Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people with severe ME in need of tube feeding can be safely fed lying flat in NHS hospitals.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on nutrition support for adults and on the diagnosis and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The guidance recognises that people with severe or very severe ME/CFS may be unable to eat and digest food easily and may require support with hydration and nutrition, including enteral tube feeding.
Enteral feeding must be provided safely. Feeding a patient lying flat can increase the risk of aspiration, and clinicians should take the NICE guidance fully into account. However, NICE guidance does not replace clinical judgement. Decisions about positioning and the most appropriate form of nutritional support should be made by the treating clinical team, following an individual assessment of the patient’s needs, risks, and preferences and, where appropriate, with input from a multidisciplinary nutrition support team.
These services are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which are responsible for ensuring that appropriate services are available to meet the needs of their populations.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure 24/7 access to on-site hospital helipads.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 16 July in response to Question 16317, and on 1 June in response to Question 2208.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Cancer Plan for England, what steps her Department is taking to ensure uptake of the NHS England and Starlight Play Well Toolkit by 2027.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 April in response to Question 127201.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure effective implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 September in response to Question 28065.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role patients with lived experience of NHS Continuing Healthcare will take in Baroness Casey's review of adult social care.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Baroness Casey has made clear that one of the core purposes of the Big Conversation on Care that she is leading is to hear from people, families, and carers with direct, real-life experience of the current social care system, so she can reflect those experiences in her recommendations for reform.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support access to dance and other creative activities through social prescribing and community health services.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question HL1977.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 incorporate arts-based interventions, including dance, into future prevention and population health strategies.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 July in response to Question HL1977.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will commit to a compensation scheme for women impacted by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16121.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to expand the evidence base for the effectiveness of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound in treating prostate cancer.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In June 2026 the Government announced that it would expand access to focal therapy, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, by investing up to £2.8 million. Access to focal therapies will be expanded in line with the expansion of TRANSFORM trial.
Focal therapies are still under research and assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and are not currently a standard part of the prostate cancer treatment pathway. NICE’s guidelines recommend that HIFU should not be offered to people with localised or locally advanced prostate cancer, other than in the context of controlled clinical trials comparing their use with established interventions. Further information is available in the response to the Hon Member for Gosport of 12 June 2025, to Question 56192.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 the adequacy of recovery rates from High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In June 2026 the Government announced that it would expand access to focal therapy, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, by investing up to £2.8 million. Access to focal therapies will be expanded in line with the expansion of TRANSFORM trial.
Focal therapies are still under research and assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and are not currently a standard part of the prostate cancer treatment pathway. NICE’s guidelines recommend that HIFU should not be offered to people with localised or locally advanced prostate cancer, other than in the context of controlled clinical trials comparing their use with established interventions. Further information is available in the response to the Hon Member for Gosport of 12 June 2025, to Question 56192.