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 changes her Department has made or plans to make to the New Hospitals Programme as a result of the fall in projected capital spending in Budget 2026 compared to Budget 2025, including changes to specific projects, their timelines and scope.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member and the Rt Hon. Member to the answer provided on 3 November in response to Question 39071.
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 Autumn Budget 2026 and the Defence Investment Plan, what capital reallocation she has agreed for her Department for each year of the spending review period, and whether projects have been cancelled as a result.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s contribution to the Defence Investment Plan will avoid any impact on the delivery of frontline NHS services, patient safety, investment in technology, or the New Hospital Programme (NHP). We remain fully committed to delivering all 46 hospitals in the NHP, including the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete replacement hospitals, and no projects within the programme will be delayed as a result of the Budget announcements.
Large capital programmes are designed to be flexible because projects develop at different speeds and funding needs change over time. That flexibility means that we can redeploy some funding from NHS capital projects to the Defence Investment Plan without affecting their overall delivery. The NHS continues to benefit from record levels of capital investment, and we are reforming how these projects are delivered by cutting red tape, speeding up approvals and giving local leaders more freedom to initiate their own plans.
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 2026 Budget, what representations she has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on her Department's capital allocation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s contribution to the Defence Investment Plan will avoid any impact on the delivery of frontline NHS services, patient safety, investment in technology, or the New Hospital Programme (NHP). We remain fully committed to delivering all 46 hospitals in the NHP, including the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete replacement hospitals, and no projects within the programme will be delayed as a result of the Budget announcements.
Large capital programmes are designed to be flexible because projects develop at different speeds and funding needs change over time. That flexibility means that we can redeploy some funding from NHS capital projects to the Defence Investment Plan without affecting their overall delivery. The NHS continues to benefit from record levels of capital investment, and we are reforming how these projects are delivered by cutting red tape, speeding up approvals and giving local leaders more freedom to initiate their own plans.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 28 August 2026 to Question 22124 on Advice and guidance services, whether her Department plans to complete the assessment of the adequacy of advice and guidance before the expansion of advice and guidance and single point of access.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has commissioned an external evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes, which will support continued safe and effective implementation, and inform improvements.
In the meantime, the National Health Service continues to expand these services to ensure that patients receive quick specialist advice and a clear next step for their care.
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 her Department has made of trends in the level of variation in prices paid by NHS trusts in England for medical devices and consumables; and what the difference was between the average price paid and the lowest price paid for the 20 highest-spend product categories in 2025-26.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Based on available NHS Spend Comparison Service data, National Health Service trusts in England are estimated to have spent approximately £8.8 billion on secondary care medical technology products and consumables. Full-year data for 2025/26 was not available, so data covering 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026 has been used as a proxy.
NHS Supply Chain reported a market share of 67.7% for 2025/26, as set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. However, the scope and methodology underpinning these figures differ, meaning they cannot be directly compared to reliably estimate either the value or proportion of NHS trust expenditure outside NHS Supply Chain.
The Department does not hold information on the level of variation in prices paid by NHS trusts, or the difference between average and lowest prices. While the Department has considered Spend Comparison Service data on prices paid for medical devices and consumables, differences in products, purchasing arrangements and transactions mean that variation, average and lowest observed prices are not directly comparable within product categories. For the same reasons, it is not possible to reliably estimate the savings that could be achieved if NHS trusts paid the lowest available national price, as prices also reflect purchasing volumes and contractual arrangements, and the lowest price observed in transactional data does not represent a price available to every NHS trust.
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 much NHS trusts in England spent on medical devices and consumables purchased outside the NHS Supply Chain in 2025-26; and what proportion of total spend on those items that represented.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Based on available NHS Spend Comparison Service data, National Health Service trusts in England are estimated to have spent approximately £8.8 billion on secondary care medical technology products and consumables. Full-year data for 2025/26 was not available, so data covering 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026 has been used as a proxy.
NHS Supply Chain reported a market share of 67.7% for 2025/26, as set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. However, the scope and methodology underpinning these figures differ, meaning they cannot be directly compared to reliably estimate either the value or proportion of NHS trust expenditure outside NHS Supply Chain.
The Department does not hold information on the level of variation in prices paid by NHS trusts, or the difference between average and lowest prices. While the Department has considered Spend Comparison Service data on prices paid for medical devices and consumables, differences in products, purchasing arrangements and transactions mean that variation, average and lowest observed prices are not directly comparable within product categories. For the same reasons, it is not possible to reliably estimate the savings that could be achieved if NHS trusts paid the lowest available national price, as prices also reflect purchasing volumes and contractual arrangements, and the lowest price observed in transactional data does not represent a price available to every NHS trust.
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 estimate her Department has made of the savings from NHS trusts in England paying the lowest available national price for medical devices and consumables.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Based on available NHS Spend Comparison Service data, National Health Service trusts in England are estimated to have spent approximately £8.8 billion on secondary care medical technology products and consumables. Full-year data for 2025/26 was not available, so data covering 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026 has been used as a proxy.
NHS Supply Chain reported a market share of 67.7% for 2025/26, as set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. However, the scope and methodology underpinning these figures differ, meaning they cannot be directly compared to reliably estimate either the value or proportion of NHS trust expenditure outside NHS Supply Chain.
The Department does not hold information on the level of variation in prices paid by NHS trusts, or the difference between average and lowest prices. While the Department has considered Spend Comparison Service data on prices paid for medical devices and consumables, differences in products, purchasing arrangements and transactions mean that variation, average and lowest observed prices are not directly comparable within product categories. For the same reasons, it is not possible to reliably estimate the savings that could be achieved if NHS trusts paid the lowest available national price, as prices also reflect purchasing volumes and contractual arrangements, and the lowest price observed in transactional data does not represent a price available to every NHS trust.
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 has been made of the potential merits of all bone fractures in menopausal women triggering an immediate osteoporosis assessment.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April, recognises that the symptoms and health impacts of menopause are often overlooked and poorly understood, and commits to improving information so women can ensure their symptoms are effectively managed, including through evidence-based treatments.
We are introducing specific content on menopause into the NHS Health Check for eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old, helping women to recognise common symptoms and access trusted information and support, including information about the wider health impacts of menopause. The list of useful resources to which women will be signposted includes information on the links between bone health and the menopause.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the risk assessment of osteoporosis recommends that fragility fracture risk should be assessed in all women who have experienced menopause and have had a previous fragility fracture. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng259
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 she has made of the potential need for better awareness around menopause-related health complications, such as osteoporosis.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April, recognises that the symptoms and health impacts of menopause are often overlooked and poorly understood, and commits to improving information so women can ensure their symptoms are effectively managed, including through evidence-based treatments.
We are introducing specific content on menopause into the NHS Health Check for eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old, helping women to recognise common symptoms and access trusted information and support, including information about the wider health impacts of menopause. The list of useful resources to which women will be signposted includes information on the links between bone health and the menopause.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the risk assessment of osteoporosis recommends that fragility fracture risk should be assessed in all women who have experienced menopause and have had a previous fragility fracture. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng259
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 are being taken to help ensure that young women are aware of the impact of menopause on bone density.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April, recognises that the symptoms and health impacts of menopause are often overlooked and poorly understood, and commits to improving information so women can ensure their symptoms are effectively managed, including through evidence-based treatments.
We are introducing specific content on menopause into the NHS Health Check for eligible women aged 40 to 55 years old, helping women to recognise common symptoms and access trusted information and support, including information about the wider health impacts of menopause. The list of useful resources to which women will be signposted includes information on the links between bone health and the menopause.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the risk assessment of osteoporosis recommends that fragility fracture risk should be assessed in all women who have experienced menopause and have had a previous fragility fracture. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng259