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 he has had with NHS trusts on accountability measures for contracted NHS transport providers in instances where they repeatedly fail to meet required standards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such discussions have been held.
Local integrated care boards (ICBs) hold responsibility for the implementation of patient transport services at a local level, including monitoring and improving performance against targets. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.
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 eligibility criteria his Department plans to use for covid vaccination eligibility in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness (hospitalisations and deaths) arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.
The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.
On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:
The Government has no plans to change eligibility for autumn 2025. It has accepted the JCVI advice for this campaign in full. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.
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 plans to take to monitor coronavirus levels in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor COVID-19 through a variety of indicators and surveillance systems. Positive and negative laboratory tests, primarily taken in secondary health care settings, are reported through laboratory surveillance systems, and a sample of these positive tests are sequenced to monitor COVID-19 variants.
In primary care, the Royal College of General Practitioners’ surveillance centre reports on the testing of those attending sentinel general practices with respiratory symptoms. In addition, selected National Health Service trusts report on the number of COVID-19 admissions, and all NHS trusts report on intensive care unit and high-dependency unit COVID-19 cases. Local health protection teams will report on outbreaks of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, in settings such as care homes, schools, and places of detention.
These data are analysed and published by the UKHSA in weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Surveillance Report, which summarises information from the disease surveillance systems that are used to monitor seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Further information is available at the following link:
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 his Department has contingency plans in place to extend eligibility for coronavirus vaccinations if infection rates rise in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, hospitalisation and/or mortality arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity.
COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant. With rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged, the focus of the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality.
On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government decided, in line with this advice, that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in autumn 2025 to the following groups:
While the JCVI keeps the available data under regular review, there are no plans to offer vaccination through the national programme outside these JCVI-advised groups for autumn 2025. All those individuals who are eligible are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.
The JCVI has advised that the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant of concern which escaped from current widespread immunity, and therefore results in serious disease, in a wider range of individuals, is unlikely. However, if this scenario did emerge, the JCVI does not consider it likely that current vaccines would be effective. This means that expanding groups eligible for vaccination is unlikely to be clinically useful when compared with developing a new variant vaccine matched to the variant of concern. In this scenario, which the JCVI believes to be unlikely, new advice would be required on which groups were at risk of serious disease and should therefore be eligible for vaccination.
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 he has made of the potential impact of the 10 Year Plan for the NHS on migraine care.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. The GIRFT programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.
The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate.
NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with migraine.
There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which have the potential to have a very positive impact on care for patients with migraine. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including migraine, closer to home.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. The My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.
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 his Department has decided on the future availability of the Complex Cancer Late Effects Rehabilitation Service provided by Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body. NHS England commissions the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust’s Complex Cancer Late Effects Rehabilitation Service. NHS England has no immediate plans to decommission the rehabilitation service.
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, when NICE last reviewed its guidance on the (a) availability and (b) prescribing of T3 for the treatment of thyroid cancer; and whether he has plans to improve access to T3 for patients where it is clinically indicated.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not made any recommendations on the use of liothyronine in the treatment of thyroid cancer. NICE published a guideline on the assessment and management of thyroid cancer in December 2022. There are currently no plans to review the guideline.
NHS England produced advice for prescribers on the use of liothyronine, otherwise known as T3, in August 2023 that sets out details on those patients that may benefit from T3 and how prescribers can prescribe this medicine to those patients. It recommends liothyronine as part of the management of thyroid cancer in preparation for radioiodine remnant ablation and radioiodine therapy. The advice is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/liothyronine-advice-for-prescribers/
We are aware that liothyronine 20 microgram vials will be out of stock from October 2025 until the end of April 2026. NHS England will be issuing national communications containing advice during the period of disruption to supply of the licensed product, outlining the availability of unlicensed imports and other clinical alternatives. NHS England is not aware of any supply issues affecting oral presentations of liothyronine.
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 made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the job guarantee scheme for newly qualified nurses and midwives to include (a) occupational therapists, (b) physiotherapists and (c) other allied health professionals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to expand the job guarantee scheme to the professions highlighted, but the Government is committed to supporting all clinical staff in their careers. The new 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
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, on what date he last met with Baroness Casey to discuss her Commission on adult social care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.
The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to define her own engagement plans, including with ministers, based on what she believes is most appropriate for the commission’s work.
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 guidance he has issued to integrated care boards on commissioning pathways that guarantee immediate access to plasma exchange for patients with acute inflammatory neurological disorders.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England’s Specialised Neurology service specification outlines a networked model of care for neurology and stipulates that all specialised neurology centres should have access to timely plasma exchange services to patients with severe autoimmune neurological disorders. Although secondary care hospitals will not ordinarily have plasma exchange services on site, all secondary care hospitals are linked to a regional specialised neurology centre that can offer this treatment in a timely way.