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 hydrotherapy services on people with learning disabilities.

NHS England advises that there is not a strong evidence base for the benefits of hydrotherapy for people with learning disabilities. As part of their duties under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are expected to ensure high quality services that put the wellbeing of people who draw on care at the centre of decisions and ensure positive outcomes. It is the role of local authorities to facilitate the personalisation of care and support services and encourage a variety of services for their population, such as community support options.

As set out in NHS England’s Planning Guidance, integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to work with local system colleagues to ensure that there is high quality and accessible community infrastructure in place for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/

ICBs are expected to assign an executive lead role for learning disability and autism to support planning to meet the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people.