Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the NICE guidelines for Dysmenorrhoea, Adenomyosis, and Chronic Pelvic Pain conditions to be published.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has no current plans to develop standalone guidelines on dysmenorrhoea, adenomyosis, and chronic pelvic pain.
There are existing NICE guidelines on heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pain, and endometriosis. There is also a Clinical Knowledge Summary on dysmenorrhoea that summarises the current evidence base and provides practical advice for primary care professionals.
Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s chief medical officer.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to improve the educational provision for health professionals in the (a) diagnosis, (b) prevention and (b) management of chronic pelvic pain in the field of imaging.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the management of long-term conditions, as reflected in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, and in our 10-Year Health Plan. Part of this will be reforming patient pathways to ensure patients with chronic conditions receive joined-up, rounded care to meet their health needs. NHS England is working with professional clinical bodies on a programme of work to reform pathways, reflecting the required shift of care from hospital to community.
Ensuring patients receive their care from skilled healthcare professionals in the right setting is an important part of pathway reform, including for chronic conditions. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including for radiology and clinical oncology, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. The Government is committed to training the staff we need to provide patients with quality and timely care, including health professions. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving the training of staff and will work closely with partners in education to do so, to ensure that allied health professional remains an attractive career choice.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 merits of the establishment of a multidisciplinary pathway for the diagnosis and management of chronic pelvic pain.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the management of long-term conditions, as reflected in our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, and in our 10-Year Health Plan. Part of this will be reforming patient pathways to ensure patients with chronic conditions receive joined-up, rounded care to meet their health needs. NHS England is working with professional clinical bodies on a programme of work to reform pathways, reflecting the required shift of care from hospital to community.
Ensuring patients receive their care from skilled healthcare professionals in the right setting is an important part of pathway reform, including for chronic conditions. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places, including for radiology and clinical oncology, meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. Over the next three years, we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. The Government is committed to training the staff we need to provide patients with quality and timely care, including health professions. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will outline strategies for improving the training of staff and will work closely with partners in education to do so, to ensure that allied health professional remains an attractive career choice.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 help ensure that Integrated Care Systems provide a range of weight management services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are responsible for providing local weight management services, taking into account their population needs and relevant guidance. Weight management services range from behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with obesity and associated co-morbidities.
Local authorities are able to fund behavioural weight management services from their Public Health Grant. Additionally, NHS England commissions the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme nationally, which can be accessed via referral from general practice or community pharmacy.
ICBs are responsible for commissioning NHS specialist weight management services. Until recently the newest obesity medicines have only been available via the NHS through specialist weight management services. One of these medicines, tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro®), is now available in primary care, with access currently being prioritised to those with the greatest clinical need. ICBs are developing new care pathways to ensure that patients can access these medicines via general practice.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 evaluate the effectiveness of NHS weight management programmes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has commissioned a range of research to evaluate the effectiveness of NHS weight management programmes.
This includes an evaluation of the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, which reported in April 2024 and found it to be highly cost-effective service, helping people to lose a clinically meaningful amounts of weight. There is also a £1.7 million evaluation commencing looking at NHS England’s new service models to deliver weight loss drugs outside of hospital settings. It will provide evidence on the effectiveness of the models to support wider roll out. It is expected to report around 2028. In addition, there is a £1.4 million evaluation of NHS England’s Complications of Excess Weight clinics, which deliver tailored support to children and young people with severe or complex forms of obesity. The evaluation will provide evidence on optimal models of care to support future expansion of the clinics and is expected to report around 2026. There is also a range of other ongoing research relevant to weight management services, including looking at services for people with depression and looking at weight regain.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also undertaken an evaluation of digital technologies delivering multidisciplinary weight-management services either with or without prescribing and monitoring obesity medicines. This was published in October 2023 and recommended the technologies that can be used in the NHS while more evidence is generated.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 integrate mental health support into weight management services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based guidance for service commissioners, providers, and health and care practitioners on best practice for weight management. Its guidance on weight management makes a number of recommendations about mental health support. For example, it recommends that:
- For adults, providers of weight management services discuss with a person accessing weight management services whether their individual circumstances such as psychological factors may affect their ability to lose weight, and whether referral to another service (such as mental health support) may be appropriate.
- For children, practitioners make a referral to the local mental health pathway if there are concerns that the child or young person's mental wellbeing is affected by their weight, that mental health is affecting their weight or the circumstances that influence their weight, or an eating disorder is suspected.
- Specialist weight management services, commissioned by NHS integrated care boards, should be provided by multidisciplinary teams, with psychological and behavioural support.
More recently, NHS England has issued commissioning guidance for the use of tirzepatide for the management of obesity. It states that prescribers should carefully consider the patient’s overall wellbeing, particularly when eating disorders, body dysmorphia, or mental health status are factors in the request and consideration for treatment. Onward referral to dedicated services may be made where appropriate, in line with local guidelines and existing NICE guidance.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 updating the existing regulations on (a) composition, (b) marketing and (c) labelling of commercial infant and toddler foods.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to integrated care boards of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to primary care networks of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to NHS Trusts of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.