Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer 6 May 2025 to Question 48666 on NHS: Disclosure of Information, if will he take steps to compensate NHS staff who signed non-disclosure agreements upon leaving the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The term non-disclosure agreement is not used in the National Health Service. A non-disclosure agreement is a general term used to describe any kind of legal agreement which sets out requirements, known as confidentiality clauses, that prohibit or restrict the sharing of certain information to other parties. These terms are usually in the interests of both the employer and the employee concerned. In the NHS this relates to contracts of employment and settlement agreements.

Settlement agreements, which may include confidentiality clauses, can legitimately be used for a range of employment issues that are unrelated to whistleblowing and are legally binding. Both the employer and the employee concerned must take their own legal advice before entering into such an agreement. Some settlement agreements may include a non-contractual, or special severance, payment, but not all will do so.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for patients with Parkinson's disease to see a neurologist in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data at the required level of granularity to provide the average waiting time for a first neurology appointment for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

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 provide mobile health services to support rural agricultural communities where (a) committing and (b) travelling to appointments at set times can be a challenge.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services that meet the needs of their local populations. When ICBs exercise their functions, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services, and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

The Department recognises that providing services in rural areas comes with significant additional costs, for example, in travel and staff time. That is why the funding formula used by NHS England to allocate funds to ICBs includes an element to better reflect the needs in some rural, coastal, and remote areas.

The Department also wants ICBs to ensure that travel is not a prohibitive factor. There is a longstanding policy in the National Health Service that if you are eligible, you may be able to claim a refund for reasonable travel costs to receive services that are not primary medical, dental, or ophthalmic, following a referral by a healthcare professional. That scheme, the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, continues to apply.

Furthermore, NHS England strives for digital services to improve healthcare access. NHS England published the Inclusive digital healthcare: a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion in September 2023, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/inclusive-digital-healthcare-a-framework-for-nhs-action-on-digital-inclusion/

This framework highlights that certain groups, including people living in areas with inadequate broadband and mobile data coverage, especially rural and coastal areas, face higher risks of both digital exclusion and health inequalities. The framework is designed to ensure NHS services are accessible to people who are digitally excluded.

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 Early Access Programmes on equity of access to (a) tofersen and (b) other innovative treatments.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Early access schemes for unlicenced medicines, where approval may be obtained in other markets, including where a licence exists but a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence decision is not available, are managed by companies to benefit patients.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) provides a route for the supply of new medicines to United Kingdom patients on an unlicensed basis, prior to receiving a marketing authorisation. The EAMS aims to give patients with life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions early access to medicines that show early signs of having a major advantage over existing therapeutics.

The EAMS is a two-step process, with the first step being a Positive Innovative Medicine designation, and the second step being the publishing of a Scientific Opinion. Medicines have to be successful at both of these stages to have access to patients through this scheme.

We are currently reviewing the recently submitted Torfersen, but cannot comment on its progress. The MHRA recognises the importance of rapid assessment, and is committed to doing so in a timely manner.

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 merits of allowing paramedics to (a) carry and (b) use fentanyl as an analgesic agent.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicine responsibilities for non-medical professionals. This will support the aim that patients are cared for, and treated by, the most appropriate healthcare professional to meet their needs, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Many regulated healthcare professionals have already received extended medicine responsibilities and the Department is committed to assessing the impact that these changes have had on patient care.

Regarding the extension of paramedics’ medicine responsibilities, there is a process in place for making changes to ensure proposals are safe and beneficial for patients. Officials are carefully considering proposals relating to a range of healthcare professionals, including paramedics, and the use of fentanyl as an analgesic agent, as part of wider work.

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 encourage GP practices to provide walk-in appointments for (a) farmers and (b) other occupations where attending at a set time can be a challenge.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practices are independent businesses contracted to provide National Health Services, and have autonomy to manage appointments in the way that best suits their patient population, including determining what services are available on a walk-in basis. To accommodate patients who may not be able to access general practices during core opening hours, integrated care boards in England are required to provide general practice out of hours services from 18:30 to 08:00 on weekdays, all weekends, and on bank holidays.

Walk-in patients can also access care in other settings. Under Pharmacy First, community pharmacists can provide advice for minor illnesses and supply some prescription-only medicines without a prescription from a general practitioner, either following a referral or a walk-in. Patients with urgent but not life-threatening medical needs can also visit urgent treatment centres without an appointment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many qualified ophthalmic (a) consultants and (b) doctors there are who are able to treat glaucoma; how many people have glaucoma; and what estimate he has made of trends in these numbers over the next 10 years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend screening for glaucoma because it is not clear if the tests which are available are accurate enough to be used in a screening programme. Regular sight tests are important in detecting glaucoma, which is why we recommend everyone having a sight test at least every two years. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including children, those aged 60 years old and over, individuals on income-related benefits, and those diagnosed with, or considered at risk of, glaucoma.

The Department does not hold information on the absolute numbers of people living with glaucoma at any one time in England, and therefore no estimate has been made on the numbers of people who will have glaucoma in the next 10 years. Data is also not held centrally on the number of qualified ophthalmic consultants and doctors who are able to treat glaucoma in the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who will have glaucoma in England in each of the next 10 years.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend screening for glaucoma because it is not clear if the tests which are available are accurate enough to be used in a screening programme. Regular sight tests are important in detecting glaucoma, which is why we recommend everyone having a sight test at least every two years. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including children, those aged 60 years old and over, individuals on income-related benefits, and those diagnosed with, or considered at risk of, glaucoma.

The Department does not hold information on the absolute numbers of people living with glaucoma at any one time in England, and therefore no estimate has been made on the numbers of people who will have glaucoma in the next 10 years. Data is also not held centrally on the number of qualified ophthalmic consultants and doctors who are able to treat glaucoma in the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Almost million more pupils get access to mental health support, published on 16 May 2025, whether the mental health support measures for young people will apply up to the age of 18.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Mental health support teams cover school pupils and further education learners, including those up to the age of 18 years old.

They work directly with school and college staff, alongside National Health Services, to provide professional advice, easing the pressure on school staff and allowing them to help young people get the right support and stay in education.

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 reduce waiting times for NHS eye examinations.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Free National Health Service sight tests are widely available across the country, from any optical practice with a contract to provide NHS sight testing services. We are not aware of patients facing undue delays in accessing these services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered introducing a national screening programme for glaucoma.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend screening for glaucoma because it is not clear if the tests which are available are accurate enough to be used in a screening programme. Regular sight tests are important in detecting glaucoma, which is why we recommend everyone having a sight test at least every two years. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including children, those aged 60 years old and over, individuals on income-related benefits, and those diagnosed with, or considered at risk of, glaucoma.

The Department does not hold information on the absolute numbers of people living with glaucoma at any one time in England, and therefore no estimate has been made on the numbers of people who will have glaucoma in the next 10 years. Data is also not held centrally on the number of qualified ophthalmic consultants and doctors who are able to treat glaucoma in the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on confirmed cases of waterborne illness linked to exposure to (a) Salmonella and (b) Leptospira at UK bathing waters since 2020.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There have been no reported outbreaks of salmonella spp. associated with recreational water use in the time period requested since 2020.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes surveillance of Salmonella spp. infections. No information is available on the suspected cause of gastrointestinal infection for individual cases, unless salmonellosis cases are epidemiologically linked to an outbreak.

The UKHSA also undertakes routine surveillance for leptospirosis infections in humans, and publishes a quarterly report on the common animal-associated infections, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-animal-associated-infections-2024/common-animal-associated-infections-england-second-quarter-2024#leptospirosis

Exposure history is not well reported by cases. Water sources may be in the United Kingdom or abroad, and do not necessarily reflect where the infection was acquired. The following table shows the most recent figures of confirmed cases of leptospirosis in each quarter, from Quarter one of 2020 to Quarter two of 2024:

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 help ensure that UK visitors to malaria-infected countries are aware of the need to take chemoprophylaxis effectively.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency undertakes proactive communications with the public to raise awareness of the risk of malaria and to promote consultation with an appropriate healthcare professional before travel. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/travel-associated-infections-approaching-pre-pandemic-levels

Travellers to malaria-endemic areas are encouraged to have a pre-travel consultation with a healthcare expert in travel health. This enables an individualised risk assessment and personalised advice to be given on measures to reduce the risk of malaria and other health risks.

The National Travel Health Network and Centre provides information for United Kingdom travellers on safe and healthy travel and effective strategies to prevent infection, including chemoprophylaxis. Further information is available at the following link:

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/52/malaria

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many admissions there have been to hospital due to (a) tuberculosis and (b) complications from tuberculosis in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those admissions were due to tuberculosis contracted outside of the UK.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally. NHS England collects and publishes data on the causes of hospital admissions, however there is no routine reporting on tuberculosis admissions. NHS England makes hospital admission data available in the National Health Service’s Hospital Episode Statistics publication, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/hospital-episode-statistics

The UK Health Security Agency uses epidemiological tools, such as whole genome sequencing, to better understand the transmission of tuberculosis. However, it is not possible to determine the proportion of the individuals admitted to hospital who contracted tuberculosis outside of the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many admissions there have been to hospital due to (a) malaria and (b) complications from malaria in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) holds data on all malaria cases diagnosed in the United Kingdom by the Malaria Reference Laboratory and Public Health Scotland. The UKHSA publishes malaria statistics in an annual report, the latest version of which, covering 2023, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/malaria-in-the-uk-annual-report/malaria-imported-into-the-uk-2023

The UKHSA does not routinely publish data on hospital admissions due to malaria or complications from malaria.

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 the NHS 10-Year Plan reflects the specific (a) workforce, (b) training and (c) capacity needs of children's palliative care services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative care and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and stakeholders.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and children’s palliative care and end of life care services, will have a big role to play in that shift.

A central part of our forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce, including how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the National Health Service needs to care for patients, including those with palliative care and end of life care needs, across our communities.

We will also 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 has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it, including for those with palliative care and end of life care needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve access to paediatric eye care services in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.

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 merits of providing free Covid-19 vaccine boosters to people with long Covid.

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).

The JCVI stated in its advice for the autumn 2024 COVID-19 vaccination programme that there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the impact of additional vaccine doses, beyond the primary vaccination, on the risk, progression, and outcome of post-COVID syndromes. The JCVI advised that better data is needed on the impact of additional vaccine doses on the occurrence and severity of post-COVID syndromes in the current era of omicron sub-variants of the COVID-19 virus, and high population immunity. This advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-autumn-2024-vaccination-programme-jcvi-advice-8-april-2024/jcvi-statement-on-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-autumn-2024-8-april-2024

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programmes in spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme, to include those aged 75 years old and above, those aged six months old or above with immunosuppression, and those living in care homes for older adults. The Government response is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-spring-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programme

The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.

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 improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) prevention strategies for chronic kidney disease in primary care settings.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s Renal Service Transformation Programme (RSTP) highlighted the importance of prevention and of optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional NHS England Renal Networks are working in partnership with integrated care systems to deliver the RSTP’s aims, and to help develop effective strategies for their local populations.

NHS England recognises the importance of kidney disease, not only in preventing the progression of kidney disease but also in reducing cardiovascular events. A customer relationship management steering group has been established which aims to focus on the prevention of these common condition that often co-exist.

NHS England has expanded the scope of the work under the Prevention and Long-Term Condition Programme Board to include consideration of opportunities for improving the prevention of kidney disease.

The NHS Health Check programme is a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, which aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. The programme assesses for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which are risk factors for the development of both chronic kidney disease and CVD. Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure or high blood sugar, it is for the general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, undertake further clinical investigation and treatment where appropriate.

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney disease. People at risk of developing type 2 diabetes can also be referred by their general practitioner into the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme is highly effective, cutting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% for people completing the programme, compared to those who do not attend.

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 support people with long Covid.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess adults, children, and young people who are experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

These services offer physical, cognitive, and psychological assessment, and, where appropriate, refer patients onto existing services for treatment and rehabilitation. Further information can be found via the National Health Service website, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

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 reduce the backlog for cancer treatment in the West Midlands.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We will improve National Health Service cancer waiting time performance so that cancer patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in the West Midlands.

We set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. Our reforms to cancer care will see thousands of patients starting treatment within two months, and across the NHS we have already hit our target of delivering two million extra operations, scans, and appointments seven months early.

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 merits of removing references to minimally processed and nutritious food from the HFSS promotions guidance on 1 June 2023.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the childhood obesity crisis and to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.

The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 were laid during the previous Parliament. The regulations provide for restrictions on the promotion and placement in retail stores and their online equivalents of certain foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt, or sugar, or which are ‘less healthy’.

In 2023, the implementation guidance accompanying these regulations was updated to provide some additional points of clarification, which included removing a reference to the term “minimally processed and nutritious food”. This was done to ensure the guidance remained in-line with the legislation, which does not reference minimally processed food. The legislation itself was not changed and still restricts the promotion of less healthy foods that contribute to childhood obesity. Therefore, no assessment was made of the merits of removing references to “minimally processed and nutritious food” from this document.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) support and (b) expand community-based physical activity programmes specifically designed for older people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service recognise that prevention will always be better and cheaper than a cure. Reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages, including in older people, is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, and a key part of the Department’s shift from treatment to prevention.

The Department supports the NHS, together with local authorities, to provide a range of community services to support older people, such as exercise on referral and social prescribing, aquatic/swimming classes, dance classes, and fall prevention training through strength and balance classes. The Government continues to encourage local authorities to invest in and prioritise leisure facilities and community-based services.

In addition to the above, the NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for people of all ages to move more, and signposts to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app, an accessible way of building movement into everyday life.

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 number of older people with unmet health and care needs in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Direct estimates of unmet health and care need at a local level are not available. Assessing unmet health and care need is complex, particularly as it is multi-faceted, and validated data is not always available at a constituency level. For national level insights, please see Age UK’s State of Health and Care of Older People in England 2024 report, which is available at the following link:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2024/september/state-of-health-and-care-of-older-people-in-england-2024/

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to which will set out a long-term vision to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it.

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 services are responsive to the (a) complex and (b) long-term needs of people living with chronic kidney disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has established a renal Clinical Reference Group to deliver change across the National Health Service, to accelerate improvements in the diagnosis of, and treatment for, people living with kidney disease.

Increasing access to home therapies for kidney issues is a priority for NHS England, and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation toolkit, published in 2023. This recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.

NHS England is improving access to home dialysis for children, supported by a robust network of nurses and clinicians who can move care from hospitals to homes. This approach is working, with rates of home dialysis ranging from 64% to 76% across the 10 NHS paediatric dialysis centres.

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 improve fracture liaison services for people aged over 50 in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model, and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.

FLS are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs), which make decisions according to local need. This includes the Lincolnshire ICB. We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030.

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 improve access to local NHS services for older people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services that meet the needs of their local populations. When ICBs exercise their functions, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Further, as part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving support for older people in all parts of the country.

More care and support delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support patients closer to home.

The 10-Year Health Plan will also set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, such as older people.  It will set out how to support and enable health and social care services, and wider services, to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May to Question 51941 on Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis: Diagnosis, whether the NHS routinely sends blood samples to the US for analysis when testing for Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are a number of laboratories in England which provide blood testing for paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis, although the Department has not made a specific formal estimate of how many there are. Several National Health Service laboratories across the United Kingdom also offer diagnostic testing for paraneoplastic antibodies. In England, these laboratories include the University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS in England does not routinely send blood samples to the United States for analysis when testing for paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. There are specialised laboratories within the UK which the NHS in England uses to conduct these tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 51941 on Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis: Diagnosis, how many laboratories provide blood testing for Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are a number of laboratories in England which provide blood testing for paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis, although the Department has not made a specific formal estimate of how many there are. Several National Health Service laboratories across the United Kingdom also offer diagnostic testing for paraneoplastic antibodies. In England, these laboratories include the University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS in England does not routinely send blood samples to the United States for analysis when testing for paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. There are specialised laboratories within the UK which the NHS in England uses to conduct these tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential barriers to access to Primary Healthcare in rural areas.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring that rural areas have the resources needed to continue serving their patients. To address this, we are increasing capacity in general practices by recruiting more general practitioners (GPs), ensuring the necessary workforce is in place to provide integrated, patient-centred services.

We have invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which has enabled the recruitment of over 1,500 recently qualified GPs across England since October 2024. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

We have also delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources. The new 2025/26 GP Contract includes key reforms to improve access to GPs, including making sure patients can request appointments online throughout core hours.

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) address high turnover and (b) improve management practices in the care sector.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that the adult social care sector faces significant workforce challenges and recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the retention of the domestic workforce. That is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector, so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.

We are supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care workforce, through expanding the Care Workforce Pathway, including registered manager and deputy manager roles. The pathway will set out how people can develop across a long-term career in adult social care with support and training, attracting people to join and remain in the sector

We are also continuing to fund the Learning Development Support Scheme to help people build their skills and careers in care. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year, and includes qualifications to enhance the quality of care more broadly, as well as opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.

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 travel distances on access to eye care services for residents in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.

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 the availability of NHS-funded optometry services in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs.

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) increase research into kidney disease and (b) raise public awareness of (i) early detection and (ii) prevention strategies to reduce the risk of progression to kidney failure.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including kidney disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Funding opportunities are openly published on the NIHR website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/

Universities and other stakeholders can propose research topics to the NIHR via the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic

As of 21 May 2025, in the last five financial years, the NIHR has spent £37,529,199 in direct research on kidney disease.

The National Health Service raises awareness about kidney disease, most recently through locally led World Kidney Day campaigns. The NHS also runs locally led initiatives on testing kidney health, raising awareness about kidney health in at risk populations, and also about being a kidney doner.

NHS England’s Renal Service Transformation Programme (RSTP) highlighted the importance of prevention and of optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional NHS England Renal Networks will work in partnership with integrated care systems to deliver the RSTP’s aims, to help develop effective strategies for their local populations.

NHS England recognises the importance of kidney disease, not only in preventing its progression, but also in reducing cardiovascular events. A customer relationship management steering group has been established which aims to focus on the prevention of these common conditions that often co-exist.

NHS England has expanded the scope of work under the Prevention and Long-Term Condition Programme Board to include consideration of opportunities for improving the prevention of kidney disease.

The NHS Health Check programme is a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, which aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. The programme assesses for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which are risk factors for the development of both chronic kidney disease and CVD. Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure or high blood sugar, it is for the general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, to undertake further clinical investigation and treatment, where appropriate.

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney disease. People at risk of developing type 2 diabetes can also be referred by their general practitioner into the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme is highly effective, cutting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% for people completing the programme, compared to those who do not attend.

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 potential impact of improving diabetes care on reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well known, as adults with diabetes are two to three times more likely to develop CVD and are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease and stroke compared to those without.

We know that receiving all eight National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care processes, such as monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol, significantly reduces mortality for all causes, and from CVD causes specifically, for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, compared to those who received five or less of these processes.

We continue to improve care for those with diabetes. For those who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and who are overweight or obese, the highly effective NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is available.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with diabetes, as we develop the plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many admissions there have been to hospital due to (a) treatment-resistant tuberculosis and (b) complications from treatment-resistant tuberculosis in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those admissions were due to tuberculosis contracted outside of the UK.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes in the Hospital Episode Statistics database that would allow treatment-resistant tuberculosis and complications from treatment-resistant tuberculosis to be identified. ICD-10 codes are used to classify and identify diagnoses.

The UK Health Security Agency uses epidemiological tools, such as whole genome sequencing, to better understand the transmission of tuberculosis. However, it is not possible to determine the proportion of the individuals admitted to hospital who contracted tuberculosis outside of the United Kingdom.

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 raising the minimum age for eligibility for the COVID-19 booster during the spring vaccination programme on healthcare services in (a) Leicester and (b) England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that the available national data continues to demonstrate that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. The data available to the JCVI is national data, and they therefore made no assessment specific to Leicester.

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over. The Government’s response can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-spring-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programme

Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign, including minimum age requirements, is the same as in previous spring campaigns, such as the 2024 campaign. The Government has no plans to change eligibility for spring 2025, and has accepted the JCVI’s advice for this campaign in full. The spring 2025 campaign began in England on 1 April, and will conclude on 17 June.

The JCVI also advised on eligibility for the autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reverse the decision to raise the minimum age for eligibility for a COVID-19 booster as part of the spring vaccination programme.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the Department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, leading to hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that the available national data continues to demonstrate that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. The data available to the JCVI is national data, and they therefore made no assessment specific to Leicester.

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026

On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over. The Government’s response can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advice-accepted-on-spring-2025-covid-19-vaccination-programme

Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign, including minimum age requirements, is the same as in previous spring campaigns, such as the 2024 campaign. The Government has no plans to change eligibility for spring 2025, and has accepted the JCVI’s advice for this campaign in full. The spring 2025 campaign began in England on 1 April, and will conclude on 17 June.

The JCVI also advised on eligibility for the autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue guidance on ultra-processed food consumption as part of a public health strategy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We face an obesity crisis, and the Government will take action to tackle the root causes of obesity head on, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

We have already laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink to children on television and online, we are limiting school children’s access to fast food, and we are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose. We are also commissioning research to improve the evidence on the health impacts of ultra processed foods (UPFs). Through our Plan for Change, we will shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, reducing the burden of obesity on public services and the NHS.

Scientific risk assessment and United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN has considered the impact of processed foods on health in position statements published in 2023 and 2025. The SACN has concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of processed foods and UPFs and adverse health outcomes are concerning.

The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. This is based on the nutrient content of many UPFs and concerns raised in relation to health. The SACN will continue to keep the topic under review.

Current UK dietary recommendations, based on the SACN’s advice, already indicate that many foods classified as ultra processed such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, and ice cream are not part of a healthy, balanced diet. They also emphasise a diet based on fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain or higher fibre starchy carbohydrates, with less red and processed meat, and with less foods high in saturated fat, salt, and free sugars.

The SACN’s recommendation aligns with our existing policies for supporting healthier diets and our advice to consumers. Further action on obesity under the Government’s Health Mission will be set out in due course.

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 research into Adrenal cancer through (a) funding, (b) clinical trials and (c) collaboration with academic institutions.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into adrenal cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The NIHR also welcomes applications for training awards from the clinical and non-clinical academic workforce conducting research into any aspect of human health, including adrenal cancer. The Department is the United Kingdom’s largest funder of clinical academic training, working with academic institutions and the wider health and care system to deliver a comprehensive research career pathway for the full range of clinicians.

The Department is committed to working with delivery partners, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, and other key stakeholders, to achieve the common aim of creating a faster, more efficient, more accessible, and more innovative clinical research delivery system. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, so that we can provide innovative treatment options for patients, including those with adrenal cancer.

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 ensure that opportunities to talk about future travel plans are being taken up with people potentially susceptible to contracting malaria (a) at new patient checks, (b) at childhood immunisation appointments and (c) outside a specific travel health consultation.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency publishes malaria-specific migrant health guidance for healthcare practitioners. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/malaria-migrant-health-guide

This calls for all practitioners to raise awareness of the risk of malaria by asking non-United Kingdom born patients from malarious countries whether they will be returning home to visit friends and relatives, and to advise how and when they should seek travel advice. The guidance reinforces that anyone visiting a malarious area can become infected regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or country of birth, and that malaria is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.

Travellers are advised to get advice before they travel to areas where malaria is found. Pre-travel health services are available from private travel clinics, pharmacies, and some general practices. Further information on the pre travel health services that are available can be found at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/gps/gp-mythbusters/gp-mythbuster-107-pretravel-health-services

There are no current plans to ensure that opportunities to talk about future travel plans are being taken up with people that are potentially susceptible to contracting malaria at new patient checks or childhood immunisation appointments, or outside of specific travel health consultations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2025 to Question 51501 on Sodium Valproate: Compensation, which Government departments he is having discussions with on developing a timetable for implementation of the recommendations of the Hughes Report.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for financial and non-financial redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. Department officials are liaising with other parts of the Government, including the National Health Service, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Business and Trade, HM Treasury, and the devolved administrations, on the needs of patients and on the recommendations. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned on the health impacts of ultra-processed food; and when he expects findings to be published.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR launched a research call in July 2024 on the health and health inequality impacts of interventions that effect consumption of ultra processed foods, for which a funding decision will be made later this year. Findings from NIHR studies are made publicly available when the research has completed.

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 update the existing regulations on (a) composition, (b) marketing and (c) labelling of commercial infant and toddler foods to ensure products are suitably nutritious.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.

It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

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 (a) early diagnosis and (b) specialist treatment pathways for patients with Adrenal Cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that diagnosing and treating rare cancers, including adrenal cancer, can be difficult due to their non-specific symptoms, which are often shared with other more common conditions.

To support earlier diagnosis, the National Health Service is improving referral and diagnostic pathways, including the use of non-specific symptom pathways for patients whose symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or abdominal discomfort, do not clearly align with a single cancer type, but which may indicate a rare cancer like adrenal cancer. NHS England has also expanded general practice direct access to diagnostic tests, enabling faster investigation of concerning symptoms.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. Community diagnostic centres will also help reduce the number of patients waiting too long for a confirmed cancer diagnosis, and will ensure capacity is available for both common and rare cancers.

To improve access to timely treatment, the NHS is delivering an additional 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out further actions to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with rare and less common cancers. It will focus on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, and ensuring access to the latest treatments and technologies for all.

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 ensure that malaria cases reported to the Malaria Reference Laboratory are also notified to a proper officer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Malaria is designated as a notifiable disease under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010, which places a statutory duty on all registered medical practitioners in England to notify a proper officer if they treat a patient they know, or suspect to be, infected with malaria. Further information on the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/659/contents

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces guidance for medical practitioners to support their compliance with these regulations, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-how-to-report-them

A malaria-specific report form is used by health professionals to refer suspected cases to the Malaria Reference Laboratory at the UKHSA. The UKHSA acts as the proper officer for receiving notifications of suspected and confirmed malaria cases in England. Equivalent notification regulations are in place in the devolved administrations, with further information on the notification regulations for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland available, respectively, at the following three links:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2008/5/schedule/1

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2010/1546/contents

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2022/181/made

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England plans to take to improve (a) awareness and (b) training for (i) GPs and (ii) frontline healthcare professionals to better (A) recognize and (B) refer suspected cases of adrenal cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on adrenal cancer, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. The RCGP provides a number of resources on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care for GPs, relevant for the primary care setting.

NHS England supports initiatives aimed at enhancing early cancer diagnosis and awareness among healthcare professionals. These initiatives include GatewayC, an online education platform providing modules on early cancer diagnosis for primary care professionals, and the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme, designed to improve cancer-related knowledge and capabilities across the non-medical workforce. These measures aim to equip GPs and frontline professionals with the skills necessary to identify and act on potential cancer symptoms, including those of rare cancers such as adrenal cancer.

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 (a) the distances travelled and (b) costs incurred by children and young people travelling to principle treatment centres in London; and what assessment he has made of the potential the merits of introducing a young cancer patient travel fund.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also several charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal assessment of costs incurred by children and young people travelling to Principal Treatment Centres in London, the trends in levels of travel costs and the impact of this on young cancer patients missing appointments and delaying treatment. Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on the issue of travel support for children and young people with cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to engage with Young Lives vs Cancer, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this important work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Young Lives vs Cancer's report entitled A young cancer patient travel fund, published in February 2024, whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) trends in levels of travel costs, (b) the adequacy of the amount of financial support for young cancer patients and their families and (b) the potential impact on (i) missing appointments and (ii) delaying treatment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families in England. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of their local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. There are also several charities in the United Kingdom who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The work of the taskforce is ongoing, and officials are exploring opportunities for improvement across a range of areas, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care has not made a formal assessment of costs incurred by children and young people travelling to Principal Treatment Centres in London, the trends in levels of travel costs and the impact of this on young cancer patients missing appointments and delaying treatment. Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on the issue of travel support for children and young people with cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to engage with Young Lives vs Cancer, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this important work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating patients who have contracted tuberculosis in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally. NHS England captures and publishes aggregated costs, namely the average unit cost of providing defined services to NHS patients in England, and patient-level costs/PLICS, a cost based on the specific interactions a patient has, and the events related to their healthcare activity, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/costing-in-the-nhs/national-cost-collection/

This provides cost information about patients who have been admitted to a hospital for treatment with a primary diagnosis of tuberculosis, rather than patients who have contracted tuberculosis in the last five years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 14 May 2025, Official Report, column 336, whether he plans to provide additional funding to local authorities for social care to enable care providers to increase wages.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

The Government is also introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector, so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. As we work towards a Fair Pay Agreement, the Government will engage all those who draw upon care, as well as those that work to provide care and support. We will also consult local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector.

Decisions on local authority funding for future years will be made as part of the 2025 multi-year Spending Review and local government finance settlement processes.

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 is taking to help tackle delays in the transfer of care.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is a priority for the Department to tackle delays in the transfer of care, and to ensure that people receive the care that they need.

On 30 January 2025, the Government published a revised policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund. The new BCF Policy Framework for the 2025-2026 financial year supports local areas to use pooled funding in way that delivers greater impact for those receiving integrated health and social care.

Under the new framework, local authorities and National Health Service integrated care boards are accountable for providing timely and joined-up support for people with more complex health and care needs, and for achieving more timely and effective discharge from acute, community, and mental health hospital settings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timeline for publishing specialised services quality dashboards data to ensure transparency.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s specialised commissioning uses a range of data to support quality oversight and assurance, which includes Specialised Services Quality Dashboards (SSQDs), National Clinical Audits for some services, and the triangulation of other clinical quality and safety information. The metadata for the SSQDs is already publicly available on NHS England’s website. National Clinical Audit reports, which are commissioned and managed by NHS England, are also publicly available on the Healthcare Quality Improvement

Partnership’s website, and cover some specialised services.

NHS England is actively exploring ways to publish metrics from SSQDs, ensuring that they align with the development and release of service specifications, and are updated regularly. Publication decisions on SSQDs will continue to consider information governance requirements, for example, where patient numbers are small and potentially identifiable.

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 with Cabinet colleagues to increase the use of new technology in the delivery of optometry services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards commission services in the National Health Service from high street optical practices, which are private businesses. Contractors will be expected to demonstrate they have the necessary equipment to be able to provide any contracted eye care services.

In delivering sight testing services, an ophthalmic practitioner is required to undertake any clinically necessary tests to determine if a patient has any signs of injury, disease or abnormality and to refer for any necessary further investigations. We do not stipulate the equipment or technology that should be used to make that determination.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan’s shift from analogue to digital, we are reviewing how the NHS should focus its resources to ensure it maximises the impact of data and technology. This includes how we can make life easier and more productive for those who work in the NHS, and how we can use data more effectively to plan, manage and deliver services.

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 increase the provision of dentistry services in Farnham and Bordon constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service 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 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Farnham and Bordon constituency, this is the NHS Frimley ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The NHS Frimley ICB is expected to deliver 6,626 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total cost to the NHS of employing locum doctors in England in each of the past five years for which data are available.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To date, NHS England has published reports to Quarter three of the 2024/25 financial year. The following table shows the total cost to the National Health Service of employing locum doctors in England in each of the past five years, up until Quarter three of the 2024/25:

Source: Provider Finance Returns.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support the aims of Age Without Limits Day.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Age Without Limits Day is the Centre for Healthy Aging’s event which aims to challenge ageism across the country through community and workplace activities. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.agewithoutlimits.org/about-the-campaign

The Department is committed to improving outcomes for older people through a range of cross-cutting strategies and initiatives. It is embedding a focus on health inequalities across its work, including through the Core20PLUS5 approach in the National Health Service, which includes older age-related conditions such as dementia. It is also supporting improvements in adult social care to promote choice and to help people live as independent and fulfilling lives as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to engage with independent pharmacies to establish the basis for a fair and equitable contract to be offered to community pharmacy.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government consults with Community Pharmacy England on arrangements for remunerating and reimbursing community pharmacy contractors. Community Pharmacy England represents all pharmacies in England including independent pharmacies.

For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. Any future contractual framework for community pharmacy will also be developed in consultation with Community Pharmacy England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of health inequalities between (1) rural and coastal, and (2) urban, areas; and what steps they intend to take to address any imbalances.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We support the National Health Service’s CORE20PLUS5 approach, which targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population, and which improves outcomes for the groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS.

The Chief Medical Officer’s 2023 annual report made clear that future health and care needs will vary significantly in different areas, with the populations of rural, semi-rural, and coastal areas ageing much faster than those in metropolitan areas. This means there will be considerable variation in health and care needs even within an integrated care system. We recognise that providing services in rural areas comes with significant additional costs, for example, in travel and staff time. That is why the funding formula used by NHS England to allocate funds to integrated care boards (ICBs) includes an element to better reflect needs in some rural, coastal, and remote areas.

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations for ICBs. In allocating budgets, they have two aims, those being equal opportunity of access for equal need, and reducing health inequalities that are amenable to NHS healthcare. There are a range of adjustments made in the core ICB allocations formula that account for the fact that the costs of providing health care may vary between rural and urban areas.

Tackling health inequalities is central to our Health Mission, which is why the Government has committed to halving the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions, by addressing the social determinants of health. Work is currently underway across the Department, and with NHS England and the regional directors of public health, to develop approaches to address regional health inequalities.

As part of the consultation phase of the 10-Year Health Plan, we invited people from across every NHS region in England, including people from coastal communities, to provide input on how care should be designed and delivered, providing us with rich insights into these areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 March (HL5423), what plans they have to treat or cure the estimated 1.8 million people suffering from long Covid in the period to March 2024 and those additional people who have contracted the disease since that date.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess adults, children, and young people who are experiencing long-term effects due to COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice and to support people affected by long COVID. Further information on the Clinical Post-COVID Society is available on their website, in an online only format.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of chemically washed chicken on human health.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No chemicals are approved for the purpose of washing chicken carcasses in the United Kingdom, and therefore, chicken that has been chemically washed cannot be placed on the UK market. Any changes would require ministerial agreement across the nations of the UK and then an amendment to legislation, which would be subject to parliamentary oversight.

While the UK was a member of the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) completed assessments on behalf of member states, including the UK, relating to the effects of chemical washes applied to chicken. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) periodically reviews the available evidence, including scientific literature, for new information that could address previously identified evidence gaps or trigger reviews of previous risk assessments. Although some new research has been published in this area since the previous assessments and has been reviewed since the UK’s exit from the European Union, this has not significantly changed the conclusions drawn by the EFSA with regard to chemical, microbiological, or antimicrobial risk. The FSA has no active work in this area and no current plans to initiate new assessments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024 (CP1218), what guidance they have issued to NHS Trusts about the election of governors to hospital trusts.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has not published any guidance following the English Devolution White Paper on the election of governors to National Health Service foundation trusts.

The Model Election Rules set out the process by which governors are elected and are included in every NHS foundation trust's constitution. The NHS Foundation Trust Model Core Constitution, a copy of which is attached, published in 2013 by Monitor, now NHS England, requires NHS foundation trusts to comply with these rules.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to expand the emergency department bloodborne virus opt-out testing programme to (a) King’s Mill Hospital, (b) Lincoln County Hospital, (c) Pilgrim Hospital and (d) other sites in the East Midlands.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Emergency Department opt-out testing programme will continue to test individuals for bloodborne viruses, including HIV and viral hepatitis, in line with committed funding plans.

None of the funding already committed has been removed from sites offering opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. NHS England is currently reviewing its budgetary position, with a view to determining whether funding can be made available to extend the provision of opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. In particular, NHS England is reviewing this for sites whose committed funding will end during 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) reinstate and (b) extend funding for opt-out testing for Hepatitis B and C in A&Es.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Emergency Department opt-out testing programme will continue to test individuals for bloodborne viruses, including HIV and viral hepatitis, in line with committed funding plans.

None of the funding already committed has been removed from sites offering opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. NHS England is currently reviewing its budgetary position, with a view to determining whether funding can be made available to extend the provision of opt-out testing for viral hepatitis. In particular, NHS England is reviewing this for sites whose committed funding will end during 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the data set of the UK Health Security Agency underpinning the article “Effectiveness of autumn 2023 COVID-19 vaccination and residual protection of prior doses against hospitalisation in England, estimated using a test-negative case-control study” published in May 2024.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does not plan to publish the dataset for this article.

This work is carried out under Regulation 3 of The Health Service (Control of Patient Information; Secretary of State for Health, 2002) using patient identification information without individual patient consent. This is part of the UKHSA’s legal requirement for public health surveillance and vaccine monitoring. The full regulation is available on the GOV.UK website.

As such, authors cannot release the underlying dataset publicly for ethical and legal reasons. However, all the data used for this analysis is included as aggregated data in the manuscript tables and appendix. The full manuscript is available on the UKHSA Research Portal, on the UKHSA’s website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 14 May (HL7332), whether they plan to explore establishing contractual provisions for community pharmacies to support delivery of the childhood flu national immunisation programme.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has identified key opportunities to further improve uptake, which include strengthening the childhood vaccination offer by exploring the use of other providers to enhance convenience, including community pharmacies. This work is ongoing in collaboration with the Department, NHS England, and key stakeholders.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 14 May (HL7332), what steps they are taking to increase the role of health visitors in delivering vaccinations.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To increase the role of health visitors in delivering vaccinations, we are piloting the delivery of childhood vaccinations during health visits from 2025/26. This aims to improve access for families who may face challenges attending general practice appointments, helping to increase uptake and reduce barriers to vaccinations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) doctors, and (2) nurses, who were trained in the UK left the UK within five years of completing their training to work abroad in (a) 2023–24, and (b) 2024–25.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of lost work-days due to stress, depression, or anxiety in women.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Improving mental health outcomes is critical to achieving the Health Mission aims of reducing years lived with prevalence of ill-health, disability, and premature mortality, reducing the demand for services within the National Health Service. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that in 2022, mental ill health cost the United Kingdom economy approximately £300 billion.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes. This demonstrates our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and provide support for people, including women, to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.

We are continuing to roll out employment advisors in our NHS Talking Therapies services to support people, including women, with common mental health conditions seek and retain employment. Our advisors help people who are in work but struggling or facing difficulties in the workplace, off work sick or looking for work, so we can provide the right support at the right time.

Individuals can also access helpful resources about work-related stress on the Every Mind Matters website, which is available in an online-only format.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address age-related disparities in mental health provision, particularly in assess to talking therapies.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government’s mission is to improve mental health care across the spectrum of need so that people of all ages can access the right support at the right time.

NHS England is committed to ensuring that the proportion of people aged 65 years old and over receiving a course of treatment through NHS Talking Therapies is maintained or increased. Currently, approximately 7% of courses of treatment delivered by NHS Talking Therapies services are for individuals in this age group.

The Positive Practice Guide, published in 2024 by NHS England and other stakeholder organisations, is designed to support therapists working with older adults. This resource addresses the diverse needs of older people and seeks to challenge misconceptions that may act as barriers to older people accessing psychological therapies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 52225, whether there is a (a) budget cap, (b) indicative range and (c) best estimate of the money allocated in this financial year's capital budget for the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has confirmed the budget allocation for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s land purchase in this financial year. This does include a budget cap which is based on an estimate of what is expected to be required to complete the land acquisition. The actual funding amount will only be confirmed once the short form business case is approved as per the business case process set out in HM Treasury Green Book.

The trust is currently in the process of developing their short form business case in relation to the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3 with support from the NHP.

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 potential impact of an increase in staffing costs in voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations on their ability to provide services for the NHS through integrated care systems.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Within integrated care systems, integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to arrange and provide healthcare services that meet the needs of their populations. Additionally, ICBs work closely with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VSCE) sector, which includes the commissioning and delivery of services and, in some cases, by appointing representatives from the VSCE sector to their boards.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of an increase in staffing costs in VSCE organisations. VCSE organisations, as independent organisations such as charities and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, which includes pay scales.

It is for those organisations to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of National Health Service staff on the Agenda for Change contract.

NHS England has issued guidance on the implementation of the 2024/25 pay awards, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/revenue-finance-and-contracting-guidance-for-2024-25/

The Government has also more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that more than half of businesses, including charities, with National Insurance contribution (NIC) liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. The Government is also expanding the eligibility of the Employment Allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, to simplify and reform employer NICs so that all eligible employers now benefit. Employers will also continue to benefit from employer NIC reliefs, including for hiring those that are under 21 years old and apprentices under 25 years old, where eligible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating patients who have contracted malaria in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) holds data on all malaria cases diagnosed in the United Kingdom by the Malaria Reference Laboratory and Public Health Scotland. The UKHSA publishes annual reports on malaria in the UK, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/malaria-in-the-uk-annual-report

The UKHSA does not collect data on the cost to the National Health Service of treating patients who have contracted malaria.

NHS England captures and publishes aggregated costs, the average unit cost of providing defined services to NHS patients in England, and patient-level costs, a cost based on the specific interactions a patient has and the events related to their healthcare activity, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/costing-in-the-nhs/national-cost-collection/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the impact assessment for the Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025, published on 25 February 2025, whether the calculations used to estimate MHRA future costs included an estimated amount to take into account the (a) rise in employer national insurance contributions and (b) lowering of the lower earnings limit for employers national contributions, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is subject to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget. For their current fees uplift, the MHRA modelled their future costs, using historic volumes, to ensure that the uplift will deliver cost recovery until April 2027. If there are any shortfalls, the MHRA will find efficiency savings to appropriately manage them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 52225 on Hospitals: Basingstoke, what is the timescale for the short form business case for the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has confirmed the budget allocation for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s land purchase in this financial year. This does include a budget cap which is based on an estimate of what is expected to be required to complete the land acquisition. The actual funding amount will only be confirmed once the short form business case is approved as per the business case process set out in HM Treasury Green Book.

The trust is currently in the process of developing their short form business case in relation to the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3 with support from the NHP.

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 support UK-based research into new forms of treatment for dementia.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Government funders are investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention to treatment, care and support, including for carers.

The NIHR is investing almost £50 million to the UK Dementia Trials Network, which will deliver a coordinated network of early phase dementia trial sites. This will be complemented by the £20 million Dementia Clinical Trials Accelerator, designed to position the United Kingdom as the destination of choice for late phase clinical trials in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on dementia to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, with almost £150 million expected to be allocated to, or aligned with it, aims to speed up the development of new treatments for dementia by accelerating innovations in biomarkers, clinical trials and implementation. Some of this will be delivered through the Neurodegeneration Initiative which the programme is establishing, which will be a globally unique, not-for-profit, industry led public-private partnership that will work together across government, industry, academia, the National Health Service and third sector to deliver its objectives, including UK research organisations.

So far, the programme has invested £13 million into a range of biomarker innovation projects, many of which are being delivered by UK small and medium enterprises and UK research organisations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35647 on Coronavirus: Research, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority case rulings with reference to (a) AUTH/3835/10/23 and (b) 0316/10/24 on the governance of the Government’s mRNA research and development partnership with Moderna.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In April 2025, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was made aware that Moderna was to be issued a public reprimand by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) appeal board. Moderna would be subject to an audit following two recent cases where they had been ruled to have breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Code.

The Government has conducted an initial assessment of the PMCPA’s ruling, and has determined that it will not impact the delivery of the Moderna-United Kingdom Strategic Partnership.

The UKHSA will work with Moderna to ensure any recommendations from the report are duly considered and implemented, and to obtain assurance that these will be upheld for the duration of the partnership.

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 accelerate the uptake of non-animal New Approach Methodologies in (a) regulatory testing and (b) scientific research.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding is focused on translational, clinical, and applied health and care research. We therefore do not fund basic research or work involving animals, animal tissue, or both. However, the NIHR does work in close partnership with the Medical Research Council, which funds animal research in carefully defined circumstances and recognises the need for the robust application of the 3Rs, the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in research.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation, and uptake of alternative methods in basic, applied, translational, and regulatory research and testing later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has allocated to medical research into Parkinson's disease in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department delivers research into Parkinson’s disease via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between the financial years 2022/23 and 2024/25, the NIHR has allocated over £24 million to medical research into Parkinson’s disease through its research programmes. The following table shows a breakdown of the allocated funding to medical research into Parkinson’s disease via the NIHR for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on Parkinson’s disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 50325, what his planned timeline is for publishing the update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several government departments and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity however we are not currently able to give a timeline for a response.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50992 on NHS: Contracts, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers; and whether his Department monitors differences in the terms and conditions of staff working (a) directly for the NHS and (b) in the NHS for non-NHS providers.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Neither the Department or NHS England intend to centrally collect data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers, or information on the differences in terms and conditions between NHS and non-NHS providers, due to the additional resources involved in such an exercise. Independent, non-NHS organisations are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use, the extent to which pay awards are made, and when those awards are paid. We expect such employers, providing NHS services, to offer a total reward package that supports recruitment and retention and reflects the skills and experience of their staff.

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 (a) scans, (b) medical records and (c) treatment plans are transferred effectively between medical centres in (i) Hampshire and (ii) Surrey.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ensuring that information on diagnoses and treatment can be shared between services is vital to the provision of safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients, and better informed clinical and care decision-making empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

The Connecting Care Records programme joins up information based on the individual, rather than through a single organisation. Through targeted investment, local Connecting Care Record systems have been established in all integrated commissioning board areas. 97% of trusts and 92% of primary care networks are now connected. Across the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System there is extensive sharing to support care between acute providers and general practitioners through the patient record systems. Local transformation activities are underway that will support local ambulance providers in being able to access shared records in the coming weeks, and which will support more comprehensive sharing of care plans over the coming months.

As you may also be aware, NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records, and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity, which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the development of a single patient record to provide a comprehensive patient record and to end the need for patients repeating their medical history when interacting with the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to health boards on whether they should consider (a) the mental health impacts of alopecia and (b) other factors prior to prescribing Ritlecitinib.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the use of new medicines, based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

The NICE issued guidance in March 2024 that recommends ritlecitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating severe alopecia areata in people 12 years old and over. Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a Severity of Alopecia Tool score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health. At the present time, there are no plans to update this guidance.

As health is a devolved issue, information relating to guidance on the use of ritlecitinib in Scotland would be held by the Scottish health authorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing medical exemptions to access NHS care for dental injuries caused as a result of epileptic seizures.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are currently no plans to extend the list of people eligible for free National Health Service dental care to include those with dental injuries caused by epileptic seizures.

Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet one of the following criteria: under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, keeping in mind that patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; and receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.

Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges.

More information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs and are available in a variety of places to ensure everyone can have access to dental care. These include hospitals, specialists’ health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. These services may be available to people with epilepsy, depending on their needs.

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 care homes to (a) address workforce shortages and (b) provide high-quality care for elderly people in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).

The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. CQC Regulation 18 states that providers must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. Where the CQC finds a breach in this regulation, it can take regulatory action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.

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 adult social care provision in Slough.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to the need to ensure that it is aware of current and likely future demand for such services and to consider how providers might meet that demand.

The Government is supporting local authorities by making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

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 dementia-friendly adaptations in pubs and hospitality venues.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We want people with dementia to live well and remain independent for as long as possible in their communities.

Through the Dementia Friendly Communities programme, we are making society more inclusive, with communities and organisations committing to support people to continue to do the things they want to do, including going to the pub or attending hospitality venues, for as long as possible.

For example, we continue to support initiatives, such as the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Support initiative, which link people, their families, and carers with local support services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS spent on sending letters to patients in the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data on National Health Service total spend sending letters to patients in the 2023/24 financial year in England is not held centrally, and will be held locally by individual trusts.

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 increase access to treatment for people with chronic migraine disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline, Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults, updated in December 2021, sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment, and support of people who suffer from headaches, including migraine. It aims to improve the recognition and management of headaches and migraine.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme. The GIRFT Programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving the recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate between them.

Over the last four years, a new class of drugs, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors, has been made available on the National Health Service for the prevention and treatment of episodic and chronic migraines. On 15 May 2024, Atogepant became the latest CGRP inhibitor for which the NICE has published guidance. The NICE recommended Atogepant for use as a preventive medication for the treatment of migraine on the NHS in England.

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 increase public awareness of chronic migraine disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline, Headaches: Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults, updated in December 2021, sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the care, treatment, and support of people who suffer from headaches, including migraine. It aims to improve the recognition and management of headaches and migraine.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme. The GIRFT Programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving the recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate between them.

Over the last four years, a new class of drugs, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors, has been made available on the National Health Service for the prevention and treatment of episodic and chronic migraines. On 15 May 2024, Atogepant became the latest CGRP inhibitor for which the NICE has published guidance. The NICE recommended Atogepant for use as a preventive medication for the treatment of migraine on the NHS in England.

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 merits of using (a) PET scans, (b) cerebrospinal fluid testing and (c) other bio-marker led tests to confirm Alzheimer's disease.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department delivers dementia research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into dementia, for example investing almost £11 million to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has already invested £13 million into a range of biomarker innovation projects which include biomarker technologies, ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the online NHS Dentist checker information.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients.

Integrated care boards can review which practices in their area have not updated their profile in a 90-day period, and work with practices to ensure websites are up to date.

Patients in England are not registered with an NHS dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to health boards on the factors that should be used to determine the severity of alopecia prior to a decision on treatment.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.

Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.

Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.

Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what factors health boards are advised to use in addition to Severity of Alopecia Tool scores when determining the correct treatment for alopecia.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.

Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.

Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.

Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Severity of Alopecia Tool scores are the only factor that health boards are advised to use when determining the correct treatment for alopecia.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.

Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.

Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.

Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.

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 effectiveness of Severity of Alopecia Tool scores to determine the correct treatment of alopecia.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Healthcare is a devolved matter, and our response outlines information for England only. The Scottish Government is responsible for the activities and decisions of health boards in Scotland.

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the Severity of Alopecia Tool’s (SALT) scores in determining the correct treatment of alopecia areata. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for issuing clinical guidance in England, including clinical guidelines on the treatment and care for specific conditions, as well as health technology assessments on new and existing medicines and technologies. It develops its guidance and recommendations independently from the Government, informed by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder input.

Technology appraisal guidance published by the NICE in March 2024, code TA958, recommends ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata in people aged 12 years old and over.

Whilst severity is not specifically defined in the guidance, the evidence submission by the medicine’s manufacturer defined ‘severe’ as a SALT score of more than 50 out of 100. The guidance also acknowledges that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

It is the responsibility of a clinician to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of their patient, while also ensuring they are taking account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards in England.

Responsible clinicians should work with their patients and decide on the course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the individual always being the primary consideration.

We want the government to pay all full-time carers at least £800 per week. Carers should be valued within society and we think their worth should be reflected in the help and benefits they receive. Carers can receive £83.30 a week, however they must provide care for at least 35 hours a week.

Provide funding for:
- safe accessible spaces in every town where young people (16+) can talk openly
- more access to free 1-to-1 mental health support
- more group sessions and community check-ins so people can feel seen, heard, & supported
- more mental health support in schools & colleges

Review access to HRT & HRT monitoring for trans people and review the guidance and training for GPs on trans healthcare.

We urge the Government to add Parkinson’s to the list of conditions that entitle individuals to a medical exemption certificate so that they can access free prescriptions, as many will be on lifelong medication for this progressive neurological condition.

We would like the government to bring England inline with Scotland and Wales and fund free hospital parking for all patients at NHS hospitals. It's an extra cost paid by patients or those visiting loved ones, and we think it is unfair for patients in England to be treated differently in this way.

We want the government to fund free parking at hospitals for people over the age of 70. We think this could ease the financial implications for older people who may have more regular hospital visits.

We call on the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age to 30, and provide funding to ensure all patients with symptoms of bowel cancer are fully and quickly investigated, regardless of age, to help prevent further loss of life due to delayed diagnosis.

Fund specialist hospital units for young adults with learning disabilities and additional needs, including autism, which offer them paediatric care to age 18 where clinically appropriate. The units should be sensory-considerate, ease the eventual transition to adult care and minimise distress.

We urge the UK Government to increase funding for Women’s Health Hubs and access to menopause, fertility, and reproductive care. We think every woman deserves fair, informed, and accessible support.

We want the Government to provide funding to reduce the price of gyms for under 18's who are not able to afford a gym membership or day pass. Or provide funding to allow for free access.

Currently, blood bikers, a much needed service, are in many areas funded by way of charity. If the NHS needs this service so much, then we think it should be delivered by the NHS, and funded by the tax payer.

Found: The process to set the plan has been carefully coordinated between HMT, DSIT, DBT and DHSC, ensuring

Found: While the £600 million Wellcome–DHSC data research initiative is welcome, the Government must ensure

Found: As healthcare products progress this involves multiple government bodies: DSIT, OLS, DHSC, formerly

Found: We are talking to DHSC colleagues to identify research funding for improving our understanding of exposure

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage students to take social work courses in (a) higher and (b) further education.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Department for Education shares responsibility with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) for social work supply, with DHSC providing bursaries to help with the cost of training. We have also developed guidance for aspiring social workers through the ‘Become a Social Worker’ website and we support initiatives like the Local Government Association’s ‘Make a Difference, Work for your Local Council’ and Social Work England’s ‘Change the Script’ campaigns which encourage student enrolment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much income the NHS has received from immigration health surcharge payments in each of the last two financial years.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Devolved Health Administrations (DHAs). After deducting administration/collection costs, the Home Office transfers the balance to DHSC and the DHAs through the Estimates process, according to the Barnett Formula population percentages.

Information on the income raised by the IHS is published annually in the Home Office Annual report and Accounts. Note that the IHS total is made up of both amounts of Retained Income and amounts payable to the Consolidated Fund.

During the 2022-23 financial year, the IHS generated £1,706m.

During the 2023-24 financial year, the IHS generated £1,782m.

Information on the income for the 2024-25 financial year will be available once the accounts are published later this year.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review. The Home Office undertook an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Impact Assessment (IA) alongside the IHS increase.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will establish a cross-Departmental ministerial taskforce with the Department for Health and Social Care to support workforce planning between the higher education sector and health service.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education on a wide range of matters to ensure cross-departmental collaboration on workforce planning in higher education and the healthcare service.

The government is preparing the 10 Year Health Plan which will set out a bold agenda to reform and repair the NHS. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places and with the right skills, will be central to this vision.

The department continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on the 10 Year Health Plan.

Found: Answering member: Karin Smyth | Department: Department of Health and Social Care Pregnancy duration

Found: Ireland Wales MOJ MOD DWP Scotland HO MHCLG DHSC % change Main Estimates: Government spending plans

Found: payments made by or on behalf of public authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: payments made by or on behalf of public authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: payments made by or on behalf of public authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: payments made by or on behalf of public authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Impact Assessment from the Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice - Welsh version

Found: Equality Impact Assessment from the Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice- Welsh

Found: scope of the study, it was later deemed out of scope as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: urgent medical treatment in the UK following agreement about such treatment with the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: charges44811000Levies44812000Royalties44814000Fines and penalties44818000Premia income44824000Total NHS income (DHSC

Found: DSIT DSIT Capital Grants paid DEFRA DEFRA Capital Grants paid DHSC

Found: by the Department for Education (DfE) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: A new delivery group is being established across the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England

Found: by the Department for Education (DfE) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: For example, GCF has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England

Found: Last November, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on options for regulating

Found: Last November, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on options for regulating

Found: The independent review, commissioned by DHSC, into the leadership of health and social care organisations

Found: The independent review, commissioned by DHSC, into the leadership of health and social care organisations

Found: Hospitals Case Review published Winter 2021 Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark appointed National Guardian – DHSC

Found: Hospitals Case Review published Winter 2021 Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark appointed National Guardian – DHSC

Found: whose members are senior leaders drawn from the office’s funding bodies, as well the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: NDNS is jointly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Food Standards Agency.

Found: Key: DfE, Department for Education; DHSC, Department for Health and Social Care, including OHID,

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: Data controller UKHSA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: From: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, DHSC Chief Executive, NHS England To: All NHS

Found: combination for untreated multiple myeloma when a stem cell transplant is unsuitable The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: interpreting tools and take account of planned policy briefings from NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: NHS England will cease to exist and its core functions will be taken back into the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Bradford & District Defence Primary Healthcare Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care

Found: In May 2014, the Department of Health and Social Care issued guidance in relation to requirements of

Found: colorectal cancer with high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiency The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: receptor-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer after endocrine treatment The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2018) 2013/14 NHS standard contract for cancer: oesophageal and gastric (adult) Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Pharmacy Association • UK Myeloma Society • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 2018) 2013/14 NHS standard contract for cancer: oesophageal and gastric (adult) Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Group • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Group • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: References Department of Health and Social Care (2018) Abortion Statistics for England and Wales: 2018

Found: In May 2014, the Department of Health and Social Care issued guidance in relation to requirements of

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care asked NICE to develop a guideline on abortion care.

Found: professional and personal Participant in expert working group convened to advise the RCOG and the DHSC

Found: Action Bradford & District Cwm Taf University Health Board Defence Primary Healthcare Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Gynaecology, Royal Member of the Northern Ireland abortion scheme oversight group, Department of Health and Social Care

Found: It is sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care. 2.