Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a modern service framework for respiratory health.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.
The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Taskforce for Lung Health, A Modern Service Framework for Respiratory, published on 18 November.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of the Taskforce for Lung Health’s report calling for a modern service framework for respiratory health, including the impact of respiratory conditions on mortality rates, emergency admissions, inequalities, and productivity.
Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.
The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a modern service framework for respiratory care on tackling health inequalities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of the Taskforce for Lung Health’s report calling for a modern service framework for respiratory health, including the impact of respiratory conditions on mortality rates, emergency admissions, inequalities, and productivity.
Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.
The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish a response to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report of February 2024 regarding funding redress issues for those harmed by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will compensate individuals and families who have suffered from the effects of sodium valproate in the past 30 years, and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence about (1) updating the baseline cost-effectiveness threshold, and (2) changing the reference case discount rate.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly has discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues. NICE is responsible for the methods and processes that it uses in the development of its guidance and recommendations and has processes in place to keep its methods and processes under review.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for a personalised approach to testing for patients.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to delivering a personalised approach to testing, including genomic testing, as part of its 10-Year Health Plan. The National Health Service will introduce a genomics population health service by 2035, including newborn genomic screening and polygenic risk scoring, both subject to evidence and funding, to enable earlier, tailored interventions. Genomic testing in the NHS in England is already delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS). A national network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing. A robust and evidence-based process and policy is in place to ensure that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit. As part of the NHS GMS testing strategy, there is increasing use of cutting edge, high throughput comprehensive sequencing technologies to ensure efficiency. These measures will transform diagnostic services and treatment across the NHS to make them increasingly individualised, while empowering patients and improving outcomes.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether patients with a cancer diagnosis will have access to local genomic testing; and if so, what is the timeline for that access to be in place.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan committed to every cancer patient having the choice to receive a comprehensive genomic analysis and molecular profiling, where appropriate. The NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) ensures equitable access to genomic testing for cancer patients across England through seven regional GMS geographies working with Cancer Alliances and National Health Service trusts. Genomic testing is delivered by a national network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs, guided by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes over 200 cancer indications for a range of genomic tests, including whole genome sequencing. In 2025/26, NHS England is continuing its Cancer Genomics Improvement Programme for a second year to deliver quality improvement initiatives, education, local engagement, and to establish Cellular Pathology Genomic Centres to streamline cancer genomics pathways and accelerate genomic testing.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of including broader value elements, such as societal and economic benefits, in the health technology assessment of vaccines.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to design, implement, and deliver programmes offering high levels of long-term protection against preventable diseases.
When doing so, the Department takes into consideration the expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent departmental expert committee. The JCVI bases its advice and recommendations on evidence of the burden of disease, of vaccine safety and efficacy, and of the impact and cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies.
Broader socio-economic factors such as productivity costs from illness, improved educational attainment from reduced school absences, and out-of-pocket expenses and opportunity costs from attending a vaccination may be highlighted by the JCVI or other colleagues across the tripartite to inform policy-making.