Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the University of Nottingham's Future Nottingham restructuring programme on NHS clinical service delivery, including the number of clinical academic posts at risk, the clinical sessions provided by those postholders to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the arrangements for ensuring continuity of NHS services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made by the Department. Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria her Department will use to assess the further rollout of community water fluoridation in areas where oral health outcomes are poorest, whether Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands will be included in that assessment, and when she expects it to be completed.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on the assessment of further water fluoridation will be based on feasibility studies and other epidemiological data. Severn Trent Water has been commissioned to complete a study across the Midlands, which will finish by 31 March 2027. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056982-2026
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the answer of 5 February 2026 to question 90176, what progress she has made on her assessment of the adequacy of (a) fresh-freezing, (b) snap-freezing and (c) flash frozen capacity for brain cancer tissue samples across NHS trusts in England.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 22 September to Question HL2877.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to ensure the continued availability of prescription medicines which do not contain artificial sweeteners for patients with adverse reactions to those substances.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF), published on 7 July, sets out 12 immediate priorities for the next three years to drive measurable improvements in outcomes and reduce inequalities. This includes a priority on hypertension treatment to target for people without cardiovascular disease. A delivery plan to support the system to implement the CVD MSF will be published later this year. More information about the CVD MSF is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework
The Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to identify, monitor and manage patients with hypertension, while the CVD Prevention Audit helps practices improve blood pressure detection and control through data-driven quality improvement. The framework and audit are available respectively at the following two links:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/hypertension/goals-outcome-measures/qof-indicators/
https://www.cvdprevent.nhs.uk/
The National Health Service outcomes and oversight architecture supports better hypertension outcomes by creating national accountability for cardiovascular outcomes and, through the NHS Oversight Framework 2026/27, by holding systems to account for improving blood pressure control among people with diagnosed hypertension. This framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-oversight-framework-2026-27/
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to guanfacine through primary care for patients with ADHD.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, including in relation to the issues raised by the Hon Member.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
Guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are not in shortage, and the supplier base has recently expanded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for ADHD assessments; and what steps she is taking to help tackle shortages in the supply of Guanfacine.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.
The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, including in relation to the issues raised by the Hon Member.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises
Guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are not in shortage, and the supplier base has recently expanded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 the potential impact of redundancies among university-employed clinical academics on NHS clinical capacity; how many NHS programmed activities are currently provided by university-employed clinical academics; and what estimate has been made of the potential additional cost to NHS trusts of replacing clinical activity lost as a consequence of reductions in university clinical academic posts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education on an on-going basis covering a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, while delivering value for money for taxpayers.
Decisions regarding the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) and any potential impact of such decisions on university budgets or staffing are a matter for the Department for Education, who manage the SPG and associated budget.
The Department of Health and Social Care has had no discussions with the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust or the University of Nottingham regarding the Future Nottingham restructuring programme. Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Education concerning the withdrawal of Strategic Priorities Grant support for clinical academic pay, and what assessment has been made of whether reductions in university clinical academic posts resulting from financial pressures on higher education could increase NHS workforce expenditure.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education on an on-going basis covering a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, while delivering value for money for taxpayers.
Decisions regarding the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) and any potential impact of such decisions on university budgets or staffing are a matter for the Department for Education, who manage the SPG and associated budget.
The Department of Health and Social Care has had no discussions with the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust or the University of Nottingham regarding the Future Nottingham restructuring programme. Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has discussed with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham the potential effect of the Future Nottingham restructuring programme on the number of clinical academic staff providing NHS services and on the clinical capacity available to the Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education on an on-going basis covering a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, while delivering value for money for taxpayers.
Decisions regarding the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) and any potential impact of such decisions on university budgets or staffing are a matter for the Department for Education, who manage the SPG and associated budget.
The Department of Health and Social Care has had no discussions with the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust or the University of Nottingham regarding the Future Nottingham restructuring programme. Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the government is taking to increase the delivery of osteoporosis clinics within the East Midlands.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In Lincolnshire, investment has been made to increase access to osteoporosis diagnosis and secondary fracture prevention. There are three dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanners serving the county, and an additional scanner at Grantham, operational since March 2024, which has helped to reduce waiting times across the county by supporting patients to typically be seen within two to three weeks.
Alongside increased diagnostic capacity, the local service plans to provide bone mineral density scanning, bone health advice, therapy-compliance support, and bone health and falls assessments. With ongoing service development, the fracture liaison element aims to support patients by telephone or through outpatient clinics, with the aim of identifying people at risk following a fragility fracture and reducing the likelihood of further fractures.
At the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), osteoporosis care is provided through the Osteoporosis and Fracture Liaison Service. The service is delivered by a multidisciplinary team comprising four consultant specialists and 3.9 whole-time equivalent clinical nurse specialists, who run both consultant-led and nurse-led clinics. Referrals are accepted from general practices, hospital specialties, and orthopaedic fracture clinics, ensuring patients can access specialist assessment following a fracture or where osteoporosis is suspected. Dedicated clinics are provided across the trust, including a monthly clinic at Queen's Hospital Burton.
The service offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment pathways, with DEXA bone density scanners available at multiple sites to support timely diagnosis. Once diagnosed, patients can access osteoporosis treatments through medical day case units at both hospital sites. When staffing allows, the team also delivers patient education sessions in community settings to help people better understand their condition and reduce their risk of future fractures.
UHDB has recently strengthened its diagnostic capability through the Department’s funding for a new state-of-the-art DEXA scanner for Queen's Hospital Burton. The trust has recently strengthened diagnostic capacity through the installation of a new DEXA scanner as part of the community diagnostic centre (CDC) phase 2 programme at Walton Hospital. This additional capacity is helping to improve access to diagnostic testing and support earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Performance data for July 2026 showed that 89% of patients received their DEXA scan within six weeks, helping ensure timely assessment and reducing waiting times for patients requiring investigation of osteoporosis and bone health conditions.
There is a hospital service for Mid-Nottinghamshire provided by Sherwood Forest Hospitals. This provides the diagnosis and initial treatment following fragility fracture and the more complex ongoing treatment, with primary care providing less complex ongoing treatment. In the city and south, Nottingham University Hospitals provide the initial diagnosis following a fragility fracture, and the more complex treatment is provided by Nottingham CityCare in the community, with primary care providing a service for less complex care.