Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the abolition of NHS England will impact the (a) role and (b) structure of the Getting It Right First Time programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and senior Departmental officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation.
As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and will work collaboratively to put plans in place to ensure continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 help support the devolved Administrations to (a) increase the children’s palliative care workforce and (b) improve access to specialist services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare funding and administration, including in relation to palliative and end of life care services, is a devolved matter across the four nations of the United Kingdom, and, therefore, is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
In England, we have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, and a central part of the plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients, including children with palliative and end of life care needs, across our communities. This summer, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS in England has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when and where they need it, including for children with palliative and end of life care needs.
In England, palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, including specialist services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification for children and young people.
We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices in England for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a dedicated communications budget within his Department for sepsis awareness.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not currently have a dedicated communications budget for sepsis awareness.
NHS England has several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis among healthcare professionals. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as updated national sepsis guidance is implemented. Furthermore, individual National Health Service trusts may choose to implement public awareness campaigns and initiatives on sepsis locally.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to people who survive sepsis to be signposted to commissioned services in sepsis (a) after-care, (b) support and (c) rehabilitation.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that there is sufficient and comprehensive post-sepsis support in the National Health Service.
Most people make a full recovery from sepsis. However, the Government and the NHS recognise the physical and emotional complications that can last for months, or years after sepsis. The care needs for individual patients will vary hugely on a case-by-case basis. People who survive sepsis have access to follow-up pathways with personalised healthcare tailored to their individual needs. Integrated care boards can provide signposting to after-care, support, and rehabilitation services available locally.
Furthermore, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is funding research to improve outcomes for sepsis survivors.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of including rapid diagnostics as part of the five-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan (NAP), published in May 2024, highlights the importance of accurate diagnostic testing to guide effective antibiotic use and tackle antimicrobial resistance. Supporting clinicians to prescribe the right antimicrobials only to those that need them is a core commitment in the NAP. Outcome six of the UK’s AMR NAP specifically relates to supporting the development of diagnostic tests for infection.
NHS England is taking a multifactorial approach to improving the roll out of innovative rapid diagnostics, aligning to the commitments of the 2024 to 2029 AMR NAP. This includes reducing barriers for industry to support the development of diagnostic tests, identifying innovations, and increasing the evidence for putting those innovations into practice.
Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and presentation can vary, making it difficult to diagnose. In hospitals, clinicians are supported in recognising sepsis by using the National Early Warning Score, now used in 99% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. To support clinical staff in primary and secondary care settings, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 develop a dedicated diagnostic pathway for sepsis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan (NAP), published in May 2024, highlights the importance of accurate diagnostic testing to guide effective antibiotic use and tackle antimicrobial resistance. Supporting clinicians to prescribe the right antimicrobials only to those that need them is a core commitment in the NAP. Outcome six of the UK’s AMR NAP specifically relates to supporting the development of diagnostic tests for infection.
NHS England is taking a multifactorial approach to improving the roll out of innovative rapid diagnostics, aligning to the commitments of the 2024 to 2029 AMR NAP. This includes reducing barriers for industry to support the development of diagnostic tests, identifying innovations, and increasing the evidence for putting those innovations into practice.
Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and presentation can vary, making it difficult to diagnose. In hospitals, clinicians are supported in recognising sepsis by using the National Early Warning Score, now used in 99% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. To support clinical staff in primary and secondary care settings, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to help develop a national Sepsis Registry using (a) interoperable and (b) patient-level data.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government understands the clear need for reliable data on sepsis. Currently, the Office for National Statistics publishes data on the number of death registrations where sepsis was the underlying cause of death, and where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales between 2001 and 2023. However, there is a lack of accurate estimates of incidence and prevalence of sepsis cases due to inconsistency in the definitions used to describe sepsis, and differences in coding between professionals and organisations in the United Kingdom.
A sepsis registry would use retrospective data collection. The Government is, instead, focusing on improving our understanding of the current prevalence of infections and suspected sepsis, including the up-to-date burden to the National Health Service. The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to monitor trends in infection incidence and the infection burden in secondary care, which are complex, multifactorial issues.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 introducing mechanisms to support the (a) adoption and (b) clinical systems integration of (i) novel and (ii) rapid diagnostics into clinical pathways.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week standard, including reforms to diagnostic care to reduce waiting times for tests and scans.
The plan announced that integrated care boards (ICBs) will make optimal use of the new diagnostic capacity by increasing direct referrals and rolling out at least 10 straight-to-test pathways by March 2026. NHS England is working with clinicians to best determine priority pathways and implementation based on population need and where there is a clear opportunity for improving timescales and journeys to diagnosis.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issues authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice that often includes recommendations to support diagnosis. NICE also develops guidance on new, innovative diagnostic technologies that helps people in the NHS make efficient, cost-effective and consistent decisions about adopting new products.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Central Alerting System notification entitled Shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) - Additional actions, published on 18 December 2024, what steps his Department his taking with the devolved Administrations to tackle shortages in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies.
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: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 implications for his policies of Professor Mary Renfrew's report entitled Enabling Safe Quality Midwifery Services and Care In Northern Ireland, published on 22 October 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving maternity and neonatal care remains a priority for the Government. Whilst health is a devolved matter, there will be shared challenges and opportunities for improvement, so we are considering the report to help inform our next steps. A formal assessment of the report has not been made to date.