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 he will list all the (a) patient representative organisations, (b) clinical associations and (c) providers of NHS-funded autism and ADHD services NHS England has engaged with (i) before and (ii) since publishing proposed guide prices for autism and ADHD services in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation, in respect of the prices proposed.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/
NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.
Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.
In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:
In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:
NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:
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 NHS England has made of the difference in levels of healthcare resource consumed in conducting (a) children’s autism assessments and (b) children’s ADHD assessments; and what account of this assessment NHS England took in proposing guide prices for autism and ADHD services, as set out in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/
NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.
Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.
In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:
In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:
NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:
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 he will list all the (a) academic papers and (b) other sources of evidence that NHS England has considered in setting its proposed guide prices for autism and ADHD services, as proposed in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/
NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.
Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.
In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:
In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:
NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:
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 provide funding for the treatment of (a) Hallux valgus and (b) Hallux rigidus in Hampshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on the funding and provision of treatment for hallux valgus and hallux rigidus in Hampshire are made locally by the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is responsible for assessing the health needs of its population and commissioning services accordingly. This includes determining local clinical pathways, access criteria, and the availability of both surgical and non‑surgical interventions, based on the best available clinical evidence and local priorities.
NHS England does not provide condition‑specific national funding for these procedures. Instead, the ICB receives a general allocation to meet the healthcare needs of its local population. Within this, the ICB is expected to ensure that patients with foot and ankle conditions can access appropriate assessment, conservative management, and referral for surgery where clinically necessary.
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 expand the rollout of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) in i) Hampshire ii) Gosport.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services according to local need, and this includes the provision of long-acting injectable buprenorphine.
From 2026/27, all drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding will be channelled through the Public Health Grant, with ringfenced funding for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. This is the first multi-year settlement in over a decade and provides the certainty for local government to plan and invest for the medium term. Through the ringfenced funding, Hampshire will receive £10,999,940 in 2026/27, and indicative totals of £11,223,997 and £11,442,554 for 2027/28 and 2028/29 respectively.
The Department encourages local authorities to prioritise resourcing long-acting injectable buprenorphine prescribing if current provision is not adequate and has asked to see the specific planning assumptions and ambitions set out in the treatment plans shared with the Department.
The Department supports interventions to expand the provision of long-acting injectable buprenorphine. We are currently doing more analysis to understand cost-effectiveness, developing clinical guidance, and scoping how best to expand access to long-acting injectable buprenorphine further.
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 estimate he has made of the additional cost of requiring the Human Tissue Authority to regulate the care of corpses throughout the death pathway including in funeral homes.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made an assessment of the additional cost of requiring the Human Tissue Authority to regulate the care of the deceased throughout the death pathway, including in funeral homes.
The Government is considering the full range of options to strengthen and improve standards to safeguard the security and dignity of the deceased. In this context, an interim update on progress with our response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report was published 16 December 2025, and is available at the following link:
We will provide a full response by summer 2026.
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, pursuant to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government Interim Update on Progress, when he plans to respond to recommendations 29, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 71 and 72.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations in summer 2026, setting out progress and next steps on the 75 recommendations, including the 11 specified.
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 he has made of the potential impact of health visiting on the Government’s target of raising the healthiest generation of children ever.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. The child health workforce, including health visiting teams, are central to how we support families to give their children the best start in life.
Health visitors lead the Healthy Child Programme, England’s universal, community-based public health programme for children and families. The work of health visitors enables early intervention and prevents the need for high-cost NHS treatments down the line. Their impact is vital to realising both our ambition to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and the shifts from hospital to community, and treatment to prevention.
As set out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the Government has committed to strengthening health visiting services so that all families have access to high-quality, support they need.
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 he has made of the potential impact of NHS Pensions' ability to meet the revised deadlines for issuing Remediable Service Statements set by the Government on 31 March 2025 on NHS members' i) financial resilience ii) ability to make informed choices regarding pension benefits.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of providing NHS Pension Scheme members certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remediable Service Statements.
An independent review of the NHS Business Service Authority’s (NHSBSA) revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members is underway. This will provide an additional level of scrutiny and assurance of the NHSBSA’s delivery plan and the timetable for the remaining statements.
I expect to be able to update the House on the review’s progress and the remedy delivery timetable before Christmas recess.
In the meantime, the NHSBSA continues to provide Remediable Service Statements to affected members, prioritising those who may be experiencing immediate financial hardship due to the discrimination highlighted by the McCloud judgment. Additionally, members who meet specific criteria can request to receive a prioritised Remediable Service Statement. Further information is available at the following link:
https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-29429/en-us.
The Government is committed to ensuring that affected members are not subject to financial disadvantage due to these delays. Pension arrears arising from the McCloud remedy are paid with 8% interest, and a compensation scheme is available for members who have experienced other direct financial losses.