Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many ‘yellow card’ reports of suicide after taking antidepressants were received by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in 2015 and each subsequent year; and how many have been assessed for causation each year over the same time period.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the MHRA’s independent advisory committee, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions including amending the product information.
The MHRA has received a total of 112 reports through the Yellow Card scheme for all antidepressant medications of reports of completed suicide which have been received between 1 January 2015 and 25 February 2025. The following table shows a yearly breakdown thereof:
Year received | Number of reports received |
2015 | 11 |
2016 | 14 |
2017 | 17 |
2018 | 14 |
2019 | 7 |
2020 | 10 |
2021 | 7 |
2022 | 11 |
2023 | 6 |
2024 | 11 |
2025 | 4 |
Source: MHRA
Note: List of antidepressant medications included in the search were: escitalopram, citalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, venlafaxine, duloxetine, reboxetine, amitriptyline, clomipramine, dosulepin, dothiepin, doxepin, imipramine, lofepramine, nortryptiline, trimipramine, trazodone Isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, phenelzine, agomelatine, vortioxetine, L-tryptophan, esketamine, mianserin, mirtazapine.
It is important to note that anyone can report to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme and the recording of these reports in the Yellow Card database does not necessarily mean that the adverse reactions have been caused by the suspect drug. Many factors must be considered in assessing causal relationships, including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication, and the underlying disease. We encourage reporters to report suspected adverse reaction reports, the reporter does not have to be sure of a causal association between the drug and the reactions; a suspicion will suffice.
The number of reports received cannot be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction, as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug, is known. All fatal reports including those reporting completed suicide are assessed by the MHRA and cumulative information is reviewed at regular intervals. Warnings about the risk of suicidal behaviours are contained in the product information for all licensed antidepressants and these warnings are based on causality assessments of individual case reports and the totality of evidence from clinical trials and the scientific literature.
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 remarks of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the House of Commons on the 15 January (HC Deb col 371), how many extra GPs they have hired since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) increased by 535 full-time equivalent between July 2024 and December 2024. This data includes estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records. This does not include recently qualified GPs employed through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).
Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS is currently being collated and is not yet published. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the provision of more sanitary bins in (1) public, and (2) workplace, toilets for men.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government oversees policy and legislation with respect to the safe management of waste and litter as well as the protection of drains and sewers. This however does not extend to compelling or explicitly encouraging local authorities with regard to types of waste receptacles or their placement. These decisions are for local authorities to make.
The Building Regulations for England were updated in 2024 with the addition of a new ‘Part T’ which sets out toilet requirements in new non-domestic buildings in England. Part T is supported by statutory guidance which includes space for disposal bins in the design layouts. However, the Building Regulations are limited to the provision and design of toilet facilities and do not extend to the management and use of disposal bins.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and the guidance of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 regarding the provision of disposal facilities in workplace toilets. This work is included within the Government’s wider plans under Make Work Pay, and HSE will hold appropriate 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 impact of urinary incontinence on the (1) physical, and (2) mental, health of men.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made. NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, a copy of which is attached, bringing together evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, and health and social care staff. This guidance covers both urinary and bowel, also known as faecal, incontinence. The guidance states that “pathways of care should be commissioned that ensure early assessment, effective management of incontinence, along with other bladder and bowel problems such as constipation and urinary tract infections and their impact on social, physical and mental well-being.”
NHS England will consider the next steps for Excellence in Continence Care. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the management of faecal incontinence in adults, which healthcare professionals and commissioners are expected to take fully into account when delivering services for people with bowel incontinence. The guidance aims to improve the physical and mental health and quality of life for people with faecal incontinence.
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 30 January (HL Deb col 366), when they plan to (1) begin the rollout of fracture liaison services, and (2) achieve universal coverage for fracture liaison services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We remain committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.
The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.
In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Health and Social Care is taking to publish national data around delivering targets under (1) the NHS Long Term Plan, and (2) the Teenage and Young Adult Service Specifications, to enrol 50 per cent of young people with cancer into clinical trials by March 2025.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to maximising our potential to lead the world in clinical trials and ensuring clinical trials are more accessible, including for children and young people. The Department does not hold data on the overall percentage of children and young people with cancer that are enrolled in clinical trials nationwide, but does collect data on participation through National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded infrastructure.
The Department funds research and research infrastructure through the NIHR. NIHR-funded infrastructure is enabling clinical trial participation for children and young people with cancer. In particular, the NIHR Clinical Research Network, now the NIHR Research Delivery Network, supported 15 cancer studies which children and young people were eligible for between 2021/22 and 2023/24, and across all these studies, 715 total participants were recruited during this timeframe.
The NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them.
Through the NIHR, the Department also jointly funds the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Paediatric Cancer Network with Cancer Research UK and the Little Princess Trust, which brings together clinicians and translational scientists to run early phase clinical trials for children and young people with cancer.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contingency plans they are putting in place to continue to provide social care services in April where independent care providers withdraw their services due to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why the Care Act 2014 places a duty on them to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people.
Local authorities also have a temporary duty under the Care Act 2014 to ensure continuity of care if a provider exits the market due to business failure. This is to ensure that people continue to receive the care and support they need.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 January (HL3929), what discussions they have had with Ofwat and water companies about encouraging domestic household customers to install rainwater harvesting systems.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 20 January 2025, PQ HL3929, as no further discussions with Ofwat or water companies have taken place since.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress the Department for Health and Social Care has made in (1) collecting data on the experience of young people with cancer regarding clinical trials, and (2) increasing transparency in accessing available data on young people’s experiences with cancer clinical trials.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The research participant experience is an essential part of delivering a world-class research system with participant feedback providing research delivery teams, study sponsors and the Department with actionable data to improve accessibility of health and care studies, and increase recruitment rates and retention of participants.
The Department-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has operated the Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES) since 2015/16, which aims to offer as many research participants as possible the chance to contribute their experiences of taking part in research. PRES currently operates nationally across the NIHR Research Delivery Network portfolio and is offered to all participants in eligible cancer studies including young people.
To improve data collection on research experience, NIHR is currently exploring a national roll-out of a digital PRES which will increase ease and access for participants to provide feedback on their experience. This system will also be scalable beyond the NIHR Research Delivery Network Portfolio.
To increase transparency in accessing available data on participants’ experiences of research, the PRES dashboard can be accessed by users from across the research system with the following email address domains: nhs.uk, nhs.net, nhs.scot, dh.gsi.gov.uk, ac.uk, hscni.net, nrs.org.uk, mhra.gov.uk, gov.uk, ncri.org.uk.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what metrics the Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency use to monitor and improve their management of the safety of (1) medicine products, (2) medical devices, (3) blood and blood products; and how regularly are these metrics reviewed.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patient safety is the highest priority for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA uses a range of metrics to monitor and improve its management of safety.
Specific safety metrics include the total number of safety signals identified for further assessment, the percentage of adverse drug reaction reports processed within agreed timescales, the percentage of potential signals evaluated within five working days, the number of defective medicinal product recalls, and the number of interventions conducted by the Criminal Enforcement Unit that are assessed to have disrupted or degraded an identified criminal threat. Performance against these metrics is outlined in the MHRA’s Annual Report and Accounts. Further metrics are used internally within the MHRA to monitor performance for all types of medicinal products, including medical devices.
For blood components, the MHRA works with the Serious Hazards of Transfusion Steering Group, to measure safety outcomes associated with transfusion and make recommendations to the system to reduce safety incidents through an annual report.
In 2024, the MHRA updated their reporting processes and established a new set of eight key performance indicators. These were outlined in its 2024/25 Business Plan.