Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 providing financial compensation to people harmed by sodium valproate by using the same compensation process as for thalidomide survivors.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s consideration of the Hughes Report’s recommendations for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate will include comparison with the compensation process for thalidomide survivors. However, this is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 merits of reinstating the annual health check target of 75% for people with learning disabilities.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England have not undertaken a specific assessment of reinstating the 75% annual health check target for people with a learning disability. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, wrote to general practitioners (GPs) in October 2025 emphasising the importance of the learning disability register and providing high quality annual health checks. These checks are the first line of defence for people with a learning disability, many of whom live with additional health needs, including long-term conditions. Strong support from GPs to maintain learning disability annual health checks has enabled more people than ever before to receive a health check and health action plan, an increase of more than 20% since 2020.
As of March 2025, 81.5% of eligible people on the GP learning disability register received an annual health check, surpassing the previous 75% National Health Service target.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 undertaken of the potential impact of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency winter wellness campaigns during the last five years.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The main Government health winter campaigns are run by the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports.
The MHRA also runs annual winter campaigns to raise public awareness of medicines and medical devices safety that achieves media coverage and social media engagement.
For example, the MHRA’s 2025/26 campaign provided five public safety tips covering medicines and medical devices. It achieved media coverage in national print and online, regional and trade press, as well as an interview on BBC One Breakfast.
The MHRA created and posted social media content throughout this period which was seen approximately 50,000 times. The MHRA also worked with key stakeholders, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, to help amplify safety messages.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 feasibility of establishing a dedicated, no-fault compensation scheme for individuals harmed by sodium valproate exposure, in the context of the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (2020).
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not yet undertaken an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a dedicated, no-fault compensation scheme for individuals harmed by sodium valproate exposure, in the context of the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDS).
The previous administration accepted seven of the nine recommendations of the IMMDS Review, whether in full, in part, or in principle, including issuing an unreserved apology on behalf of the healthcare system, appointing Dr Henrietta Hughes as the first Patient Safety Commissioner for England, and establishing nine specialist mesh centres now operating across the country.
This is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. As set out in the Hughes Report, the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations, including the proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by sodium valproate. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government records deaths where harm caused by sodium valproate exposure is listed as a contributing factor.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects and publishes mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. Deaths in which harm caused by sodium valproate exposure is a contributing factor are not captured as a distinct, searchable category in ONS mortality statistics. Further information on mortality statistics is available on the ONS website, at the following link:
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment is made of level of need for unmet trauma interventions for offenders (a) in prison and (b) on probation; and how these needs are being met.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the level of need for unmet trauma interventions for offenders in prison and on probation, or how these needs are being met.
NHS England commissions healthcare services in every prison in England to a level equivalent to community provision. The National Integrated Prison Mental Health Service Specification requires trauma‑informed care as a core part of mental health support, with teams equipped to recognise and respond to the effects of trauma through assessment, screening, care planning, risk management, and evidence‑based interventions.
NHS England is reviewing the National Integrated Prison Mental Health Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department recognises problem debt as a public health issue; and what support the NHS and social care services provide to people with problem debt.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Research shows that there is a link between health and financial health with a large amount of people who experience mental health problems also struggling with their finances.
NHS Talking Therapies has recently collaborated with the Money and Pensions Service to promote the Money Guiders programme that helps equip mental health practitioners to have money conversations with their patients. In addition, each NHS Talking Therapies service has embedded employment advisors who provide a non-clinical support service to help patients using Talking Therapies to address work-related issues, offering practical support and solutions for any work barriers which can include unemployment and returning to work.
The Individual Placement and Support is a well‑evidenced, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence‑approved employment programme, funded by NHS England, that offers intensive, individually tailored support to get people into work, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person keeps their job.
Individuals may also be able to access the Breathing Space Scheme, which was set up to encourage more people in problem debt to access professional debt advice. A standard breathing space provides a 60-day period of protection by pausing creditor enforcement action and most interest, fees, and charges. Given the link between problem debt and mental health difficulties, the Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space was also established for individuals who are receiving mental health crisis treatment.
Where debt is the result of gambling addiction, individuals can access their local National Health Service gambling service via self- or professional referral.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 public awareness of the risks of taking multiple doses of different over-the-counter medicines which contain the same active ingredient.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety. The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 lays out the conditions of the licencing and marketing of a medicine. This includes the information which must be provided with the medicinal product.
Schedule 24 specifies that the outer and immediate packaging of medicinal products must display the name of the medicinal product, the strength and pharmaceutical form, and when the product contains more than three active substances, the common name for the active substances. In addition, regulation 259 states that packaging or outer label should present the name in braille for the blind or partially sighted. In addition, schedule 24 states that the labelling should display the contents, for instance the number of tablets, where to store, expiry date, the manufacturers name, and any special precautions relating to the product.
The MHRA has recently updated voluntary Best Practice Guidance on the general sale of medicines for pain, to further highlight the risks of overdose, to address public concerns and recognise current sales techniques. Links are also provided to patient support groups, including Papyrus for young people. The update was undertaken in collaboration with retailers, stakeholders and healthcare professionals, and the updated guidance is avaiable at the following link:
Most retailers adhere to the guidelines on not promoting multiple purchases and have introduced in store measures such as till bars that restrict sales to a maximum of two packs across a range of products containing aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen. The aim of these voluntary measures is to balance the need of people for access to pain relief medicines against the dangers for vulnerable individuals and to reduce the opportunity for customers to purchase on impulse excessive quantities of any single analgesic, like paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen are well-known medicines for pain, which when taken as recommended, have well-established safety profiles. The vast majority of patients use these medicines responsibly as effective pain-relievers.
The use of paracetamol and accidental overdose is a safety concern, especially in relation to the many trade names of non-prescription and prescription medicines containing paracetamol. Therefore, the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 contain a number of conditions for the presentation of these medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol in a medicine.
Schedule 25, Part 4 of the Human Medicines Regulations sets out statutory labelling requirements for paracetamol medicines to highlight the presence of paracetamol in that product. Paragraph 14 states that, except where the name of the product includes the word “paracetamol” and appears on the outer and immediate packaging, the words “contains paracetamol” should be displayed.
Paragraph 15 states that the labelling must highlight paracetamol on the front face of the carton or label and should also contain the warning: “Do not take more medicine than the label tells you to. If you do not get better, talk to your doctor”, which must appear adjacent to either the directions for use or the recommended dosage.
Further to this, if the product contains a leaflet, paragraph 16 states that if the product contains paracetamol, unless the product is wholly or mainly intended for children aged 12 years old or younger, the words “Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine” and the warning “Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well” must be included. If the product does not contain a leaflet, then the words “Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage” should be displayed.
Schedule 8 of the regulations also set out the material which must accompany any application for the marketing of a medicine. The Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) as referenced in part 2, for healthcare professionals, provides a summary of the clinical particulars in the use of a medicine, including the recommended maximum daily dose. In addition, particulars in reference to overdose are provided. This includes the potential dose over which liver damage may occur and potential risk factors which may elevate the risk of overdose, including medical history, concomitant medicines, or alcohol intake. A summary of the symptoms of overdose and management are also provided.
The market authorisation holders are obligated under the Human Medicines Regulations to continually review the safety of their medicines and to inform the MHRA of any serious adverse reactions. The MHRA continues to monitor the safety of all medicines and if necessary, will take advice from our independent experts on recommended regulatory action. The MHRA provides a list of the SmPCs and patient leaflets for all medicines at the following link:
Additional resources on product information and the treatment of overdose are available from the British National Formulary (BNF), the electronic medicines compendium, the National Poisons Information Service, and National Health Service, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/
The Human Medicines Regulations and the BNF highlight the information that is required in general and electronic prescriptions.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce additional safeguards for patients assessed as being at higher risk of harm following discharge from mental health inpatient wards.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The national ambition is for all mental health trusts to ensure 80% of patients discharged from adult acute mental health inpatient settings are followed up within 72 hours, and is intended to bring focus not just to the timeliness of follow-up, but also to the quality of pre and post-discharge care and safety planning and support. NHS England routinely monitors performance against this target at an integrated care board (ICB) level, which is subject to the same quality and performance oversight as other national targets.
This expectation is reinforced through national statutory guidance on Discharge from mental health inpatient settings, and data on performance is also published on a monthly basis, with 75% of discharges in October 2025 meeting the ambition. Over 40% of ICBs met or exceeded the target in October 2025. Further information on the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings guidance and the monthly data is available respectively, at the following two links:
The timeliness of follow-up support is linked to the capacity of community teams and pathways between inpatient and community services which vary across the country. Mental health services are facing significant pressures with more people being seen than ever before. Ongoing improvements in community mental healthcare and work to localise and realign inpatient mental health care within ICBs is expected to improve the national picture.
While the central metric of the new standard focuses on the timeliness of follow up, the overarching expectation is that this will incentivise focus on overall quality of discharge planning and support. This is expected to have a direct impact on patient experience as well as outcomes. The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 includes the expectation that plans should be set out for the consistent and systematic use of the mental health Urgent and Emergency Care Action Cards in all relevant settings, namely acute settings, and delivery of the 10 high-impact actions for mental health discharges to support flow through all mental health, including child and adolescent mental health, and learning disability and autism pathways. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 and mental health discharges is available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what change has there been in diagnosis rates for genetic haemochromatosis during the past three years.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England requires the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) to report Patient Level Contract Monitoring data, to understand capacity and activity volumes, to ensure that they deliver a comprehensive testing offer. As of December 2023, National Health Service genomic testing activity data has been published on the NHS England website, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/genomic-testing-activity/
NHS England is continuing to work with the NHS GLHs to develop this dataset, including routinely reporting outcome data, to understand changes in diagnosis rates. The most recent data between 2024/25 and 2025/26 shows that the diagnosis rates for genetic hemochromatosis have been consistent. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of this outcome data, including the reporting requirements and improving the informatics systems that support the data collection.