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 barriers to patient access for orphan medicines that do not meet the population size criteria for the Highly Specialised Technologies pathway.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highly specialised technologies programme is reserved for the evaluation of a small number of medicines licensed for the treatment of very rare, very severe diseases. Most medicines, including most orphan medicines, are assessed through NICE’s standard technology appraisal (STA) programme. NICE has a strong track record of recommending medicines for rare diseases, and its STA process has been shown to be suitable for the evaluation of these medicines where companies engage constructively in the appraisal process and commercial discussions with NHS England.
The Government has recently announced a number of pilots and projects following the United States and United Kingdom partnership on pharmaceuticals that will shape a commercial environment that actively encourages innovation and improves patient access. As part of that work, NICE will review the approach to valuing rare disease medicines through its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory. This research will consider both Technology Appraisal and Highly Specialised Technologies routes. The review will assess a range of both radical and incremental options to improve the current framework.
NICE has recently refined the criteria for its Highly Specialised Technologies programme and is now undertaking further work to review how rare disease medicines are valued, helping to ensure that its approaches remain appropriate and evidence based.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult on further reforms to the NHS dental contract; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament and this will include consulting on future proposals. We are continuing to engage with the sector on these reforms to scope potential changes. We will update on timelines for dental contract reform, including the details of the public consultation, in due course.
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 effectiveness of the Standard Technology Appraisal (STA) pathway, in particular the STA methodology’s capacity to capture the clinical and societal value of orphan medicines which do not meet the population criteria for the Highly Specialised Technologies pathway.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highly specialised technologies programme is reserved for the evaluation of a small number of medicines licensed for the treatment of very rare, very severe diseases. Most medicines, including most orphan medicines, are assessed through NICE’s standard technology appraisal (STA) programme. NICE has a strong track record of recommending medicines for rare diseases, and its STA process has been shown to be suitable for the evaluation of these medicines where companies engage constructively in the appraisal process and commercial discussions with NHS England.
The Government has recently announced a number of pilots and projects following the United States and United Kingdom partnership on pharmaceuticals that will shape a commercial environment that actively encourages innovation and improves patient access. As part of that work, NICE will review the approach to valuing rare disease medicines through its Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory. This research will consider both Technology Appraisal and Highly Specialised Technologies routes. The review will assess a range of both radical and incremental options to improve the current framework.
NICE has recently refined the criteria for its Highly Specialised Technologies programme and is now undertaking further work to review how rare disease medicines are valued, helping to ensure that its approaches remain appropriate and evidence based.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming Refreshed Workforce Plan will include a commitment that every neuro-oncology centre in England should have a funded clinical nurse specialist post.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 4 September 2026 in response to Question HL2875, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
We will provide an update on the 10 Year Workforce Plan in due course.
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 30 June (HL570), whether all the guidance referred to has now been published by NHS England; and whether that published guidance covers accesses for which NHS England, general practices, or pharmacies are the responsible employers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Stopping unlawful access to records - Guidance for health and care professionals has now been published on the NHS England website in an online-only format. It applies to any patient data, and to anyone working in the National Health Service, or under contract to the NHS, with the potential to access patient records.
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 paper by Zhang X et al (2025, The Lancet Neurology), which states that current tools such as the EQ-5D do not adequately capture health-related quality of life in people with dementia and their carers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent appraisal committee of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has examined whether EQ-5D is an appropriate way to assess quality of life for people with dementia and their carers, in the context of its ongoing appraisals of modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. NICE has also asked independent experts to review how the benefits for carers of people with Alzheimer’s disease are measured. The committee discussed these issues at its most recent meeting, on 8 July 2026, but the outcome of that meeting will remain confidential while the appraisal is ongoing.
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 the Minister of State for Health and Social Care on 12 March (HC118419), what criteria they use to define those in greatest need of dental services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The main focus of our proposed reforms is on improving access for patients who require urgent access to dental treatment and those with complex care needs, such as significant tooth decay and gum disease.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming Refreshed Workforce Plan will contain specific commitments to increase the number of neuro-oncologists in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will provide an update on the 10 Year Workforce Plan in due course.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult on the future of the NHS Health Check programme following the pilot of NHS Health Check Online.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Health Check Online is in the private Beta testing phase and is being piloted in local authorities across England. Insights from the testing phase will inform decisions on next steps such as whether further development is needed.
Department officials are considering opportunities to improve the NHS Health Check programme as part of ongoing policy work for the programme. We continue to engage with the programme’s dedicated Advisory Group and its Scientific and Clinical subgroup, ensuring expert advice is at the centre of any future proposals.
Alongside this, as announced in the recently published Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework, we have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Research to conduct an evidence review on the scope of the NHS Health Check to inform future policy decisions.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that adult social care in England is provided free at the point of use on the same principle as the National Health Service.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 29 July, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out the Government’s plans to fix the social care system, so that it gives people dignity, security and support when they need it most. This includes integrating the social care workforce with the NHS workforce, creating routes for progression, better pay, training and job security. The Prime Minister confirmed that he would bring forward the date for Baroness Casey’s Commission to report back with a plan on how to deliver the National Care Service, accelerating this from 2028 to next summer.
In his statement announcing these plans, the Prime Minister set out the four core principles behind the National Care Service that the Government will build:
In an effort to begin a new discussion on this issue and drive cooperation across party lines, the Prime Minister immediately invited the leaders of the two main opposition parties to meet with him to discuss the plans and mark the start of a new approach.
Also on 29 July, Baroness Casey launched the Big Conversation on Care, designed to ensure that the public for whom the social care system exists can have their full say in its future. This will ensure that, when the final report of Baroness Casey’s Commission is submitted to the Government next year, it will be able to set out a deliverable and realistic plan to implement solutions with the public’s backing, designed in the interests of those that the social care system are there to serve.
Alongside the Big Conversation, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will chair a new ministerial group to accelerate the government’s response on social care, including workforce, system reform and delivery of the first recommendations from Baroness Casey’s Commission. This will include work towards appointing a Dementia Tsar later this summer to help drive forward much-needed improvements.
To ensure momentum continues on this work, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will meet regularly with Baroness Casey and her team, to track progress on delivering against the core principles of the proposed reforms, as the national conversation and cross-party talks continue.