Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle; and whether the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy will make specific provision for people with that condition.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National data on prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is not held centrally.
The Government is developing a new cross-Government mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. The strategy will take a broad approach to improving mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental ill-health, including where there is cooccurrence with other physical or neurodevelopmental conditions.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable access to NHS-funded IVF treatment in Cornwall; and whether she plans to require Integrated Care Boards to align local IVF funding policies with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance recommending three full cycles of IVF for eligible women.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that access to National Health Service funded fertility services is variable in England and is looking into achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services. This includes understanding the offer made by fertility services across the country with a view to assess the data collected from integrated care boards to evaluate next steps, working to ensure there is equitable access.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the funding model for post-infectious disease research in Germany, specifically its €500 million National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases initiative, and whether she plans to introduce dedicated, ring-fenced funding for biomedical research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Long Covid.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.
Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether cost-benefit analysis has been performed on the potential return on investment of funding ring-fenced biomedical research into ME/CFS to address economic inactivity due to long-term sickness.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.
Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to address the severe impairment in health-related quality of life associated with ME/CFS by establishing regional tertiary specialist centres.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment or cost-benefit analysis of the kind described has been carried out, but we routinely monitor innovative approaches and treatments adopted by our counterparts overseas to see what lessons there may be for our own health services.
Regarding ring-fenced funding, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 5 November 2025 in response to Question 86002, and on regional tertiary specialist centres, I refer him to the answers provided on 29 April and 6 July in response to Questions 124134 and 13299.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Acute Trusts in England have operational specialist inpatient pathways and designated beds equipped for severe and very severe ME/CFS patients requiring enteral or parenteral nutrition and sensory-adapted care.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 29 April to Question 124134 and on 6 July in response to Question 13299.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
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 NHS workforce planning in Cornwall reflects the additional pressures placed on health services during periods of peak tourist activity.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions about workforce planning are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the extent of geographical variation in access to NHS ear syringing and ear wax removal services; and what plans he has to support Integrated Care Boards to ensure consistent provision of these services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. Integrated care boards have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local populations. Guidance for patients on ear wax build-up, including when to seek advice from a pharmacist or general practitioner, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
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 impact of transport, housing instability, language barriers and digital exclusion on patient engagement with QOF requirements in high-deprivation areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
In the 2024 to 2025 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points. General practices (GPs) servicing populations in areas of higher deprivation face greater levels of unmet need and barriers to patient engagement, which can affect delivery against contractual frameworks, such as QOF.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. Thresholds are designed to be attainable, reflecting the potential challenges involved with delivering the intended outcomes for certain interventions or care practices, while encouraging and incentivising practices to provide the best possible care. Thresholds are aspirational rather than a contractual obligation.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way GP funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.
In 2025, NHS England published an improvement framework for community language, translation, and interpreting services to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the National Health Service to people with limited English proficiency. In primary care, the framework supplements the existing guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services.
NHS England’s statement on information on health inequalities sets out details on the recording of housing status. This can enable a better understanding of how social risk factors such as insecure housing or homelessness affects health outcomes and health inequalities. The statement is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-englands-statement-on-information-on-health-inequalities/
Asked by: Perran Moon (Independent - Camborne and Redruth)
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 higher rates of missed GP appointments in deprived areas on practices’ ability to deliver QOF requirements.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
In the 2024 to 2025 contract year, 83.2% of practices achieved over 90% of the available Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points. General practices (GPs) servicing populations in areas of higher deprivation face greater levels of unmet need and barriers to patient engagement, which can affect delivery against contractual frameworks, such as QOF.
The indicators and thresholds included in the QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. Thresholds are designed to be attainable, reflecting the potential challenges involved with delivering the intended outcomes for certain interventions or care practices, while encouraging and incentivising practices to provide the best possible care. Thresholds are aspirational rather than a contractual obligation.
We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country. This is why we are currently reviewing the way GP funding is allocated across England (the Carr-Hill formula). The review will look at how health needs are reflected in the distribution of funding through the GP Contract.
To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. Practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.
In 2025, NHS England published an improvement framework for community language, translation, and interpreting services to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the National Health Service to people with limited English proficiency. In primary care, the framework supplements the existing guidance for commissioners on interpreting and translation services.
NHS England’s statement on information on health inequalities sets out details on the recording of housing status. This can enable a better understanding of how social risk factors such as insecure housing or homelessness affects health outcomes and health inequalities. The statement is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-englands-statement-on-information-on-health-inequalities/