Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 improve (a) awareness and (b) training among GPs on the (i) diagnosis and (ii) management of balance disorders.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
NICE provides evidence‑based guidance relevant to the diagnosis and management of conditions that may cause balance disorders, helping to ensure consistent and high‑quality care. In addition, programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and NHS RightCare support improvements in service quality and help to reduce unwarranted variation.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the General Medical Council introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.
The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council.
Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 merits of a funded domestic adult social care workforce plan, in the context of levels of (a) demand for NHS services and (b) recent trends in healthy life expectancy in local areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions regarding any potential workforce plan publication for social care remain under consideration and no final position has been reached. In line with the manifesto, the Department is committed to ensuring the publication of regular, independent workforce planning, across health and social care.
Social care makes an important contribution to managing demand for services in the National Health Service, and care workers are essential to those who draw on care and support, helping them maintain their quality of life, independence and connection to the things that matter to them. Care workers deserve to be recognised and supported for the important work they do.
That is why the Department is supporting the Adult Social Care workforce by improving terms and conditions through introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement backed by £500 million funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce, as well as supporting career development and progression by implementing the first ever career structure and investing up to £10 million in training and qualifications.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy since the approval of gene therapy treatment have been assessed as ineligible for treatment because diagnosis occurred after symptoms developed.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Libmeldy, the gene therapy treatment for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) has been funded nationally by NHS England since 2022 and is delivered exclusively through the specialist children’s service at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Information on referrals and clinical eligibility decisions for patients who do not proceed to treatment is held by the hospital and is not collected centrally by NHS England.
We recognise the importance of people living with a rare disease receiving the right diagnosis as early as possible. The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as MLD, under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework, including getting a final diagnosis faster. The Generation Study is now underway in selected National Health Service hospitals and is screening for more than 200 rare genetic conditions, including MLD. By identifying affected babies earlier, the study has the potential to enable faster diagnosis and access to specialist care and treatment.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 adequacy of the progress towards improving consistency of access to Fracture Liaison Services; and what steps he is taking to support the development and implementation of plans to achieve comprehensive national coverage by 2030.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) across every part of the country by 2030.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) remain well-placed to make decisions according to local need.
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy sets an expectation that ICBs prioritise community-based models when commissioning new fracture prevention services.
The FLS database, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians, provides an annual report of the number of FLSs in England and Wales that have submitted data. The database is available at the following link:
https://www.fffap.org.uk/FLS/charts.nsf/benchmarks?ReadForm&yr=2025&vw=BALL&org1=
The FLS-DB annual report 2026 is available at the following link:
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 ensure that local integration care boards implement the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services, with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.
We will publish an interim update on the MSF shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the interim statement on the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services, with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.
We will publish an interim update on the MSF shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will engage with the ME community to develop an interim plan for supporting people with very severe ME until suitable long-term provision is in place nationally.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan
The plan focuses on three main areas to improve care and support for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.
The Department worked closely with ME/CFS patients, carers, clinicians, charities, research funders and researchers throughout the development of the plan. This engagement has helped to shape new and more ambitious actions that deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.
Due to transformation in NHS England, the decision has been made to delay the action to review a case for a specialised service commission until April 2027. Until this time, integrated care boards (ICBs) should continue to commission appropriate services for patients with very severe ME/CFS as needed. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of services for all severity levels of ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department are developing a new template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS which will include reference to severe and very severe ME/CFS. Officials, alongside stakeholders, are considering interim measures to support people with very severe ME/CFS.
The Department and NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders across and beyond government and the NHS to progress the agreed actions set out in the plan and to ensure the best possible care for people with ME/CFS.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 support people with very severe ME following the decision to pause development of a national specialist service until April 2027.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan
The plan focuses on three main areas to improve care and support for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.
The Department worked closely with ME/CFS patients, carers, clinicians, charities, research funders and researchers throughout the development of the plan. This engagement has helped to shape new and more ambitious actions that deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.
Due to transformation in NHS England, the decision has been made to delay the action to review a case for a specialised service commission until April 2027. Until this time, integrated care boards (ICBs) should continue to commission appropriate services for patients with very severe ME/CFS as needed. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of services for all severity levels of ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department are developing a new template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS which will include reference to severe and very severe ME/CFS. Officials, alongside stakeholders, are considering interim measures to support people with very severe ME/CFS.
The Department and NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders across and beyond government and the NHS to progress the agreed actions set out in the plan and to ensure the best possible care for people with ME/CFS.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to introduce mandatory, up-to-date menopause training for all general practitioners; and whether there will be measures to ensure consistency in diagnosis and treatment across NHS services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that more needs to be done to support women experiencing the menopause. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service.
General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on menopause, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the GMC.
NICE published their updated guideline in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for menopause symptoms. The updated guideline aims to support healthcare professionals by providing them with the information they need to support evidence-based decisions about treatment choices, as well as information and support about menopause. The guideline recommends hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms, and also recommends that for people over 40 years old healthcare professionals should consider menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy as an option for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause in addition to HRT. HRT is the main treatment for menopause symptoms, and NICE recommends that for most women it is safe and effective.
The new women’s health data dashboard released last week reports on HRT use in different areas of the country and provides one measure of how consistently services are being provided.
NHS England will shortly publish an equity framework which will help systems identify and tackle inequalities in access to menopause care and regularly report on differences in HRT use for women of different ethnicities and of different socio-economic status.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the capacity is of NHS specialist menopause services; and what average waiting times are for women accessing these services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialist menopause services, although we do hold data on the broader gynaecology specialism, of which menopause services are a part. As of the end of January 2026, the median average waiting time for specialist gynaecology services is 15.3 weeks, with 56.9% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, up 1.8% from January 2025.
The Department does not hold detailed information on the capacity of National Health Service specialist menopause services.
The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace. Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.