Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report on dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention, particularly the evidence on alcohol as a risk factor for bowel cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.

The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.

The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.

It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.

From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent bowel cancer by addressing key modifiable risk factors, including alcohol.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.

The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.

The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.

It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.

From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve public awareness of the bowel cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.

The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.

The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.

It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.

From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the variation in diagnosis times and access to treatment for heart valve disease by (a) region and (b) demographic group in England and West Sussex.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that variation in the provision of heart valve disease (HVD) services exists across England is taking action to address this.

NHS England is strengthening consistency in the diagnosis and treatment to reduce variation in HVD diagnosis, including in West Sussex. This included echocardiography workforce initiatives to increase diagnostic capacity for HVD referrals for 2024/25. In 2025, the Getting It Right First Time programme published new and revised cardiology pathways to reduce delays and guide clinicians through diagnostic steps and treatment planning, and enhanced recovery protocols for Aortic Stenosis (advanced HVD).

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the British Heart Foundation are partnering for the £50m Inequalities, which will fund a five-year consortium to generate research focused on tackling inequalities in ethnic minorities, deprived communities and unequal cardiovascular disease outcomes between women and men. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-50m-funding-to-tackle-inequalities-cardiovascular-disease

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of rolling out lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes nationally, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There has not been a specific national assessment of the roll out of lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel-occlusion.

The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities and foster innovation where it is needed most.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Department can outline how many NHS outpatient services for ME/CFS are currently operational in England, and how many of these accept referrals for patients with severe or very severe ME/CFS.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan, published in July 2025, includes an action for the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

The third and final session in NHS England’s ME/CFS e-learning series, Managing Severe ME/CFS, is now live on the NHS Learning Hub. This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance to support people living with severe and very severe ME/CFS, and has universal access. There is also an additional version of this module, which is only available to healthcare professionals, and includes clinical guidance on severe and very severe ME/CFS.

NHS England has already started its work on co-designing resources, including a ‘template service specification’ for mild/moderate ME/CFS services, to support systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have met with a group of key stakeholders to move this work on. This template will now include reference to severe ME/CFS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had since the publication of the Final Delivery Plan for ME/CFS regarding the commissioning of a specialised service for people with very severe ME/CFS.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan, published in July 2025, includes an action for the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

The third and final session in NHS England’s ME/CFS e-learning series, Managing Severe ME/CFS, is now live on the NHS Learning Hub. This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance to support people living with severe and very severe ME/CFS, and has universal access. There is also an additional version of this module, which is only available to healthcare professionals, and includes clinical guidance on severe and very severe ME/CFS.

NHS England has already started its work on co-designing resources, including a ‘template service specification’ for mild/moderate ME/CFS services, to support systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have met with a group of key stakeholders to move this work on. This template will now include reference to severe ME/CFS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the analysis of responses to the 2018 consultation on the Nutrient Profiling Model before any decision to adopt that model; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published responses to the 2018 consultation on 27 January 2026 alongside the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018 Review and Consultation Outcome and the associated NPM technical guidance.

The Government launched the consultation on applying the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on 25 March 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Respiratory registrars and Consultants are currently working in the NHS, and what steps his Department is taking to increase their number.

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

NHS England publishes monthly information on the composition of the workforce employed by National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards in England.  This includes information on doctors grouped by their grade and the specialty area they are working in. The information is available at the following link:

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

The relevant data can be found in worksheet 4 of the file NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Trusts and core organisations – data tables, in the link above.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

The Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the integration of (a) shared maintenance hubs, (b) fleet management, and (c) scheduling for (i) health and (ii) education services.

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

The Government has recently announced its commitments to the rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Centres, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-to-double-down-on-drive-to-cut-nhs-waiting-times-and-rollout-of-new-neighbourhood-health-centres

Through this programme, there will likely be opportunities under the NHS Act 2006 for NHS England to work with local authorities to deliver joint developments alongside One Public Estate. Schemes will likely include the refurbishment and redevelopment of existing public assets, and such projects may provide a particular focus in areas of deprivation, where the National Health Service can act as an anchor tenant.

Furthermore, we are currently finalising the Department’s approach to its Public and Private Finance Partnership model for neighbourhood health centres, which could also act as a catalyst for projects and joint working across public bodies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what conversations he has had with Business and Trade colleagues regarding improving employment conditions for those in the mental health sector.

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, meets regularly with colleagues in the Department of Business and Trade to discuss a range of topics.

We are committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including those working in the mental health sector. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will deliver this change by making sure that staff are better treated, have more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future.

We are taking a number of steps to improve working conditions for NHS staff, including the development of a new set of staff standards for modern employment. The standards will focus on the areas that we know matter the most to staff, including: supporting line management; improving staff health and wellbeing; promoting flexible working; violence prevention and reduction; and tackling racism and sexual safety.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a proposed reduction in community inpatient capacity at Zachary Merton Hospital on the level of (a) the use of virtual wards, (b) care at home, and (c) provision at other community hospital sites in West Sussex.

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

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117218 on NHS, whether his Department assessed the potential merits of exercising the call-in power under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 for proposed changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital.

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

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staffing levels on accident and emergency waiting times.

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

We recognise the importance of ensuring that emergency departments operate safely and effectively. Decisions on staffing levels are matters for local National Health Service trusts, working with integrated care boards, who are best placed to assess and manage services in line with local needs and circumstances.

Nationally, NHS England sets standards for emergency care and provides guidance to support trusts in maintaining safe staffing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117219 on NHS, whether changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital had been notified to his Department under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006.

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

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the DHSC annual report and accounts 2024-25, HC1446, what the job titles were of the five civil servants who received exit payments over £200,000.

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

In the Department’s annual report and accounts for 2024/25, there were five civil servants who received exit payments over £200,000, all of whom were employees of the Department’s Executive Agency, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

During 2024/25 financial year, the UKHSA embarked on a restructure to streamline operations, optimise resources, enhance strategic decision-making capabilities, and respond to evolving priorities and demands within the health security landscape. The outcome being a more agile, lean, and effective organisation structured to fulfil its mission effectively.

The five roles were removed as part of the restructuring exercise, these included Directors General, Directors and Deputy Directors. More detailed role information, such as job titles, is information that could identify individuals and therefore is not routinely disclosed. All exit payments and approaches followed the Civil Service Compensation Scheme rules and were approved by the Department and Cabinet Office in line with standard approval processes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to menopause support and services in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and we acknowledge the impact that women suffering from symptoms of menopause has on their lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.

In Buckinghamshire, a specialist menopause service was launched in August 2025 and was accessible to all Buckinghamshire women via referral from their general practitioner (GP), delivered by telephone as standard to ensure this holistic and patient centred specialist menopause care is delivered close to the patient, in their own home, with face to face provision available where required within GPs across the county.

As announced in October 2025, we will be asking local authorities across the country to include menopause in the NHS Health Check later this year. This will support eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and a diagnosis.

Menopause and menstrual health conditions will be among the priorities for the NHS’s revolutionary new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.

On the 15 April 2026, we published the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy which identifies menopause as a core women’s health priority, recognising its impact on women’s health, wellbeing, work, and quality of life.

The strategy shifts menopause care into primary and community settings, including neighbourhood women’s health services and women’s health hubs, making care easier to access and closer to home.

The strategy commits to each region having a specialist centre to support group based approaches to high volume low complexity women’s health pathways such as menopause services, improving access, peer support, and consistency, with early rollout focused on areas of highest need.

The strategy recognises that menopause symptoms are often under recognised and poorly understood, and commits to improving information so women know their symptoms can be effectively managed, including through evidence-based treatments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for atrial fibrillation ablation procedures in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

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

Catheter ablation for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation for adults is a prescribed specialised service commissioned in accordance with a published national clinical commissioning policy. Consequently, NHS England’s regional specialised commissioning teams and integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Somerset ICB, are responsible for monitoring activity, reviewing equity of access for their populations, and addressing unwarranted variation through local oversight arrangements and clinical networks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to mandate endometriosis and menstrual health training across GP and medical education in England.

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

The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.

The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, which set the outcomes and standards expected at undergraduate level. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula must meet the standards set by the GMC, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are maintained.

The curriculum for specialty training is set by individual royal colleges and faculties. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensuring it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum covers endometriosis as part of its gynaecology and breast health module.

GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP has worked with partners, including Endometriosis UK, to develop educational resources relating to endometriosis to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure The Renewed Women's Health Strategy for England, published April 2026, improves gynaecology care in regions with local shortages of gynaecologists.

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

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy was published on 15 April 2026 and sets out a bold, long‑term plan to transform how the health and care system listens to, supports, and delivers for women and girls across all regions in England.

It puts women’s voices and choices at the centre of care, drives faster improvements in services and outcomes that matter most to women, and tackles long‑standing health inequalities across the life course. The strategy aligns with the 10-Year Health Plan to shift care into the community, harness digital innovation, and strengthen prevention so women can live healthier, more fulfilled lives.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce preventable admissions in A&E.

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

We are significantly expanding urgent care across the country, including building and expanding 40 same day emergency care services and urgent treatment centres. This will mean patients are treated more quickly and in the most appropriate setting, while easing pressure on busy accident and emergency departments so they can focus on the most serious cases.

Alongside this, we are expanding urgent care outside hospital through new neighbourhood health services. Urgent community care enables people to receive timely, high‑quality care in their own homes or communities, helping to maintain independence and ensuring hospital attendance only where clinically necessary. The Neighbourhood Health model prioritises urgent community response, virtual wards, and coordinated multidisciplinary teams to support people with escalating or acute needs, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting care closer to home.

The Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan 2025/26 also committed to scaling a new “Home First” approach, enabling ambulance services to prioritise the most critical cases while providing alternative pathways for those with less urgent needs. This includes “see and treat” and “hear and treat” approaches, supported by additional clinicians in emergency operations centres and single points of access.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of creating a requirement for NHS trusts to maintain chain-of-custody records for the handling of miscarriage tissue.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with health leaders on the arrangements in place across NHS Trusts for overseeing incidents involving the handling of miscarriage tissue.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS leaders regarding the mandatory training required for staff involved in the handling of miscarriage tissue.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help address variations in access to care for people with atrial fibrillation in England.

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

NHS England commissions the CVDPREVENT audit, which publishes routinely held general practice data to support planning and tackle unwarranted variation at national, regional, integrated care board, primary care network, and practice level. This includes information on atrial fibrillation treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government is working with regulators and professional bodies to strengthen endometriosis education.

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

The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.

The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, which set the outcomes and standards expected at undergraduate level. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula must meet the standards set by the GMC, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are maintained.

The curriculum for specialty training is set by individual royal colleges and faculties. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensuring it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum covers endometriosis as part of its gynaecology and breast health module.

GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP has worked with partners, including Endometriosis UK, to develop educational resources relating to endometriosis to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of Training Interface Group (TIG) fellowships on the provision of specialist cleft surgery training; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the continued development of cross-specialty expertise across ENT, maxillofacial and plastic surgery.

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

NHS England made the decision in 2025 to discontinue central funding of the salary support component of the Training Interface Group programme, and to target financial resources more effectively to address regional workforce priorities. Regions or provider organisations that wish to continue developing these skills are still able to recruit, fund, and train staff using the curriculum set by the Joint Committee on Surgical Training.

NHS England is also working to understand where they can enhance and support smaller, highly specialised areas of practice.

NHS England has initiated a plan, working with clinical subject matter experts, to define the demand and future supply needed for the training of cleft lip and palate surgeons and to shape the future training and workforce investment needed in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to establish a single national protocol governing the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue to parents.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to establish a single national protocol governing the handling and testing of miscarriage tissue.

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

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has no plans to establish a single national protocol governing the handling or testing of miscarriage tissue, nor to establish a single national protocol for the communication of information regarding miscarriage tissue for parents beyond the current guidance.

However, the HTA guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains was updated following a recommendation of the Pregnancy Loss Review. It applies to any health service or organisation involved in managing pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy, and should be used to inform policies and procedures governing the disposal of pregnancy remains resulting from pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy. The HTA guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.hta.gov.uk/guidance-professionals/guidance-sector/post-mortem/guidance-disposal-pregnancy-remains-following

It includes information on developing a disposal policy, communicating information, staff training, and disposal options, including maintaining records of how and when the pregnancy remains were disposed of.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to women’s health services in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency under the renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England.

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

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy was published on 15 April 2026 and women’s access to care is a key theme. We will support integrated care board to introduce a single point of access for all non-urgent referrals to gynaecology and women's health services to speed up access to better treatment

We will redesign clinical pathways for the most common pathways including heavy periods, menopause, and uro-gynaecology. This will standardise care pathways and remove unnecessary procedural delays.

We will fund a specialist centre in each region for group-based approaches to high volume low complexity women’s health pathways. This will improve productivity and empower women in common clinical areas, helping to reduce waiting lists and supporting self-management.

We will accelerate the deployment and spread of innovations that benefit women’s health, launching a FemTech healthcare challenge within two years with a pot of £1.5 million.

Funded by £5.25 million, we will expand access to Musculoskeletal (MSK) Hubs in the community by leveraging the leisure and fitness workforce to deliver evidence-based physical activity for people with MSK conditions.

Buckinghamshire delivers specialist gynaecology care to women through both community and secondary care, or hospital, services, with community services delivered from general practices across the county, including in Aylesbury. To further improve access to women's health services, the Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust and FedBucks are working together to expand community services, increasing clinic sites and aligning to neighbourhoods including North Bucks, to ensure more women can be seen for specialist gynaecology care more quickly and closer to home in the community service, thereby increasing capacity within the secondary care service to support waiting list reductions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of data collection on women’s health outcomes in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

A women's health data dashboard is available on the NHS Futures website and is available to anyone working within health and care sector who requires insight into women's health.

The dashboard is intended to provide national and local insight into the key aims of women's health aligned with the priorities of NHS England’s Women’s Health Programme and highlight potential unmet need, unwarranted variation, and health inequalities.

The Government will make the data dashboard publicly available with the next year, as set out in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy published on 15 April 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.

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

NHS England continues to support the improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, including strengthening pre-hospital triage, inter-hospital transfer pathways, and emergency referral arrangements.

These actions are intended to reduce unwarranted variation and improve equitable access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, including those living in rural areas such as Somerset, while ensuring services remain clinically safe and sustainable.

Mechanical thrombectomy is an evidence-based treatment for eligible patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and is recognised as a national clinical priority.

The service is commissioned by NHS England as a specialised service, with aspects of planning and delivery supported locally through specialised commissioning delegated arrangements, working closely with integrated care boards and systems.

NHS England has assessed the need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy through national clinical policy, audit, and service monitoring. NHS England routinely monitors access and outcomes through the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, which has demonstrated variation in access across England, including challenges related to geography and travel times.

In response to this assessed need, work continues to develop and strengthen services. In addition to NHS England’s aforementioned improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, work is also ongoing to support the expansion and sustainability of thrombectomy capable services where clinically and operationally appropriate, within the framework of specialised commissioning delegated services. For instance, 24/7 services to serve stroke patients are available at Bristol and Plymouth.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who will have lead responsibility in co ordination and organising the four Nation Steering Group in examining the role of the Multi Speciality Recruitment Assessment process.

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

In Autumn 2025, the Postgraduate National Recruitment Programme Board stood up a project to identify future delivery solutions for the selection assessments used across all recruitment pathways, including the Multi Specialty Recruitment Assessment. The project is overseen by a four-nation selection assessment steering group that will shape and make recommendations to the programme board.

The programme board has overall accountability for recruitment and selection processes into postgraduate medical, dental, foundation pharmacy, and healthcare science training programmes in the United Kingdom. The board is convened by NHS England, includes representatives from each of the four UK statutory education bodies, and is accountable to the executives of each of these bodies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the time taken and (b) effectiveness of the General Optical Council's action in cases of malpractice.

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

The Department has regular discussions with the General Optical Council (GOC) on regulatory matters.

While the GOC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GOC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.

In March 2026, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) published its 2024/25 performance review of the GOC, concluding that that it met all 18 Standards of Good Regulation, including those relating to fitness to practise. The PSA found that most fitness to practise investigations were timely and adequate, with risks managed appropriately. However, the PSA identified some areas for improvement which the GOC is addressing through an action plan. The PSA will monitor the progress of this plan as part of its continuous oversight of GOC’s performance.

In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regional variation in IVF provision following publication of the updated NICE fertility guidelines.

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

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.

On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

There are no plans to introduce statutory duties on ICBs to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.

The Government published the Women's Health Strategy on 15 April which commits to ensuring that every woman can easily access fertility services, and we are currently working to assess the current provision of National Health Service commissioned fertility services as a baseline to inform supporting material for every ICB to implement the new NICE guidelines in full.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce statutory duties on Integrated Care Boards to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles.

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

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.

On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

There are no plans to introduce statutory duties on ICBs to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.

The Government published the Women's Health Strategy on 15 April which commits to ensuring that every woman can easily access fertility services, and we are currently working to assess the current provision of National Health Service commissioned fertility services as a baseline to inform supporting material for every ICB to implement the new NICE guidelines in full.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2026 to Question 124547 on Medical Treatments: Costs, what plans he has to update the 2009 guidance.

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

The Department has no plans to update the guidance at this current time.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to health visitors for families in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Families in England must receive at least five health visits, with additional support provided according to need. Health visiting service delivery data is available, and published annually, for upper tiers of local government, such as the Staffordshire County Council, but not lower tiers, such as the Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

The relevant dataset and statistical commentary for Staffordshire is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/health-visitor-service-delivery-data-for-2024-to-2025

In line with the Government’s commitment to strengthening health visiting, we have recently refreshed the guidance for the Healthy Child Programme, which specifies requirements for health visiting services, to promote national consistency in service delivery. We are working closely with regional colleagues to support the implementation of this guidance across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of health visitors in England.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The child health workforce, including health visiting teams, is central to how we support families to give their children the best start in life. Health visitors’ contact with parents, carers, and children of all ages is a source of vital advice and support, helping to ensure that health, development, and safeguarding needs are identified early. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and Best Start in Life Strategy, the Government has committed to strengthening health visiting services to ensure that all families have access to high-quality, personalised support.

In the 10-Year Health Plan, we committed to a Professional Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery. Due for publication following the 10 Year Workforce Plan, this strategy will set out a professional direction of travel, up to 2040, for all nurses, including health visitors, midwives, and nursing associates in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department is carrying out work alongside other Government departments to address health and employment impacts of migraines.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the substantial economic and National Health Service burden of migraines, and there are an estimated 16,500 emergency admissions per year for migraines that could be avoided, costing the NHS £11.5 million.

The Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including migraines, and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work. Measures include Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and WorkWell, as well as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme. The GIRFT Programme is also working to standardise care, promote better use of preventive treatments, and reduce reliance on accident and emergency for migraine crises by empowering general practices to manage headache disorders effectively.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions the UK Neuro Forum has had on (a) care pathways, (b) treatment options and (c) access to drugs for patients with motor neurone disease.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Neuro Forum brings key stakeholders together to share learnings across the system and to discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including motor neurone disease (MND).

At the second meeting of the UK Neuro Forum on 10 September 2025, one of the key areas of discussion was cross-border care. The forum met again most recently on 18 March and discussed workforce challenges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the consistency and effectiveness of (a) antenatal screening in detecting fetal cardiac conditions and (b) the efficacy of the Fetal anomaly screening programme handbook guidance in supporting early identification and treatment pathways for foetuses with cardiac abnormalities.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of babies and children. The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) recommends the offer of an ultrasound scan which is performed between 18+0 to 20+6 weeks to screen for 11 physical conditions, including serious cardiac anomalies.

Coverage of the foetal anomaly ultrasound for the 2024/25 screening year was high, at 98%. As of 2020/21, the proportion of women who had an unexpected finding suspected or confirmed in the baby at the 20-week screening scan and who were then referred within the timeline was 76.8% for local referrals, those seen within three days of screening scan, and 85.2% for tertiary referrals, those seen with five days of screening scan. This ensures women with a suspected or confirmed unexpected finding are referred in a timely manner and receive timely intervention where appropriate. Minimum screening standards data is collected against the 20-week scan, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fetal-anomaly-screening-programme-standards/fetal-anomaly-screening-standards-valid-for-data-collected-from-1-april-2022

NHS England is aware that there is geographical variation in antenatal cardiac detections and it is working with The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Services and the Screening Quality Assurance Service to address the variation, with further information about both services available at the following two links:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-population-screening-quality-assurance

NHS England also has a task and finish group looking at quality improvement in this area.

The NHS FASP handbook is a recommended guidance document for providers offering NHS FASP screening with the main aim of supporting healthcare professionals in delivering NHS FASP screening. This includes early identification of screened for conditions. NHS England FASP do not cover treatment pathways.

Additionally, NHS FASP provides an e-learning package with recommended timescales for completion for relevant healthcare professionals involved in the offer of NHS FASP screening, once every 24 months for ultrasound practitioners. This e-learning package is available at the following link:

https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Catalogue/Index?HierarchyId=0_37210&programmeId=37210

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), that was published in July 2025, the Government committed to supporting people with ME/CFS. The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

We are developing a template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS, in conjunction with NHS England. The template will set out examples of best practice for the commissioning of services for ME/CFS to ensure consistent and high-quality care across integrated care boards. The Department, together with ForwardME, is developing a Language Matters Guide to accompany this to ensure that terminology is consistent and well understood.

To help support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme for healthcare professionals. All sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one, two, and three having universal access, whilst the final session on managing severe ME/CFS being only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to people living with Multiple Sclerosis in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

At the national level, initiatives such as NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme and the NHS RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions toolkit both aim to reduce unwarranted variation in services and improve equity of care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

At the local level, the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s neurology department provides care to patients with MS in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. The team consists of consultant neurologists, a consultant neurophysiologist, and two specialist nurses. All consultants hold joint appointments with University College London Hospitals or the Royal Free Hospital, giving access to specialised neurological care.

The Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust provides the community neurological rehabilitation service for adults in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. The service provides specialist therapy to patients with long term neurological conditions, including those with MS. Specialist advice and oversight is available from a consultant neurologist where clinically appropriate. The service offers complex care, needs-led intervention, specialist equipment, and self-management support according to intensity of clinical needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand screening programmes for early detection of Cervical Cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving cancer screening services in line with the National Cancer Plan and as part of the 10-Year Health Plan’s shift from sickness to prevention.

Later this year, we will start to offer self-testing for human papilloma virus to women who have missed their cervical screening appointments by at least six months. This expansion aims to overcome barriers that stop women from taking up cervical screening which can both prevent and catch cervical cancer early.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department has plans to strengthen national policy recognition of migraine as a serious neurological condition.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that migraine is a serious and often debilitating neurological condition, with a wide range of symptoms that go far beyond a headache. Migraine attacks can be a whole-body experience that can make it very difficult to function normally.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme also developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with migraine.

The GIRFT programme for Neurology published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving recognition and diagnosis of migraine. Additionally, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit set out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline, Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management, sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment, and support of people who suffer from headaches, including migraine. It aims to improve the recognition and management of headaches and migraine.

In August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services. It outlines a number of minimum service requirements for key specialties, including complex headache services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of Hansen's Disease have been diagnosed in the last ten years; and what steps his Department is taking to support people infected by this disease.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Hansen's Disease, or leprosy, is a statutorily notifiable disease in England and Wales. Data supplied by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is available at the following link:

https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/number-of-new-leprosy-cases.

There were 56 cases of Hansen's Disease diagnosed between 2015 and 2024 in the United Kingdom. Annual case numbers ranged from two to 12 cases per year. UK Data for 2025 is due to be published on the WHO website in the coming months. There has been no documented transmission of leprosy in the UK in the last 10 years.

Direct patient care is provided by the National Health Service, by specialist clinical leprosy advisors based in London, Liverpool, and Birmingham, and this is in line with UKHSA's Leprosy Memorandum, which covers diagnosis, treatment with multi-drug therapy, and long-term support for those living with disability caused by the disease. The memorandum is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/leprosy-memorandum/memorandum-on-leprosy-2023#introduction

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AT).

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AT) is a rare inherited condition which can affect the lungs and liver. The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including work to improve diagnosis and the use of genomics in rare disease care. NHS England’s National Genomic Test Directory includes testing for A1AT, where clinically appropriate.

The Government also supports patients with A1AT through wider action to improve care for people living with rare conditions and long-term respiratory disease.

NHS England’s respiratory disease programme is focused on earlier and more accurate diagnosis, reducing inequalities, and improving treatment and support. This includes support for diagnostic testing such as spirometry, expansion of pulmonary rehabilitation, and improvements in medicines optimisation and personalised care. NHS England has also published commissioning standards for spirometry, and community diagnostic centres are providing respiratory diagnostic tests to improve access closer to home.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has committed to meeting the cancer waiting time standards in England by the end of this Parliament, by modernising the whole cancer pathway so that patients are diagnosed and treated more quickly.

The National Cancer Plan for England was published in February 2026. Patients across England will benefit from faster and more convenient tests, checks, and scans. By expanding diagnostic capacity, using real‑time data to spot delays, and rolling out technologies like robotic surgery, genomic testing, and faster, less invasive diagnostics, this will benefit all patients, including prostate cancer patients.

The plan is backed by significant funding committed by the Government at the Spending Review, including £200 million next year for local Cancer Alliances. Alliances are encouraged to allocate a proportion of this funding to the delivery of local early diagnosis plans, to drive progress on data-led priorities. This can include work to support the diagnosis of prostate cancer, but it will vary by alliance depending on local need. In 2025/26, several alliances have undertaken work to support awareness and earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer.

To increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, and address barriers to acting on them, the National Health Service in England has run Help Us Help You campaigns. These campaigns focused on recognising a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers, including prostate cancer, at an earlier stage.

Through the Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call, the Department is piloting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist radiologists using magnetic resonance imaging to detect clinically significant prostate cancer.

Cancer will be a priority for NHS Online, which goes live in England from 2027, bringing the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS. Virtual cancer care will be a priority, beginning with virtual hospital pathways for men with raised prostate-specific antigen levels at risk of prostate cancer.

The Department continues to collaborate with Prostate Cancer UK on the TRANSFORM trial to answer the outstanding questions on screening effectiveness, particularly for black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer. 12,500 men are being recruited in phase 1 in sites across the UK, with inclusion into four groups looking at four different prostate health checks. Research phase 1 is expected to last between one to four years, and phase 2 is planned to be five to nine years. Currently, the Government, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has agreed to contribute support to phases 1 and 2. Further details can be sought from Prostate Cancer UK who are running the trial. The UK National Screening Committee will be reviewing the evidence that is published by this study, and this will help to inform any future recommendation on creating a national screening programme for prostate cancer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase public participation in the bowel cancer screening programme in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Bowel screening uptake in Berkhamsted and Harpenden is currently between 84% and 87%. The NHS Central East Integrated Care Board (ICB) works closely with general practices (GPs) to encourage promotion of bowel screening through a ‘making every contact count’ approach when they are informed which of their patients have not returned their faecal immunochemical test (FIT).

The ICB has also used regional innovation screening funding to support cancer screening projects in Hertfordshire, including some specifically for bowel cancer. In 2025/26, the programme included:

• delivering outreach to people on the Serious Mental Illness Register who face barriers to screening because of their mental ill health;
• targeting non-responders from communities who find National Health Services hard-to-reach, including traveller and asylum seeker communities;
• supporting screening uptake within the learning disability population, with a particular focus on bowel screening;
• providing public education on cancer awareness to specific postcodes with low uptake of screening, delivered by the patient-led ‘Cancel out Cancer’ group;
• reviewing 130,000 bowel screening non-responders to identify themes in order to understand potential barriers; and
• reaching out to patients who are eligible for screening but who haven’t taken up the opportunity to answer any questions they have and book in appointments for people as needed, via Cancer Care Co-ordinators who form part of the GP teams across Hertfordshire.

In England, coverage of bowel cancer screening has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, 60.5% of people took the offer up, while now it is 71.8%. To further increase coverage across England, NHS England is doing the following:

• delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;
• incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure that people get information in the way they want, and that adjustments are made to support people at appointments;
• has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and is updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility; and
• has made the bowel cancer screening FIT kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of social care support available to those diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, including acquired brain injury, with the reference code NG252. This guidance includes functional neurological disorder (FND) within its scope.

NHS England’s updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification, published in August 2025, includes specific reference to FND. It states that all specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for FND. Service specifications are important in clearly defining the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.

There are a number of other national-level initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including FND, such as the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the recently completed Neurology Transformation Programme, which aim to improve care for people by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across England.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In doing so, they should use local population and market data to inform commissioning decisions and encourage a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate and high-quality care services in their local area, including for conditions such as FND.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of Functional Neurological Disorder.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, including acquired brain injury, with the reference code NG252. This guidance includes functional neurological disorder (FND) within its scope.

NHS England’s updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification, published in August 2025, includes specific reference to FND. It states that all specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for FND. Service specifications are important in clearly defining the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.

There are a number of other national-level initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including FND, such as the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the recently completed Neurology Transformation Programme, which aim to improve care for people by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across England.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In doing so, they should use local population and market data to inform commissioning decisions and encourage a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate and high-quality care services in their local area, including for conditions such as FND.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of missed appointments in (i) Warwickshire and (ii) nationally; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of missed appointments.

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

The Department has made no formal estimate of the cost of missed appointments in Warwickshire or nationally.

However, we’re clear that reducing missed appointments is an important part of improving elective care and making best use of National Health Service capacity to cut waiting times. The Government has committed, in the Elective Reform Plan, to focussed action to reduce missed appointments, including enhancing two-way communication between hospitals and patients, and to use artificial intelligence to predict who will miss appointments, to save up to one million missed appointments. NHS England continues to support the validation of waiting lists, as part of the Government's plans for a more productive and improved approach to elective care which is better for patients. Effective validation helps trusts to understand the true size of their waiting list for better planning and can help avoid missed appointments to reduce overall waiting times.

Locally, trusts are also using data‑led approaches to prioritise proactive appointment reminders, making greater use of the NHS App and patient portals, and targeting specialties with higher non‑attendance rates through outpatient improvement work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding is being allocated to upgrade legacy IT systems in a) the NHS b) individual integrated care boards and c) local authorities responsible for delivering adult social care services.

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

NHS England invests approximately £1 billion per year centrally to operate, support, and upgrade nationally managed technology systems, including the NHS App and core data services.

In addition, over the current Spending Review period, NHS England plans to invest approximately £2 billion with care provider organisations through the Frontline Productivity Programme, supporting the use of technology to improve productivity and make better use of existing digital infrastructure. This includes targeted investment where providers choose to converge on common platforms to support local system working and the priorities of the 10‑Year Health Plan.

Funding allocations for technology investment by individual integrated care boards and local systems will be determined by NHS England regions and systems in due course, in line with local priorities and national guidance.

We have no funding allocated specifically to local authorities to update their legacy social care systems, and responsibility for procuring and updating their own systems lies with them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England and Integrated Care Board commissioners on the (a) fairness and (b) transparency of Indicative Activity Plans.

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

Indicative Activity Plans (IAPs) are non-binding, forecasted schedules under the NHS Standard Contract that define expected service volumes between commissioners for integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers. In setting these volumes, ICBs and providers are responsible for ensuring they do so with fairness and transparency.

ICBs have contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes the ability to set IAPs to help providers and commissioners plan demand, capacity, and expenditure. While not binding, if activity exceeds, or falls short of the agreed plan, and therefore the funding agreed, an Activity Management Plan can be agreed to bring activity back in line.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on proposals to reduce reliance on resident doctors in response to industrial action.

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

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to create a new model of care, fit for the future. In spring we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver that transformed service.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan has been developed and is informed by regular discussions with NHS England and will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate changes for different professional groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of NHS appointments and procedures postponed due to the resident doctors’ strike beginning on 7 April 2026.

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

NHS England routinely publishes information on postponed inpatient and outpatient appointments during periods of industrial action, and this information will be published in due course. Further information will be available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/#heading-3

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on improving the recognition of overseas qualifications and reducing barriers to employment in the NHS.

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

The statutory regulation of healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom is designed to protect patients and the public by ensuring that registered practitioners are appropriately trained, competent, and fit to practise.

The UK’s healthcare professional regulators are independent bodies responsible for setting standards of education, training, and professional conduct. They are also responsible for setting registration routes, including for overseas‑qualified applicants, to ensure UK standards of safe and effective practice are met. Only those who meet these requirements can legally practise in regulated healthcare professions.

National Health Service employers are responsible for ensuring that individuals appointed to specific roles meet the requirements of those posts in line with service needs, patient safety requirements, and relevant NHS frameworks.

The Government is committed to maintaining robust regulatory frameworks that support public safety, professional standards, and confidence in the healthcare system. Through its programme of regulatory reform, the Government will bring forward legislation to modernise the legislative frameworks of the regulators to ensure that they have the powers they require to protect the public while supporting an effective and flexible workforce. In the meantime, we continue to engage with regulators to support the effective use of their existing powers and frameworks to facilitate efficient registration pathways for both UK and overseas‑qualified applicants, consistent with public protection.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how the Government will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory and accreditation barriers on the level of NHS workforce.

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

The statutory regulation of healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom is designed to protect patients and the public by ensuring that registered practitioners are appropriately trained, competent, and fit to practise.

The UK’s healthcare professional regulators are independent bodies responsible for setting standards of education, training, and professional conduct. They are also responsible for setting registration routes, including for overseas‑qualified applicants, to ensure UK standards of safe and effective practice are met. Only those who meet these requirements can legally practise in regulated healthcare professions.

National Health Service employers are responsible for ensuring that individuals appointed to specific roles meet the requirements of those posts in line with service needs, patient safety requirements, and relevant NHS frameworks.

The Government is committed to maintaining robust regulatory frameworks that support public safety, professional standards, and confidence in the healthcare system. Through its programme of regulatory reform, the Government will bring forward legislation to modernise the legislative frameworks of the regulators to ensure that they have the powers they require to protect the public while supporting an effective and flexible workforce. In the meantime, we continue to engage with regulators to support the effective use of their existing powers and frameworks to facilitate efficient registration pathways for both UK and overseas‑qualified applicants, consistent with public protection.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how the Government will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help (a) reduce regional disparities in access in access to left atrial appendage closure and (b) the potential impact of such disparities on Yeovil constituents.

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

NHS England has not undertaken a formal national assessment of regional variation in access to left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO).

LAAO is a prescribed specialised service and is commissioned in accordance with NHS England’s published national clinical commissioning policy, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-commissioning-policy-left-atrial-appendage-occlusion-for-patients-with-atrial-fibrillation-and-relative-or-absolute-contraindications-to-anticoagulation-adults/

NHS England’s regional specialised commissioners and integrated care boards are responsible for the monitoring of activity, the reviewing of equity of access for their populations, and for addressing variation through local oversight and clinical networks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish departmental spending data for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 on (a) non-NHS entities part of the NHS Workforce Alliance; (b) providing consultancy and advice; (c) providing advice on managing agency supply; and (d) providing data analysis.

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

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish spending data for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 on approved non-NHS entities providing NHS patient care as part of the Insourced Services framework.

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

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the final report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism will assess whether framing rising diagnostic rates primarily as a demand management problem may compound existing inequalities in neurodevelopmental identification and support.

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

The Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism is examining changes in population prevalence, levels of psychological distress, recorded diagnosis and referral, and perceived need for support. A key aim of the review is to understand how these relate to one another. The review is also considering how current support systems work in practice. This includes whether diagnosis has too often become the only gateway to help, and how earlier intervention and preventative support are best offered within and beyond the National Health Service. The review is independent of the Government, and it is for the chair and vice chairs to determine the specific issues the review considers.

The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase. It does not offer final conclusions or recommendations.

The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

A central concern of the review is that access to recognition, diagnosis, and support is uneven. The next phase will examine inequalities in prevalence, diagnosis, support, and outcomes in more detail, including variation by ethnicity, age, sex, deprivation, and other characteristics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the interim report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, published on 31 March, whether the final report of the Review will address the evidence on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal exposure to alcohol and other substances, including the misidentification of these conditions as ADHD or autism; and if not, why not.

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

The Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism is examining changes in population prevalence, levels of psychological distress, recorded diagnosis and referral, and perceived need for support. A key aim of the review is to understand how these relate to one another. The review is also considering how current support systems work in practice. This includes whether diagnosis has too often become the only gateway to help, and how earlier intervention and preventative support are best offered within and beyond the National Health Service. The review is independent of the Government, and it is for the chair and vice chairs to determine the specific issues the review considers.

The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase. It does not offer final conclusions or recommendations.

The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

A central concern of the review is that access to recognition, diagnosis, and support is uneven. The next phase will examine inequalities in prevalence, diagnosis, support, and outcomes in more detail, including variation by ethnicity, age, sex, deprivation, and other characteristics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the interim report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, published on 31 March, what steps they are taking to ensure that the final report addresses race as a structural determinant of neurodevelopmental diagnosis and access to support, as distinct from ethnicity as a self-reported cultural category.

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

The Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism is examining changes in population prevalence, levels of psychological distress, recorded diagnosis and referral, and perceived need for support. A key aim of the review is to understand how these relate to one another. The review is also considering how current support systems work in practice. This includes whether diagnosis has too often become the only gateway to help, and how earlier intervention and preventative support are best offered within and beyond the National Health Service. The review is independent of the Government, and it is for the chair and vice chairs to determine the specific issues the review considers.

The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase. It does not offer final conclusions or recommendations.

The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

A central concern of the review is that access to recognition, diagnosis, and support is uneven. The next phase will examine inequalities in prevalence, diagnosis, support, and outcomes in more detail, including variation by ethnicity, age, sex, deprivation, and other characteristics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the final report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism examines the relationship between neurodevelopmental under-identification and long-term disengagement from education and employment.

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

The Young People and Work independent investigation, led by Alan Milburn, considers the drivers of the rise in young people who are out of employment, education, and training (NEET). Increased reporting of ill health as a primary reason for being NEET among young people since 2015 is driven primarily by mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions.

The Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism has been investigating changes in the diagnosis of these conditions and will be cross-referenced in the forthcoming first report of the Young People and Work review. The two reviews will need to continue to work together to consider the effects of under-diagnosis on employment and educational outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of eligibility criteria for non-emergency patient transport services; and if he will make it his policy to expand eligibility to include transport of patients receiving haemodialysis to dialysis or transplant assessment and follow-up appointments when those services are not commissioned locally.

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

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Schemes (NEPTS) often provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently.  NEPTS can be provided by ambulance trusts or other providers depending on local arrangements.

In May 2022, NHS England set out eligibility criteria, which includes disability criteria, available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

NHS England has worked closely with a range of kidney patient groups, renal professionals, integrated care boards (ICBs), and other stakeholders to develop a dialysis transport support framework which has been made directly available to ICBs. The 2022 updates to the eligibility criteria included where patients are travelling to or returning from in-centre haemodialysis, in which case specialist transport, non-specialist transport, or upfront/reimbursement costs for private travel will be made available.

NEPTS in England is an operational matter for the National Health Service, and how the NEPTS guidance is implemented at a local level is determined by ICBs and their partners, including local ambulance trusts. There are no current plans to update the eligibility criteria further.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services eligibility criteria on access to transplant services for patients with chronic kidney disease required to travel outside local Integrated Care Board areas.

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

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Schemes (NEPTS) often provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently.  NEPTS can be provided by ambulance trusts or other providers depending on local arrangements.

In May 2022, NHS England set out eligibility criteria, which includes disability criteria, available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B1244-nepts-eligibility-criteria.pdf

NHS England has worked closely with a range of kidney patient groups, renal professionals, integrated care boards (ICBs), and other stakeholders to develop a dialysis transport support framework which has been made directly available to ICBs. The 2022 updates to the eligibility criteria included where patients are travelling to or returning from in-centre haemodialysis, in which case specialist transport, non-specialist transport, or upfront/reimbursement costs for private travel will be made available.

NEPTS in England is an operational matter for the National Health Service, and how the NEPTS guidance is implemented at a local level is determined by ICBs and their partners, including local ambulance trusts. There are no current plans to update the eligibility criteria further.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department centrally holds data on workforce capacity for allied health professions supporting prevention and community healthcare services in England by profession.

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

The Department does not centrally hold data on workforce capacity for allied health professions supporting prevention and community healthcare services in England by profession.

NHS England published monthly data drawn from the Electronic Staff Record, the Human Resources system for the National Health Service, on the number of staff employed in the NHS in England, which is available at the following link:

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

This information can be used to identify the number of individual allied health professionals employed but is not able to robustly identify the specific service or setting in which staff are delivering care.

The Government is committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the contractual requirements that apply to independent sector providers delivering NHS-funded cataract surgery, including whether they are required to accept an appropriate case mix rather than lower-complexity patients.

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

Independent sector providers are commissioned and managed by integrated care boards (ICBs) under the terms of the NHS Standard Contract which applies the same standards of oversight and regulation as are applied to National Health Service providers.

In the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we set out we would not tolerate ‘gaming’ the national payment tariff to cherry pick the simplest, most profitable cases. ICBs are expected to monitor this, and act decisively where they identify problems as part of a wider duty to safeguard and ensure value for taxpayer money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of endometriosis for patients in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce. We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis. It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis and we are taking action to address this.

Nationally, we are establishing an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people across the country, on certain pathways, the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

Menstrual problems, which may be a sign of endometriosis, will be among the first nine conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis and explore treatment options sooner.

Buckinghamshire delivers specialist gynaecology care to women through both community and secondary care, or hospital, services, with community services delivered from general practices across the county, including in Aylesbury. To further improve access to women's health services, the Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust is working to expand community services, increasing clinic sites, and aligning to neighbourhoods including North Bucks, to ensure more women can be seen for specialist gynaecology care more quickly and closer to home in the community service, thereby increasing capacity within the secondary care service to support waiting list reductions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what ‘more dynamic’ solutions his Department plans to replace public governors and staff governors with.

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

The removal of the councils of governors from National Health Service foundation trusts (FTs) forms part of the wider 10-Year Health Plan’s aim to ensure hospitals put patient experiences and outcomes at the heart of their decision-making. This will require primary legislation, which the Government will bring forward when parliamentary time allows, and the will of Parliament. Until then, FT governors will remain in post with their statutory powers unchanged.

While governors have provided helpful advice and oversight for some FTs, we now need to move to a more dynamic model, drawing on patient, staff, and stakeholder insight. For example, approaches to engagement that better reflect local demographics and geography rather than a ‘one size fits all’ governor model, as well as supporting an increased focus on the outcomes of the engagement, including the evidence that local people are involved in key decisions about how care is provided and their voices are listened to.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s has plans to remove of hospitals, public governors and staff governors.

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

The removal of the councils of governors from National Health Service foundation trusts (FTs) forms part of the wider 10-Year Health Plan’s aim to ensure hospitals put patient experiences and outcomes at the heart of their decision-making. This will require primary legislation, which the Government will bring forward when parliamentary time allows, and the will of Parliament. Until then, FT governors will remain in post with their statutory powers unchanged.

While governors have provided helpful advice and oversight for some FTs, we now need to move to a more dynamic model, drawing on patient, staff, and stakeholder insight. For example, approaches to engagement that better reflect local demographics and geography rather than a ‘one size fits all’ governor model, as well as supporting an increased focus on the outcomes of the engagement, including the evidence that local people are involved in key decisions about how care is provided and their voices are listened to.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the North West of England.

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

The Department does not hold information on the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the Northwest of England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to recognise clinical academic training undertaken during specialty training by doctors in England towards consultant salary seniority.

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

Clinical academic training undertaken during medical specialty training does not currently count towards consultant salary seniority. However, salary seniority may be negotiated locally at the start of a consultant post. Universities have separate pay scales for clinical academics which would take academic experience into account.

Clinical academic trainees can have academic time counted towards their Certificate of Completion of Training. Trainees undertaking a higher academic qualification, such as a PhD, during their training may qualify for an academic pay premium. This is a taxable, non-pensionable allowance for trainees in England who have completed an approved higher degree and returned to clinical training. It is paid annually until the completion of clinical training and is aimed at incentivising academic careers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in North Cornwall constituency compared with national averages.

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

Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for North Cornwall and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Cornwall is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E06000052/iid/90933/age/314/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of savings to NHS services in Norfolk from VCSE sector programmes.

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

The Department has not made a central estimate of the level of savings to National Health Services in Norfolk specifically arising from programmes delivered by the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

VCSE organisations play an important role in supporting prevention, early intervention, and community-based care, which can help improve outcomes for patients and reduce pressure on statutory services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether workforce modelling for community healthcare services separately identifies individual allied health professions, including dietitians.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) plan, commission, and oversee the provision of local National Health Services, including community health services, to meet their population’s needs.

The Government is committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

We know people are waiting too long for community health services. That is why, for the first time, we have set a clear target for systems to work to reduce long waits in NHS England’s Medium-Term Planning Framework.

By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services in line with targets for elective care.

In 2025, we published, for the first time, an overview of the core community health services, Standardising Community Health Services, that ICBs should consider when planning for their local populations to support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, a vital part of Neighbourhood Health. Further guidance was published in February 2026, providing more detailed descriptions of the core components of community health services for ICBs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with integrated care boards and NHS England on ensuring that sufficient capacity is commissioned from independent sector providers to facilitate patient choice.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have the flexibility to commission services across specialties within a fixed financial envelope and may use contract levers to manage that activity. This represents good management of public money to achieve the outcomes we want to see.

Patients have a legal right to choose any qualified provider holding a contract with an ICB to deliver the services patients need. This right applies irrespective of levels of activity outlined in indicative activity plans contained in contracts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of workforce capacity in women’s health services serving the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

NHS England publishes monthly information on the composition of the workforce employed by National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards in England. This includes information on the workforce employed by individual bodies and for high-level staffing groups. The information can be found at the following link:

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

No specific central assessment has been made of the workforce capacity of women’s health services in the region, with decisions on the provision of local services being managed by individual NHS service provider and commissioners.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they are taking to increase the amount of UK made steel used in procurement contracts overseen by their Department.

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

The Government Commercial Function (GCF), based in the Cabinet Office, published its strategy document for 2026 to 2029 on 7 April 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introducing-the-government-commercial-function-gcf-strategy-2026-29/introducing-the-government-commercial-function-gcf-strategy-2026-29-html#pillar-one---people-a-capable-inspired-workforce-whose-talent-is-nurtured

Driving economic growth is a key pillar of this strategy, in line with Government policy, capitalising on the industrial strategy targets to create jobs in the United Kingdom, and a key part of the strategy is market shaping and making use of the collective buying power of the Government to drive UK economic growth and resilience.

One of the first steps will be for the GCF to work with the commercial directors across the Government in four pilot sectors, namely shipbuilding, steel, artificial intelligence, and energy infrastructure, to identify key data requirements, and to pilot underpinning market shaping assessments for each. The Cabinet Office will be publishing a Procurement Policy Notice specifically on UK steel transparency later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times at the RUH (Bath) A&E department.

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

The Government recognises the pressures facing emergency departments, including at the Royal United Hospital Bath, and is taking sustained action to reduce accident and emergency waiting times and improve patient flow across urgent and emergency care. Through the NHS Medium‑Term Planning Framework and the Model Emergency Department, NHS England has set out a clear trajectory for improving performance, with a focus on reducing long waits, improving safety, and delivering better patient experience.

At the Royal United Hospital Bath, NHS England is working with the trust and the wider local system to support delivery of these improvements. This includes action to improve patient flow, increase the use of Same Day Emergency Care to avoid unnecessary admissions, strengthen discharge and community capacity, and deliver capital investment to improve emergency department flow. The trust is also receiving support from national improvement programmes, including Getting It Right First Time, alongside action to strengthen overnight staffing and real‑time performance oversight.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that innovative technologies that improve the identification of heart murmurs, particularly in primary care and community pharmacies, are supported by clear commissioning guidance and sustainable reimbursement pathways to incentivise earlier diagnosis.

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

The Department encourages innovation in the health sector that helps to support the three big shifts in healthcare: moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital, and focusing on prevention over treatment, which are set out as part of the 10-Year Health Plan. As set out in the plan, we will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) in spring 2026.

The framework will support consistent, high quality and equitable care and identify current and emerging innovations across the CVD pathway. We will consider the role of Government in supporting areas where we need to go further.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out that integrated care boards (ICBs) will be strategic commissioners of local health services, ensuring that the money available to each local care system is put to the best possible use: to improve their population’s health, reduce health inequalities and improve access to consistently high-quality services. They are expected to draw on a deep understanding of population need and will need to shape commissioning plans through deep engagement with patients and the public.

To support this, on 4 November 2025, NHS England published more detailed expectations of ICBs in the Strategic Commissioning Framework. This sets out how to make best use of the whole National Health Service budget they deploy for the population: ensuring that care models match the real needs of the population, taking action to ensure individuals access the appropriate care, rigorously pursuing improved outcomes and value for money for their public.

In terms of service innovation, NHS England currently commissions the community pharmacy NHS Hypertension Case Finding service that focusses on the detection of people at risk of cardiovascular disease from high blood pressure and where it is captured the measurement of pulse rate. The data is shared with the patient’s general practitioner who will then use this information to inform any diagnosis and clinical intervention as appropriate.

Pharmacies are central to plans to create a Neighbourhood Health Service. ICB strategic commissioning will in future assess needs of local populations, prioritise commissioning based on evidence, strengthen their understanding of the role of technology and data in how and what they commission, including digital health technology and artificial intelligence, and develop models of multi neighbourhood providers.

In relation to medical devices outside of hospital, if a newly developed medical device is deemed appropriate for prescribing in primary or community care, the manufacturer has the option to apply for inclusion in the drug tariff. Once listed, the company can formalise a supply route via community pharmacies. This arrangement ensures that the device can be prescribed and dispensed to patients, with the company receiving reimbursement for the supply of their product through the established system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings by The Health Foundation in its analysis, Electronic patient record systems in England: what do NHS staff think?, published on 24 March, that less than 50 per cent of NHS staff who participated in the survey had received training on how to use the electronic patient record system for their role, and less than 28 per cent had received training on how to fix or troubleshoot problems.

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

To help ensure every National Health Service hospital in England can benefit from digital transformation, the Government has invested £1.9 billion in either new or existing electronic patient record (EPR) systems. This has resulted in almost all trusts now having an EPR in place, or in delivery. Evidence from secondary care shows that EPRs are contributing to a 4.5% reduction in length of stay and a 13% lower cost in admitted patient spells.

Whilst this represents significant progress, we are continuing to fully realise the benefits of EPRs by building skills and changing management capacity. This includes sharing best practice, improving usability, training users more effectively, and ensuring systems are tailored to local context rather than adopting a one size fits all approach.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis from The Health Foundation, Electronic patient record systems in England: what do NHS staff think?, published on 24 March, particularly the finding that 37 per cent of staff felt that electronic patient records were not currently working well in their organisation.

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

To help ensure every National Health Service hospital in England can benefit from digital transformation, the Government has invested £1.9 billion in either new or existing electronic patient record (EPR) systems. This has resulted in almost all trusts now having an EPR in place, or in delivery. Evidence from secondary care shows that EPRs are contributing to a 4.5% reduction in length of stay and a 13% lower cost in admitted patient spells.

Whilst this represents significant progress, we are continuing to fully realise the benefits of EPRs by building skills and changing management capacity. This includes sharing best practice, improving usability, training users more effectively, and ensuring systems are tailored to local context rather than adopting a one size fits all approach.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 24 November 2025 (HL Deb col 1107), when they intend to launch the consultation on emergency police powers of detention.

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

On 24 November, the Department announced its commitment to consult on the powers available to different professionals in different situations and settings, in particular, but not limited to, the operation of the emergency powers in sections 135 and 136. The consultation will seek views on powers and joint working approaches to ensure that health and social care professionals and police have the appropriate powers to act in order to prevent people harming themselves and others when in a mental health crisis.

The Department also set out plans to work closely with a range of stakeholders to shape the scope of that consultation. Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care have started engagement with Home Office officials and stakeholders from the police, health, and social care to consider the options to consult on that support better outcomes for patients and services, and we will set out further detail on the timing of the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom remains internationally competitive in attracting cell and gene therapy trials, including CAR-T; and to ensure that patients can access innovative treatments without delay.

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

The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and delivering better patient care, to make the United Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research including cell and gene therapies such as CAR-T. We are working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including gene therapy treatments.

The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, across the development pathway.

The NIHR Industry Hub, launched in October 2025, provides a single front door for companies in England, coordinating research infrastructure into one coherent, streamlined offer.

NIHR infrastructure offers innovators access to world-leading expertise, facilities, and support for the delivery of clinical trials, strengthening the UK’s position as a partner of choice for cell and gene therapy studies. The NIHR’s Biomedical Research Centres and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres support early translational and experimental medicine studies, offering world-leading scientific expertise and clinical capability for complex, early phase, and first-in-human trials, including CAR-T. This helps de-risk development and attract cutting-edge studies to the UK.

NIHR’s Clinical Research Facilities provide specialist environments and the skilled workforce required to deliver these complex therapies safely and efficiently. To improve delivery at scale, the NIHR’s Research Delivery Network and Commercial Research Delivery Centres are established to support rapid and efficient delivery of clinical trials and provide dedicated capacity and capability across the country. This will further enhance the UKs competitiveness by improving the speed and reliability of study setup and delivery.

In addition, the NIHR supported Advanced Therapy Treatment Centres (ATTCs) play a key role in the development of advanced therapy medicinal products clinical trials. By developing national infrastructure, standardising delivery pathways, and supporting centres across a range of geographies, ATTCs help ensure that advanced therapies can be delivered beyond a small number of highly specialised sites.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 March (HL14721) indicating a substantial underspend in the Innovative Medicines Fund, what steps they are taking to expand managed access pathways for innovative medicines, including disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease such as Lecanemab and Donanemab.

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

NHS England cannot comment on the proportion of the Innovative Medicines Fund’s budget that has been spent on medicines made available through managed access agreements. Due to the low numbers of patients who receive these highly specialised treatments, publishing this information risks confidentiality of pricing.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is able to recommend any medicine, including for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, for a period of managed access through the Innovative Medicines Fund where it concludes that it is plausibly cost effective and the collection of real-world evidence may resolve clinical uncertainty. NICE concluded in its draft guidance on lecanemab and donanemab that neither treatment was suitable for a period of managed access but has not yet published its final guidance. There are no current plans to expand the circumstances in which NICE is able recommend medicines for managed access.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 March (HL14721), what proportion of the Innovative Medicines Fund budget has been spent on medicines made available through managed access agreements.

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

NHS England cannot comment on the proportion of the Innovative Medicines Fund’s budget that has been spent on medicines made available through managed access agreements. Due to the low numbers of patients who receive these highly specialised treatments, publishing this information risks confidentiality of pricing.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is able to recommend any medicine, including for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, for a period of managed access through the Innovative Medicines Fund where it concludes that it is plausibly cost effective and the collection of real-world evidence may resolve clinical uncertainty. NICE concluded in its draft guidance on lecanemab and donanemab that neither treatment was suitable for a period of managed access but has not yet published its final guidance. There are no current plans to expand the circumstances in which NICE is able recommend medicines for managed access.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with devolved administrations to reduce administrative barriers in cross-border healthcare arrangements.

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

The Government works closely with the devolved governments to support effective cross-border healthcare arrangements and ensure patients can access timely, high-quality care regardless of where they live.

We work jointly with partners to improve the practical operation of cross-border services. This includes efforts to strengthen data sharing and digital interoperability, support access to specialist services and unnecessary burdens on patients and providers.

There are established cross-border networks which bring together relevant organisations to address operational challenges and improve coordination of care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding from the report by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator 2024 Survey, published in May 2025, that only 50 per cent of European Medicines Agency approved non-oncology orphan medicines were reimbursed and made available to patients in England.

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

The Government recognises how important it is that patients with rare diseases can benefit from access to effective new medicines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is able to recommend the vast majority of medicines it evaluates for use in the National Health Service, including medicines for the treatment of rare diseases. The recently announced increase to the cost-effectiveness threshold will, alongside measures announced in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, increase both the speed and breadth of patient access to innovative medicines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of expanded Integrated Retirement Community provision on NHS and social care expenditure.

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

We recognise the important role integrated retirement communities play in providing high quality, safe, and suitable homes which can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.

The Government has not made a formal assessment on the impact of integrated retirement community provision on National Health Service and social care expenditure, but we are committed to enhancing provision and choice in the housing market for older people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of hospital admissions related to dental infections or complications preventable through earlier oral health education and intervention.

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

No estimate is available for the number of hospital admissions related to dental infections or complications preventable through earlier oral health education and intervention. However, official statistics on hospital tooth extractions for children and young adults being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions in the financial year ending 2025 are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the integrated care boards that returned money for unfulfilled NHS dental care.

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

The Government wants to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.

Changes to the contract already mean that commissioners can more easily redistribute ringfenced dentistry funding to ensure delivery of dental care, in scenarios where contractors are persistently unable to deliver their National Health Service commitments.

We have reduced the NHS dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25. The following table shows the integrated care boards (ICBs) that returned dental allocation to NHS England in 2024/25:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in South Shropshire constituency.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the South Shropshire constituency, this is the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. From April 2026, we began introducing a package of reforms to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams have been experiencing.

These reforms will prioritise those with the greatest need, shifting care away from clinically unnecessary check-ups.

The Government wants to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most. We have reduced the NHS dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has visited an Integrated Retirement Community; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of modern housing-with-care schemes on older people's health.

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

We recognise the role integrated retirement communities play in providing high quality, safe, and suitable homes which can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and which reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.

We have not made an assessment on the impact this specific type of housing provision has on older people’s health, but the Government is committed to enhancing the provision and choice for older people in the housing market.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not undertaken a visit to an integrated retirement community to date.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will use the Autumn Budget 2026 to provide long‑term, recurring revenue funding for hospices.

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

As with all fiscal matters, we cannot pre‑empt the Autumn Budget. Decisions on future funding will be taken through the usual Budget process and will be taken in the context of the wider public finances. The Government recognises the vital role that hospices play in supporting people at the end of life and their families.

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

In addition, the Government has provided significant financial support for the hospice sector, including £125 million of capital funding to improve adult and children and young people’s hospice facilities and £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

The Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care for England, with a planned publication date of Autumn 2026. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality. We will also consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices in England are currently accepting new patients.

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

NHS England does not hold information on the number of general practices (GPs) currently accepting new patients. Decisions to approve or reject GP requests to close their patient lists temporarily to new patient registrations are delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England does hold some historic information relating to these decisions.

ICBs received a total of 30 applications from GPs to close their patient lists during 2024/25, compared with 51 in 2023/24. 23, or 77%, of the 30 applications were approved in 2024/25, which compares to 42 approved applications, or 82%, in 2023/24. Of the 23 approved applications, 11 GPs, or 48%, had reopened their patients list by the end of 2024/25, compared with 22, or 52%, which reopened by the end of 2023/24.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of preventable conditions resulting from lack of access to oral health education and care.

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

No estimate is available of the costs to the National Health Service of preventable conditions resulting from lack of access to oral health education and care. The costs to the NHS of hospital admissions for decay-related tooth extractions, which are largely preventable, are estimated at £51.2 million in the financial year ending 2025. Further information is published at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2025

This is why the Government is shifting to prevention through a national, targeted supervised toothbrushing programme where every £1 spent is expected to save £3 in avoided treatment costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans are in place if the supply of blood pressure medication is disrupted due to the war in Iran.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The Department is closely monitoring the Middle East conflict to assess any potential impact on United Kingdom medical supply chains through disruptions to manufacturing and logistics.

We have limited direct exposure to the Middle East for medical products, and we maintain well‑established contingency arrangements to manage medicine and medical device supply disruptions where these occur. These can include coordination of mutual aid, work to identify alternative products, alternative clinical practices, regulatory easements, and/or use of the Express Freight Service which can provide bespoke global logistics services in the event of critical supply disruption.

The Department is not aware of supply issues impacting codeine and co-codamol as a result of the conflict. The Department is aware of supply constraints affecting co-codamol 30 milligram/500 milligram tablets, which pre-date the conflict and which are due to manufacturing issues. These are in limited supply until early July 2026. We have engaged with National Health Service specialist clinicians and issued comprehensive guidance on how to manage patients during this time and advise on available alternative preparations.

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Found: Transfer to Welsh Government for Economic Inactivity Trailblazers-8=C31+D31(Section A) Transfer to DHSC

Found: This year we are already: • Working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to

Found: The UEC plan for 2025/26 (DHSC, 2025) seems to be having a partial but real impact, with the clearest

Found: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/additional-actions-to-virtually- eliminate-corridor-care/ 9 DHSC

Found: College of Paramedics has provided detailed evidence and proposed solutions to the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Cover Transfer (MHCLG) relating to Creative Places Growth-24.575-24.575-16.667Budget Cover Transfer (DHSC

Found: In parallel, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should commission an immediate audit of

Found: NHS England and DHSC should adopt a capital quality assessment framework at procurement level — scoring

Found: priority programme director for urgent and emergency care for NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: (DHSC) BCT Out to DHSC - Healthy food scheme - Fruit and Veg 0.0 (9.0) (

Found: with digital technology suppliers HC 640 26th Tackling Violence against Women and Girls HC 644 25th DHSC

Found: With the absorption of NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care, DHSC should lead the

Found: Recommendations: For Government / Department of Health and Social Care: 1.

Found: release of medical colleagues for the purposes for carrying out work for the wider health system, DHSC

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Found: critical that the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology work with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: infrastructure replacement, maintenance, critical safety and the wider Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: abolition of NHS England and re- Date April 28, 2026 Page 01 | integration into the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: were made concrete, but this should not be read as blanket permission.[5][6] ● 1.10 By end 2026, DHSC

Found: genomic tests in 2025, including over 40,000 whole genome equivalents. [7][10]Key recommendations ● DHSC

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Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero DfE Department for Education DfT Department for Transport DHSC

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) organises and attends a number of regular meetings with

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Found: One question DHSC has entirely 1 Page 9 of the consultation 2 If we were writing this later in the summer

Found: www.parliament.uk/lords Baroness Merron Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department of Health and Social Care

Found: of the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care

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Found: cross-departmental collaboration between the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Aligning NEET responsibilities across DfE–DWP–DHSC This mirrors the view that fragmentation and variable

Found: the education and training that is eventually commissioned and contracted by the 9 Department of Health and Social Care

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Found: We have not seen any kind of workforce plan from DHSC to try to support this.

Found: We have not seen any kind of workforce plan from DHSC to try to support this.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the salary of the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Answered by James Murray - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The salary for the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved as per the rules outlined in the senior pay guidance.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to item 105 of the letter sent from Lord Strathclyde, Chair of the Constitution Committee to Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories regarding the UK-Overseas Joint Declaration, published 17 April 2026, which Ministers have (a) designated responsibility for Overseas Territories matters and (b) attend the cross-governmental Ministerial group on the Territories by Department.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Ministers who currently hold designated responsibility for Overseas Territories matters are: the Cabinet Office Minister of State; Economic Secretary to the Treasury; Ministry of Justice Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing, Youth Justice and International; Home Office Minister of State (House of Lords); Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Climate); Ministry of Defence Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for the Armed Forces); Department of Business and Trade Minister of State (Minister for Trade); Department for Culture Media and Sport Minister of State (Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts); Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Minister of State (Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear); Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Nature); Department of Health and Social Care Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety; Department for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation); Solicitor General; Department for Education Minister of State (Minister for Skills); Secretary of State for Scotland and one of the Wales Office Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State.

All these Ministers are invited to attend the cross-governmental Ministerial Group on the Overseas Territories.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the potential impact of climate change-driven food inflation on food security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens. For example, we are actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.

Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living. Defra also works to reduce unnecessary regulatory costs that can feed through to consumer prices.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on food prices.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, DBT, DWP and DHSC to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living.

Defra is implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with Ofgem regarding the adequacy of the support offered by energy companies to people living with brain injuries, including conditions such as aphasia, and registered on the Priority Services Register.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with the industry regulator Ofgem on a range of issues.

DESNZ is working closely with other Government Departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, on the National Data Library household income ‘Kickstarter’ project to test how public sector data can be better joined up to improve access to government programmes. This will pave the way for better targeted help, ensuring those who are struggling to pay their bills get the support they need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a joint workforce plan with the Department for Health and Social Care to support sustainability of Experts at Hand service.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, including delivery of the Experts at Hand offer, strengthening joint workforce planning and commissioning at a local level between education and health partners.

We are investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, strengthening mainstream education through access to health and specialist education support.

To support delivery, we are investing over £40 million in the specialist workforce, including £26 million to increase educational psychologists and £15 million to grow the speech and language therapy workforce.

Local area partnerships will develop and deliver their own Experts at Hand, tailored to local population needs and supported by strong national oversight. The government will set the overall framework, provide guidance and tools, and work closely with local areas to ensure consistent quality.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is responsible for reforming the regulation of funeral directors.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones

The Department of Health and Social Care will lead on co-ordinating cross‑government work to raise standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve enforcement against (a) people and (b) businesses supplying nitrous oxide unlawfully.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Nitrous oxide has been controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since 2023. It is an offence to produce, supply, possess or import nitrous oxide, regardless of canister size, except for activities explicitly exempt under the 1971 Act.

Under the 1971 Act, nitrous oxide carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment for illicit possession and up to 14 years for illicit supply. Exemptions for legitimate use are applicable where there is no intention of wrongful inhalation. The police and other law enforcement agencies are operationally independent, but we expect them to prioritise resources towards tackling crime, including drug related crime.

The Government also works to reduce harm through public information campaigns, including the 'Talk to FRANK' website. The Home Office works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care ('DHSC') to promote awareness. DHSC have worked with the PSHE Association to develop lesson plans on drugs, alcohol and tobacco which include specific references to the dangers of nitrous oxide. Data shows that recreational use of nitrous oxide among 16 to 24‑year‑olds has fallen to its lowest level since records began.

Online sale of illegal drugs is further addressed through the Online Safety Act 2023. Under the 2023 Act, Ofcom can audit systems, require remedial action, and impose strong penalties on companies who fail to address criminality on their platforms - including fines of up to £18m or 10% of global turnover.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish joint commissioning arrangements between the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that there are a sufficient number of occupational therapists to deliver the Experts at Hand SEND service set out in the Every child achieving and thriving white paper.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to support the delivery of the Experts at Hand offer, strengthening joint planning and commissioning at a local level between education and health partners.

Over the next three years, £1.8 billion will be made available to local area partnerships to develop and roll out the Experts at Hand offer.

Local area partnerships will design and implement their own Experts at Hand models, tailored to local population needs, existing workforce capacity, and the specific challenges each area faces. As a result, workforce requirements, including for occupational therapists, will vary across the country.

The department recognises that continuing to build the occupational therapy workforce pipeline is essential and is working with DHSC and NHS England to support workforce planning and improve access to community health services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including occupational therapy input, as part of longer‑term system planning, including through the development of the NHS England 10‑year workforce plan.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2025, to Question 52906, on Department of Health and Social Care: Permanent Secretaries, what was the benchmark used to set the salary of the new DHSC Permanent Secretary.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The salary of the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved in line with the senior pay control process.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses and levels of employment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses. Responsibility for healthcare service provision sits with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that affected workers are supported, and the Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to provide assistance through Jobcentre Plus and its Rapid Response Service where required. The Government continues to work with local partners to understand and mitigate any wider impacts on employment in affected areas.

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