Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 adequacy of treatment of trans patients in primary care; and whether those patients receive adequate treatment for biological health needs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important that all patients, including transgender patients, feel comfortable and confident in accessing primary care services.
The Government is committed to ensuring that transgender patients receive the care and support they need when accessing National Health Services. This includes where care is sex specific, such as the Cervical Screening Management System launched in June 2024, which will allow people to register their sex at birth as well as their gender identity, which should allow for better call/recall for transgender and non-binary people who have a cervix.
In line with the recommendations of the Cass Review, NHS England is currently undertaking a review of adult gender services. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, with the aim of producing an updated service specification.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 adults with autism are not placed in accommodation that disrupts access to established support networks.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate services that put the wellbeing of people who draw on care at the centre of decisions.
The Care and Support Statutory Guidance sets out that health, care and support, and housing services should centre on the individual and their family. Housing services should be used to help promote an individual’s wellbeing, so that people in need of care and support and carers can build a full and active life. Suitability of living accommodation is one of the matters local authorities must take into account as part of their duty to promote an individual’s wellbeing.
The Department is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission, led by Baroness Casey, will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care. While the commission carries out its work, the Department is taking immediate action to improve adult social care.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 level of availability of non-surgical treatments for Band Keratopathy on the NHS; and if he will consider expanding access to laser treatment as an alternative to more invasive procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has yet been made by the Department on the level of availability of non-surgical treatments for band keratopathy and access to laser treatment. However, the Government is committed to innovation in elective care, so that patients have access to timely and high-quality care, including patients awaiting eyecare treatment.
The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks from referral, including ophthalmology patients.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issues authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice that helps people in the NHS make efficient, cost-effective, and consistent decisions about adopting new products.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 (a) help tackle shortages of epilepsy medication and (b) ensure patients have consistent access to their prescribed treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues, including with carbamazepine, lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.
We are currently aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets from one manufacturer. This supply issue is expected to resolve by the end of May 2025. We are also aware of a shortage of phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets from one manufacturer with the resupply date to be confirmed. In both cases, alternative suppliers are in stock with sufficient supply to support patients. These issues have been communicated to the National Health Service.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 potential implications for his policies of the difference in waiting times for gender dysphoria treatment between England and Wales.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee commissions gender identity services for children and young people from NHS England. There are no plans to assess the difference in waiting times for specialist gender services for adults between England and Wales.
NHS England is conducting a review into adult gender services. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients. The review’s findings will inform an updated service specification for adult gender services.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to improve access to cardiac screening for people aged 14 to 35 years including (a) at university (b) grassroots sports clubs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered. The committee’s review is available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.
To stop SCDs in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out CPR and to use defibrillators.
NHS England has published guidance for inherited cardiac conditions which requires services to investigate patients with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, suggestive symptoms or from families with sudden unexplained deaths. Where a genetic variation is identified, cascade testing is offered to relatives based on risk.
We are aware that the UK NSC has received a submission via its annual call process to consider SCD screening in young people aged between 14 and 35 years old engaging in sport. The UK NSC is currently reviewing all annual call proposals. More information on the annual call process is available at the following link:
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to emergency dentistry in Surrey.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324
In 2023/24, 47,123 urgent National Health Service dental treatments were delivered in the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB). This was 8.25% of all NHS dental treatments delivered in the Surrey Heartlands ICB that year. In England in 2023/24, 3,674,731 urgent NHS dental treatments were delivered, which was 10.7% of all treatments delivered.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. For the Surrey constituency, this is the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.