Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 consistency and effectiveness of (a) antenatal screening in detecting fetal cardiac conditions and (b) the efficacy of the Fetal anomaly screening programme handbook guidance in supporting early identification and treatment pathways for foetuses with cardiac abnormalities.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of babies and children. The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) recommends the offer of an ultrasound scan which is performed between 18+0 to 20+6 weeks to screen for 11 physical conditions, including serious cardiac anomalies.
Coverage of the foetal anomaly ultrasound for the 2024/25 screening year was high, at 98%. As of 2020/21, the proportion of women who had an unexpected finding suspected or confirmed in the baby at the 20-week screening scan and who were then referred within the timeline was 76.8% for local referrals, those seen within three days of screening scan, and 85.2% for tertiary referrals, those seen with five days of screening scan. This ensures women with a suspected or confirmed unexpected finding are referred in a timely manner and receive timely intervention where appropriate. Minimum screening standards data is collected against the 20-week scan, with further information available at the following link:
NHS England is aware that there is geographical variation in antenatal cardiac detections and it is working with The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Services and the Screening Quality Assurance Service to address the variation, with further information about both services available at the following two links:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-population-screening-quality-assurance
NHS England also has a task and finish group looking at quality improvement in this area.
The NHS FASP handbook is a recommended guidance document for providers offering NHS FASP screening with the main aim of supporting healthcare professionals in delivering NHS FASP screening. This includes early identification of screened for conditions. NHS England FASP do not cover treatment pathways.
Additionally, NHS FASP provides an e-learning package with recommended timescales for completion for relevant healthcare professionals involved in the offer of NHS FASP screening, once every 24 months for ultrasound practitioners. This e-learning package is available at the following link:
https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Catalogue/Index?HierarchyId=0_37210&programmeId=37210
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of complaints and accountability processes for NHS patients referred to private healthcare providers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 set out in law the minimum standards National Health Service organisations, and independent providers of NHS-funded care, must adhere to in respect of their complaint handling arrangements. Under the regulations, patients who have received NHS-funded care and wish to make a complaint can do so to either the provider or the commissioner that paid for the service.
In our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we acknowledged that the NHS complaints procedure is far from where it needs to be. Through Change NHS, the biggest ever conversation on the future of the NHS, we heard from patients and carers about their struggle to get responses to their concerns. As committed to in the 10-Year Health Plan, we intend to improve the complaints process across all NHS commissioners and providers, setting clear standards for both the timeliness and the quality of responses to complaints.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate the Government has made of the prevalence of ketamine addiction among under 25s; what steps the Government is taking to address ketamine addiction among young people; and what tailored addiction support the Government is providing for young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Department takes seriously the risk of ketamine and other drugs to our young people and is working with partners from across the Government to respond to existing and new drug threats and to reduce and prevent the health harms.
Ketamine use among children and young people has increased in recent years. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, the prevalence of ketamine use among 16 to 24 year olds was 2.9% in 2023/24. This is an increase from 1.3% in 2018/19, but a decrease from 3.8% in 2022/23. Data from the Smoking, Drinking and Drugs 2023 survey shows that, although relatively low, the prevalence of ketamine use among school children doubled in the last decade, from 0.4% in 2014 to 0.9% in 2023. We also know that the proportion of young people aged under 18 years old who are in treatment for ketamine problems has increased from 1.3% in 2016/17, to 8.4% in 2023/24.
The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, including for housing and employment.
Furthermore, on 16 October 2025, the Department launched a campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, as well as synthetic opioids in counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes. Resources have been made available to schools, universities, and local public health teams with content available on FRANK, the Government’s drug information and advice website. Influencer content has been posted on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The full press notice is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) manufacturers on the effectiveness of the packaging and labelling of SSRIs in warning patients of (a) the associated risks, (b) suicidal thoughts as a side effect of their use and (c) withdrawal symptoms.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) packaging and labelling produced by marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) reflects what is known about the safety of these medicines for patients on all associated risks or side effects, including suicidal thoughts and withdrawal symptoms.
The product information can be updated based on new safety data or to address concerns. The MHRA wrote to the MAHs of SSRIs to inform them of an independent expert working group (EWG) review into how the risk of suicidal behaviour and sexual dysfunction where symptoms continue are communicated in patient leaflets. Updates to the statutory patient information leaflets (PILs) for antidepressants were agreed for the risk of “post-SSRI sexual dysfunction” for some of the 28 antidepressants involved in the review. The EWG recommended that proposed updates to the PILs on the risk of suicidal behaviour should be tested by a group of patients with a range of mental health conditions and the MHRA is currently exploring the most appropriate way to take this advice forward
In addition to this work, a review into how the risk of withdrawal symptoms is communicated in the SSRI and other antidepressants patient leaflets will be started by the MHRA later in the year and all affected MAHs will be informed.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 increase the participation of SMEs in the NHS supply chain; and whether he plans to introduce measures to reduce barriers to entry for SMEs in NHS procurement processes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have a vital role to play in supporting our health service to deliver on its priorities for patients and staff.
NHS England is committed to improving its engagement with SME suppliers and helping to make it easier for them to do business with the National Health Service. To help ensure SMEs have a voice within the NHS, NHS England has established an SME Advisory Group, which has worked with NHS England to improve the opportunities for SMEs to engage with and compete for NHS business.
In February 2024, NHS England published an SME action plan that outlines how the NHS will better engage, communicate with and learn from the SME community, improve visibility of NHS opportunities and encourage SME participation in commercial activity. The plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/small-and-medium-enterprises-action-plan
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he had made of the impact of prescription costs on people with chronic health conditions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the impact of prescription costs on people with chronic health conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. The scheme provides income related help to people who are not automatically exempt from charges but who may be entitled to full or partial help if they have a low income and savings below a defined limit.
To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 (a) widen treatment options on the NHS for people with brain tumours and (b) prevent patients from having to go abroad to access treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
People with brain tumours have access to various treatment options on the National Health Service, including surgery, radiotherapy and systematic anti-cancer therapies, depending on the nature and stage of the tumour.
The Government is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment, so that people with brain tumours can get access to the care they need more quickly. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.
Lord Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future.