Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 number of Integrated Care Boards currently complying with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the provision of intermediate care for patients who are experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that people experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate intermediate care. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline 214 on Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness sets out clear expectations on tailored intermediate care for individuals experiencing homelessness, and we are exploring how best to encourage integrated care boards (ICBs) to adopt and embed this guidance. This guidance is avaiable at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214/chapter/Recommendations#intermediate-care
Health bodies, including ICBs, are expected to take guidance into account alongside clinical judgement and local priorities. However, NICE guidance is not mandatory. Therefore, there is no published Government assessment showing how many ICBs in England are currently complying with NICE guideline 214.
In December 2025, the Government published the National Plan to End Homelessness and Rough Sleeping which commits to ensuring no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. Further information on the national plan is avaiable at the following link:
To support this, the Government will work with the National Health Service and local authorities to ensure the 2024 guidance Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness is embedded in systems and will improve how existing funding streams can be used to support intermediate care services tailored to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Further information on this guidance is avaiable at the following link:
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been discharged from hospitals into rough sleeping in each year since 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England do not hold this information.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 adequacy of access to healthcare services for people facing homelessness.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has considered the adequacy of access to healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness as part of its wider work on reducing health inequalities.
To ensure equitable access to healthcare services, the Department supported the development and implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline 214 on Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, which sets out clear expectations on ways to improve access to, and engagement with, health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness. This guidance is avaiable at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng214/chapter/Recommendations#intermediate-care
As part of the recently published cross-Government Homelessness Strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, the Department has committed to improving access to mental health and substance misuse services and updating statutory guidance to strengthen safeguarding responsibilities for people experiencing homelessness. Further information on this strategy is available at the following link:
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 ensure the adequate availability of NHS funded continence products in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning continence services in their areas. These services include assessment, treatment, and, where clinically appropriate, the supply of continence products. Decisions on the type and quantity of products are made by clinicians following individual assessment, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on urinary and faecal incontinence and professional standards.
NHS Supply Chain supports trusts with the procurement of continence products through value-based procurement initiatives to ensure products are safe, effective, and cost-efficient. Local continence services in Wandsworth are delivered by community providers such as the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, which offers specialist assessment and management for housebound patients and those in care settings. Further information on continence commissioning is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/continence/
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of myalgic encephalomyelitis treatment in South West London.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We published the myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan on 22 July 2025. The plan focusses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease, including those in South West London.
The ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for people with very severe ME/CFS across England. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
NHS England has also started its work on co-designing resources for systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS, including for patients in South West London. It will meet a group of key stakeholders to progress this in the coming weeks.
To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the final delivery plan, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:
https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 people with myalgic encephalomyelitis in South West London.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We published the myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan on 22 July 2025. The plan focusses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease, including those in South West London.
The ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for people with very severe ME/CFS across England. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
NHS England has also started its work on co-designing resources for systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS, including for patients in South West London. It will meet a group of key stakeholders to progress this in the coming weeks.
To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the final delivery plan, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:
https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 impact of the cost to the individual of a COVID-19 vaccination on (a) vaccination rates and (b) public health more widely.
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).
As with all vaccines offered as part of the national programme in England, there is no charge for COVID-19 vaccination for those who are eligible. There is therefore no cost to those individuals that might impact vaccination rates or public health.
As with other UK vaccination programmes, the JCVI advice on eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination carefully considers the evidence on the risk of illness, serious disease, or death as a consequence of infection, in specific groups, as well as cost-effectiveness analysis.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 maintain levels of (a) quality of care and (b) patient safety following cost improvement plans in the NHS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Quality Board (NQB) published a Quality Impact Assessment (QIA) framework in June 2025. QIAs ensure that quality of care considerations, which incorporates patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience, are central to decision-making for the design and delivery of health and care services. The new framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/quality-impact-assessment-framework/
The new framework updates the guidance from the NQB published in 2012, a copy of which is attached. The updates from the framework recognise the need for QIAs to be carried out in a wider range of circumstances when any service change is proposed, not only those focused on financial efficiencies.
The new framework is intended to be used by commissioners and providers of health and care services to support the development of organisational policy and processes for undertaking QIAs. This may include National Health Service providers, independent sector providers, integrated care boards (ICBs), and local authorities.
The 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance also asks ICBs to embed a robust quality and equality impact assessment process into financial and operational decision-making, test all changes with boards, and consider the appropriate involvement by the public, service users, staff, local authorities, and wider stakeholders. Further information on the 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance is available at the following link:
In addition, a new Quality Strategy is being developed under the leadership of the NQB, to coordinate key commitments within the 10-Year Health Plan and to support the delivery of high quality care across the NHS, specifically care that is safe, effective, and that provides a positive experience for patients, parents, carers, and service users.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 impact of Oracle Cerner’s (a) pricing and (b) upgrade policies on (i) St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (ii) other NHS trusts.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service trusts procure from suppliers on the Clinical Digital Health Solutions Framework, which is available at the following link:
The pricing and policies related to the Oracle Cerner system are based on the NHS frameworks for purchasing electronic patient record (EPR) systems. We are constantly reviewing the effectiveness of the system in the interests of our patients and staff.
The costs of specific trust EPR implementations are dealt with in the EPR business cases that trust boards themselves agree to, and which are submitted for approval. A key Business Case test will be whether trusts can afford both the capital and revenue costs of EPR implementation and upgrades.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 ensure that NHS trusts are not subject to inappropriate (a) pricing and (b) contractual practices by major IT suppliers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service trusts procure from suppliers on the Clinical Digital Health Solutions Framework, which is available at the following link:
The pricing and policies related to the Oracle Cerner system are based on the NHS frameworks for purchasing electronic patient record (EPR) systems. We are constantly reviewing the effectiveness of the system in the interests of our patients and staff.
The costs of specific trust EPR implementations are dealt with in the EPR business cases that trust boards themselves agree to, and which are submitted for approval. A key Business Case test will be whether trusts can afford both the capital and revenue costs of EPR implementation and upgrades.