Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of senior NHS leadership roles are held by Allied Health Professionals; and what steps he is taking to increase that proportion.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England do not currently hold a comprehensive central dataset on the proportion of all senior NHS Board-level roles held by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).
NHS England is actively seeking to increase representation from a broader range of professional backgrounds, including AHPs, across senior leadership pipelines. This includes aspiring Chair, aspiring Chief Executive, and aspiring Executive Director programmes. It also includes targeted development offers such as the Nye Bevan exceptional cohort for primary care, which is designed to support a broad primary care leadership pipeline, including AHPs and other primary care professional groups.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets the ambition for the National Health Service to have world-class leadership and management. The establishment of a new NHS College of Leadership and Management will provide the national infrastructure to support this and will help widen access to leadership development opportunities for a broader range of professional backgrounds, including AHPs.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
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 retain the chief allied health professions officer role following the abolition of NHS England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The proposed abolition of NHS England and associated transfer and modification of functions is subject to legislation and the will of Parliament. We will be engaging with partners inside and outside the organisations as the process to design the future Department of Health and Social Care continues.
The specific changes and impacts for particular groups employed by NHS England will be considered during the detailed design process for the future Department of Health and Social Care. Our aim is to ensure the future Department of Health and Social Care will have the right staff to be able to effectively discharge its accountabilities, including for workforce education, training and professional leadership for all of the clinical professions, including the Allied Health Professions. AHPs will continue to play a critical role in the new Department of Health and Social Care, just as they have in NHS England and at the frontline.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
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 trends in the level of referral rates for female urinary incontinence for women from minority-ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The data held on referrals to gynaecology services is not broken down by the reason of referral. This means it is not possible to identify referrals specifically for female urinary incontinence, either for the total population or for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Work is underway to improve how this data is collected and reported. This includes recording the reason for referral and, as more care moves from hospital to community settings, recording the place of treatment. These improvements are intended to give a clearer view of who is being referred and treated, which will in turn support action to identify and address any inequalities in access for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve referral rates for female urinary incontinence for women from minority-ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The data held on referrals to gynaecology services is not broken down by the reason of referral. This means it is not possible to identify referrals specifically for female urinary incontinence, either for the total population or for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Work is underway to improve how this data is collected and reported. This includes recording the reason for referral and, as more care moves from hospital to community settings, recording the place of treatment. These improvements are intended to give a clearer view of who is being referred and treated, which will in turn support action to identify and address any inequalities in access for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
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 improve data collection and reporting of rates of treatment in women with urinary continence from minority-ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The data held on referrals to gynaecology services is not broken down by the reason of referral. This means it is not possible to identify referrals specifically for female urinary incontinence, either for the total population or for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Work is underway to improve how this data is collected and reported. This includes recording the reason for referral and, as more care moves from hospital to community settings, recording the place of treatment. These improvements are intended to give a clearer view of who is being referred and treated, which will in turn support action to identify and address any inequalities in access for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the referral rate to hospital for female urinary incontinence treatment is for (a) the total population and (b) women from minority-ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The data held on referrals to gynaecology services is not broken down by the reason of referral. This means it is not possible to identify referrals specifically for female urinary incontinence, either for the total population or for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Work is underway to improve how this data is collected and reported. This includes recording the reason for referral and, as more care moves from hospital to community settings, recording the place of treatment. These improvements are intended to give a clearer view of who is being referred and treated, which will in turn support action to identify and address any inequalities in access for women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS's document entitled Neighbourhood health centre guidance for regions and integrated care boards published on 16 April 2026, whether physiotherapists are included in the community health team.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) will bring together general practice (GP) with a mix of community, local authority, adult social care, and civil society services, allowing staff to deliver more coordinated and effective care for better patient outcomes and experiences. As set out in the Neighbourhood Health Centre guidance for regions and integrated care boards, NHCs will at minimum be expected to include an on-site GP, community health, and integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs). These INTs bring together different professions and partners to work side by side to support people.
The range of services available within NHCs will reflect the needs of the local population, meaning provision may vary between areas depending on local health priorities and community demand. The mix of services and professions, including whether physiotherapy forms a part of the community health team in a given centre, will be decided locally by integrated care boards and regions.
We will publish our 10 Year Workforce plan to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients needs when they need it.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered exempting information on how to use adrenaline devices from restrictions only allowing medical professionals to access information about prescription medicines.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Following the approval of an adrenaline nasal spray by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in July 2025, the Government is considering whether any amendments to Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are appropriate. Any changes to access arrangements would represent an amendment to the current regulatory framework and would require consideration of patient safety and appropriate clinical use. Should changes be proposed, a public consultation would be undertaken.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been notified of the considerations being made by the Department in this area. NICE is not currently considering producing guidance on EURneffy. NICE will continue to monitor new evidence on this topic, in line with its usual processes. NICE has met with the National Institute for Health and Care Research which has agreed to explore whether research on this topic would be feasible and, if so, what research programme it might be suited to.
There are no restrictions on accessing information on how to use adrenaline devices, whether by a medical professional or member of the public. Guidance from the MHRA on their website and on YouTube includes information on the correct use of adrenaline auto-injectors and what to do in an emergency, with further information available at the following two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vNR5N1-iBw
The manufacturers of adrenaline devices also provide a range of training materials freely available to the public, including training devices without medication, guides on instructions for use, and video demonstrations.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of legislating to allow for community access to adrenaline.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Following the approval of an adrenaline nasal spray by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in July 2025, the Government is considering whether any amendments to Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are appropriate. Any changes to access arrangements would represent an amendment to the current regulatory framework and would require consideration of patient safety and appropriate clinical use. Should changes be proposed, a public consultation would be undertaken.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been notified of the considerations being made by the Department in this area. NICE is not currently considering producing guidance on EURneffy. NICE will continue to monitor new evidence on this topic, in line with its usual processes. NICE has met with the National Institute for Health and Care Research which has agreed to explore whether research on this topic would be feasible and, if so, what research programme it might be suited to.
There are no restrictions on accessing information on how to use adrenaline devices, whether by a medical professional or member of the public. Guidance from the MHRA on their website and on YouTube includes information on the correct use of adrenaline auto-injectors and what to do in an emergency, with further information available at the following two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vNR5N1-iBw
The manufacturers of adrenaline devices also provide a range of training materials freely available to the public, including training devices without medication, guides on instructions for use, and video demonstrations.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will update Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow for use of adrenaline nasal sprays.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Following the approval of an adrenaline nasal spray by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in July 2025, the Government is considering whether any amendments to Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are appropriate. Any changes to access arrangements would represent an amendment to the current regulatory framework and would require consideration of patient safety and appropriate clinical use. Should changes be proposed, a public consultation would be undertaken.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been notified of the considerations being made by the Department in this area. NICE is not currently considering producing guidance on EURneffy. NICE will continue to monitor new evidence on this topic, in line with its usual processes. NICE has met with the National Institute for Health and Care Research which has agreed to explore whether research on this topic would be feasible and, if so, what research programme it might be suited to.
There are no restrictions on accessing information on how to use adrenaline devices, whether by a medical professional or member of the public. Guidance from the MHRA on their website and on YouTube includes information on the correct use of adrenaline auto-injectors and what to do in an emergency, with further information available at the following two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vNR5N1-iBw
The manufacturers of adrenaline devices also provide a range of training materials freely available to the public, including training devices without medication, guides on instructions for use, and video demonstrations.