Found: Correspondence from Baroness Merron re National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation Correspondence

Found: parliament.uk +44 (0)20 7219 4432 Social: @houseofcommons parliament.uk 21 October 2025 Baroness Merron

Found: In August 2024, Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s

Found: Emma Cox: It was led by Baroness Merron, and it was NHS England, the Department of Health and Social

Found: Correspondence to Baroness Merron re maternity and neonatal services investigation Correspondence

Found: Correspondence from Baroness Merron re Follow up on 10 September session Correspondence

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 18 November (HL11324), how many reports they have received via the HSA4 abortion notification form of women who have died within 14 days of taking at-home abortion medication prescribed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in each of the past four years.

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

The Department is unable to provide this information as to do so would risk identifying individuals due to the small numbers involved.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 13 October (HL Deb cols 9–10), what plans they have to introduce an 18-week referral-to-treatment target for dementia to ensure parity with other conditions and to address current waiting times.

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

We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

In developing the Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we will consider what interventions should be supported to improve diagnosis waiting times, which we know are too long in many areas. We are considering all options to help reduce variation, including reviewing metrics and targets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 24 October (HL10891), whether the father's NHS number, email address and telephone number will be added to a baby's Patient Demographic Service records through linking with the father's health record; and if so, who will add those details, how those details will be added, and when those details will be added relative to the baby's birth.

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

A father’s, and second parent’s, National Health Service number, emails, and telephone numbers will become available via a look up rather than via an actual field population, if parents have shared their data on the General Registry Office. Information added to the baby’s Personal Demographics Service Record in England will be through an automated process, completed after the birth registration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 12 November (HL Deb col 252), what specific reasons she has for saying that "the evidence base for telemedical medicine is sound".

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

Abortions are generally very safe, and most women will not experience any complications. The evidence-base for home use of early medical abortion pills has been assessed by leading statutory and professional organisations and it is recognised to be a safe procedure in evidence-based guidance, including the World Health Organisation’s abortion care guideline, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2022 report on best practice in abortion care, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s clinical guidelines on abortion care.

The Abortion Notification System (ANS) collects information on complications that occur up until the time of discharge for all abortions, and where the medicine was administered for medical abortions. Since 2015, there has been a marginal downward trend in complication rates reported in the ANS. In 2022, complications were reported in only 0.12% of abortions.

The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and abortion providers to ensure that women have safe and timely access to abortion services as decided by Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 12 November (HL Deb col 254), what was the specific evidence base for saying that "The data available does not point to concerns about the provision of telemedicine".

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

Abortions are generally very safe, and most women will not experience any complications. The evidence-base for home use of early medical abortion pills has been assessed by leading statutory and professional organisations and it is recognised to be a safe procedure in evidence-based guidance, including the World Health Organisation’s abortion care guideline, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2022 report on best practice in abortion care, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s clinical guidelines on abortion care.

The Abortion Notification System (ANS) collects information on complications that occur up until the time of discharge for all abortions, and where the medicine was administered for medical abortions. Since 2015, there has been a marginal downward trend in complication rates reported in the ANS. In 2022, complications were reported in only 0.12% of abortions.

The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and abortion providers to ensure that women have safe and timely access to abortion services as decided by Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 19 September 2024 (HL968), why the Privacy Enhancing Technology data protection impact assessment has not been published, and when they plan to publish it.

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

NHS England has recently completed a substantial update to the suite of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) relating to the Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET). These updates were necessary to ensure that the DPIAs reflect the latest technical developments and governance requirements.

These comprise: a Technical DPIA; a Local Operational DPIA; and a National Operational DPIA. NHS England is now undertaking the final stages of review and preparation to ensure that these documents meet all publication standards and accessibility requirements. It is anticipated that the updated PET DPIAs will be published in December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 November (HL11512), how many separate formal meetings involving a minister and either a senior manager or the clinical lead at NHS England with specific responsibility for the learning from lives and deaths (LeDeR) programme there have been with the LeDeR programme and its findings as the principal or only item on the agenda since July 2024; and on which specific dates those focused meetings took place.

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

As set out in the Written Answer on 10 November, there are regular conversations between the relevant minister, Department officials, and senior clinical and managerial leads at NHS England in relation to improving overall health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

Several meetings have taken place since July 2024 and the publication of the recent annual Learning from Lives and deaths, people with a learning disability and autistic people report was discussed. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety, who recently assumed responsibility for this, has met senior managers and discussed key findings from the report and the wider work underway to tackle health inequalities and improve access to, and the quality of, services for people with a learning disability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 29 September (HL10483), what is the total cost to date of employing officials working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

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

This information is not held centrally or in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 8 October (HL10211), what recourse is available to patients for whom a 'do not resuscitate' decision was made by medical staff prior to a surgical procedure without consulting either the patient or their family.

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

A Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) is a clinical decision made on the basis of a senior clinical assessment of a patient’s condition. It remains best practice to communicate this decision to the patient and if they lack capacity, their family or representative.

If the patient or their family or representative do not agree with the decision, they should be given time to ask for a second opinion or review. This is in line with the National Health Service guidance for DNACPR decisions. Guidance and information for the public on DNACPR decisions is available on the NHS website, including information on asking for a second opinion or a review and what to do if there are concerns about, or disagreement with, a DNACPR form in a patient’s or family member’s medical records.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in his Department is responsible for eating disorder services.

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

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health (Baroness Merron) has ministerial responsibility for eating disorder services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 25 September (HL10725), whether abortion statistics for England and Wales for the years (1) 2023 and (2) 2024 will be published in 2025.

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

The publication dates of the Abortion Statistics for England and Wales publication for the years 2023 and 2024 have not yet been announced. Publication of the 2023 data is provisionally planned for winter 2025/26. We will announce the date of the 2024 data publication in due course.

The statistics have been delayed due to several operational issues. These include issues associated with moving to a new data processing system and an increase in the number of paper abortion notification forms to process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 October (HL10682), whether they will publish the notes of the meetings with the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the actions taken as a result of those meetings in the Library of the House.

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

The Government does not intend to place the requested advice or correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the Library of the House.

Government advice and correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is in line with Government policy to ensure coherence of the statute book, and to help to ensure the bill is workable, whilst remaining neutral on the matter of assisted dying. In relation to legislative consent motions, requesting legislative consent motions from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is a matter for the sponsor. The Government continues to offer technical advice to ensure the devolution settlement is respected.

The Department recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the sponsors of the bill, so that the advice the Department provides in relation to the operability and soundness of the bill can be free and frank, both in relation to this bill and any future private member’s bill where the Government engages closely with the sponsor.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 30 October (HL10679), other than the bill team, how many officials are working in (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, (2) NHS England, on evaluating or devising implementation of the policy set out in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

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

The Government is neutral on the principle of assisted dying and whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill becomes law.

Currently there is no implementation team. Bill officials are currently working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statue book, providing technical drafting support and technical workability advice on clauses. Should the bill gain Royal Assent, some of this work could be deployed to inform an implementation programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 25 September (HL10725), how many civil servants were (1) working on compiling the abortion statistics for England and Wales from 2023 onwards, and (2) how many additional civil servants have been working on these statistics as a result of the delay in publication.

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

A range of people working in different roles, civil service grades, and professions work on compiling the abortion statistics for England and Wales. This includes analysts, data entry specialists, policy professionals, and publications and communications specialists, whose contributions towards the abortion statistics publication make up varying degrees of their core role. For this reason, it is not possible to fully quantify the number of individuals compiling the abortion statistics. However, in the two main teams, the Department’s abortion statistics and abortion data entry teams, the combined number of staff, which represent the number of individuals rather than the number of full-time equivalent staff, below Senior Civil Servant grade was nine on 2 January 2023 and 10 on 17 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on improving continuity of care for repeat offenders as they move between prison and the community.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We recognise that the first few weeks after release for prison leavers are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending, and we are determined to ensure prison leavers have a smooth transition into the community, with swift access to care and treatment to address this.

Lord Timpson, the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending continues to engage with Baroness Merron and Minister Dalton, Minister for Public Health and Prevention in the Department for Health and Social Care, to discuss issues related to offender health and care and drive progress forward. The Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel (DAREP), chaired by Lord Timpson, was established to identify key areas for improvement in our current approach to tackling problematic drug and alcohol use in the criminal justice system in England and Wales, including consideration of continuity of care and resettlement. Minister Dalton is part of DAREP’s core membership.

Working closely with health partners, we have recruited over 50 Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators. These staff operate nationwide to strengthen links between prison, probation and treatment providers. NHS England’s RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with vulnerabilities to engage with the right health services in the community through referrals and peer support. We are also improving information sharing between treatment providers and probation and enabling virtual pre-release appointments with community treatment providers via secure laptops.

Found: Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health, Baroness Merron

Found: Letter dated 21/11/2025 from Baroness Merron to Baroness Smith of Llanfaes regarding points raised in

Found: Letter dated 21/11/2025 from Baroness Merron to Baroness Coffey regarding points made during the Terminally