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 his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the list of allergens which require highlighting on food products to include botanically classified ingredients such as pine nuts.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are many foods that people might be allergic to, but the current list of 14 allergens, defined in legislation, are those established as the most common allergenic ingredients or processing aids of public health concern across Europe. They must be clearly identified on prepacked foods and communicated effectively when eating out. Foods like pine nuts are not classified as tree nuts and as such are not named in the regulations.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working with the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other stakeholders to gather more information on hidden and emerging food allergens, which will help assess the need for further research and work in this area. Any change to the current list of the 14 mandated allergens would need to be supported by robust evidence and thoroughly assessed.
The FSA continues to monitor the situation closely but at present there are no plans to amend the regulated list of 14 allergens. It advises those with an allergy or intolerance to foods outside of the mandated allergens should be able to check the ingredients list and avoid foods they need to, and in restaurants they should ask the person serving them if the food they wish to avoid is used in any of the dishes to make the right choices.
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 his Department is taking to (a) increase awareness and (b) increase training for first aid for epilepsy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the importance of increasing public understanding of epilepsy and ensuring that people who witness a seizure know how to respond safely. The National Health Service website provides clear, accessible first‑aid information on managing an epileptic seizure, including when to call 999 and how to keep a person safe until the seizure ends.
This is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary scenario on managing an epileptic seizure, which gives evidence‑based advice for clinicians on seizure first aid and post‑seizure assessment. The guidance advises health professionals to ensure that families and carers know exactly what to do during a seizure, including basic first aid and when to call an ambulance. For those at risk of prolonged or repeated seizures, the guidance also advises that an individualised emergency management plan should be agreed upon, detailing any prescribed rescue medication and who is trained to use it.
Sector‑specific guidance is also available to support wider awareness. The Department for Education provides materials for schools on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including epilepsy care plans and seizure‑response guidance for teachers and school staff. In workplaces, the Health and Safety Executive provide information for employers and colleagues on responding appropriately to seizures, ensuring safety, and enabling people with epilepsy to participate fully in work.
In addition, voluntary sector organisations like Epilepsy Action work alongside the NHS on public awareness campaigns on tonic-clonic seizure first aid, featuring CARE, or Comfort, Action, and Reassure, techniques.
Together, these resources help ensure that members of the public, professionals, and employers have access to reliable information on seizure first aid.
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 his Department is taking to support the diagnosis and treatment of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are robust, standardised criteria in place for diagnosing and treating hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). Babies who meet these criteria are managed through regional networked pathways established by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine framework.
Treatment approaches are evidence-based and tailored to the severity of the condition. For infants diagnosed with moderate to severe HIE, therapeutic hypothermia is the recommended intervention and is typically initiated within the first six hours following birth.
To further support the diagnosis and treatment of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, research is underway to enhance our understanding of neonatal brain function following therapeutic cooling. Data relating to brain injury is also being incorporated into the Maternity Outcomes Signal System, which will trigger service-led critical safety checks, offering early insights into potential intrapartum care safety issues, and facilitating rapid intervention to reduce harm and improve outcomes for affected babies.
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 his Department is taking to support families who have experienced an hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy event, including the provision of mental health support.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) programme provides independent, standardised, and family focused investigations for families, and where relevant, makes safety recommendations to improve services at a local level and across the whole maternity healthcare system in England. All cases of term hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) are referred to the programme for external and independent review. As part of the programme’s investigatory process, families are provided a named MNSI investigator as a dedicated point of contact, and are also supported by local trusts.
Mental health services are also available in all areas of England for women who have pre-existing mental health needs prior to their pregnancy, as well as for those who experience mental health difficulties during or as a result of their pregnancy, labour, or birth.
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 his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of achalasia.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the diagnosis and treatment of achalasia. Work is underway to support an increase in the use of the Advice and Refer/Single Point of Access model, which can in turn improve waiting times for all gastro patients, including those with achalasia or suspected achalasia.
More broadly, the Neighbourhood Health Framework has now been published, and will enable a more joined-up approach that delivers more preventative, local, personalised, and digitally enabled care for everyone, including for people living with achalasia. Central to the plans are neighbourhood health centres, which will bring more care closer to where people live. This is supported by the NHS App, which will become a health companion that makes it easier for patients to access the National Health Service. It will give patients a seamless experience across their health journey.
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 his Department is taking to utilise spare capacity in the chiropractic sector to support those with back pain.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England does not nationally commission chiropractic care as it is a complementary and alternative medicine. Integrated care boards can make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ and may commission a limited amount of such treatment.
There are currently no plans to review the categorisation of chiropractic care as a complementary and alternative medicine. Where musculoskeletal treatment is required, referrals will be made to physiotherapists where appropriate.
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 his department are taking to improve recognition and provision for people with long COVID.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has invested significantly in supporting people with long covid. This includes setting up specialist post-COVID-19, or long covid, services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, and investing in ensuring general practice teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.
Since April 2024, in line with the National Health Service operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, the commissioning of post-COVID-19 services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards to meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding.
To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post Covid and Post Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long covid.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research and Medical Research Council, which is part of UK Research and Innovation, are committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for long covid, including for children and young people. This includes the world’s largest longitudinal cohort study to understand the impact of long covid in children, the Children and young people with Long-Covid study.
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 his department are taking to improve A) diagnosis and B) treatment of children with long COVID.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has invested significantly in supporting people with long covid. This includes setting up specialist post-COVID-19, or long covid, services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, and investing in ensuring general practice teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.
Since April 2024, in line with the National Health Service operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, the commissioning of post-COVID-19 services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards to meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding.
To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post Covid and Post Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long covid.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research and Medical Research Council, which is part of UK Research and Innovation, are committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment for long covid, including for children and young people. This includes the world’s largest longitudinal cohort study to understand the impact of long covid in children, the Children and young people with Long-Covid study.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15949 on Achalasia: Health Services, when the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification was last updated.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pathways for managing patients with achalasia are set out in the NHS England Specialised Commissioning Paediatric Medicine: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service Specification. The current specification was published in 2013/14, and there are no plans to update this specification at this time. The specification sets out that patients with achalasia should be managed within Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterology Centres under the care of an expert multidisciplinary team.
Patients with achalasia may also receive care from a specialist surgical team, within Specialised Surgery in Children services, to help manage their condition. The NHS England Specialised Surgery in Children service specification sets out standards for these services, and an updated specification is due for publication in 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, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of lowering the income threshold for the NHS salary sacrifice car scheme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made. Employers in the National Health Service offer a broad range of salary sacrifice schemes which have varying values and requirements. The interaction with the national minimum wage must be considered for all employees who participate in one or more of these schemes. Participation must not mean that an employee’s cash earnings fall below the National Minimum Wage. This is not new policy and is not specific to the NHS.