Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) availability and (b) geographical distribution of clinicians with specialist expertise in (i) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, (ii) Corticobasal Degeneration and (iii) other atypical parkinsonian conditions.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All consultant neurologists are trained to recognise, diagnose, and initiate management of atypical parkinsonian conditions, including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration. Patients across England access specialist expertise through established networked care arrangements. District general hospitals have referral pathways to movement disorder specialists, and all specialised neurology centres provide dedicated movement disorder services, ensuring complex cases can be assessed by clinicians with appropriate expertise regardless of geographical location.
The Department does not collect condition‑specific data on referrals, waiting times, or diagnosis for progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, or other atypical parkinsonian conditions, as outpatient diagnoses are not routinely coded within National Health Service datasets. NHS England continues to strengthen pathways for timely recognition and referral of complex movement disorders through the specialised neurology service specification and integrated neurology networks, although condition‑specific diagnostic and waiting‑time data are not currently available. The specialised neurology service specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to improve the collection of condition-specific data on (a) referrals, (b) waiting times and (c) diagnosis for (i) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, (ii) Corticobasal Degeneration and (c) other atypical parkinsonian conditions.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All consultant neurologists are trained to recognise, diagnose, and initiate management of atypical parkinsonian conditions, including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration. Patients across England access specialist expertise through established networked care arrangements. District general hospitals have referral pathways to movement disorder specialists, and all specialised neurology centres provide dedicated movement disorder services, ensuring complex cases can be assessed by clinicians with appropriate expertise regardless of geographical location.
The Department does not collect condition‑specific data on referrals, waiting times, or diagnosis for progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, or other atypical parkinsonian conditions, as outpatient diagnoses are not routinely coded within National Health Service datasets. NHS England continues to strengthen pathways for timely recognition and referral of complex movement disorders through the specialised neurology service specification and integrated neurology networks, although condition‑specific diagnostic and waiting‑time data are not currently available. The specialised neurology service specification is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) average and (b) maximum wait is for a special care adult to have dental treatment under general anaesthetic in the Community Dental Service for which the latest data is available.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer of 9 July to Question 16108, NHS England is currently completing quality assurance for the new waiting list data, in order to ensure that the information is accurate, complete, and suitable for sharing with providers and commissioners. Once those issues have been resolved, the data will be prepared for publication.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) average and (b) maximum wait is for a child to have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic in the Community Dental Service for which the latest data is available.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer of 9 July to Question 16108, NHS England is currently completing quality assurance for the new waiting list data, in order to ensure that the information is accurate, complete, and suitable for sharing with providers and commissioners. Once those issues have been resolved, the data will be prepared for publication.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to respond to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration's document entitled Fifty Fourth Report – 2026, published on 25 March 2026, including its recommendation to reform pay and progression in the Community Dental Service.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1462 given to the House by the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 25 March 2026.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the level of exposure of NHS dental service provision to private equity investors.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service dental services are commissioned by integrated care boards to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. Dental practices are private businesses and therefore able to decide how they operate, providing they remain compliant with the appropriate regulations.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the needs of the Community Dental Services will be reflected in the forthcoming NHS Workforce Plan.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important role community dental services play in providing care for people with complex needs and those who may not be able to access general dental services.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will help ensure the National Health Service has the skilled workforce needed to achieve our transformative reform agenda and deliver high-quality care for patients. The specific measures in the plan will be set out at the time of publication.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of affordability of gluten-free food for people with coeliac disease.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Rushcliffe on 3 July in response to Question 13254.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential merits to introduce universal newborn screening for the condition Progressive Spinal Muscle Atrophy.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases, as well as their families, and is committed to improving outcomes. We are guided in screening matters by the independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC reviewed the evidence for screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in 2023 and concluded that there were gaps in the evidence. It was of the view that these evidence gaps are best filled at large scale in live services, so the committee recommended an in-service evaluation (ISE).
For very rare conditions, it is difficult to generate robust evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of screening, because so few babies are affected.
The ISE was originally due to start in January 2027, but earlier this year the Government committed to bringing this forward to October 2026. The evidence from this ISE will inform a recommendation on whether to extend the National Health Service newborn blood spot screening programme and include routine screening for SMA.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to respond to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s conclusion that more than 1,300 deaths a month in England can be attributed to long waiting times before clinical care is provided in A&E departments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided on 15 June 2026 in response to Question 7599.