Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trends in the uptake of flu vaccinations both regionally and nationally, and what steps they are taking to promote this uptake.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January on the GOV.UK website.
Monthly national and regional level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers is available from October to January. Monthly data for this season was published on 27 November 2025 and included all vaccinations given between 1 September to 31 October 2025. Final end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring, with the monthly and annual data available on the GOV.UK website.
The Department is working with the UKHSA and NHS England to encourage flu vaccine uptake via the national ‘Stay Strong. Get Vaccinated’ campaign. Marketing activity is currently running across television, video on demand, radio, outdoor advertising, and social channels. This is complemented by mainstream, regional, and specialist, highly targeted media and stakeholder channels to engage priority cohorts. The media plans include weekly a winter bulletin, highlighting the uptake and importance of the flu vaccination. Campaign messaging is supported by a comprehensive suite of information materials and guidance, ensuring healthcare professionals are empowered to guide patients, and the public can make an informed choice.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (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 reported fall in the number of National Health Service staff taking up the flu vaccine and of the effects of this, and what steps they are taking to address this.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All frontline health care workers should be offered a flu vaccination by their employer, with this year’s campaign starting from 1 October 2025 and remaining until 31 March 2026. In the NHS England Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, which was published in June 2025, a commitment was given to improve vaccination rates for frontline staff towards the pre-pandemic uptake level of 2018/19, and included the aim to improve uptake by at least 5% in 2025/26.
The UK Health Security Agency publishes monthly provisional vaccine uptake data for frontline healthcare workers from November to March. The first monthly data for this season was published on 27 November 2025 and includes all vaccinations given between 1 September and 31 October 2025.
The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to encourage everyone who is eligible to get their flu vaccine. For 2025/26, there is an enhanced communications campaign using multiple ways to reach staff including workplace communications, partnerships with unions and professional bodies, and materials tailored for different healthcare roles. All National Health Service trusts have been asked to have an accessible occupational health vaccination offer to staff throughout the entire flu campaign, including onsite bookable and walk-in appointments. Additionally, a range of digital services have been put in place, including to support individuals to make informed choices about when and where to receive the vaccinations.
NHS England has also developed bespoke data reports to monitor trust uptake in real time, working closely with NHS regions and trusts to determine influencing factors for staff uptake and promoting cross-system working to share best practice throughout the seasonal campaign.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to promote the benefits of physical activity, including walking.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service recognise that reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives. This is why in the 10-Year Health Plan, we committed to developing a national movement campaign led by Brendan Foster, with the aim of getting millions more people walking, and where possible, running. Wider cross-Government action is underway, including investment in grassroots sport and the development of a new Physical Education and school sports partnership network, all with the aim of increasing physical activity in children and adults.
The Government is also committed to making walking and wheeling safe, convenient, and accessible for everyone. To support this the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy is currently in development, with a public consultation underway.
The NHS Better Health campaign and NHS Active 10 walking app help raise awareness and provide free and accessible ways to help people build movement back into their everyday life.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cost to the NHS of phasing out the use of mercury amalgam fillings in dentistry.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental amalgam is a well-established, safe, and effective dental filling material. Current policy is to restrict and phase down the use of dental amalgam to reduce any environmental impacts. This includes regulations to ban the use of amalgam in baby teeth, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 15 years old, except when deemed strictly necessary for specific medical needs. This has been in place since 2018.
The cost of the National Health Service phasing out the use of mercury amalgam fillings would vary depending on the timing of a phase out and other relevant factors, such as the price of alternative restorative materials.
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 and care, including dentistry. This includes a recent systematic review of the environmental and health impacts of amalgam fillings and other restorative materials. This study has been completed, and the findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what investment they have made into the research and development of appropriate alternatives for mercury amalgam fillings in dentistry.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental amalgam is a well-established, safe, and effective dental filling material. Current policy is to restrict and phase down the use of dental amalgam to reduce any environmental impacts. This includes regulations to ban the use of amalgam in baby teeth, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 15 years old, except when deemed strictly necessary for specific medical needs. This has been in place since 2018.
The cost of the National Health Service phasing out the use of mercury amalgam fillings would vary depending on the timing of a phase out and other relevant factors, such as the price of alternative restorative materials.
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 and care, including dentistry. This includes a recent systematic review of the environmental and health impacts of amalgam fillings and other restorative materials. This study has been completed, and the findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research published by the British Heart Foundation on 21 July that some communities do not have a defibrillator within close proximity; and what steps are they taking to support the installation of defibrillators in these communities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of their 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.
The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to their 2025 scheme to do so.
The Department similarly operated a community defibrillator fund which launched in September 2023. Following the depletion of that fund, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.
Applications to the fund were allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.
According to the BHF there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of these over 110,000 defibrillators are accessible on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week basis.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect communities against measles outbreaks.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Health Protection Teams continue to work with local partners to respond to measles outbreaks. In England, the UKHSA works closely with NHS England, the Department, and wider health system partners at the national, regional, and local level to respond to and prevent further outbreaks and to improve vaccination uptake for the routine childhood immunisation programme, including the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Initiatives include improving access to the immunisation programme, using data to better identify under-served individuals and populations, training for healthcare professionals, and communication with the public, stakeholders, and media. Measles guidance is also available, and a range of leaflets and other promotional materials, in several languages, are available in print form and for download from our Health Publications website.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to redefining the role of physician associate.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 16 July, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.
Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full.
Implementing the recommendations will require organisations to work together and take action. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time. We have asked NHS England to move with immediate effect to implement those recommendations which most directly affect patient safety, including moving to the use of physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia titles and ensuring that physician assistants do not see undifferentiated patients, except within clearly defined national clinical protocols.
We will work with key partners, including NHS England, in advance of publishing a fuller response, setting out a clear implementation plan to make the required changes in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of implementing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in each of its first three years of operation should it become law.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the noble Lord to the impact assessment.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (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 impact of shortages of medicines on patients.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
Medicine supply chains are complex, global and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes, or distribution issues and regulatory issues. We have drawn on up-to-date intelligence and data on the root causes of medicine supply issues, with manufacturing problems being the most dominant root cause.
The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and to strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions. We have plans underway to increase the awareness of our work.