Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their expected key milestones are between now and April 2027 for the transfer to Integrated Care Boards of responsibility for the commissioning of vaccination services; and whether they will publish the related safe transfer checklist to enable external stakeholders to monitor ICB readiness.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Vaccination and screening commissioning functions are due to be delegated from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care directly to integrated care boards (ICBs) from 1 April 2027. The key milestones between now and April 2027 are set out in the table below. The Safe Transfer Checklist is an operational tool for use by NHS England and ICB teams and is not intended for formal publication.
Area | Milestone | Target Date | Progress |
Governance | ICB operating models confirmed, i.e. Offices for Pan ICB Commissioning (OPICs) | Mar 26 | Complete |
Confirmation of services transferring | Aug 26 | Complete | |
Submission of draft Delegation Agreement, Oversight Framework to Ministers | Dec 26 | On target | |
Responsibility transfers to ICBs and formal establishment of OPIC | Apr 27 | On target | |
Readiness | Undertake scenario testing | Mar 26 | Complete |
Develop and release OPIC Toolkit | Jun 26 | Complete | |
Develop and share Safe Transfer Checklist (DST) | May 26 | Complete | |
Regional reporting on preparatory work and readiness (progress on the STC) | Oct 26 to Mar 27 | On target | |
Key information shared with ICBs via the FutureNHS platform | Nov 26 | On target | |
Deliver additional support activity - e.g. webinars | Jan to Mar 27 | On target | |
Delegation Agreement | Finalise Delegation Agreement from the Secretary of State to ICBs | Nov 26 | On target |
Populate Delegation Agreement / Department of Health and Social Care signing | Jan 27 | On target | |
ICB Board approval / signing | Mar 27 | On target | |
Delegation Agreement takes effect | Apr 27 | On target | |
People | Consultation with staff | Timing tbc |
|
Staff transfer to ICB OPIC host | Apr 27 | On target | |
Finance, planning and contracting | Finalise funded budget for services transferring / delegating and being retained | Timing tbc |
|
Confirm financial compliance | Dec 26 | On target | |
Develop, review and update standard operating procedures | Jan 27 | On target |
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 September (HL2139), what interim measures are in place to help support treatments for rare diseases to navigate the highly specialised technologies programme while The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence review of its approach to valuing rare disease medicines through its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory is undertaken.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the early stages of its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory project on valuing rare diseases. A detailed project scope will be communicated to stakeholders by December 2026. NICE expects the project to take two years.
NICE’s published methods and processes for health technology evaluation remain in place. NICE has a strong track record of recommending medicines for rare diseases, and since March 2024, NICE has recommended 89% of the rare disease medicines, including advanced therapies, that it has appraised for some or all of the patients who would be eligible under the marketing authorisation.
NICE also operates a highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of medicines for the treatment of very rare diseases.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 September (HL2139), what are the (1) specific terms of reference, (2) dates for public consultations, and (3) expected publication timeline for The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence review of its approach to valuing rare disease medicines through its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the early stages of its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory project on valuing rare diseases. A detailed project scope will be communicated to stakeholders by December 2026. NICE expects the project to take two years.
NICE’s published methods and processes for health technology evaluation remain in place. NICE has a strong track record of recommending medicines for rare diseases, and since March 2024, NICE has recommended 89% of the rare disease medicines, including advanced therapies, that it has appraised for some or all of the patients who would be eligible under the marketing authorisation.
NICE also operates a highly specialised technologies programme for the evaluation of a small number of medicines for the treatment of very rare diseases.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government against which criteria they assess progress in delivering the NHS England Cervical cancer elimination by 2040 – plan for England; which organisations are accountable for delivery; and how progress will be reported to Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is leading delivery of the plan to eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040, working alongside the Department, providers and wider health system partners. The plan aligns with the World Health Organisation’s global initiative to reduce cervical cancer incidence to fewer than four cases per 100,000, and we will report on our progress to Parliament in the normal way.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether regulations establishing the single patient record will enable regulated independent digital healthcare providers to have access to relevant patient information and to contribute clinically relevant information arising from the care they provide, subject to appropriate patient consent, information governance, security, and clinical safety requirements.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is fully intended that independent providers will be part of the Single Patient Record in respect of both NHS and privately funded services with the aim of providing effective, joined-up care. Detailed access arrangements will be set through regulations and the Single Patient Record information-governance framework. Access will require an appropriate legal basis and will be limited according to the professional's role and care relationship.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether appropriately regulated independent healthcare providers will be able to access relevant patient information through the single patient record when providing direct care to a patient; and if so, what criteria such providers will be required to meet to obtain access.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is fully intended that independent providers will be part of the Single Patient Record in respect of both NHS and privately funded services with the aim of providing effective, joined-up care. Detailed access arrangements will be set through regulations and the Single Patient Record information-governance framework. Access will require an appropriate legal basis and will be limited according to the professional's role and care relationship.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (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 number of eye-related attendances at emergency departments in England that could be safely managed in community optometry settings.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 11 September in response to Question 26418 which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:
“Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.
“As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.
“Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.”
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase public awareness of community optometry services as an alternative to emergency departments for urgent eye conditions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 11 September in response to Question 26418 which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:
“Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices to meet the needs of their local populations. This is in line with the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to local decision making.
“As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £20 million to equip high street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately, helping more people get convenient eye care closer to home.
“Accident and emergency departments should still be used for genuine emergencies, and we expect patients to be assessed and directed to the service that best meets their needs.”
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - 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 24 June (HL Deb col 657), what steps they are taking to ensure resistant hypertension is addressed as part of the cardiovascular disease modern service framework implementation, given that the framework published on 7 July does not reference resistant hypertension as a distinct, high-risk subgroup.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework sets 12 immediate priorities for the next three years, each with measures and three- and ten-year ambitions. These include treating people with hypertension, including resistant hypertension, to evidence-based targets, with progress tracked through the accompanying measure.
The delivery model set out in the published framework directs systems to use population health data to identify and manage underserved and high-risk populations.
Clinicians are advised to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines for the management of resistance hypertension.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the UK expert clinical consensus statement on renal denervation published in Heart journal in November 2025 that found 93 per cent of surveyed UK clinicians support the NHS and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to update their respective commissioning policy and guidance, what plans they have to update current guidance to enable the routine commissioning of renal denervation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is reviewing the clinical evidence for the commissioning of renal denervation treatment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is an independent body with its own processes for reviewing and updating its guidance, taking account of the best available evidence of both clinical and cost effectiveness.