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 speech and language therapy for people with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), particularly for people who are linguistically and ethnically diverse.

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

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with primary progressive aphasia, which is why we have funded the work of the Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for busy system leaders and will help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.

A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool, and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

NHS England has published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding is available to local authorities to improve oral hygiene education in primary schools.

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

Local authorities in England are responsible for assessing oral health needs and for improving the oral health of their local population. Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England are funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. As part of a multi-year settlement, we will be investing £10.5 million in 2026/27, to enable local authorities to continue to implement the national supervised toothbrushing programme and for other local initiatives that improve education on oral hygiene. Dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene are also part of statutory guidance on health education for schools in England. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria the Department used to determine which providers were included in the Neighbourhood Health Framework; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the exclusion of optometrists from the list of providers on eye health.

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

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.

General practice, primary care, pharmacies, mental health providers, community health services, social care services, local authorities, and civil society partners are included, to illustrate how services can work together to shift care from hospital to communities, improve access, and provide proactive, holistic care for people with complex needs. This is not an exhaustive list and does not prescribe which providers must be involved locally.

No specific criteria were used to determine which providers were included in the framework. The framework does not prevent other providers, including optometrists, from being part of neighbourhood health services.

The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can therefore choose to go further than the minimum, including in relation to optometry.

ICBs are already able to commission enhanced services from high street optometrists including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral filtering services.

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 adult social care capacity on delivering the 10-year health plan.

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

A fairly paid adult social care workforce with the right training, qualifications, and values will be able to provide high quality tailored care and support to those who need it and will support the priorities that we set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, namely shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treating sickness to promoting prevention.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out how the Government’s aims to shift towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and wrap around people’s lives to help people stay independent for longer. This speaks to the heart of what adult social care, done well, already is. More integrated working between the National Health Service, adult social care, local government, and civil society will be crucial to the delivery of neighbourhood health.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and improve the recruitment and retention of the workforce. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, backed by £500 million of new investment.

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 integrate NHS national communications and local GP surgery communications.

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

As part of the Government’s investment in digital channels, the NHS App currently provides patients with a National Health Service ‘front door’ through which they can access primary care services, including making appointments, ordering prescriptions, and viewing test results.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will develop further to give patients greater control and choice over their healthcare, enabling them to see their whole health record and contribute to it in one place.

NHS England guidance sets out a digital-first approach to patient communications, with the NHS App increasingly used as the primary channel for patient communications, including for general practice (GP) services, followed by text messages and emails where appropriate. However, digital-first does not mean digital-only, and we will continue to communicate with patients in a way that is comfortable and convenient for them.

NHS England is linking local GP surgery communications with national NHS digital channels through NHS Notify, which includes messaging in the NHS App. NHS England does not currently mandate that all clinical systems utilise NHS Notify, but it is available for all suppliers to use, including those supporting GPs.

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 and the capacity in the specialist spinal cord injury service.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of service specifications and commissioning plans for spinal cord injury.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commit to making the 2022 SCI Rehabilitation Standards mandatory.

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

Specialised spinal cord injury services are currently commissioned by NHS England Specialised Commissioning, in line with the service specification published by the Clinical Reference Group. This translates to 385 spinal cord injury beds commissioned from eight providers in England. NHS England provides annual funding of approximately £80 million to spinal cord injury centres to deliver inpatient care and outreach to secondary care prior to admission and to community services following discharges to support transition.

NHS England recognises that services have experienced increasing referrals alongside complexity of presentations. NHS England plans to undertake work during 2026/27 to assess the adequacy of treatment pathways within specialised spinal injury services and will consider if any further updates are required to the national service specification based on the findings.

All spinal cord injury providers are required to submit outcome data to the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard. These data enable the National Health Service to monitor of the quality of care, including clinical outcomes and equitability of access. The data is linked to the national spinal cord injury (SCI) registry, which provides audit data.

The dashboard is a key tool in monitoring the quality of services, enabling comparison between service providers, and supporting improvements over time in the outcomes of services commissioned by NHS England.

Additionally, in March 2025, NHS England published the Spinal Services Clinical Network Specification, which establishes expectations for spinal clinical networks to standardise pathways and reduce variation, with the aim of improving access to care for patients.

Spinal Cord Injury services in England are commissioned against the published national service specification, which sets out the mandated standards that all providers are required to meet for all patients, including in relation to rehabilitation. The service specification mandates that spinal cord injury centres must provide restorative rehabilitation and re-enablement, and support patients’ reintegration into the community. When a patient is admitted to a spinal cord injury centre, there must be a focus on rehabilitation from the outset, with treatment by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team. The specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/service-spec-spinal-cord-injury-services-all-ages.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where data on payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector will be published, following the publication of the Government’s forthcoming guidance on payment disclosure for industry.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the importance of transparency and public trust in the health system. In line with Recommendation 8b of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, the Government consulted in 2023 on proposals to improve transparency of payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector.

Following consideration of the consultation responses, the Government has decided to implement guidance, rather than introduce secondary legislation under section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022, in the first instance. The forthcoming guidance, which is expected to be published this year, will set out how and where payment information should be disclosed to ensure it is publicly accessible. Legislation remains an option for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish an impact assessment of the proposed changes to NICE’s cost-effectiveness threshold in the context of a pharmaceutical agreement with the US.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 March to question 114047.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish an impact assessment of changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 March 2026 to question 114047.

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 informing parents/guardians of the estimated wait time for an autism or ADHD assessment upon application.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and recognises the need for early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD and autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance.

This guidance highlights that, for each integrated care system, the following information should be publicly available and proactively shared across multiple locations, for example, social media and local authority publications, as well as all service provider websites:

- accurate and up-to-date information about the autism assessment offer in each area, including details for services providing autism assessments, such as name, address, contact details, general remit, eligibility criteria, referral process, and documentation; and

- an indication of waiting times for an autism assessment at each service, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/operational-guidance-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/#stage-1-identification-and-referral

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October 2025, was explicit that integrated care boards and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for ADHD and autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD, and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in the social care workforce on the level of delayed discharges from hospitals.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in the social care workforce on the level of delayed discharges from hospitals.

Achieving timely and effective discharge for hospital patients relies on effective joint working between the National Health Service, local authorities, and social care providers. Through the Better Care Fund, NHS integrated care boards and local authorities are required to pool over £9 billion of funding and agree how to use that funding to join up health and social care services. This includes agreeing local goals for both preventing avoidable hospital admissions and reducing delayed hospital discharges.

English local authorities are responsible under the Care Act 2014 for meeting social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.

The Government is committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028 to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, backed by £500 million of new investment.

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 secure alternative treatments for people at risk of adrenal crisis following the discontinuation of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate solution, which is commonly known as liquid hydrocortisone, in the UK.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is aware of the discontinuation of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100 milligram/1 millilitre solution for injection, and we continue to work with industry to find a longer-term solution.

Hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100 milligram powder remains available for patients. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients while supply is disrupted. The guidance highlighted the differences between the two hydrocortisone injections. It also included resources for patients and healthcare professionals on how to administer the alternative hydrocortisone injection.

We also understand that The Addison’s Self Help Group have also published information on this discontinuation to keep patients informed, along with resources for patients on how to administer the alternative hydrocortisone.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NIHR, in line with the Medical Research Council’s Place Framework, also uses the location of the host organisation as a tiebreaker in funding decisions to support a more geographically balanced spread of health research investment across the UK.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) does not use location as a formal tie-breaker criterion in assessment. In the instances of a tie break scenario, the NIHR will typically use strategic fit to make a decision. The NIHR does, however, use 'Working with people and communities' and 'Inclusive research' as part of its assessment criteria, and as part of determining strategic fit, funding committee’s consider aspects such as location. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/application-support/domestic-funding-programmes-assessment-criteria

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the timeliness of NHS appointment notifications; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of different communication methods, including letters, text messages and email.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to supporting access to care and reducing missed appointments. The NHS App provides a core national channel for patients to view, receive, and manage appointment information across a range of care settings whilst ‘NHS Notify’ enables National Health Service organisations to send letters, text messages, and emails from a single platform.

Communication assessment work done by NHS England’s Behavioural Science Unit showed that such tailored messaging significantly increased patient response rates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria the NIHR use to make funding decisions in the event of a tiebreaker.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) does not use location as a formal tie-breaker criterion in assessment. In the instances of a tie break scenario, the NIHR will typically use strategic fit to make a decision. The NIHR does, however, use 'Working with people and communities' and 'Inclusive research' as part of its assessment criteria, and as part of determining strategic fit, funding committee’s consider aspects such as location. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-funding/application-support/domestic-funding-programmes-assessment-criteria

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it is his policy to make interim payments to valporate and pelvic mesh victims this calendar year.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, including options for interim payments.

The Government has deep sympathy for all those affected and recognises the profound impact that these harms have had on individuals and their families.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he wants to make meaningful progress during this Parliament, although a decision to provide compensation has not yet been made. We recognise how difficult and disappointing this uncertainty is for those affected, and will ensure that the public is kept informed as soon as any decision on redress is made.

I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes since I have been in post, and had a very productive discussion about the ongoing health initiatives led by the Department regarding sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. Details of the Government’s work to date are set out in recent letters to the Dr Hughes, which are published on her website.

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 schools to recognise early signs of rare mental health disorders.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the importance of early intervention for children and young people’s mental health, which is why we are accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in schools and colleges in England.

MHSTs are transforming access to mental health support for children and young people by bringing skilled, trusted professionals directly into schools, where support can be delivered early and effectively to make the greatest difference. They offer a clear route to practical help and, where signs of rare mental health disorders are recognised, ensure children and young people are identified quickly and signposted to the specialist care they need.

MHSTs represent a step-change in how we look after children’s mental health and wellbeing, so that it is proactive, preventative, and rooted in the places young people trust. Up to 900,000 additional children and young people will have access to a National Health Service funded MHST in their school or college by spring 2026, and with full national coverage by 2029, MHSTs will create a universal foundation of mental health support across England’s schools.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he made of the rate of turnover for mental health support workers in CAMHS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England commissions an annual census of the children and young people’s mental health workforce in England which receives data from National Health Service trusts as well as local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, independent providers, and the youth justice system. The latest report found that staff retention in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services of NHS providers, staff in post on 1 April 2023 and still in post on 31 March 2024, averaged 75% in the community setting, and 69% in the inpatient setting.

This was calculated using submissions that had provided both a numerator, based on whole time equivalent (WTE) staff in post on 1 April 2023 and still in post on 31 March 2024 by team type, and a denominator, based on WTE staff in post as of 1 April 2023 and by team type, which was a maximum of 82% of NHS trusts. Further information can be found in the latest annual census at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/mental-health-national-workforce-census/

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 introducing loyalty incentives for mental health support workers in CAMHS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to introduce loyalty incentives for mental health support workers in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.

To support this ambition, we plan to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing and dealing with violence, racism and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the mid-term review of the Suicide Prevention Strategy will be published.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Officials are reviewing the Suicide Prevention Strategy, including how best to present updates, acknowledging the successes of the strategy so far as well as re-invigorating cross-Government efforts to go further. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health will continue to work with officials and ministerial counterparts across Government to raise the profile of delivering the actions in the suicide prevention strategy, drive progress, and foster collective responsibility around suicide prevention.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of complaints and accountability processes for NHS patients referred to private healthcare providers.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 set out in law the minimum standards National Health Service organisations, and independent providers of NHS-funded care, must adhere to in respect of their complaint handling arrangements.  Under the regulations, patients who have received NHS-funded care and wish to make a complaint can do so to either the provider or the commissioner that paid for the service.

In our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we acknowledged that the NHS complaints procedure is far from where it needs to be. Through Change NHS, the biggest ever conversation on the future of the NHS, we heard from patients and carers about their struggle to get responses to their concerns. As committed to in the 10-Year Health Plan, we intend to improve the complaints process across all NHS commissioners and providers, setting clear standards for both the timeliness and the quality of responses to complaints.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which stakeholders the Lock Review has engaged with; and whether this includes NHS Resolution, NHS trusts, professional bodies and patient safety organisations.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. He has engaged a number of stakeholders to date, including regular meetings with NHS Resolution, and will continue to consult. His work is ongoing, which includes considerations about stakeholder engagement in the future, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.

The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role Senior Information Risk Owners and Caldicott Guardians play in overseeing data governance for the Federated Data Platform (FDP) within Integrated Care Boards and NHS trusts; and whether those roles are held by executive board members.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Every integrated care board and National Health Service trust board, who are data controllers for data held within their own individual instance of the NHS Federated Data Platform, has responsibility for data governance and managing risk.

Integrated care boards in the NHS are mandated to appoint both a senior information risk officer and a Caldicott Guardian. These roles are essential for ensuring compliance with patient data confidentiality, information governance, and the secure handling of information within the organisation.

Information on whether or not Caldicott Guardians are Executive Board members is not held centrally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of NICE's adoption of the EQ-5D-5L value set on the price of medicines with a quality of life benefit and no survival; and whether he plans to take steps to ensure that access to medicines which support workforce participation and productivity is not adversely affected.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.

The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:

• the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; and
• the number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.

NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

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 report by Euroqol entitled the EQ-5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026 on the suitability of the UK as an early launch market for non-oncology medicines with a quality-of-life benefit but no survival benefit.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.

The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:

• the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; and
• the number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.

NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

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 report published by Euroqol entitled EQ-5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026, on the ability of patients to access non-oncology medicines that improve quality of life but do not extend survival.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.

The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:

• the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; and
• the number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.

NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

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 his Department's policies of the document published by Euroqol entitled EQ5D-5L value set for the United Kingdom, published on 13 March 2026.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is planning to adopt the EQ-5D-5L and has opened a consultation on the proposed changes to its guidance development manuals.

The consultation opened on 15 April and includes the proposed changes to NICE’s guidance development manuals and the results of two impact assessments, looking at how the EQ-5D-5L value set might affect:

• the outputs of the cost-effectiveness models that NICE uses in its evaluations, including estimates of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios; and
• the number of decisions qualifying for the severity modifier, and how it changes absolute and proportional QALY shortfall estimates.

NICE has also considered the potential impact of these proposed method changes on equalities and health inequalities, and it is inviting views on its conclusions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what metrics are being used to measure the success of the Palantir-powered Federated Data Platform (FDP); and whether any productivity gains or improvements to patient care have been attributed to the FDP thus far, as opposed to any other intervention.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

During product development, the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) team identified relevant usage and benefits measures for each specific product. These measures are related to the problem statement the product was designed to address and are co-developed with users.

Once a product has completed development and testing and becomes generally available, data on the usage and benefits measures at an aggregate level, across all organisations nationally, are published on the NHS FDP website. Over time, further products will become generally available on the NHS FDP, supporting the National Health Service areas of elective care, urgent and emergency care, cancer and diagnostics, operational management, and population health and neighbourhood care.

Information on the benefits derived from the NHS FDP is published each quarter by NHS England and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/fdp-uptake-and-benefits/

In addition to the quantitative benefits, information from organisations on the benefits they are seeing from the NHS FDP from a qualitative perspective is collected in the form of case studies available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/impact/case-studies/

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 23 July 2024 to Question 244 on Dental Services: North Cornwall, what discussions he has had with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB on the proposed innovative access pilot project in Cornwall to support the most vulnerable to see an NHS dentist.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available. The ICB has confirmed a range of measures to increase appointment availability for local residents, including a dental van launched in 2025 that is providing treatment to vulnerable patients, those in rural communities, and those who have been waiting a long time to see a National Health Service dentist.

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 concerns raised by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee regarding the outsourcing of NHS data infrastructure to a single overseas technology provider; and what steps have been taken to mitigate systemic data security risks arising from that arrangement.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data infrastructure in the National Health Service is not outsourced to a single provider, as the NHS makes use of a variety of technology providers, including hyper-scalers. Contracts include specific provisions to ensure the security of personal data.

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 proposed changes to the GP contract in England on (a) minoritised ethnic groups and (b) those with less visible and chronic conditions.

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

The Department and NHS England assessed the potential impacts of the proposed changes to the GP Contract for 2026/27 throughout the policy-development process, including Equality Impact Assessments, which consider the impact of policy changes against protected characteristics, in line with the public sector equality duty. In relation to minoritised ethnic groups, the assessment found no evidence that the proposed changes would result in adverse impacts. The Department considers that several elements of the contract changes may support more equitable outcomes, including improvements to vaccination programmes and refinements to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), where uptake and disease prevalence are known to vary across different ethnic groups.

In relation to people with less visible and chronic conditions, we do not anticipate any adverse impact from the changes. Measures to improve access, continuity of care, and proactive management of long‑term conditions are expected to benefit patients with ongoing and complex health needs. In particular, the introduction of continuity of care as a core requirement will require practices and primary care networks to use risk‑stratification tools more systematically to target continuity where it is most beneficial, supporting more consistent clinical relationships, and better outcomes. The updated QOF requirements for long term and chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, and obesity, align indicators with updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, and support earlier intervention and preventative care to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In addition, clarifying expectations around not asking patients to call back another day, and clinically urgent and non‑urgent requests, will support timely management of requests, reduce repeat contacts, and will help to avoid any patients being left without appropriate follow-up.

The Department and NHS England will continue to monitor the impact of the GP Contract through workforce data, patient access metrics, and patient experience data, including demographic information collected through the GP Patient Survey, in order to identify and respond to any emerging differential impacts.

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 on children's mental health of an expanded play therapy offer in the NHS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst no such specific assessment has been made of the impact on children’s mental health of an expanded play therapy offer in the National Health Service, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people can access the support they need for their mental health. As part of that, we are committed to understanding the best evidence around therapeutic support for children and young people, including play therapy.

It is the responsibility of NHS integrated care boards to commission health and care services suitable for children and young people in their local area.

Improving access to timely mental health support for children and young people is a priority for the Government. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received support than in the previous 12 months, supported by the recruitment of over 8,000 additional mental health workers since July 2024. We are accelerating rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. We have also announced a £7 million top-up for 24 Early Support Hubs, enabling at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions and supporting evaluation of these services in 2026/27.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria he uses to assess the effectiveness of the Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data, evidence, and engagement with experts informed the actions that sit within the Suicide Prevention Strategy’s action plan. Government departments and other organisations responsible for delivering suicide prevention activity are accountable for the delivery of these actions to ensure progress is made against the ambitions set out in the strategy.

The Department will continue to review emerging evidence and data, to ensure current actions remain suitable and to develop iterative actions, where required, to drive further progress. The Department has regular meetings with the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group to aid the monitoring and delivery of the strategy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that inpatient mental health services have sufficient staffing levels and the appropriate skill mix to provide safe and therapeutic care.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament. Over 8,000 of these workers have been recruited since July 2024, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places 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, how many children are estimated to be living with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in (a) East Grinstead and Uckfield Constituency and (b) Sussex.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The data requested is not held centrally. Children with developmental coordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, access support through local National Health Service occupational therapy, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and educational services.

NHS guidance sets out a referral process which typically begins with a general practice, health visitor, or a special educational needs coordinator, who may refer the child to paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapist for assessment and support. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/

For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to in order to reduce long waits for community health services. 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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in establishing Regional Health Innovation Zones as part of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Work to establish Regional Health Innovation Zones is ongoing. Given the cross-cutting nature of the policy, spanning health, research, local government, and economic systems, significant engagement and careful policy design are essential before any Regional Health Innovation Zones can be formally established.

Officials have conducted substantial internal engagement across Government departments and with NHS England to build out the conceptual model and ensure it is aligned with wider strategic priorities. Substantial engagement with local government, National Health Service systems, and industry will happen in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration has been given to the West Midlands and Birmingham as an early Regional Health Innovation Zone.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Regional Health Innovation Zones will be selected using a fair and open bidding process.

Initially, two to three regions with strong existing life sciences assets, including data assets, research infrastructure, Health Innovation Networks, industry footprints, and local government support, and a clear plan for how to use the designation will be selected as trailblazers.

Further information on the process and timelines for how regions can secure zone designation will be shared in due course, once finalised, to ensure a fair and transparent opportunity for all interested areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department carried out an equalities impact assessment of the Federated Data Platform (FDP) (a) prior to its rollout and (b) at any point since.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) is a data platform rather than a clinical service in itself. NHS England does not require an Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment (EHIA) by default for data platforms. As such, a determination was made in line with NHS England guidance that the NHS FDP did not meet the requirements for an EHIA.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to update NHS prescribing guidance for menopause, including first-line use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving women’s health outcomes, including through better awareness and support for menopause, and we will continue to work with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to ensure patients and clinicians have access to clear, evidence-based guidance.

NICE guideline on menopause was last updated in November 2024. It provides guidance on best practice that prescribers are expected to take fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.

NICE intends to update its recommendations on starting and stopping hormone replacement therapy, including managing unscheduled bleeding. There are no current plans to update other recommendations at this time, including the use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms. This guideline will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.

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 engage people with Down Syndrome in policy development following the consultation entitled Down Syndrome Act 2022 draft statutory guidance, published on 5 November 2025.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.

Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The Department engaged extensively with stakeholders, including people with lived experience of Down syndrome, to inform the development of the draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025.

The consultation on the draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026. The Government will consider the responses received through the consultation to inform the final guidance to be published.

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 the needs of people with Down Syndrome.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.

Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The Department engaged extensively with stakeholders, including people with lived experience of Down syndrome, to inform the development of the draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025.

The consultation on the draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026. The Government will consider the responses received through the consultation to inform the final guidance to be published.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to give a detailed description of how procurement of the contract for the Federated Data Platform (FDP), after the current contract ending date of 15/02/2027, will proceed, including timeline, whether the incumbent contract holder Palantir is considered to be a preferred bidder, whether the NHS has a break clause in this contract with Palantir, whether the NHS is able to renew the contract automatically without hearing any competing bids, and any other relevant information relating to the terms of the contract.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The current contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform is for seven years, ending in 2030, with break clauses at three years, two years, and one year. No decisions have been made about any procurement after then end of the contract. The contact is published at the following link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/2e8c61c0-faab-4f99-ae69-b00df6bae165?origin=SearchResults&p=1

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is available to (a) hospitals, (b) healthcare settings and (c) healthcare staff in (i) preventing and (ii) responding to incidents of patients going missing.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold a national figure for the number of people reported missing from hospitals or other healthcare settings in 2024/25 or in 2025/26.

Clear guidance is in place to support hospitals, other healthcare settings, and staff in preventing and responding to incidents where patients go missing. This includes the National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, published in 2023, which sets out how health services, local authorities, and the police should work together to ensure people with mental health needs receive the right support from the right service. The agreement makes clear that patient safety must be protected and that inappropriate police involvement should be avoided, including in situations involving missing patients or people leaving healthcare settings before treatment is complete.

Further guidance published by NHS England supports local commissioners and providers to put practical arrangements in place. This covers steps to reduce the risk of patients leaving care unexpectedly, action to take when someone does leave, and arrangements to locate and safely return patients from mental health inpatient settings, including where individuals are detained under the Mental Health Act, was admitted under the Mental Capacity Act, or is in hospital voluntarily.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of PICA.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made on implementing National Health Service support pathways for PICA. For adults and children, individuals presenting with PICA are assessed and supported according to their individual clinical needs and circumstances. In most cases, care is arranged locally through services commissioned by NHS integrated care boards.

The Government is focused on strengthening support for people with eating disorders more broadly, including through new national guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, improving early identification and intervention, and ensuring staff across mental and physical health services have the training needed to recognise and respond safely to eating disorders wherever people present.

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 implementing NHS support pathways for PICA.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made on implementing National Health Service support pathways for PICA. For adults and children, individuals presenting with PICA are assessed and supported according to their individual clinical needs and circumstances. In most cases, care is arranged locally through services commissioned by NHS integrated care boards.

The Government is focused on strengthening support for people with eating disorders more broadly, including through new national guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, improving early identification and intervention, and ensuring staff across mental and physical health services have the training needed to recognise and respond safely to eating disorders wherever people present.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to improve NHS community care.

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

Community health services are a fundamental part of the health and care system and an essential building block in developing a neighbourhood health service.

Neighbourhood health provides the unifying framework that brings together what is already underway, across primary care, community services, urgent care, prevention, digital, estates and population health, into a single, coherent model focused on improved access, experiences, and outcomes.

It will bring more care into local communities, work to create and convene partnerships with other professionals from different organisations into teams aligned around the needs of the individual, reduce service fragmentation, and shift the focus of whole systems towards the prevention of ill health.

For the first time, we have set a target for systems to work to reduce long waits for community health services 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 addition, NHS England’s recently published Standardising Community Health Services will support improved commissioning and delivery of community health services, helping to ensure the best use of funding to meet local needs and priorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support patients without access to the internet to get appointments with GPs.

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

We understand that not all patients have access to or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice (GP).

The 2026/27 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.

We are also improving capacity in GPs. We have invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of over 2,000 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. As a result, we have successfully delivered an additional 8.3 million GP appointments for patients compared to the same period last year, meaning more patients are getting the support they need, when they need it.

The Office for National Statistics’ Health Insight Survey from March 2026 shows that 73.7% of patients reported it was “easy” to contact their GP, up from 60.9% in July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce a catch-up MenB vaccination programme for those born before May 2015 who were not eligible for the routine infant programme.

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

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI have been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent meningococcal B vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

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 extending MenB vaccinations to all teenagers and university students on public health.

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

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI have been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent meningococcal B vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

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 advising prophylactic antibiotics for those at risk of endocarditis from basic dental examinations.

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

No assessment has been made by the Department, however the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has guidance on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis in NICE Clinical Guideline CG64, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg64

This guideline states that antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis is not currently routinely recommended for people undergoing dental procedures, but it is recommended for a small number of people who are at increased risk of infective endocarditis, such as those with certain structural heart conditions. For these individuals, clinicians should provide clear information on the risks and benefits and may consider antibiotic prophylaxis on an individual basis following an informed discussion, rather than as part of routine care. Where used, prophylaxis is typically limited to a single, targeted dose, consistent with antimicrobial stewardship principles.

From an antimicrobial resistance perspective, the Department’s position is that preventing infection in the first place, through good oral hygiene, timely access to dental care, and effective infection prevention and control, is the most sustainable way to reduce both endocarditis risk and the need for antibiotics. NICE has recently highlighted additional advice for high‑risk groups, but has confirmed that the evidence remains insufficient to change the overall recommendation against routine antibiotic prophylaxis, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg64/chapter/recommendations

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans are in place to ensure any changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold are subject to parliamentary and public scrutiny.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has implemented a new cost-effectiveness threshold in its technology appraisals of £25,000 to £35,000 which is an increase from the previous threshold of £20,000 to £30,000. The new threshold is in line with the commitments made in the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal announced in December 2025.

The Government has engaged extensively with NICE, NHS England, the pharmaceutical industry and other parties throughout the process. The Government’s intended approach was set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 13 April 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-04-13/hlws1493

In addition, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, wrote to the chairs of the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee to inform them of the regulatory changes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the Government’s ten year plan ‘Fit for the Future’ in which he states the Government ‘s intention to move health services from hospitals to the community, if he will putlish a list of the current community patient services offered at the Doddington hospital site in Fenland, and for each service the NHS organisation which is responsible for the delivery of those services.

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

The current community patient services offered at both the North Cambridgeshire site in Wisbech and the Doddington hospital site in Fenland, and the organisations delivering those services, are listed in the attached tables.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the Government’s ten year plan ‘Fit for the Future’ in which he states the Government’s intention to move health services from hospitals to the community, if he will publish a list of the current community patient services offered at the North Cambridgeshire site in Wisbech, and for each service the NHS organisation which is responsible for the delivery of that service.

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

The current community patient services offered at both the North Cambridgeshire site in Wisbech and the Doddington hospital site in Fenland, and the organisations delivering those services, are listed in the attached tables.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made in replacing plasma-derived products with recombinant coagulation factor products, where clinically appropriate, in accordance with Recommendation 9 of the Infected Blood Inquiry Report.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care, and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

In relation to recommendation 9, a to c, of the Infected Blood Inquiry, peer review of United Kingdom comprehensive care centres has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, it will be shared with the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to integrated care boards and trust boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and asking for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in and act upon peer review findings.

Regarding 9d, the Clinical Community and the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Blood Disorders supports the need to develop and strengthen multi-disciplinary networks. NHS England has drafted a proposed National Clinical Network Specification specifically for these networks, which is dependent on additional funding, and which would embed key new requirements for providers to participate in a networked model of care.

In response to 9e, all diseases or conditions where a non-plasma treatment exists to replace a plasma/blood-derived treatment are now addressed by commissioning policies or funding agreements. There are some specific regimens which are subject to ongoing clinical policy development but in each case there are alternative regimens or treatment approaches which negate the use of plasma-derived medicines.

Of particular interest to the clinical and patient community is the development of a clinical commissioning policy for recombinant Von Willebrand factor, which is currently licensed for prophylaxis in adults, as regular treatment for those with the severest bleeding, but which is not currently commissioned for this indication. Funding will be required to implement this clinical policy for all ages, and this has not yet been identified.

Finally, for 9f, NHS England currently provides ‘central’ funding of approximately 40% of the total annual cost for running the National Haemophilia Database. A task and finish group relating to the database has been established, reporting into the overarching recommendation 9 expert group.

As of February 2026, stakeholders involved in the recommendation 9f working group are in agreement that the registry has been and remains immensely valuable in supporting the provision of clinical care. NHS England continues to work with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centres Doctors' Organisation to understand the requirement for increased funding.

Further progress on implementing recommendation 9 is subject to additional funding, and this has not yet been identified. NHS England and the Department will continue to work together to provide progress updates on the Government Reporting Integration Platform.

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 supporting the National Haemophilia Database through additional central funding.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care, and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

In relation to recommendation 9, a to c, of the Infected Blood Inquiry, peer review of United Kingdom comprehensive care centres has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, it will be shared with the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to integrated care boards and trust boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and asking for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in and act upon peer review findings.

Regarding 9d, the Clinical Community and the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Blood Disorders supports the need to develop and strengthen multi-disciplinary networks. NHS England has drafted a proposed National Clinical Network Specification specifically for these networks, which is dependent on additional funding, and which would embed key new requirements for providers to participate in a networked model of care.

In response to 9e, all diseases or conditions where a non-plasma treatment exists to replace a plasma/blood-derived treatment are now addressed by commissioning policies or funding agreements. There are some specific regimens which are subject to ongoing clinical policy development but in each case there are alternative regimens or treatment approaches which negate the use of plasma-derived medicines.

Of particular interest to the clinical and patient community is the development of a clinical commissioning policy for recombinant Von Willebrand factor, which is currently licensed for prophylaxis in adults, as regular treatment for those with the severest bleeding, but which is not currently commissioned for this indication. Funding will be required to implement this clinical policy for all ages, and this has not yet been identified.

Finally, for 9f, NHS England currently provides ‘central’ funding of approximately 40% of the total annual cost for running the National Haemophilia Database. A task and finish group relating to the database has been established, reporting into the overarching recommendation 9 expert group.

As of February 2026, stakeholders involved in the recommendation 9f working group are in agreement that the registry has been and remains immensely valuable in supporting the provision of clinical care. NHS England continues to work with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centres Doctors' Organisation to understand the requirement for increased funding.

Further progress on implementing recommendation 9 is subject to additional funding, and this has not yet been identified. NHS England and the Department will continue to work together to provide progress updates on the Government Reporting Integration Platform.

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 need to introduce transparency requirements for the funding of nutrition research.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including nutrition.

The Department is committed to funding research that has robust ethical oversight and independent governance. The NIHR ensures this by requiring studies, where appropriate, to gain approval from the Health Research Authority, which is responsible for overseeing ethical, governance, and legal aspects of research in England. Studies must also comply with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, which outlines the principles of good practice in the management and conduct of health and social care research in the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has been the total cost to the public purse of the Gaza medical evacuation scheme for children.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2025 to Question 81587.

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 community pharmacy services are accessible to patients with disabilities in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring community pharmacy services are safe and accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities and sensory impairments in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency.

In addition to the legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, pharmacy businesses have a duty to comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) standards for registered pharmacy premises. This requires pharmacies to provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all, taking reasonable steps to remove barriers for patients with disabilities. These standards emphasise the need for pharmacies to make adjustments to facilities and services, such as providing accessible entrances, clear signage, and assistance for individuals with mobility or sensory challenges.

To support community pharmacies, and meet their legal duties, the GPhC has issued equality guidance for pharmacies, which outlines best practice for supporting patients with a range of needs. NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This is being rolled out nationally across all healthcare settings and will help general practitioners and community pharmacies spot when a patient may need extra support.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the accessibility of community pharmacy services in the Surrey Heath constituency, the GPhC is responsible for holding pharmacy businesses to account and ensures compliance with regulatory standards and guidance as part of routine inspections and fitness to practice procedures.

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 accessibility of community pharmacy services for people with sensory impairments in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring community pharmacy services are safe and accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities and sensory impairments in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency.

In addition to the legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, pharmacy businesses have a duty to comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) standards for registered pharmacy premises. This requires pharmacies to provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all, taking reasonable steps to remove barriers for patients with disabilities. These standards emphasise the need for pharmacies to make adjustments to facilities and services, such as providing accessible entrances, clear signage, and assistance for individuals with mobility or sensory challenges.

To support community pharmacies, and meet their legal duties, the GPhC has issued equality guidance for pharmacies, which outlines best practice for supporting patients with a range of needs. NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This is being rolled out nationally across all healthcare settings and will help general practitioners and community pharmacies spot when a patient may need extra support.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the accessibility of community pharmacy services in the Surrey Heath constituency, the GPhC is responsible for holding pharmacy businesses to account and ensures compliance with regulatory standards and guidance as part of routine inspections and fitness to practice procedures.

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 effect of Pramipexole on people living with Parkinson's.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Pramipexole is one of a range of medicines that help manage the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines and healthcare products meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness, and are supported by detailed product information, via the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) and the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Both the PIL and the SmPC are designed to support safe use of the medicine by providing essential information for patients, and more detailed prescribing guidance for healthcare professionals via the SmPC. Any changes to these documents must be reviewed and approved by the MHRA.

The MHRA continuously reviews the safety information for all licensed medicines, including pramipexole, to ensure that warnings and side-effects listed in the product information accurately reflect the available data. No effective medicine is completely free of risk and regulatory decisions on risks and benefits of a medicine are based on data from a number of different sources including the Yellow Card Scheme, scientific literature, pharmaceutical companies, and worldwide regulatory authorities, with regulatory action taken promptly as and when necessary.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing useful and usable guidance for the National Health Service and wider health and care system. The NICE guideline NG71 covers diagnosing and managing Parkinson's disease in people aged 18 years old and over. It aims to improve care from the time of diagnosis, including monitoring and managing symptoms, providing information and support, and palliative care. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/chapter/Recommendations

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the supply of Ketotifen; and what steps he is taking to support primary care practitioners in the diagnosis and management of multi-system conditions requiring such treatments.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The supplier of ketotifen (Zaditen) one milligram tablets has confirmed there is currently no shortage of this product, and it is in stock and available to order.

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) drug prices, (b) appliance prices and (c) fees paid to pharmacy contractors in the NHS Drug Tariff.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department undertakes a quarterly assessment of the adequacy of drug prices paid to community pharmacies through the ‘medicine margin survey’. The survey samples independent pharmacy contractors’ sales invoices for the medicines they dispense and compares the amount paid with the amount reimbursed by the National Health Service. This has found that more than the amount agreed as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework has been delivered in totality across the previous four financial years.

Appliances are not included in the medicine margin survey. Pharmacy contractors are reimbursed in line with the listed appliance prices on Part IX of the NHS Drug Tariff. Suppliers should adhere to these prices as per the terms of their listing. Where the Department is made aware that a supplier is not adhering to the agreed price this is addressed with the supplier or the product is delisted from the NHS Drug Tariff.

Fees paid for the delivery of services outlined in the Drug Tariff have been agreed with Community Pharmacy England. On 25 February, the Department began the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England, to consider any proposed changes to the reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors in 2026/27. An update will be provided once the consultation has been concluded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to protect whistleblowers in the NHS.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, gives employees protection against unfair dismissal and detriment in employment on the basis that they have made a protected disclosure, as well as a right to seek remedy through an employment tribunal where this occurs. Separate regulations also protect National Health Service job applicants from discrimination on the grounds they have made a protected disclosure in the past.

In addition to legal protections, there is a range of support in place for NHS workers who wish to report concerns, including local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, a National Freedom to Speak Up policy, and support from independent organisations such as Speak Up Direct.

Through delivery of the 10‑Year Health Plan, we will ensure that the Care Quality Commission, as part of its existing inspection and regulatory responsibilities, takes account of whether NHS providers have effective Freedom to Speak Up arrangements, where this forms a relevant line of enquiry. Where relevant, this includes whether providers have effective whistleblowing arrangements in place and whether staff feel able to raise concerns safely without fear of detriment.

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 patient safety in community pharmacy settings in Surrey.

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

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring community pharmacy services are safe and accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities and sensory impairments in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency.

In addition to the legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, pharmacy businesses have a duty to comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) standards for registered pharmacy premises. This requires pharmacies to provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all, taking reasonable steps to remove barriers for patients with disabilities. These standards emphasise the need for pharmacies to make adjustments to facilities and services, such as providing accessible entrances, clear signage, and assistance for individuals with mobility or sensory challenges.

To support community pharmacies, and meet their legal duties, the GPhC has issued equality guidance for pharmacies, which outlines best practice for supporting patients with a range of needs. NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This is being rolled out nationally across all healthcare settings and will help general practitioners and community pharmacies spot when a patient may need extra support.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the accessibility of community pharmacy services in the Surrey Heath constituency, the GPhC is responsible for holding pharmacy businesses to account and ensures compliance with regulatory standards and guidance as part of routine inspections and fitness to practice procedures.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review accessibility provisions in community pharmacy services.

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

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring community pharmacy services are safe and accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities and sensory impairments in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency.

In addition to the legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, pharmacy businesses have a duty to comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) standards for registered pharmacy premises. This requires pharmacies to provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all, taking reasonable steps to remove barriers for patients with disabilities. These standards emphasise the need for pharmacies to make adjustments to facilities and services, such as providing accessible entrances, clear signage, and assistance for individuals with mobility or sensory challenges.

To support community pharmacies, and meet their legal duties, the GPhC has issued equality guidance for pharmacies, which outlines best practice for supporting patients with a range of needs. NHS England is also rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This is being rolled out nationally across all healthcare settings and will help general practitioners and community pharmacies spot when a patient may need extra support.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the accessibility of community pharmacy services in the Surrey Heath constituency, the GPhC is responsible for holding pharmacy businesses to account and ensures compliance with regulatory standards and guidance as part of routine inspections and fitness to practice procedures.

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 those suffering from primary progressive aphasia.

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

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs) and may include speech and language therapy. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with Primary Progressive Aphasia, which is why we have funded the work of the Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for busy system leaders and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.

A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool, and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available for those suffering from primary progressive aphasia.

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

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs) and may include speech and language therapy. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with Primary Progressive Aphasia, which is why we have funded the work of the Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for busy system leaders and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.

A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool, and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on establishing functioning multi-disciplinary networks to ensure best practice is followed in the treatment and care of haemophilia.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care, and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

In relation to recommendation 9, a to c, of the Infected Blood Inquiry, peer review of United Kingdom comprehensive care centres has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, it will be shared with the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to integrated care boards and trust boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and asking for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in and act upon peer review findings.

Regarding 9d, the Clinical Community and the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Blood Disorders supports the need to develop and strengthen multi-disciplinary networks. NHS England has drafted a proposed National Clinical Network Specification specifically for these networks, which is dependent on additional funding, and which would embed key new requirements for providers to participate in a networked model of care.

In response to 9e, all diseases or conditions where a non-plasma treatment exists to replace a plasma/blood-derived treatment are now addressed by commissioning policies or funding agreements. There are some specific regimens which are subject to ongoing clinical policy development but in each case there are alternative regimens or treatment approaches which negate the use of plasma-derived medicines.

Of particular interest to the clinical and patient community is the development of a clinical commissioning policy for recombinant Von Willebrand factor, which is currently licensed for prophylaxis in adults, as regular treatment for those with the severest bleeding, but which is not currently commissioned for this indication. Funding will be required to implement this clinical policy for all ages, and this has not yet been identified.

Finally, for 9f, NHS England currently provides ‘central’ funding of approximately 40% of the total annual cost for running the National Haemophilia Database. A task and finish group relating to the database has been established, reporting into the overarching recommendation 9 expert group.

As of February 2026, stakeholders involved in the recommendation 9f working group are in agreement that the registry has been and remains immensely valuable in supporting the provision of clinical care. NHS England continues to work with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centres Doctors' Organisation to understand the requirement for increased funding.

Further progress on implementing recommendation 9 is subject to additional funding, and this has not yet been identified. NHS England and the Department will continue to work together to provide progress updates on the Government Reporting Integration Platform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps have been taken to address funding shortfalls and inequities between haemophilia centres around the UK, identified by 2024-25 peer review of haemophilia care.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care, and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

In relation to recommendation 9, a to c, of the Infected Blood Inquiry, peer review of United Kingdom comprehensive care centres has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, it will be shared with the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to integrated care boards and trust boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and asking for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in and act upon peer review findings.

Regarding 9d, the Clinical Community and the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Blood Disorders supports the need to develop and strengthen multi-disciplinary networks. NHS England has drafted a proposed National Clinical Network Specification specifically for these networks, which is dependent on additional funding, and which would embed key new requirements for providers to participate in a networked model of care.

In response to 9e, all diseases or conditions where a non-plasma treatment exists to replace a plasma/blood-derived treatment are now addressed by commissioning policies or funding agreements. There are some specific regimens which are subject to ongoing clinical policy development but in each case there are alternative regimens or treatment approaches which negate the use of plasma-derived medicines.

Of particular interest to the clinical and patient community is the development of a clinical commissioning policy for recombinant Von Willebrand factor, which is currently licensed for prophylaxis in adults, as regular treatment for those with the severest bleeding, but which is not currently commissioned for this indication. Funding will be required to implement this clinical policy for all ages, and this has not yet been identified.

Finally, for 9f, NHS England currently provides ‘central’ funding of approximately 40% of the total annual cost for running the National Haemophilia Database. A task and finish group relating to the database has been established, reporting into the overarching recommendation 9 expert group.

As of February 2026, stakeholders involved in the recommendation 9f working group are in agreement that the registry has been and remains immensely valuable in supporting the provision of clinical care. NHS England continues to work with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centres Doctors' Organisation to understand the requirement for increased funding.

Further progress on implementing recommendation 9 is subject to additional funding, and this has not yet been identified. NHS England and the Department will continue to work together to provide progress updates on the Government Reporting Integration Platform.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps have been taken towards implementing Recommendation 9 of the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care, and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.

In relation to recommendation 9, a to c, of the Infected Blood Inquiry, peer review of United Kingdom comprehensive care centres has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.

The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, it will be shared with the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to integrated care boards and trust boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and asking for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.

The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in and act upon peer review findings.

Regarding 9d, the Clinical Community and the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Blood Disorders supports the need to develop and strengthen multi-disciplinary networks. NHS England has drafted a proposed National Clinical Network Specification specifically for these networks, which is dependent on additional funding, and which would embed key new requirements for providers to participate in a networked model of care.

In response to 9e, all diseases or conditions where a non-plasma treatment exists to replace a plasma/blood-derived treatment are now addressed by commissioning policies or funding agreements. There are some specific regimens which are subject to ongoing clinical policy development but in each case there are alternative regimens or treatment approaches which negate the use of plasma-derived medicines.

Of particular interest to the clinical and patient community is the development of a clinical commissioning policy for recombinant Von Willebrand factor, which is currently licensed for prophylaxis in adults, as regular treatment for those with the severest bleeding, but which is not currently commissioned for this indication. Funding will be required to implement this clinical policy for all ages, and this has not yet been identified.

Finally, for 9f, NHS England currently provides ‘central’ funding of approximately 40% of the total annual cost for running the National Haemophilia Database. A task and finish group relating to the database has been established, reporting into the overarching recommendation 9 expert group.

As of February 2026, stakeholders involved in the recommendation 9f working group are in agreement that the registry has been and remains immensely valuable in supporting the provision of clinical care. NHS England continues to work with the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centres Doctors' Organisation to understand the requirement for increased funding.

Further progress on implementing recommendation 9 is subject to additional funding, and this has not yet been identified. NHS England and the Department will continue to work together to provide progress updates on the Government Reporting Integration Platform.

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, with NHS England and integrated care boards, to address systemic failings in inpatient mental health care.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Anyone receiving mental health treatment should be able to expect consistently safe, high‑quality care. Families, staff, and the public deserve answers when things go wrong in mental health settings and it is vitally important that, where care falls short, we learn from any mistakes made to improve care across the National Health Service and to protect patients in the future. To this end, the Department has announced a statutory inquiry into the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.

The Department and NHS England are committed to ensuring we put in place a modernised legislative framework through the Mental Health Act 2025 which upholds patient rights and voice and that provides stronger oversight, higher standards, and a system that better protects and supports some of the most vulnerable people in society, whilst keeping patients and the public safe. We are also prioritising eliminating inappropriate out of area placements. The Medium Term Planning Framework set a new national expectation to end all integrated care board-commissioned inappropriate out of area placements and the commissioning of locked rehabilitation services by March 2028.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England and integrated care boards on supporting hospices facing financial pressures, including those serving mid-Essex.

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

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB, must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

The Government recognises the financial pressures facing hospices. In February, NHS England wrote to all ICBs requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint as a matter of urgency, and the steps being taken to mitigate risks.

We also supported the hospice sector in England with a £125 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. From this funding stream, Farleigh Hospice in mid-Essex received £1,350,650 and Havens Hospices, which Little Havens Children’s Hospice is part of, received £1,287,240.

Furthermore, children and young people’s hospices received £26 million in revenue funding in 2025/26. This was a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children’s Hospice Grant. From this funding, Little Havens Children’s Hospice received £557,000.

In 2025/26, we announced the continuation of this funding for a further three financial years. This funding will see at least £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, covering 2026/27 to 2028/29, amounting to approximately £80 million over the three-year period.

Children and young people’s hospices and ICBs have recently been informed of their allocations for 2026/27, although we are not yet in a position to share those individual allocations publicly. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.

For the long-term, 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. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. As part of the development of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to collect data on hospice bed capacity and service provision at a national level.

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

The majority of hospices are charitable, independent organisations and, therefore, the Government does not collect or keep data on hospice bed capacity nationally.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.

NHS England’s Medium-Term Planning Guidance makes clear that ICBs and relevant National Health Service providers should ensure an understanding of current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, which can include services provided by hospices.

The Government is developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care. 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. As part of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data (a) his Department and (b) NHS England holds on the proportion of prescribers and pharmacists who have received training on the risks of Topical Steroid Withdrawal.

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

The Department and NHS England do not hold data on the proportion of prescribers and pharmacists who have received training on the risks of topical steroid withdrawal.

Initial education and training and continued professional develop is wide ranging, including dermatology. Clinicians would be expected to provide advice and counselling to patients in-line with guidance issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the safe use of topical steroids and topical steroid withdrawal.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to support access to men's mental health services in (a) East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency and (b) Sussex.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that some men may find it difficult to seek help for their mental health, and Sussex has made this a priority within its suicide prevention and mental health strategies. This includes targeted work to improve early identification, reduce stigma, and increase engagement among men and boys. Access routes have been strengthened through:

- primary care and community-based entry points, where men are more likely to present;

- NHS Talking Therapies, offering timely access to evidence-based support;

- crisis alternatives to hospital admission, including urgent mental health helplines and safe havens; and

- workplace and community outreach approaches, designed to engage men who may not access traditional services.

In addition to National Health Service provision, Sussex works closely with voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, which play a key role in engaging men through peer support, wellbeing services, and targeted community-based interventions.

While data is not routinely reported by gender at a constituency level, system partners use available data and local insight to identify inequalities in access and outcomes, including for men, and to inform ongoing service improvement.

We are partnering with the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative, to help tackle male suicide, as part of England's first Men's Health Strategy. This work, carried out with Samaritans, provides matchday support for fans in stadiums, as well as an online hub with information and referral details for fans and followers watching from home. The partnership will see football clubs actively promoting existing mental health and suicide prevention support, such as NHS Talking Therapies and Every Mind Matters, and where appropriate, making onward referrals to appropriate organisations like the NHS.

Overall, Sussex continues to develop a whole-system approach to mental health support, ensuring that services are accessible, responsive, and effective for all populations, including men.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what challenges his Department has identified in reducing waiting times for psychological therapy, and what assessment has been made of how these affect access for people seeking support to stay in or return to work.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Support to improve employment outcomes is embedded within NHS Talking Therapies services. Employment advisers are available in all NHS Talking Therapies services in England and work alongside therapists to provide tailored employment support alongside psychological therapy. In general, people referred for employment support should be able to access this within four weeks, and where appropriate, employment support can be provided alongside therapy, or earlier where there is an urgent work‑related issue.

For people with more severe mental illness, we are also expanding Individual Placement and Support, so that 73,500 people can access this evidence‑based programme by March 2028. More widely, we recognise that the fit note process is not working as effectively as it should in supporting people to manage health conditions at work. Through initiatives such as the WorkWell Primary Care Innovation Fund, local areas are piloting improved ways of connecting people to appropriate work and health support, helping to support earlier returns to work and reduce avoidable pressure on psychological therapy services. Wider work to better join up health and employment support includes initiatives such as Health and Growth Accelerators, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-boost-to-support-patients-to-stay-in-and-return-to-work

We keep waiting times for psychological therapies under regular review through national performance oversight and engagement with NHS England and local systems. This includes assessing whether further system‑level measures are required where waits remain longest and understanding how these affect people’s ability to stay in, or return to, work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what further steps his Department plans to take to reduce waiting times for people seeking psychological therapy to support their employment efforts; and what assessment his Department has made of whether additional measures are required to further reduce waiting times for psychological therapy services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that some people experience long waits to access National Health Service mental health support, including psychological therapies that help people stay in, or return to, work. NHS Talking Therapies are the main national psychological therapy service for people with common mental health conditions. While the NHS is meeting the national access and waiting time standards of at least 75% of people starting treatment within six weeks of referral and at least 95% within 18 weeks, we know that waits within pathways, including between the first and second appointment, can be significant in some areas.

Meeting national access standards is important, but we recognise that this alone will not address all delays experienced within psychological therapy pathways. Reducing waiting times requires a sustained and more systematic approach that focuses on increasing capacity, improving flow through services, and better integration with wider support, such as for people whose mental health is affecting their ability to work. That is why, for example, we have recruited over 8,000 additional mental health workers since July 2024.

We are also strengthening NHS Talking Therapies with a greater focus on reducing waits within pathways, improving completion rates, and supporting better mental health and employment outcomes. This is supported by enhanced NHS England oversight to ensure funding is used to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.

Progress on access and waiting times is monitored through existing NHS Talking Therapies national access standards and routine performance management. We have no plans to set additional targets specifically for employment related access to psychological therapies beyond the existing standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action his Department plans to take to reduce waiting times for psychological therapy to support employment, and what targets or timetable have been set for improving access.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that some people experience long waits to access National Health Service mental health support, including psychological therapies that help people stay in, or return to, work. NHS Talking Therapies are the main national psychological therapy service for people with common mental health conditions. While the NHS is meeting the national access and waiting time standards of at least 75% of people starting treatment within six weeks of referral and at least 95% within 18 weeks, we know that waits within pathways, including between the first and second appointment, can be significant in some areas.

Meeting national access standards is important, but we recognise that this alone will not address all delays experienced within psychological therapy pathways. Reducing waiting times requires a sustained and more systematic approach that focuses on increasing capacity, improving flow through services, and better integration with wider support, such as for people whose mental health is affecting their ability to work. That is why, for example, we have recruited over 8,000 additional mental health workers since July 2024.

We are also strengthening NHS Talking Therapies with a greater focus on reducing waits within pathways, improving completion rates, and supporting better mental health and employment outcomes. This is supported by enhanced NHS England oversight to ensure funding is used to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.

Progress on access and waiting times is monitored through existing NHS Talking Therapies national access standards and routine performance management. We have no plans to set additional targets specifically for employment related access to psychological therapies beyond the existing standards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will introduce secondary legislation building on section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022 to mandate the disclosure of payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the importance of transparency and public trust in the health system. In line with Recommendation 8b of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, the Government consulted in 2023 on proposals to improve transparency of payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector.

Following consideration of the consultation responses, the Government has decided to implement guidance, rather than introduce secondary legislation under section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022, in the first instance. The forthcoming guidance, which is expected to be published this year, will set out how and where payment information should be disclosed to ensure it is publicly accessible. Legislation remains an option for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of progress made by UK-based researchers funded by his Department on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long Covid.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. As well as funding research itself, the Department invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure.

While there has been no formal assessment of the progress of United Kingdom based research into Long Covid, it is clear that NIHR-funded research has delivered important findings. The REGAIN trial provided the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for Long Covid. The NIHR has also funded research to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines through the STIMULATE-ICP trial. The NIHR has also provided £1.1 million in funding towards the LISTEN trial, which found that the participants who received the LISTEN self-management tool intervention had greater capacity for daily activities, improved mental health, reduced fatigue impact, and increased self-efficacy.

However, there is more work to be done to find the most promising treatments, and we are actively exploring next steps for long COVID research. This includes a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed and new interventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including long COVID. Two projects have recently been awarded funding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much public funding is allocated to support UK-based research into methods to treat and cure long Covid.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. As well as funding research itself, the Department invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure.

While there has been no formal assessment of the progress of United Kingdom based research into Long Covid, it is clear that NIHR-funded research has delivered important findings. The REGAIN trial provided the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for Long Covid. The NIHR has also funded research to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines through the STIMULATE-ICP trial. The NIHR has also provided £1.1 million in funding towards the LISTEN trial, which found that the participants who received the LISTEN self-management tool intervention had greater capacity for daily activities, improved mental health, reduced fatigue impact, and increased self-efficacy.

However, there is more work to be done to find the most promising treatments, and we are actively exploring next steps for long COVID research. This includes a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed and new interventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including long COVID. Two projects have recently been awarded funding.

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 with the General Medical Council on the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of that organisation's guidance entitled Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, published on 5 April 2021, on shared care agreements for people with ADHD.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Building on the work of the independent ADHD Taskforce, on 4 December 2025 my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, which will inform our approach to ensuring appropriate support is in place.

The independent review published an interim report on the 31 March 2026 which sets out key findings from the data and evidence reviewed so far, learning to date from discussions with people, including people with lived experience, and organisations as well as setting out plans for the next phase of the review and the key questions to address in more detail.

The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of shared care agreements with independent sector providers for patients prescribed ADHD medication or held discussions with General Medical Council on their guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider a nationally defined prescribing pathway for ADHD within Right to Choose services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Building on the work of the independent ADHD Taskforce, on 4 December 2025 my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, which will inform our approach to ensuring appropriate support is in place.

The independent review published an interim report on the 31 March 2026 which sets out key findings from the data and evidence reviewed so far, learning to date from discussions with people, including people with lived experience, and organisations as well as setting out plans for the next phase of the review and the key questions to address in more detail.

The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of shared care agreements with independent sector providers for patients prescribed ADHD medication or held discussions with General Medical Council on their guidance.

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 Palantir’s role supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US on the confidence of NHS patients to divulge medical information.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) holds no information on the immigration or residency status of patients. NHS England has published extensive information on the NHS FDP, its contractual safeguards, and how it is designed solely for medical purposes. There is a web portal where people can find out more information about the NHS FDP and ask questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were reported missing from (a) hospitals and (b) other healthcare settings in 2024/25 and so far in 2025/26.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold a national figure for the number of people reported missing from hospitals or other healthcare settings in 2024/25 or in 2025/26.

Clear guidance is in place to support hospitals, other healthcare settings, and staff in preventing and responding to incidents where patients go missing. This includes the National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, published in 2023, which sets out how health services, local authorities, and the police should work together to ensure people with mental health needs receive the right support from the right service. The agreement makes clear that patient safety must be protected and that inappropriate police involvement should be avoided, including in situations involving missing patients or people leaving healthcare settings before treatment is complete.

Further guidance published by NHS England supports local commissioners and providers to put practical arrangements in place. This covers steps to reduce the risk of patients leaving care unexpectedly, action to take when someone does leave, and arrangements to locate and safely return patients from mental health inpatient settings, including where individuals are detained under the Mental Health Act, was admitted under the Mental Capacity Act, or is in hospital voluntarily.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support hospices in the Braintree constituency.

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

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB, must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

The Government recognises the financial pressures facing hospices. In February, NHS England wrote to all ICBs requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint as a matter of urgency, and the steps being taken to mitigate risks.

We also supported the hospice sector in England with a £125 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. From this funding stream, Farleigh Hospice in mid-Essex received £1,350,650 and Havens Hospices, which Little Havens Children’s Hospice is part of, received £1,287,240.

Furthermore, children and young people’s hospices received £26 million in revenue funding in 2025/26. This was a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children’s Hospice Grant. From this funding, Little Havens Children’s Hospice received £557,000.

In 2025/26, we announced the continuation of this funding for a further three financial years. This funding will see at least £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, covering 2026/27 to 2028/29, amounting to approximately £80 million over the three-year period.

Children and young people’s hospices and ICBs have recently been informed of their allocations for 2026/27, although we are not yet in a position to share those individual allocations publicly. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.

For the long-term, 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. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. As part of the development of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

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 participation in bowel cancer screening programmes in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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

The Harrogate, Leeds, and York Bowel Cancer Screening Programme serves the population of Harrogate and Knaresborough. Data from NHS England shows that uptake for this programme is 75.3% for people aged 60 to 74 years old. While this is higher than the England average of 70.3%, we know that there is more work to be done.

Work is ongoing to both maintain and improve uptake, which includes collaborating with the Humber North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance and general practices, as well as local communities working together. Additional work to support raising awareness of the bowel cancer screening programme includes development of a recent promotional video which was shared with all North Yorkshire practices to enable them to play on displays in surgery waiting rooms, and with the local authority for use on their social media platforms. Other promotional initiatives have included:

• Go Racing, which is offering all racecourses/corresponding screening centres to send a representative on race days to chat to race goers/videos on big screen/feature in race card;
• five facts toilet campaign posters;
• recorded jingle/promotion at Harrogate radio; and
• attendance at cattle markets to raise awareness.

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 long-term sustainability of the palliative care workforce.

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

Last year, we published our 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future and a central part of the plan is our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10‑Year Workforce Plan, to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver for patients, including those at the end of their lives. The 10‑Year Workforce Plan will be published in spring of this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered the potential impact of the proposed timeline for the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme on the involvement of the new unitary authorities.

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

Published on 17 March 2026, the Neighbourhood Health Framework empowers local leaders to develop and scale neighbourhood health. It provides clarity and consistency to support joined-up partnership between integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and other partners. Through Health and Wellbeing Boards, they will work together to develop locally led Neighbourhood Health Plans and align approaches to commissioning to support the integration of health and care services. However, local ICBs will remain directly responsible for commissioning services within Neighbourhood Health Centres and not the local authority.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI-enabled assistive technologies, including wearable devices, in supporting people living with dementia; and what steps they are taking to ensure those technologies are safe, effective and accessible while maintaining standards of data protection and patient care.

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

The Government recognises the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled assistive technologies, including wearable devices, to support people living with dementia by promoting independence, safety, and quality of life, and by helping carers and care professionals provide more personalised and responsive support.

To help assess the use of technologies in adult social care, the Government has funded the testing and evaluation of technologies, including AI-enabled technologies, through the Adult Social Care Technology Fund. Emerging evidence indicates positive outcomes for people in receipt of care, care professionals, and the wider health and social care system. People using technology experienced greater independence, safety, wellbeing, and quality of life. We will publish the findings from these projects.

We are in the process of developing trusted, accessible guidance and setting new standards for care technologies, including evidence standards which will help people identify which tech might be most useful for them. This will help people living with dementia, their carers', and care providers know which technologies are fit for purpose, secure, and compatible with the wider health and social care systems in the future, supporting them to invest in technology for the long term.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, given that NHS England’s 2023 guidance Liothyronine – advice for prescribers sets out a complete national prescribing pathway without including any requirement for local prior approval processes, if local prior approval was not included because it is not required.

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

NHS England’s policy guidance and prescribing advice on liothyronine reflects the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommendations and the evidence on liothyronine. That guidance recommends that liothyronine should not be routinely prescribed, because it is not clinically or cost-effective, but sets out the exceptions where it may be an appropriate consideration for prescribers.

NHS England expects commissioners and prescribers to have due regard to its guidance. While integrated care boards may determine their own implementation arrangements, as part of the new operating model, regions will oversee commissioner and provider performance, including access to high quality care and the reduction of health inequalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what payments have been made to the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium; on what dates those payments were made; and what was the purpose of those payments.

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

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.7 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In December 2025, the NIHR announced an initial £13.7 million investment in the Brain Tumour Research Consortium. In January 2026, the NIHR announced further investment of a minimum of £11.7 million in the consortium through funding of work packages. This brings the total investment to over £25 million.

The exact amount paid as of March 2026 is £50,000, which was paid to the contractor on 31 December 2025. This payment was made to support start up activities for the consortium. The NIHR does not currently hold up-to-date expenditure, or a detailed breakdown of how this funding has been spent. This information is currently held by the research team of the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and will be provided to the NIHR in the future as part of the project’s annual financial returns.

For all awards, contracting and further payments are contingent upon teams submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification which are currently in progress.

Future payments will be issued over the period of the award contracts which range from five to 10 years, as per the schedule of payments agreed between the NIHR and the consortium.

Information on all awards will be made publicly available in due course. The NIHR is working to ensure that new investments can get up and running as soon as possible. Oversight of the Brain Tumour Research Consortium is the responsibility of the NIHR.

In addition, the NIHR continues to strongly encourages brain cancer research applications through its regular funding opportunities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether oversight of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Brain Tumour Research Consortium is in the responsible of an executive director of the NIHR.

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

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.7 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In December 2025, the NIHR announced an initial £13.7 million investment in the Brain Tumour Research Consortium. In January 2026, the NIHR announced further investment of a minimum of £11.7 million in the consortium through funding of work packages. This brings the total investment to over £25 million.

The exact amount paid as of March 2026 is £50,000, which was paid to the contractor on 31 December 2025. This payment was made to support start up activities for the consortium. The NIHR does not currently hold up-to-date expenditure, or a detailed breakdown of how this funding has been spent. This information is currently held by the research team of the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and will be provided to the NIHR in the future as part of the project’s annual financial returns.

For all awards, contracting and further payments are contingent upon teams submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification which are currently in progress.

Future payments will be issued over the period of the award contracts which range from five to 10 years, as per the schedule of payments agreed between the NIHR and the consortium.

Information on all awards will be made publicly available in due course. The NIHR is working to ensure that new investments can get up and running as soon as possible. Oversight of the Brain Tumour Research Consortium is the responsibility of the NIHR.

In addition, the NIHR continues to strongly encourages brain cancer research applications through its regular funding opportunities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what future payments they expect to make to the National Institute for Health and Care Research Brain Tumour Research Consortium.

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

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.7 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In December 2025, the NIHR announced an initial £13.7 million investment in the Brain Tumour Research Consortium. In January 2026, the NIHR announced further investment of a minimum of £11.7 million in the consortium through funding of work packages. This brings the total investment to over £25 million.

The exact amount paid as of March 2026 is £50,000, which was paid to the contractor on 31 December 2025. This payment was made to support start up activities for the consortium. The NIHR does not currently hold up-to-date expenditure, or a detailed breakdown of how this funding has been spent. This information is currently held by the research team of the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium and will be provided to the NIHR in the future as part of the project’s annual financial returns.

For all awards, contracting and further payments are contingent upon teams submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification which are currently in progress.

Future payments will be issued over the period of the award contracts which range from five to 10 years, as per the schedule of payments agreed between the NIHR and the consortium.

Information on all awards will be made publicly available in due course. The NIHR is working to ensure that new investments can get up and running as soon as possible. Oversight of the Brain Tumour Research Consortium is the responsibility of the NIHR.

In addition, the NIHR continues to strongly encourages brain cancer research applications through its regular funding opportunities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, given that NHS England’s 2023 guidance Liothyronine – advice for prescribers sets out a complete national prescribing pathway without including any requirement for local prior approval processes, what steps are they taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards act consistently with this guidance.

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

NHS England’s policy guidance and prescribing advice on liothyronine reflects the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommendations and the evidence on liothyronine. That guidance recommends that liothyronine should not be routinely prescribed, because it is not clinically or cost-effective, but sets out the exceptions where it may be an appropriate consideration for prescribers.

NHS England expects commissioners and prescribers to have due regard to its guidance. While integrated care boards may determine their own implementation arrangements, as part of the new operating model, regions will oversee commissioner and provider performance, including access to high quality care and the reduction of health inequalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to integrated care boards on costs that may be excluded from costs associated with a self-funded course of treatment.

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

Where a patient opts to pay for private care, their entitlement to National Health Services remains and may not be withdrawn. However, the NHS should not subsidise private care. Therefore, it is important that there is as clear a distinction as possible between private care and NHS-funded care.

In 2009, the Department published guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care, setting out the interaction between NHS care and private care. Local systems are expected to uphold this when caring for patients who have used private healthcare, including self-paying for their care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing bursaries or financial support for students training in creative therapies.

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

The student finance system is the primary funding support package for students in further education, and students training in creative therapies can access student loans via the Student Loans Company. There are no current plans to provide any additional financial support to these students.

The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review. At all times the Government must strike a balance between the level of support students receive and the need to make best use of public funds to deliver value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what lessons his Department has learned of the effectiveness of the legal duty to provide free period products under the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.

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

The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products. That is why there are several Government schemes across England which ensure that those who are most vulnerable can access the products they need. The Department for Education’s period products scheme launched in 2020 and provides free period products to girls and women in their place of study so that nobody misses out on education because of their period. Similarly, all women and girls being cared for by the National Health Service are entitled to be given, on request, appropriate period products free of charge. All women in prison have access to menstrual products, which are typically stored in locations that allow women to collect items themselves as needed.

We are also taking steps to ensure that products are as affordable as possible. The tax on period products has been zero-rated since 2021 and, in 2023, this was extended to include reusable period underwear.

The Department of Health and Social Care will be exploring the effectiveness of the legal duty to provide free period products under the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, a) what steps he is taking to support parents to have 3 cycles of free NHS IVF in all areas of the country b) what steps he is taking to help reduce financial barriers to becoming a parent and c) what steps he is taking to combat the disease of infertility as categorised by the WHO.

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. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, to support equitable access to fertility treatment across England.

We expect ICBs to take account of the updated NICE guidance, published 31 March, in their commissioning decisions. The guidance 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 and sets out new and updated recommendations for diagnosing and treating health related fertility problems with the aim of improving how they are investigated and managed. We expect all ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions and we are working with NHS England to better understand the offer around National Health Service funded fertility services and support more consistent provision. Reducing unwarranted variation in access to NHS-funded fertility services will help to reduce the financial barriers faced by patients in becoming parents.

We also recognise that there are areas where the fertility evidence base could be strengthened, and we will consider how best to support further research and data collection as work progresses.

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 recent decision that all Greater Manchester boroughs offer 1 cycle of free NHS IVF, in the context of the NICE guideline advising 3+ cycles and some boroughs such as Stockport previously offering 2 or 3 cycles.

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

No assessment has been made by the Department. 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.

We expect all 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. 

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Liz Chinchen made a declaration of political activity.

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

Liz Chinchen declared membership of the Labour Party as part of the declaration of interests process to approve the direct ministerial appointment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with UKHSA to issue specific guidance for (a) health professionals and (b) the public regarding the health risks to pregnant people during periods of extreme heat.

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

The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recognise that there are risks to pregnant women caused by exposure to extreme high temperatures which are set out in the Adverse Weather and Health Plan Equity Review and Impact Assessment 2024. This includes an assessment on stillbirth, pre-term birth, and maternal health complications.

UKHSA provides a weather-health alerting system for England, which alerts the public, including specific vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather, including high temperatures. Risks to health are communicated via heat-health alerts.

There are no plans at this time to update National Health Service antenatal and maternity guidance or to publish specific guidance for healthcare professionals and the public regarding this topic.

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

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

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: for the new hospitals ranges from 1% to 34%, an average increase of 12%.40 34 Q 47 35 Letter from DHSC

Found: Fund, jointly governed by the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: As the Chief Medical Officer (Department of Health and Social Care and MoJ, 2025) identifies: ‘a core

Found: central co-ordination is probably going to be a conclusion when the covid inquiry comes out, with DHSC

Found: children to recognise what is advertising and what is independent content.x We have identified that DHSC

Found: My research is funded by the NIHR, which is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found:  Existing Liabilities Scheme (DHSC) – pre-1995 clinical liabilities of NHS organisations.

Found: In order to preserve its independence the Redress Agency would not be a creature of DHSC but to preserve

Found: A recent news article suggested that the “Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) [had] proposed

Found: The food security working group, convening the Department of Health and Social Care, DEFRA, the FSA

Found: Letter from Baroness Merron (DHSC) to Lord Carlile of Berriew re: Tobacco and Vapes Bill, 16 March 2026

Found: stakeholders on managing wildfires”.154 We heard that St Helena has “strong relationships” with Defra, DHSC

Found: and other Salaries Act 1975 (Amendment) Order 2026 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: that the following changes and measures could be made by the Welsh Government and Department of Health and Social Care

Found: .  DHSC has taken a liberal approach to the development of new neighbourhood models, with freedom for

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Welsh Government and NHS Wales are responsible

Found: Without strong direction from DHSC, existing regional variations may persist, reinforcing postcode inequalities

Found: responsibilities are clarified and sets out a dispute resolution route. [2] Key recommendations ● DHSC

Found: those Departments that seem to receive a greater amount of WPQs, for example, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: With regards to the NHS, the Department of Health and Social Care have shared that the NHS Ten Year

Found: Letter from Department of Health and Social Care to the Public Services Committee - Government Response

Found: Effective targets require: Joined-up action across DfE, DWP and DHSC Long-term, stable funding rather

Found: Government departments, including the DfE, DWP and DHSC, must take a joined-up approach, recognising

Found: expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: So the primary departments are probably the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department

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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the Department made of the potential merits of funeral directors becoming a a) licensable or b) inspectable activity under existing environmental health frameworks.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the department made of the adequacy of environmental health inspections with regard to the case of Elkin & Bell Funeral Directors, Portsmouth Crown Court 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data does the department collect on environmental health breaches associated with a) poor hygiene, b) storage of bodies or c) handling practices in funeral premises.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has the department made of possible regulatory gaps concerning funeral directors with particular regard to a) environmental health and b) public safety.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of standards of environmental health particular to funeral directors as settings which could impact public health.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the events referred to in these questions.

Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the recruitment and management of Environmental Health Officers to fulfil their statutory obligations. Environmental Health Officers have no statutory role relating to funeral homes.

The Department has not made an assessment or collected data on regulatory gaps, environmental health standards, or the merits of inspection relating to funeral directors, but are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who are leading the government response to the Fuller Inquiry. An interim update on the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations was published in December 2025, and DHSC has committed to publishing the Government’s full response in summer 2026. That response will set out the Government’s position on any potential future changes to oversight or regulation of the funeral sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder on SEND provision.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is prioritising early, local support for families by strengthening family services and access to high quality early education for children with additional needs. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education are working together through the 10 Year Health Plan, Best Start Family Hubs, Healthy Babies and neighbourhood health. New clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment released in November includes guidance on supporting mothers to reduce alcohol use to improve maternal outcomes.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Cabinet Office Ministers have not met with DHSC to discuss the governance and accountability of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will issue guidance to local authorities and other public bodies on the retention of historic records that may be relevant to investigations into group-based child sexual exploitation.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risk that relevant records may have been destroyed before formal retention notices were issued; and what steps she has taken to ensure no loss of material occurs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether all relevant public bodies have taken the necessary steps to preserve records that may be required by the independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what systems her department has put in place to ensure that local authorities, police forces and other agencies cannot delete or destroy records that may be relevant to the independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Baroness Casey made clear in her audit into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records. Once the government responded to Baroness Casey’s report and accepted all her recommendations in June 2025, including establishing an Inquiry, organisations already had additional legal obligations to protect relevant information.

Alongside her appointment on 9 December 2025, the Chair of the Inquiry wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to highlight the publication of the draft Terms of Reference at the earliest possible opportunity, to ensure that organisations were retaining information in line with the specific scope that the draft Terms of Reference established, including the time period, organisations, and issues likely to be examined. This letter highlighted the need for relevant local and national bodies to be ready to meet their legal obligations to provide relevant records, information and data to the Inquiry as it is requested.

This letter was shared with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to cascade the requirement to retain records to their relevant sectors, including local councils, health agencies and police forces.

Following this, on 14 January 2026 the Home Office Permanent Secretary wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other arm’s length bodies to pass on the Chair’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary, to set out the need for full transparency and cooperation with the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has full statutory powers to compel evidence and witnesses and the Inquiry Chair has been clear that any gaps in evidence will be identified and investigated. If the Inquiry identifies potential criminal wrongdoing, including the destruction of evidence that should have been retained, this will be passed to law enforcement to assess.

We expect organisations to comply with the law on record retention and do not intend to issue further guidance. The Inquiry may choose to write to affected organisations on record retention in due course now it has been formally established.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the operation of cross-border ophthalmology care between England and Wales.

Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, the Secretary of State for Wales has regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary and secondary school pupils in Greater Manchester are provided with nutritious, healthy and minimally processed food in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We are consulting on proposed updates to the school food standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and supports children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The consultation will run for nine weeks, closing on 12 June 2026. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.

We have worked with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care and consulted health and academic experts on the issue of ultra-processed foods, to ensure all changes are evidence-based. We know that many products classified as ultra-processed foods are often high in free sugars, saturated fats and/or salt, and it is levels of these which we are trying to reduce, including processed meats, confectionery and savoury snacks.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research into myalgic encephalomyelitis.

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

UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020.

MRC is working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to deliver on agreed actions from the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan. This includes funding strategic initiatives to increase research capacity and hosting engagement events to bring together research funders, commercial and academic researchers and patient representatives.

In November 2025, DHSC, NIHR and UKRI, co-hosted a research showcase to discuss and explore the ongoing research in the fields of ME/CFS and long COVID. MRC continues to liaise with the ME/CFS research community to support future applicants.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the use of cross-border treatments to reduce waiting times for glaucoma care and the associated risk of irreversible sight loss.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of patient travel requirements for cross-border ophthalmology care on levels of treatment refusal and delayed care.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (2026). The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England.

Found: statistics publication from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care

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

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

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

Found: statistics publication from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care

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

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: of Justice Baroness Gillian Merron Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care