Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the value of the complex lens voucher supplements; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that support in meeting the cost of spectacles for patients with complex prescriptions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
National Health Service optical vouchers are primarily targeted at children and individuals on low incomes to help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses. The NHS complex lens voucher is a separate contribution available to eligible individuals with complex prescriptions who do not qualify for a main NHS optical voucher on income grounds.
The value of NHS optical vouchers and associated supplements is kept under annual review as part of the Department’s usual fee-setting process. No decisions have yet been made on voucher values or supplements for 2026/27.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the value of NHS optical vouchers; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing those values to reflect changes in the cost of spectacles and contact lenses since April 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
National Health Service optical vouchers are primarily targeted at children and individuals on low incomes to help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses. The NHS complex lens voucher is a separate contribution available to eligible individuals with complex prescriptions who do not qualify for a main NHS optical voucher on income grounds.
The value of NHS optical vouchers and associated supplements is kept under annual review as part of the Department’s usual fee-setting process. No decisions have yet been made on voucher values or supplements for 2026/27.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to undertake a review of ADHD diagnostic pathways, including the role of independent sector providers, to ensure assessments are evidence-based, clinically robust and consistent across England.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.
Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.
The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has held discussions with the Care Quality Commission regarding the regulation and inspection of independent providers offering ADHD assessment services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.
Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.
The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered introducing a nationally recognised accreditation or registration scheme for providers undertaking ADHD assessments.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.
Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.
The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether measures are in place to monitor adherence by ADHD assessment providers to NICE guidelines and UK Adult ADHD Network recommendations.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.
Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.
The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the evidence base for mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid; what consideration has been given to potential risks associated with long term population-wide exposure; and if he will publish a full risk-benefit analysis for this policy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Government laid legislation in England on 14 November 2024 to introduce the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid. The policy is estimated to prevent approximately 200 babies being born with neural tube defects each year. Legislation will come into force in December 2026. An assessment of the impact of the policy was published alongside the legislation, and is available at the following link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1162/pdfs/uksiod_20241162_en_001.pdf
This public health policy has a long history and was recommended in 2006 by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which advises the four United Kingdom governments on nutrition-related matters, after an extensive review of the evidence on folate and health. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-folate-and-disease-prevention-report
Since then, there have been several further evidence reviews and modelling work to establish the level of folic acid added to flour as well as addressing concerns about potential adverse effects.
The policy was subject to extensive consultation. The evidence supporting the policies was included in the 2019 Department of Health and Social Care and devolved governments consultation on the proposal to add folic acid to flour and in a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the devolved governments on the Bread and Flour review in 2022. The two consultations are available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/food-compositional-standards/bread-and-flour-consultation-2022/
The Government is exploring how to evaluate the impact of the policy.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 resilience of digital appointment booking systems used by NHS phlebotomy and outpatient services; and what steps he is taking to ensure that patients are notified promptly when such systems are unavailable.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Each National Health Service provider is responsible for the procurement and operation of appointment booking systems, as well as communication with patients about their appointments. National guidance expects trusts to use the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) when buying and implementing digital health tech. DTAC covers standards, policies, and best practice for clinical safety, data protection, technical security, interoperability, usability and accessibility.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 ensure that pathology test results can be transferred electronically between NHS pathology providers and GP practices that use different laboratory information management systems.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Historically, each National Health Service trust has had a separate Laboratory Information and Management System (LIMS), which precludes the seamless digital sharing of pathology results and reports between trusts.
NHS England has provided funding and expertise to support each of the 27 pathology networks in England to build interoperable LIMS platforms across their member trusts. This will allow each trust in a pathology network to share the results and reports with all other trusts in that network. To date, 12 of the 27 networks have delivered this capability, with a further eight networks expected to reach that point by March 2027. NHS England is now commencing work on a National Pathology Platform, which will seek to allow pathology results to be shared between all trusts in England by March 2029.
NHS England is also supporting the transition from legacy pathology messaging standards to a new, modernised set of national standards to enable the seamless electronic transfer of test results between NHS pathology providers and general practices, regardless of the LIMS in use.
This programme is focused on developing and validating consistent messaging formats and data structures that improve interoperability, reduce reliance on manual processes, and minimise the risk of errors or delays in reporting. The work also recognises the need to extend and mature these standards to ensure they comprehensively cover all pathology specialities, supporting both test requesting and results reporting across all care settings. These standards will not only improve timeliness, accuracy, and continuity of care, but also provide the foundation for integration with wider diagnostic services, including genomics and blood and transplant systems. In doing so, they support more joined-up clinical pathways and underpin the longer-term ambition of integrated care and a single patient record across the NHS.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling patients to attend any NHS phlebotomy services for blood tests requested by their GP irrespective of the pathology provider with which their GP practice is contracted.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Decisions on the organisation of phlebotomy and pathology services are made locally by integrated care boards and National Health Service providers, reflecting local clinical pathways, safety requirements, and operational arrangements. This includes ensuring that providers have appropriate access to the original general practice test request so that the correct tests are taken, samples are handled and labelled safely, and results are returned to the requesting clinician.
Local arrangements are closely linked to laboratory systems, digital requesting and reporting processes, and established transport and handling requirements for samples. Enabling universal access across providers irrespective of existing arrangements would therefore require careful consideration of clinical governance, sample integrity, digital interoperability, and funding flows.
The Department recognises the potential benefits to patients of more flexible access to blood testing. The NHS is improving access to diagnostic services, including through community diagnostic centres and testing closer to home, and is taking forward wider work to improve data sharing and integration across services to support more joined‑up diagnostic pathways over time.