Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the costs and benefits of introducing compulsory screening for the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, in particular for (1) pregnant women, (2) children, and (3) other adults.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Each year, our National Health Service screening programmes invite over 15 million people for screening, with over 10 million taking up the invitation. In total, this saves approximately 10,000 lives every year and enables many others to make better informed decisions around their health.
The Government is advised on all screening matters by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which is made up of leading medical and screening experts. Where the committee is confident that there is robust evidence that to offer screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.
In 2016, the committee reviewed the evidence for screening pregnant women for toxoplasmosis and did not recommend screening because:
- the screening test would incorrectly show that toxoplasmosis is present in many women;
- it is not known if the current treatment, antibiotics, would stop the infection being passed to the baby or reduce the severity of the infection; and
- there is not enough information about how many people might get the infection in the United Kingdom.
The UK NSC will review the evidence again within their usual work cycle.
Regarding screening children and other adults for toxoplasmosis, the UK NSC has never been asked to consider screening for these groups of people.
Any person or organisation can submit a proposal for a new screening topic during the UK NSC’s three-month open call process which will next run from 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage people (1) 0–16 years old, (2) 17–30 years old, (3) 31–40 years old, (4) 41–50 years old, and (5) more than 51 years old, are affected by (a) toxoplasmosis, and (b) ocular toxoplasmosis.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Toxoplasmosis is not a notifiable disease in England. However, since April 2025, laboratories are required to notify the detection of toxoplasma associated with congenital toxoplasmosis under amendments to the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations. Current national toxoplasmosis surveillance is limited to samples referred to the Toxoplasma Reference Unit (TRU). Toxoplasmosis surveillance data is published annually by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Data for ocular toxoplasmosis is not routinely collected by UKHSA.
Data is not held in the format requested as it is reported by broader age groups, and this is shown below, and can also be found in the annual report available online. The data below will be an underestimate of national figures due to toxoplasmosis not being a notifiable disease, and the use of TRU reported cases only.
The following table shows the number of laboratory confirmed cases of toxoplasmosis in England by age group and sex, for 2024:
Age group in years | Male | Female | Unknown | Total |
Under 14 | 8 (4.0%) | 6 (3.0%) | 1 (0.5%) | 15 (7.6%) |
15 to 24 | 8 (4.0%) | 13 (6.6%) | 2 (1.0%) | 23 (11.6%) |
25 to 34 | 17 (8.6%) | 45 (22.7%) | 0 (0%) | 62 (31.3%) |
35 to 44 | 15 (7.6%) | 23 (11.6%) | 0 (0%) | 38 (19.2%) |
45 to 54 | 10 (5.1%) | 13 (6.6%) | 0 (0%) | 23 (11.6%) |
55 to 64 | 6 (3.0%) | 9 (4.5%) | 1 (0.5%) | 16 (8.1%) |
65 to 74 | 6 (3.0%) | 4 (2.0%) | 0 (0%) | 10 (5.1%) |
Over 75 | 4 (2.0%) | 3 (1.5%) | 0 (0%) | 7 (3.5%) |
Unknown | 0 (0%) | 2 (1.0%) | 2 (1.0%) | 4 (2.0%) |
Total | 74 (37.4%) | 118 (59.6%) | 6 (3.0%) | 198 (100% |
Work is currently ongoing within UKHSA to review and update toxoplasmosis surveillance processes in England.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address age-related disparities in mental health provision, particularly in access to talking therapies.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s mission is to improve mental health care across the spectrum of need so that people of all ages can access the right support at the right time.
NHS England is committed to ensuring that the proportion of people aged 65 years old and over receiving a course of treatment through NHS Talking Therapies is maintained or increased. Currently, approximately 7% of NHS Talking Therapies’ courses of treatment are for individuals in this age group.
The Positive Practice Guide, published in 2024 by NHS England and other stakeholder organisations, is designed to support therapists working with older adults. This resource addresses the diverse needs of older people and seeks to challenge misconceptions that may have acted as barriers to older people accessing psychological therapies.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have published guidance endorsing the use of selective internal radiation therapy; and what plans they have, if any, to encourage hospitals to achieve ENETS centre status, as awarded by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No guidance has been published endorsing this particular treatment. Radiotherapy treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments, and what is best for the individual's overall health and well-being.
There are no plans to specifically encourage hospitals to achieve this status. Currently there are 10 European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society Centres of Excellence in England.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase funding for minimally invasive cancer therapies, in particular selective internal radiation therapy for neuroendocrine tumours that have spread to the liver.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Radiotherapy treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments and what is best for the individual's overall health and well-being.
The National Cancer Plan, coming later this year, will set out how we will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people at every stage of the cancer pathway. It will look at how we can improve communication and coordination for patients, so that they feel informed, empowered, and in control of their care.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of mycotoxins and rat excrement in imported grain.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Imported grain for human consumption is subject to surveillance monitoring by Port Health Authorities, and this includes physical checks that encompass mycotoxins and the presence of other extraneous matter. Imported consignments of grain that do not meet our food safety requirements are not allowed entry on to the British market.
The Food Standard Agency is not aware of any concerns relating to imported grain failing to meet food safety requirements.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deliver the Women's Health Strategy for England published on 30 August 2022, in particular with regard to recognising biological women.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. We continue to implement the Women’s Health Strategy, for example providing support for pregnancy loss through a full rollout of baby loss certificates, menopause support in the workplace, and boosting women’s participation in research and clinical trials.
In the longer term, our priorities for delivering the strategy will be aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government's Missions. The 10-Year Health Plan will set out how we tackle the inequities that lead to poor health, including those for women.
The Government understands the need for health information to be as clear as possible and to use language that appropriately reflects sex, as defined as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. We expect the NHS to deliver health services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, having appropriate regard to protected characteristics as defined in the Act where relevant.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029, published on 8 May, how the importance placed on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in that paper will be implemented; and whether there will be increased finance for WASH.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Proactive infection prevention and control, in terms of patient safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the public health system, is a core element of the national action plan.
Nationally, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works with partners to provide the evidence base and technical expertise to support best practice in infection prevention and control (IPC) in health and care and other settings, such as schools and prisons. A dedicated research facility at Porton Down also supports studies on the effectiveness of IPC procedures and the role of the built environment in AMR transmission.
Internationally, AMR activities are supported through a variety of global health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on AMR and Healthcare Associated Infections, which is housed by UKHSA, also provides support for training on AMR diagnostics and surveillance. School aged children can also learn about microbes, IPC, antibiotics and vaccination from free resources via the e-Bug programme.
The Government continues to finance WASH and global WASH leadership. levels of finance in 2025 and beyond will be confirmed by a Government-wide spending review.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects of equitable access to hospice care for all children and young people who need palliative and end of life care in 2024.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that access to high-quality, palliative and end of life care can make all the difference to individuals and their loved ones. Funding for children’s and young people’s palliative and end of life care is made available locally through integrated care boards (ICBs), which are responsible for commissioning services in response to the needs of their local population.
In addition, NHS England has confirmed that it will be renewing the Children and Young People’s hospice grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England is reprioritising budgets for 2024/25, in light of the revised assessment of financial position and, whilst it is holding funding aside for the children and young people’s hospice sector, it cannot confirm further details, including the distribution mechanism, until 2024/25 financial planning is concluded.
Children and young people’s palliative and end of life care is provided by a range of services and providers from across the statutory and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, but we recognise that the voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play a very vital part in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.
The Government has not made a direct assessment of the prospects of equitable access to hospice care for all children and young people who need palliative and end of life care in 2024. However, NHS England’s palliative and end of life care team has recently engaged with 24 ICBs to understand how to better support commissioners and has also reviewed all 42 ICB Joint Forward Plans for their inclusion of palliative and end of life care, with 69% making a specific mention. Further analysis is ongoing, but the intention is to use this to help shape and focus support to ICBs.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect integrated care boards to be able to identify how many children and young people access children’s hospices; and what steps they will take if they cannot.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Children and young people’s palliative and end of life care is provided by a range of local services and providers from across the statutory and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors, including hospices, with the experience and skills to meet those needs.
While there is no explicit requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to identify how many children and young people specifically access children's hospices, commissioning of children and young people’s palliative and end of life care services is the statutory duty of ICBs, which must commission these services in response to the needs of their population,
In July 2022, NHS England published statutory guidance for commissioners on palliative and end of life care, setting out the considerations for ICBs to meet their legal duties and makes clear reference to the importance of access to services. A copy of the guidance is attached.
NHS England has also published a service specification for children and young people which provide guidance on undertaking assessments to enable high-quality commissioning of services that meet both population need and preferences. A copy of the specification is attached.