Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement that the UK National Screening Committee’s prostate cancer screening economic model will remain active, how will peer-reviewed evidence be incorporated into that process.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) keeps abreast of new research. When new peer reviewed evidence is published, the committee will assess its quality and relevance. If the evidence relates to an aspect the committee has not previously considered, for example biomarkers, then the new evidence will be assessed alongside other published evidence on that aspect. The committee uses evidence maps, and rapid and systematic reviews to ensure all relevant literature is included. The combined data results of such a review are then fed into the model.
If the new evidence changes the assessment of benefits and harms, then a draft recommendation would be made by the UK NSC, and this would be subject to a three month public consultation process, similar to that undertaken for the existing recommendation.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has regarding the commissioning of children's palliative care services at a national or a regional level.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Earlier this year, NHS England wrote to all integrated care boards (ICBs) requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint and the steps being taken to mitigate risks, as a matter of urgency. We have now repeated this exercise, also triangulating data received from independent hospices via Hospice UK. This has provided ministers and NHS England with a clear up-to-date national picture of any hospices at risk of closure or significant service reductions, and the potential impact on patients, families, and the wider health care system. NHS England will continue to support ICBs where risks are identified.
We are providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.
We are developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for palliative care and end-of-life care and recently published an interim update on the MSF in the form of a Written Ministerial Statement, accompanied by a letter containing further information for interested parties. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS88, which I gave to the House on 4 June 2026.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 level of reliance of children's hospices on reserves to maintain services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Earlier this year, NHS England wrote to all integrated care boards (ICBs) requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint and the steps being taken to mitigate risks, as a matter of urgency. We have now repeated this exercise, also triangulating data received from independent hospices via Hospice UK. This has provided ministers and NHS England with a clear up-to-date national picture of any hospices at risk of closure or significant service reductions, and the potential impact on patients, families, and the wider health care system. NHS England will continue to support ICBs where risks are identified.
We are providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.
We are developing a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for palliative care and end-of-life care and recently published an interim update on the MSF in the form of a Written Ministerial Statement, accompanied by a letter containing further information for interested parties. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS88, which I gave to the House on 4 June 2026.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many maternity units had temporary closures in each year since 2020; where those units were located; and how long each closure lasted.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We do not hold this data centrally. National Health Service commissioning bodies, such as integrated care boards, are responsible for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for local services. This makes sure that decisions are made locally and tailored to local population needs.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital overheating incidents were recorded in each month since March 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on overheating incidents in the National Health Service is collected annually as part of the Estates Return Information Collection, and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is in place to manage withdrawal symptoms of patients coming off antidepressant prescriptions.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidelines entitled Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults to assist clinicians in supporting patients prescribed medicines with the potential for withdrawal-related adverse effects, including information on how to safely reduce and withdraw the prescribing of these medicines. The guidelines are available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng215
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 patients are informed of the side effects of antidepressant medication prescriptions.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
When antidepressants are prescribed, the clinician responsible for the patient’s care should explain the medicine clearly. This should include a discussion with the patient about the possible benefits, risks, and side effects of treatment. Patients are also given a patient information leaflet (PIL) with each medicine. This explains possible side effects. The National Health Service website also has information on antidepressants, including possible side effects.
Patients and families raised concerns with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that the current warnings about some risks of antidepressants were not clear enough. In response, an Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) was set up to give independent advice to the MHRA on how risks could be explained more clearly to patients. This review has concluded and the MHRA is taking forward several recommendations with the marketing authorisation holders, including strengthened wording in the PIL, so that risks such as suicidal behaviour are clearer and easier for patients and their support network to understand. This work has been informed by a group of patients with a range of mental health conditions in line with CHM advice.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many major reviews into NHS maternity services have been undertaken since 2000.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to DEBRA UK's press release entitled EB patients being failed by prescription changes, published on 22 May 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies that four-fifths of epidermolysis bullosa patients have experienced unwarranted and potentially harmful changes by their GP surgeries to prescriptions for dressings and medication previously made by EB consultants.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Prescribers are responsible for ensuring treatments are clinically appropriate for their patients, taking specialist advice into account where relevant. Individual prescribing decisions, including for dressings and medicines, are a matter of clinical judgement based on patient need, national guidance on clinical effectiveness, and local integrated care board prescribing policies.
Subject to funding, clinicians may prescribe any National Health Service product they consider clinically necessary unless it is listed in Schedules 1 or 2 of the NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc.) Regulations 2004.
Clinicians should also have regard to the General Medical Council’s prescribing guidance, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices. However, this does not override their responsibility to make decisions in the patient’s best interests. Prescribing decisions should always be clinically appropriate and in patients’ best interests, including for those with rare and complex conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa. Where concerns arise about changes to treatment, patients and clinicians can seek advice from relevant specialist services. Further information on the Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices guidance is available at the following link:
NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders to understand any emerging issues relating to access to appropriate treatments and to ensure that care remains safe and effective.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 increase access to left atrial appendage occlusion in (a) Shropshire (b) the Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Left atrial appendage occlusion is a prescribed specialised service and is commissioned in accordance with NHS England’s published national clinical commissioning policy, with further information available at the following two links:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg349
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng196
NHS England’s regional specialised commissioners and integrated care boards are responsible for the monitoring of activity, reviewing of equity of access for their populations, and addressing variation through local oversight and clinical network.