes in the regulations.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) Officials in his Department have undertaken with the sporting and cultural events sector to discuss proposals for the Care Quality Commission to increase its regulation over them.

Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume Two report, the Government sought to make the necessary changes in the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums, and at temporary sporting and cultural events. The CQC will not be responsible for regulating sports and cultural events as a whole.

The CQC has taken steps to ensure that any changes are implemented in a way that gives healthcare providers appropriate time to register with the CQC. This provides further reassurance to both event organisers and the public on the level of healthcare expected.

In addition to the recent public consultation, the CQC will consult further on their approach to regulating these activities. The Government and the CQC continues to engage with stakeholders within the health, sports, and events sector regarding the changes in the regulations.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of speech and language therapy posts are vacant in (a) each Integrated Care Board and (b) England.

The Department does not hold information on the number of speech and language therapist posts which are vacant.

NHS England publishes quarterly NHS hospital trust vacancy and job advert data. This data identifies vacancy rates for total NHS staff and also separately for registered nurses and doctors at a national and regional level but is not detailed enough to identify vacancy rates for speech and language therapists.

The vacancy statistics are published at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-vacancies-survey

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 38182 on LGBT+ People: Fertility, whether his Department plans to remove the requirement for female same sex couples to self-find prior to accessing IVF services on the NHS.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, including the issues for female same sex couples.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. The NICE is currently reviewing these guidelines.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve access to preventative intervention for patients at risk of lower-limb amputation.

For patients at risk of lower-limb amputation, including those diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI), timely interventions for revascularisation are crucial, along with preventative measures and early diagnosis.

In 2022, NHS England commissioned a two-year Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme, which incentivised the adoption of the Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework (PAD-QIF), which aims to reduce delays in assessment, investigation, and revascularisation in patients with CLTI and in turn amputation rates.

Alongside this, NHS England has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at improving prevention and early diagnosis of conditions which increase the risk of needing lower-limb amputations. These include NHS Health Checks for early detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and expanding community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to improve early detection.

The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions such as CVD.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce a fund to support young cancer patients and their families in access to treatment and care.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The Department has not made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to travel costs. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The Taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to unaffordable travel costs.

The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The Department has not made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS of missed appointments by children and young people with cancer due to travel costs. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The Taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment of adding fluoride to the water supply which takes account of (1) the financial cost, and (2) the possible health risks.

An impact assessment was completed as part of the proposals to expand the existing water fluoridation scheme in the North East of England, to a further 1.6 million people. This sets out a net present social value of the proposal of £201 million over 40 years, and accounts for estimated benefits through dental health care cost savings, productivity gains, and quality of life benefits to individuals. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has a duty to monitor the effects of water fluoridation schemes on health, and to publish reports at intervals no greater than four years. The findings of monitoring reports published in 2014, 2018, and 2022 are consistent that water fluoridation, at levels recommended in the United Kingdom, is a safe and effective public health measure to reduce dental caries.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to water companies of adding fluoride to the water supply.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is responsible for reimbursing water undertakers for the reasonable costs associated with water fluoridation schemes. In the financial year 2023/24, these costs were £4,109,521 in revenue and £348,351 in capital for the estimated six million people in England covered by such schemes.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce regulation to ensure the safe use of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare.

Ensuring technologies are safe is a top priority. To ensure the regulatory pathway is clear for both developers and adopters, the Department has supported the launch of numerous regulatory projects such as the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock.

The AIDRS collaborates between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. The service, by providing a collaborative ‘one stop shop’ of information, advice, and guidance, allows adopters and developers of artificial intelligence (AI) to easily understand what regulatory and evaluation pathways need to be followed before an AI tool can be safety deployed across health and care.

The AI Airlock is an MHRA-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet National Health Service standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows. The AI Airlock fosters collaboration between developers, regulators, and healthcare providers, and reduces the risks associated with early-stage implementation while providing valuable feedback for developers to refine their products.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the number of lower urinary tract symptoms service clinics.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidelines for the referral of patients who present with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/urinary-tract-infection-lower-women/management/recurrent-uti-no-haematuria-not-pregnant-or-catheterized/

There are specific referral criteria for women, compared to men and children. There are also guidelines in place for those who present to Pharmacy First. If the patient has had a history of UTIs, they are asked to see their general practice (GP) surgery, rather than being prescribed antibiotics by the pharmacy.

Patients with recurrent UTIs should be referred to secondary care to exclude other causes, perhaps through an ultrasound scan or a cystoscopy. Once cleared, patients may be prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.

The number of lower urinary tract symptom service clinics are locally managed and commissioned by integrated care boards, in accordance with local population need.

While there are no current plans to train GPs and urologists on recognising the symptoms of chronic UTIs, NHS England’s UTI reduction workstream was established as part of the delivery of the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024. This workstream aims to enhance prevention, support early and accurate diagnosis, and improve the treatment of UTIs through identifying and adopting best practice, and through interventions for different population groups.

NHS England has also been working with other public bodies, including the UK Health Security Agency, to strengthen the guidance regarding the appropriate use of diagnostics, including dipsticks. GPs can request testing for chronic UTIs via several pathways, including at point-of-care, via community diagnostic centres, or via laboratories. Laboratories across England adhere to stringent quality standards, including the UK Accreditation Standard ISO 15189, and implement robust internal and external quality assurance schemes, ensuring the accuracy of the tests used.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide training for (a) GPs and (b) urologists on recognising the symptoms of chronic urinary tract infections.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidelines for the referral of patients who present with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/urinary-tract-infection-lower-women/management/recurrent-uti-no-haematuria-not-pregnant-or-catheterized/

There are specific referral criteria for women, compared to men and children. There are also guidelines in place for those who present to Pharmacy First. If the patient has had a history of UTIs, they are asked to see their general practice (GP) surgery, rather than being prescribed antibiotics by the pharmacy.

Patients with recurrent UTIs should be referred to secondary care to exclude other causes, perhaps through an ultrasound scan or a cystoscopy. Once cleared, patients may be prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.

The number of lower urinary tract symptom service clinics are locally managed and commissioned by integrated care boards, in accordance with local population need.

While there are no current plans to train GPs and urologists on recognising the symptoms of chronic UTIs, NHS England’s UTI reduction workstream was established as part of the delivery of the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024. This workstream aims to enhance prevention, support early and accurate diagnosis, and improve the treatment of UTIs through identifying and adopting best practice, and through interventions for different population groups.

NHS England has also been working with other public bodies, including the UK Health Security Agency, to strengthen the guidance regarding the appropriate use of diagnostics, including dipsticks. GPs can request testing for chronic UTIs via several pathways, including at point-of-care, via community diagnostic centres, or via laboratories. Laboratories across England adhere to stringent quality standards, including the UK Accreditation Standard ISO 15189, and implement robust internal and external quality assurance schemes, ensuring the accuracy of the tests used.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help make it easier for patients with chronic urinary tract infections to receive referrals from their GPs.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidelines for the referral of patients who present with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/urinary-tract-infection-lower-women/management/recurrent-uti-no-haematuria-not-pregnant-or-catheterized/

There are specific referral criteria for women, compared to men and children. There are also guidelines in place for those who present to Pharmacy First. If the patient has had a history of UTIs, they are asked to see their general practice (GP) surgery, rather than being prescribed antibiotics by the pharmacy.

Patients with recurrent UTIs should be referred to secondary care to exclude other causes, perhaps through an ultrasound scan or a cystoscopy. Once cleared, patients may be prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.

The number of lower urinary tract symptom service clinics are locally managed and commissioned by integrated care boards, in accordance with local population need.

While there are no current plans to train GPs and urologists on recognising the symptoms of chronic UTIs, NHS England’s UTI reduction workstream was established as part of the delivery of the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024. This workstream aims to enhance prevention, support early and accurate diagnosis, and improve the treatment of UTIs through identifying and adopting best practice, and through interventions for different population groups.

NHS England has also been working with other public bodies, including the UK Health Security Agency, to strengthen the guidance regarding the appropriate use of diagnostics, including dipsticks. GPs can request testing for chronic UTIs via several pathways, including at point-of-care, via community diagnostic centres, or via laboratories. Laboratories across England adhere to stringent quality standards, including the UK Accreditation Standard ISO 15189, and implement robust internal and external quality assurance schemes, ensuring the accuracy of the tests used.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39387 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, if he will make an estimate of the number of assessments that have missed the 95 per cent target; how many of those have been delayed by more than (a) one, (b) six and (c) 12 months; and whether penalties have been imposed on Crawford & Company for missed deadlines.

Between January 2024 and December 2024, the percentage of medical assessment reports returned within 15 working days of receipt of a fully completed medical record was 99.8%. In the same period, 10 medical assessment reports were not returned within the 15-day timeframe. Of these, nine reports were returned within a month, with one report delayed by more than a month. No medical assessment reports were delayed either by more than six or 12 months.

The supplier has previously had service credits applied as a result of not returning medical assessment reports to the NHS Business Services Authority within 15 working days. As the supplier has achieved above 95% in relation to this target since August 2023, no service credits have been applied since 2023.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March to Question 39386 on NHS Business Services Authority: Crawford & Company, how much of the budget of £38.6m is set aside for the payment of VDPS claims; and what the forecast is for the number of applications to the VDPS to be processed by Crawford & Co for 2025-26.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the budget allocated for the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is £38.6 million. The forecasted amount within this budget for vaccine damage payments is approximately £9 million. The budget for the 2025/26 financial year is based on estimates that approximately 8,500 assessments, including mandatory reversals, will be carried out in 2025/26.

The budget allocated for payments has no bearing on the outcomes of individual assessments. The NHS Business Services Authority will request additional funding from the Department to process additional claims if needed, for example if the number of claims received is more than forecasted.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to support a national public awareness campaign on prostate cancer risk factors and the benefits of early detection for high-risk groups.

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/

To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men.

We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups like black men.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of eligible families are using the Healthy Start scheme in the South Devon constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the scheme receiving Healthy Start in February 2025 for South Devon is 1,239.

The NHSBSA does not currently hold data on the number of people who are eligible for the scheme. An issue was identified with the Healthy Start source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA removed the data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards.

The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they are eligible.

The following table shows the number of people on the scheme in February 2025 for all three wards in South Devon:

Country

Ward

People on the digital scheme

England

South Hams

165

England

Teignbridge

440

England

Torbay

634

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