Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of variations in waiting times for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment across England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been made. The Department does not hold data on waiting times for glaucoma treatment. However, for ophthalmology, which covers glaucoma treatment, as of May 2026, 74.1% of patient pathways were waiting within 18 weeks. This is an improvement of 3.9% over the past year.
We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across England, including for ophthalmology. We are investing in and modernising NHS services to support this, including through our new online hospital, NHS Online, which will help reduce patient waiting times across England by giving people on glaucoma pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointment and assessments in its first three years across all specialities. We are also expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect and support the mental health of asylum seekers housed in military accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office recognises the mental health challenges faced by people seeking asylum and has a strategic team focussing on asylum seeker mental health. This team works closely with accommodation providers, NGOs, health partners and lived experience groups to formulate a preventative approach.
We work carefully to ensure that the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those related to mental health and trauma. We also work closely with UK health authorities to ensure asylum seekers have access to health care and that mental health matters are assessed and treated.