Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 deliver training in health play principles to multi-disciplinary teams as sought in NHS England's Play Well toolkit published in June 2025.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play in healthcare settings.
The NHS England and Starlight Play Well Toolkit, published in June 2025, includes the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England. It aims to improve access to child-friendly care and specialised health play services across paediatric healthcare.
NHS England is promoting the toolkit to managers of health play services across a wide range of settings, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards. The toolkit provides clear guidance on supporting practical training and mentorship in healthcare settings.
The Play Well toolkit sets out what employers should consider when developing a standard operating procedure for a play team, and this includes training for staff who may encounter children in the course of their work. It is for services to determine what is required and to ensure their teams receive relevant training.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of community-based neurorehabilitation provision for children and young people following an acquired brain injury, particularly in regions with high incidence rates such as Teesside.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.
The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.
The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of (a) the effectiveness of follow-up pathways for children discharged from A&E after a head injury and (b) whether current practice aligns with national clinical guidelines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.
The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.
The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans there are to expand specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the importance of timely, high-quality rehabilitation for children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI). NHS England’s paediatric neurorehabilitation service specification supports community neurorehabilitation by ensuring that children and young people receive coordinated, specialist care beyond the hospital setting. It requires integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, to work with tertiary centres and local providers to deliver structured rehabilitation programmes in the community, supported by multidisciplinary teams.
The Department expects all National Health Services to follow the guideline for the assessment and early management of head injury in babies, children, young people, and adults, reference code NG232, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guideline sets out clear standards for discharge advice, risk assessment, and timely referral for further evaluation where symptoms persist or escalate. NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements. NICE provides ICBs with implementation tools, audit templates, training resources, and commissioning guidance to help embed the guideline into local pathways and ensure consistent, evidence-based practice.
The Government is committed to increasing specialist neurorehabilitation capacity in the North East of England as part of wider efforts to improve access and reduce regional variation. Our forthcoming ABI Action Plan will set out practical steps to strengthen commissioning and expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services. This aligns with commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan to enhance community-based rehabilitation, invest in specialist teams, and ensure timely, high-quality care for people with ABI across England, including the North East.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints regarding Children’s Continuing Care were received in each ICB in the last three years, what percentage of those complaints were upheld or partially upheld and what the average time taken was to resolve these complaints.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with complex health needs, receive appropriate care and support whenever and wherever they need it.
The National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, published by the Department, provides guidance to support integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to assess and agree support for children whose needs cannot be met through existing universal or specialist services.
The Department and NHS England do not centrally collect data on ICB complaints regarding children’s continuing care. We expect ICBs to commission appropriate services to meet the needs of their local populations, including children with complex health needs, and to provide high-quality care in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 additional public health support needs of families in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency targeted by the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and its commitment to raising the healthiest generation of children in history. We know that poverty can have a long-lasting impact on children’s health. In the ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, the Government reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the support available for families to address their health needs. For example, we have committed to supporting those who need access to healthy, affordable nutrition by increasing the value of Healthy Start by 10% and setting out measures to give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula and to make infant formula more affordable.
The assessment of the health needs of a local population is the responsibility of local authorities through a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. These assessments are funded through the Public Health Grant. In Buckingham and Bletchley, Buckinghamshire County Council and Milton Keynes City Council provide these assessments, with further information available at the following link:
https://miltonkeynes.jsna.uk/jsna/children-young-people/
Child health data, including obesity and physical activity, is held on Fingertips at national, regional, and local levels in England. Data from the National Child Measurement Programme can serve as proxy measures of nutritional status. Aggregated data on obesity and overweight prevalence is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at ward and local authority levels. The following table shows the percentage of obesity, including severe obesity, and the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, within each ward in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, from 2022/23 to 2024/25:
Ward name | Percentage of obesity (%) including severe obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25 | Prevalence of overweight (%) including obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25 | ||
Reception aged 4 to 5 years old | Year 6 aged 10 to 11 years old | Reception aged 4 to 5 years old | Year 6 aged 10 to 11 years old | |
Bletchley East | 11.8 | 26.5 | 24.7 | 38.8 |
Bletchley West | 11.5 | 25.5 | 27.1 | 38.7 |
Bletchley Park | 13.5 | 27.5 | 27.9 | 40.4 |
Buckingham West | 7.4 | 16.5 | 21.0 | 29.9 |
Buckingham East | 6.3 | 15.8 | 18.8 | 26.3 |
Great Brickhill | 9.1 | 14.1 | 21.2 | 28.2 |
Tattenhoe | 5.8 | 16.9 | 15.5 | 28.2 |
Winslow | 10.4 | 14.3 | 22.9 | 25.0 |
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 projected child nutrition needs in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency associated with interventions in the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and its commitment to raising the healthiest generation of children in history. We know that poverty can have a long-lasting impact on children’s health. In the ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, the Government reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the support available for families to address their health needs. For example, we have committed to supporting those who need access to healthy, affordable nutrition by increasing the value of Healthy Start by 10% and setting out measures to give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula and to make infant formula more affordable.
The assessment of the health needs of a local population is the responsibility of local authorities through a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. These assessments are funded through the Public Health Grant. In Buckingham and Bletchley, Buckinghamshire County Council and Milton Keynes City Council provide these assessments, with further information available at the following link:
https://miltonkeynes.jsna.uk/jsna/children-young-people/
Child health data, including obesity and physical activity, is held on Fingertips at national, regional, and local levels in England. Data from the National Child Measurement Programme can serve as proxy measures of nutritional status. Aggregated data on obesity and overweight prevalence is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at ward and local authority levels. The following table shows the percentage of obesity, including severe obesity, and the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, within each ward in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, from 2022/23 to 2024/25:
Ward name | Percentage of obesity (%) including severe obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25 | Prevalence of overweight (%) including obesity 2022/23 to 2024/25 | ||
Reception aged 4 to 5 years old | Year 6 aged 10 to 11 years old | Reception aged 4 to 5 years old | Year 6 aged 10 to 11 years old | |
Bletchley East | 11.8 | 26.5 | 24.7 | 38.8 |
Bletchley West | 11.5 | 25.5 | 27.1 | 38.7 |
Bletchley Park | 13.5 | 27.5 | 27.9 | 40.4 |
Buckingham West | 7.4 | 16.5 | 21.0 | 29.9 |
Buckingham East | 6.3 | 15.8 | 18.8 | 26.3 |
Great Brickhill | 9.1 | 14.1 | 21.2 | 28.2 |
Tattenhoe | 5.8 | 16.9 | 15.5 | 28.2 |
Winslow | 10.4 | 14.3 | 22.9 | 25.0 |
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 changes to the funding for statutory gambling levy harms-related programme from April 2026 on treatment providers; and what specific steps his Department is taking to (a) support those providers with workforce retention, (b) help reduce the potential impact of the time taken to implement that programme and (c) help ensure the quality of treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2025, the new statutory levy on gambling operators came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) are working collaboratively on the development of their respective gambling treatment and prevention programmes in England during this transition period.
To maintain continuity, commissioners are working with GambleAware on a managed transition, which includes the extension of GambleAware’s system stabilisation funding until March 2026, ensuring existing charities can continue to support people seeking help.
National Health Service regional gambling services currently receive over 1,000 referrals each quarter, with plans to extend capacity.
NHS England is working at pace to develop a grant funding scheme for voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) treatment and support services. This will ensure that that those affected by gambling-related harms can continue to access much-needed third sector services, whilst integrated care boards look to implement longer-term commissioning arrangements.
Ultimately, the shift to NHS and VCSE gambling harms services having a shared commissioner will allow for improved access to services, greater integration of pathways, and better data sharing, positively impacting patient care.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement UIN HCWS1118, of 2 December 2025, and the transition to the statutory gambling levy system and consequential changes in April 2026, what steps he is taking to safeguard charities providing gambling harm reduction and treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April, the new statutory levy on gambling operators came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) are working collaboratively on the development of their respective gambling treatment and prevention programmes in England during this transition period.
To maintain continuity, commissioners are working with GambleAware on a managed transition, which includes the extension of GambleAware’s system stabilisation funding until March 2026, ensuring existing charities can continue to support people seeking help.
In January 2026, OHID will formally launch its Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience grant for those voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations wishing to deliver prevention activity over the next two years, following a market engagement process which will end in the new year. Funding will be released from April 2026.
National Health Service regional gambling services currently receive over 1,000 referrals each quarter, with plans to extend capacity. NHS England intends to run a grant funding scheme for voluntary, community, and social enterprise treatment and support services. This will ensure that those affected by gambling-related harms can continue to access much-needed third sector services, whilst integrated care boards look to implement longer-term commissioning arrangements.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his department taking to raise awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is working to improve awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, including rare conditions that lead to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).
NHS England has a published the national service specification Cardiology: Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions-all-ages/
This outlines the service model and mandatory guidelines for commissioned providers in England to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or families affected by inherited cardiac conditions or sudden cardiac death. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification and is working with stakeholders as part of this review including NHS clinical experts and the British Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions Society. The NHS England Genomics Education Programme has also developed a range of educational resources for healthcare professionals.
This includes a Knowledge Hub page on sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, including information on presentation, diagnosis, management, and links for clinicians to further resources. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genotes/knowledge-hub/sudden-arrhythmic-death-syndrome/