Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
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) support research into (i) Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) and (ii) epilepsy-related mortality, (b) improve understanding of the causes of those deaths and (c) identify effective prevention measures.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has funded a range of ongoing and completed epilepsy research, including research into the development of a wireless intracranial neuromonitoring device for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
NHS England has produced the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit, and one of the key focuses of the toolkit is reducing epilepsy-related deaths, including SUDEP. The toolkit includes several recommendations for identifying those who are most at risk of an epilepsy-related death and preventing SUDEP.
In addition, the Royal College of General Practitioners aims to raise awareness of SUDEP amongst general practitioners and other primary care professionals, through its e-learning modules on SUDEP and seizure safety, which were developed in collaboration with SUDEP Action and last updated in December 2024.
Health Education England, now part of NHS England, has also developed an Epilepsy Programme in collaboration with SUDEP Action, which is designed to enable healthcare professionals, particularly those who are not specialists in epilepsy, to better understand SUDEP and how the risk of SUDEP can be reduced.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
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 (a) launch a further review into and (b) consider the potential merits of (i) recognition and (ii) redress for people affected by the historic use of Primodos.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered because of using hormone pregnancy tests.
An Expert Working Group of the Independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) reviewed the available scientific evidence in 2017 and concluded that the evidence does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Following a review of the more recent evidence, the CHM concluded in November 2024 that it does not provide any new scientific evidence demonstrating that the medicinal components of hormone pregnancy tests could disrupt a pregnancy.
It is not currently the Government’s intention to review the findings of the Expert Working Group, however we are committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.
Because a causal link between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy has not been demonstrated, the previous administration did not ask the Patient Safety Commissioner to look at redress for hormone pregnancy tests as part of the Hughes Report.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
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 increase the supply of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy medicines to patients in Wales.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has worked in close partnership with the devolved administrations in the management of this supply issue. The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this work, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.
In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals, which was then discussed with and cascaded to all the devolved administrations. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.
The Department has frequent conversations with representatives from the impacted patient groups, so that they are informed of the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.
The Department will also continue to meet with suppliers, patient groups, and other relevant stakeholders across the supply chain to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address them.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
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 support the adoption of health technology innovation in the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is looking to encourage greater innovation in the health sector to help support the three big shifts in healthcare, from hospitals to communities, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention, which are set out as part of the Government’s Health Mission.
The upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, as part of the United Kingdom’s industrial strategy, and the 10-Year Health Plan present significant opportunities to strengthen the UK’s life sciences sector and ensure that innovation is embedded across the healthcare system. This will build on the Department’s MedTech Strategy, published in February 2023, and the subsequent One Year On Report in April 2024, outlining our priorities for improving the adoption and spread of safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies across the National Health Service.
The 15 Health Innovation Networks across England are our regional support structure for the development and adoption of health innovation. These networks are health innovation adoption experts, with each delivering services for their local population, as well as working as a national network. They transform lives through innovation by supporting health and social care teams to find, test, and implement new solutions at scale to tackle one of the NHS’ greatest challenges, driving economic growth.