Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to reduce the waiting time for ADHD prescription under Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments.
It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.
The NHS South Yorkshire ICB advises that the Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service is reviewing its diagnostic pathways and recruiting additional staff in order to improve efficiency within the service. The NHS South Yorkshire ICB has also commissioned the Adult Autism and ADHD Support Hub, delivered by the voluntary sector organisation, Mental Health Matters, to offer free support to autistic people and people with ADHD living in Sheffield. The hub provides a range of practical advice and information on areas such as confidence building, peer support, and wellbeing.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 Physician Associates are supported to transition into new roles within the NHS on equal bands to their current roles.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The principal question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician assistants (PAs) and physician assistants in anaesthesia, still legally known as physician associates and anaesthesia associates, are safe and effective. The review’s findings were clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles to continue as supportive, complementary members of medical teams.
The review recommendations include ensuring that PAs have the opportunity for ongoing training and development in the context of a formal certification and credentialling programme.
Professor Leng will be undertaking a temporary and continuing role to support the implementation of the recommendations, which will include driving wider discussions with a range of system partners including NHS England, the General Medical Council, royal colleges, professional bodies, and higher education institutions to consider further the changes needed to implement the recommendations.
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the eligibility criteria for covid-19 boosters has changed for unpaid carers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s policy on eligibility for vaccination programmes is based on advice from the independent scientific advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). For autumn 2025, the JCVI advised that COVID-19 vaccination be offered to:
The eligibility of COVID-19 vaccines for unpaid carers in autumn 2025 is the same as it was in 2024 and has not changed this year. Unpaid carers are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the national programme. If unpaid carers quality on other grounds, for example, if they are immunosuppressed, then they can come forward to get a vaccine.
The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in autumn 2025.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 impact of excluding unpaid carers from the covid-19 booster shot scheme.
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).
In its advice for autumn 2024, the JCVI advised that in the era of highly transmissible Omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another is expected to be extremely limited. Therefore, the indirect benefits of vaccination, vaccinating an individual such as an unpaid carer in order to reduce the risk of severe disease in other people, are less evident now compared with previous years, and therefore unpaid carers were not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in autumn 2024.
In line with JCVI’s advice, the autumn 2025 programme is focused on targeted vaccination of the oldest adults, those aged 75 years old and over and residents in a care home for older adults, and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. Any unpaid carer who is eligible through age or immunosuppression for vaccination in this campaign is encouraged to take up the offer.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 reduce regional differences in waiting times for ADHD services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I commend my honourable friend for her dedication to improving support for people with ADHD and recognise the valuable perspective she brings through her lived experience.NHS England’s ADHD taskforce is looking at how support for people with ADHD can be improved and I look forward to reading their report when it is published.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England’s ADHD Taskforce has made on improving access to (a) services and (b) support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) taskforce, established by NHS England, is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors, to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support. The taskforce is working closely with the Department for Education’s Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group to ensure consideration of joined up services and support across the health and education systems. The taskforce expects to publish its report in the summer.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 reduce waiting times for adult ADHD assessments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published September 2024, highlighted the severe delays in access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and that demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years.
It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.
In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 reduce gaps in rehabilitation and long-term care provision for people living with acquired brain injury.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers also supported.
We will change the National Health Service so that it becomes not just a sickness service, but one able to prevent ill health in the first place. This will help us be better prepared for the change in the nature of disease and allow our services to focus more on the management of chronic, long-term conditions, like ABIs, including rehabilitation where appropriate.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, in November to discuss ABIs, and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short and long term. Sir Chris Bryant MP remains an advocate for those who have suffered an ABI and the Department agrees with him that we should, and importantly will, do more, including showcasing those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.
We have announced that we are setting up a new United Kingdom-wide neuro forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four UK nations. The new forum will bring key stakeholders together to share learning across the UK, discuss the transformation of important neurology services, workforce challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions that will add to both the existing programmes of work and wider health plans.
A decision on the next steps for ABIs at the national level will be taken in due course.
Meanwhile, we have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver an NHS fit for the future. We will be carefully considering input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan over the coming months. The engagement process has launched, and I would encourage my fellow parliamentarians and stakeholders to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should and what the potential solutions are, including on ABIs. This is available at the following link:
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much new funding healthcare providers in Sheffield Hallam have received since the general election, by provider; and what impact this has had on the number of appointments available for people in that constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through Phase 1 of the Spending Review for 2025, the Government has reset public spending for 2024/25 and set departmental budgets for 2025/26. The Government has prioritised investment into the National Health Service, and this is reflected by a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending and a £3.1 billion increase in capital for the Department over this year and next.
This includes the additional £1.8 billion in direct support of elective activity since July 2024, which has supported the NHS to deliver an additional two million appointments. This settlement also makes progress towards meeting the commitment that, within our first term, patients should expect to wait no longer that 18 weeks from referral to consultant led treatment.
The 2024/25 financial year has not yet concluded so we do not yet have final outturn figures for expenditure and activity by provider. The NHS is currently planning for 2025/26, including for the delivery of the elective targets that systems have been given. We currently do not have the outcome of the planning round for individual providers, including those in Sheffield.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to improve data collection on suicide rates of (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The cross-Government suicide prevention strategy for England sets the direction for departments and a wide range of other organisations, and makes clear that nobody should be left out of suicide prevention efforts. This includes being responsive to the needs of marginalised communities and addressing inequalities in access to effective interventions to prevent suicides, including for vulnerable groups like refugees and asylum seekers.
The ambitions in the strategy include more comprehensive research on, and better understanding of, national trends and suicide rates in particular groups of people, with a focus on at-risk groups that include refugees and asylum seekers.
Official statistics on deaths by suicide for England are collected and published by the Office for National Statistics, and not by the Department. The official statistics are based on information recorded when deaths occur, are certified, and then registered. For deaths by suicide, registration can occur up to two years after the date of death, and on occasion longer. There is no information recorded as part of the death registration process to inform if a person was a refugee or an asylum seeker.
Improved data collection is part of ongoing wider action. This includes the development of the near to Real Time Suspected Suicide Surveillance (nRTSSS) system. Drawing upon data collected by the local police force attending deaths considered a ‘suspected suicide’, the nRTSSS provides an early warning system for potential changes in trends in suicides. There are current efforts to investigate the potential for this system to include intelligence relating to refugee and asylum seekers.