Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 1 August (HL348), what percentage of GP surgeries and primary care centres currently offer an online booking option for GP appointments.

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

The Department does not hold the information on what percentage of general practice (GP) surgeries and primary care centres currently offer an online booking option for GP appointments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House (1) the data protection impact assessment for the Privacy Enhancing Technology contract for NHS England's Federated Data Platform, and (2) NHS England's template data protection impact assessment for each nationally commissioned product in the Federated Data Platform.

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

NHS England has published on its website an overarching National Health Service Federated Data Platform (FDP) data protection impact assessment (DPIA), an overarching NHS FDP information governance framework, and overarching NHS FDP privacy notice and privacy notices, for each national FDP product.

NHS England plans to publish an overarching NHS Privacy Enhancing Technology DPIA, and a DPIA for each national FDP product on the NHS England website in autumn 2024. These will be placed in the library of the House.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 11 September (HL Deb col 1562) that they propose that 250 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams should be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour, what scientific advice they have received on the maximum volume of folic acid per 100 grams that could be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour without damaging the health of patients who are advised not to take folic acid.

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

Pregnant women with folate deficiency are at greater risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). Currently government advice recommends that women who could become pregnant take a daily supplement of folic acid before conception and up until the 12th week of pregnancy. However, we know that around 50% of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned. Government is therefore looking at this UK-wide measure to mandate the fortification of flour with folic acid to reduce the number of NTDs in pregnancies as a priority.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) have considered the proposed level of fortification in depth.

The proposed policy is to fortify non-wholemeal wheat flour at 250 micrograms per 100 grams. Fortification above this level would allow for greater reductions in NTD risk but would increase the risk of people exceeding the recommended upper level of folic acid intake.

An upper limit of 1 milligram per day was set in the UK by the UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals in 2003, which was later reviewed and agreed by COT in 2018. In 2006 and 2009, SACN concluded that it was also necessary to minimise exposure to high intakes of folic acid because there was still uncertainties regarding folic acid and cancer risk at high intakes.

The UK Government and devolved governments addressed concerns on the interaction of folic acid with treatments and medications for different conditions, such as cancer and epilepsy, in the consultation on the policy proposal in 2021. In addition, information on the presence of folic acid will be included on the ingredients list on product labels to inform consumers. In 2023, COT published a risk assessment of the potential risks of allergic reaction (hypersensitivity) to folic acid if flour is fortified with folic acid at 250 micrograms per 100 grams.

There is agreement from both SACN and COT that the proposed levels of fortification are appropriate and provide a balanced approach to fortification.

The level of folic acid fortification will be kept under review as part of the monitoring and evaluation of the policy, which would assess both positive and postulated negative impacts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what advice, support and processes are available to third-party developers wishing to develop services for NHS Trusts holding data within the NHS Federated Data Platform.

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

NHS England is developing the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) Solution Exchange, a catalogue of products for trusts and integrated care boards to improve efficiency and patient care. This is in an early phase of release and will develop over the coming months to include opportunities for suppliers of innovative solutions.

For developers the solution exchange provides a safe and secure space to create and test new ideas to strict NHS FDP standards, using synthetic data. New innovations will be reviewed and tested for suitability before being made available in the NHS FDP Solution Exchange Product Catalogue.

During Autumn and Winter 2024-25, the programme will host a series of sessions to describe the opportunities this will provide for National Health Service organisations developing their own products and those jointly or independently developed by third party suppliers. This will include how products are prioritised and assessed for inclusion in the Solution Exchange.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what conversations they have held since the general election with private insurance companies and the Association of British Insurers on the development of affordable private sector insurance policies to fund adult social care.

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

This Government, since taking office, has not held any such conversations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s recent proposal for a single care record for all NHS care in England will allow each patient to see which organisations have accessed their record and when.

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

We are proposing a single or unified health record as a vision for the future, to develop in consultation with the public and healthcare professionals. Ensuring that patients’ confidential information remains protected and is seen only by those who need to see it will be a priority. Public engagement next month will help us understand what safeguards patients would want to see.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the clinical criteria for success for the trial of tirzepatide in Greater Manchester, announced on 15 October.

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

The SURMOUNT-REAL clinical trial of tirzepatide, announced on 15 October 2024, is being developed between Health Innovation Manchester, The University of Manchester, and Eli Lilly and Company, with further details about the study to be published by these organisations at a later date, following on from relevant approvals.

The study will evaluate the real-world effectiveness of tirzepatide in weight loss, diabetes prevention, and the prevention of obesity-related complications for people living with obesity. Additionally, data will be collected on healthcare resource utilisation, health-related quality of life, and changes in participants’ employment status, including sick days from work.

The evidence generated will seek to increase the global evidence base on the long-term impacts of weight loss medicines more broadly, and the placement of the trial is a clear vote of confidence in the United Kingdom from a global healthcare stakeholder, working with our brilliant and regionally diverse life sciences sector to improve understanding of a priority healthcare field.

This announcement was made as part of a collaboration agreement between Eli Lilly and Company and Government unveiled at the International Investment Summit, as part of an intended £279 million package of investment from Eli Lilly and Company into the UK's innovation and research ecosystem.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 28 October when she stated that they "are looking at the calls for an office for the whistleblower" and "are considering other ideas as well" (HL Deb col 911), which specific alternative ideas they are considering to assist whistleblowers.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is focussed on delivering the commitment in the Plan to Make Work Pay, to strengthening protections for whistleblowers, including by updating protections for women who report sexual harassment at work. The Employment Rights Bill delivers on that commitment.

Organisations and individuals have put forward many different ideas for how to strengthen the whistleblowing framework, including proposals for an office. The Government is always open to ideas.

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