Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to ICBs to ensure that patients are informed of local IVF eligibility criteria at the point of referral to fertility services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), and we expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. No guidance has been provided by the Department to the ICBs regarding the information provided to patients at the point of referral to fertility services.
As part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, we published data showing how many in vitro fertilisation cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England, to promote more transparency about what services commissioners are offering. This data is reviewed and updated periodically and was last updated on 11 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent data his Department holds on the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles provided in each Integrated Care Board area.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), and we expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. No guidance has been provided by the Department to the ICBs regarding the information provided to patients at the point of referral to fertility services.
As part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, we published data showing how many in vitro fertilisation cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England, to promote more transparency about what services commissioners are offering. This data is reviewed and updated periodically and was last updated on 11 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Henley and Thames of 10 October 2025 on Suicide Bereavement Support Services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We replied to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 13 November 2025.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 ensure that the goals for to older people's mental health services in the 10-Year Plan for the NHS are met in relation to (a) prevention, (b) early intervention, (c) access to community-based support and (d) in general.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services, including for older people, to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving early intervention and assertive outreach, investing in mental health emergency departments and neighbourhood mental health centres, and increasing access to talking therapies and evidence-based digital interventions.
The recently published Medium Term Planning Framework sets targets for integrated care boards to expand coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, expand NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement Support schemes, and eliminate inappropriate out-of-area placements by 2029.
We are also committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 efficacy of the implementation by Local Authorities of the Food Standards Agency's Food Hygiene Rating Scheme process from investigation to action.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The FSA monitors the operation of the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme by local authorities to provide assurance as far as practical that it is operated consistently within and between authorities. Any issues identified are addressed with the relevant local authorities to ensure the scheme is delivered in line with the required standards. The FSA coordinates a regular national consistency exercise with local authorities to assess the consistent application of scoring at food hygiene inspections as required by the Food Law Code of Practice.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 reduce reliance on (a) voluntary and (b) charitable organisations to deliver core mental health services for older people; and what steps his Department plans to take to provide sustainable statutory funding to fill service gaps covered by the voluntary sector.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government values the huge contribution that voluntary and charitable organisations play in supporting older people with their mental health.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving assertive outreach, investing in mental health emergency departments and neighbourhood mental health centres, and increasing access to talking therapies and evidence-based digital interventions.
Spending on mental health support is forecast to increase by £688 million in cash terms this financial year. Details of future funding arrangements, including integrated care board allocations over the next three years, will be set out across revenue finance and contracting guidance, capital guidance, and published allocations in due course.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 ensure that cancer patients in Oxfordshire have timely access to radiotherapy services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients have access to timely diagnosis and treatments, including those in Oxfordshire.
We have invested £70 million of central funding into new radiotherapy treatment machines to replace older, less efficient machines. These new machines are currently being rolled out to trusts throughout the country. These newer machines will reduce treatment times, boost productivity, and allow more patients to be seen over the same period.
The National Cancer Plan, which we will publish in the new year, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will ensure patients, including those in Oxfordshire, have timely access to the latest treatments and technology.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77387 on Hormone Replacement Therapy, what steps he is taking to support women receiving treatment with Testo-100 HRT implants following (a) the recent recall of current stock by the distributor and (b) the current lack of alternative supplies of HRT implants.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and can confirm that we have engaged with specialist importers to understand if they can source this product, but unfortunately, they have not been able to. We have also approached a supplier which has a product that is licensed in the United States but are yet to receive a response.
In the longer term, the MHRA is working with the importer Smartway, in an expedited fashion, to encourage full United Kingdom Marketing Authorisations for these products in 2026, which if successful, should bring about a safer and more stable supply.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients accessed specialist weight management services operated by private providers through the Right to Choose pathway in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provided to integrated care boards to support access to these services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patients have a legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Patients can choose a clinically appropriate provider who holds a contract for the provision of National Health Services. This includes independent sector providers who hold contracts with integrated care boards (ICBs) across the country to deliver services for the NHS.
The Department does not hold data on whether patients were either offered a choice, or requested a choice, by provider or speciality pathway.
ICBs are responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area, in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. This includes specialist weight management services, which are commissioned and funded by ICBs. NHS England has provided additional funding for ICBs to develop their obesity care pathways to support the roll out of some obesity medicines that have previously only been available in specialist weight management services.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63715 on ADHD taskforce, when he expects the final report of the independent ADHD taskforce to be published.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the coming weeks, and the Government will carefully consider its recommendations.