Department of Health and Social Care

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member for Leicester South and the Rt. Hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. This can include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, such as glaucoma referral refinement services and glaucoma monitoring.

The Getting It Right First Time programme is currently developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services to support the adoption of high standards across the pathway, from detection onwards.

We are investing an extra £1.1 billion in general practice, the biggest cash increase in a decade. That funding has allowed us to recruit an extra 2,500 general practitioners and improve access for patients.

General practices are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of NHS services. Every year we consult with the sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking into account the cost of delivering services.

This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

We hugely value the critical role that health care providers play, we are determined to address the issues they face.

The Cleft Registry and Audit Network (CRANE) is a national register and clinical audit funded by NHS England to evaluate and report on the delivery of cleft services to children born with a cleft lip and/or palate in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The 2024 Annual Report states that cleft lip and/or palate is a common condition, affecting one in 660 births and between 2021 and 2023, as 2,609 children were registered on CRANE, which is approximately 870 per year.

As part of their development activities, CRANE has previously linked with national educational data in England and found that attainment gaps exist between those with a cleft and the general population.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is currently funding a £2 million study to improve outcomes for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate by addressing variation in unmet needs.

This study aims to understand, and subsequently develop a tool to help address, the clinical, psychosocial, educational, and patient-reported needs of young adults with cleft lip and/or palate when they move from child to adult health services.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cleft palate.

The Cleft Registry and Audit Network (CRANE) is a national register and clinical audit funded by NHS England to evaluate and report on the delivery of cleft services to children born with a cleft lip and/or palate in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The 2024 Annual Report states that cleft lip and/or palate is a common condition, affecting one in 660 births and between 2021 and 2023, as 2,609 children were registered on CRANE, which is approximately 870 per year.

As part of their development activities, CRANE has previously linked with national educational data in England and found that attainment gaps exist between those with a cleft and the general population.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is currently funding a £2 million study to improve outcomes for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate by addressing variation in unmet needs.

This study aims to understand, and subsequently develop a tool to help address, the clinical, psychosocial, educational, and patient-reported needs of young adults with cleft lip and/or palate when they move from child to adult health services.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cleft palate.

Government data shows that sugar levels in drinks in scope of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) reduced by 47% between 2015 and 2024, removing approximately 57,000 tonnes of sugar from these drinks. This has had benefits across all socio-economic groups.

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), an ongoing Government-funded survey of food consumption and nutrient status in the United Kingdom, shows that sugar intakes of older children and adolescents reduced between 2014 and 2019, and the amount of sugar coming from soft drinks reduced.

Academic modelling papers suggest that the following benefits may have been realised as a result of the reductions in sugar seen in drinks in scope of the SDIL:

• prevented approximately 5,000 cases of obesity in girls aged ten to 11 years old, with a greater impact on those living in the most deprived areas, although the paper did not find any impact on girls in the younger age group, four to five years old, or in boys at either age;
• shown relative reductions in hospital admissions for dental caries related tooth extractions in children aged zero to four years old and five to nine years old of 28.6% and 5.5% respectively, with no change observed for older children, and reductions being observed in children living in most index of multiple deprivation areas regardless of deprivation; and
• shown a reduction in the incidence rates of child admissions to hospital for asthma related complications of 20.9% in those aged five to 18 years old, with reductions being similar across age-groups and deprivation quintiles.

The Government is continuing to take action to increase cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) awareness and training, including NHS England leading sessions on first aid, CPR, and the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme. This training should help to increase confidence in performing CPR on women.

NHS England has trained over 35,800 adults and children in CPR and defibrillation in the last 13 years, and 2,134 this year so far. NHS England delivers the sessions via their resuscitation team and via their community first responders.

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.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of services to meet the varied needs of their local populations, including for children’s continuing care. It is for ICBs to judge the appropriateness of using allocation tools in their local context. ICBs should also ensure that any use is in line with regulatory and privacy obligations and with the principles of the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care. The framework, published by the Department, provides guidance to support ICBs and local authorities to assess and agree support for children whose needs cannot be met through existing universal or specialist services.

For these reasons, there are no plans to commission an independent national review at this time.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

We will deliver the first ever modern service framework for frailty and dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.

We have taken ‘non-UK residents’ to mean chargeable overseas visitors. The Department publishes data on the income identified from chargeable overseas visitors in England as part of the Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts. The cash payments received by the National Health Service from overseas visitors are also published annually in the consolidated NHS provider accounts. The information for the last three years is available at the following links:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6745b836e7cf64050b8098c4/consolidated-nhs-provider-accounts_annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024_print-ready.pdf (page 79)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676150ef26a2d1ff18253415/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-2024-web-accessible.pdf (page 284)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65b2a4fc5f8ce2000d3ae544/consolidated-provider-accounts-2022-to-2023-print.pdf (page 74)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65b236c81702b10013cb1289/DHSC-Annual-report-and-accounts-2022-2023-web-accessible.pdf (page 275)

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/consolidated-provider-accounts-21-22-final.pdf (page 66)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63e50dc0d3bf7f05c8e947a8/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-2022_web-accessible.pdf (page 319)

NHS charges can be recovered up to six years from the date of invoice, and therefore the amount recovered in a year does not necessarily mean it was identified in the same financial year.

Guidance on the use of medical devices is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which has existing guidance on the use of left ventricular assistance devices available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg516

The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.

All frontline health care workers should be offered a flu vaccination by their employer, with this year’s campaign starting from 1 October 2025 and remaining until 31 March 2026. In the NHS England Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, which was published in June 2025, a commitment was given to improve vaccination rates for frontline staff towards the pre-pandemic uptake level of 2018/19, and included the aim to improve uptake by at least 5% in 2025/26.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes monthly provisional vaccine uptake data for frontline healthcare workers from November to March. The first monthly data for this season was published on 27 November 2025 and includes all vaccinations given between 1 September and 31 October 2025.

The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to encourage everyone who is eligible to get their flu vaccine. For 2025/26, there is an enhanced communications campaign using multiple ways to reach staff including workplace communications, partnerships with unions and professional bodies, and materials tailored for different healthcare roles. All National Health Service trusts have been asked to have an accessible occupational health vaccination offer to staff throughout the entire flu campaign, including onsite bookable and walk-in appointments. Additionally, a range of digital services have been put in place, including to support individuals to make informed choices about when and where to receive the vaccinations.

NHS England has also developed bespoke data reports to monitor trust uptake in real time, working closely with NHS regions and trusts to determine influencing factors for staff uptake and promoting cross-system working to share best practice throughout the seasonal campaign.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework indicator relating to the learning disability register was retired for the 2025/26 contract year.

National published data is recorded on a financial year basis from April to March. This published data shows that, at the end of October 2025, there were 342,928 people aged 14 years old and over on a general practice learning disability register. This is approximately a quarter of the estimated number of adults with a learning disability in England.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.

Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Integrated care boards will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for NHCs.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, including the workforce. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities. A 10 Year Workforce Plan will be published in spring 2026, which will set out action to create a workforce to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.

The Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) have partnered together on the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer, to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis. For example, one in four black men will develop prostate cancer, double the risk of other men, and often at a younger age. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are black.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), that advises ministers in all four nations of the United Kingdom, has carried out an evidence review to look at screening for prostate cancer. It is only where the UK NSC is confident that screening provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended.

On 28 November 2025, the UK NSC opened a 12- week public consultation on a draft recommendation to:

• offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1/2 gene variants every two years from 45 years old to age 61 years old;
• not recommend population screening;
• not recommend targeted screening of black men;
• not recommend targeted screening of men with family history; and
• collaborate with the Transform trial team to answer outstanding questions on screening effectiveness for black men and men with a family history as soon as the trial data becomes available, and to await the results of the study to develop and trial a more accurate test than the prostate specific antigen test alone, to improve the balance of benefit and harm of screening.

After the consultation closes, in early 2026, the UK NSC will make a final recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. Ministers will consider whether to accept the recommendation at this time.

The Government had two contracts with Palantir Technologies UK which have expired. The first, worth £908,333.33, was for Foundry Software and implementation, between 12 June 2020 and 30 September 2020. The second, worth £750,000, was for the Adult Social Care Data Analytics Project, an extension of Palantir Foundry, between 12 October 2021 and 11 January 2022. There are no contracts in the process of being agreed.

Everyone who has drug and/or alcohol treatment needs is assessed in prison and offered a referral to a treatment or recovery service on release. The Department works closely with national partners and with local authorities to improve continuity of care between prison and community drug and alcohol treatment systems. To support this, the Department has published a continuity of care self-assessment toolkit, and shares actionable data and good practice with drug and alcohol partnerships on a regular basis. The continuity of care self-assessment toolkit is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuity-of-care-from-prison-to-community-self-assessment-tool

This work has enabled more people than ever to receive the treatment they need following their release from prison. The proportion of adults released from prison and successfully starting community treatment within three weeks of release was 53% in 2023 to 2024. This is a 10% increase from the proportion reported in 2022 to 2023, at 43%, and is 23% higher than when this data was first reported in 2015 to 2016, at 30%.

It has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes since 1 June 2025. The Government is investing £10 million of new funding in Trading Standards in 2025/26, to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales. As part of this package, we have provided training to over 760 Trading Standards officers on the single-use vapes ban, ensuring they have a strong understanding of the regulations and are confident in enforcing them.

Through this programme, we are also funding the Vaping Expert Panel, which provides guidance to Trading Standards officers on vaping products to support the consistent enforcement of regulations. The panel has published 20 pieces of guidance, and Trading Standards officers are able to contact the panel if they would like further clarification or advice.

On 19 November 2025, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the first ever Men’s Health Strategy for England. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community, and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease.

We are taking a range of actions to improve men’s health literacy. For example, our landmark partnership with the Premier League will bring together football clubs and the Government to improve health literacy, particularly around mental health and suicide prevention. We are also ensuring health literacy improvements are embedded at the community level, building the evidence base on heath literacy in men, and identifying ways to build media literacy skills in men to help them critically assess health information and protect against misinformation that harms health.

We will consider the impacts on young men in the implementation of the strategy. The strategy sets up a strong foundation for improving how we think and act on men's health and we will learn, iterate, and adapt as new challenges emerge. As a first step, we will work with the Men's Health Academic Network and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector to develop and publish a one-year-on report, highlighting the improvements made and where future efforts will need to be targeted.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows registered early years childcare settings to claim one-third of a pint of milk for all children under the age of five years old who attend the setting for at least two hours per day. The statutory nature of the scheme means that it is not impacted by annual funding discussions, and these discussions therefore have no impact on the childcare settings who use the scheme, or on the suppliers who supply them.

NHS England has published a RightCare toolkit which sets out what good quality diabetes care looks like for children and young adults and which includes guidance on timely and accurate diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of children and young people with type 1 diabetes.

Through our National Institute for Health and Care Research, we have supported the establishment of the Early Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes, or the “ELSA” study. This study is exploring the feasibility and benefits of screening for type 1 diabetes.

NHS England runs training sessions on first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of defibrillators both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart programme. This training should help to increase confidence in performing CPR on women. NHS England has trained over 35,800 adults and children in CPR and defibrillation in the last 13 years, and 2,134 this year so far. NHS England delivers the sessions via their resuscitation team and via their community first responders.

The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crimes of rape and sexual assault. NHS England has introduced a comprehensive package of measures to improve sexual safety across the National Health Service. NHS England has made tackling sexual misconduct in the NHS a priority, with all trusts and integrated care boards (ICBs) now signed up to the Sexual Safety Charter for the NHS.

NHS England is investing in improving the collection and analysis of sexual violence data to support organisations to implement policies that reduce incidents of sexual misconduct in the NHS. NHS providers have a mandatory duty to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of all incidents that affect the health, safety, and welfare of people who use services, including allegations of sexual assault. The provider must also notify the police if a crime has been committed. The CQC uses the information to monitor the safety of services and to ensure that providers have dealt with incidents appropriately. The CQC publishes reports about the services they inspect on their website.

Data relating to sexual assault in NHS hospitals is currently held at NHS trust level. Local police forces hold data where there has been a report to the police of sexual assault. For assaults on NHS staff, the NHS Staff Survey now includes questions about staff experiences of sexual misconduct. Results from the 2024 staff survey show 3.66% experienced unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature from colleagues.

The Department recognises the complex needs of people living with overlapping conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility spectrum disorders, postural tachycardia syndrome, and mast cell activation syndrome. Our approach focuses on improving care coordination and access to appropriate services.

For ME/CFS, we have published a cross-government final delivery plan, which sets out actions to boost research, improve professional education, and enhance support for daily living, including community-based services and better benefit assessments. While the plan is specific to ME/CFS, it acknowledges overlaps with other complex, multi-system disorders and commits to exploring synergies during implementation.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan aims to transform services and outcomes for people living with complex conditions by prioritising integrated, personalised care. The plan focuses on earlier diagnosis and promotes multidisciplinary teams and community-based services to deliver coordinated support closer to home, reducing reliance on hospital care. Digital innovations, including remote monitoring and personalised care planning, will help manage long-term conditions more effectively. The Plan also commits to 95% of people with complex needs to have a personalised care plan by 2027. Personalised care plans will improve support for people with complex needs by ensuring that care is tailored to the individual and coordinated across services.

In addition, research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research into post-viral syndromes and autonomic disorders will help improve understanding autonomic dysfunction and overlapping conditions, accelerate innovation and deliver evidence-based care for patients with complex, multi-system health needs.

No assessment has yet been made as the registration scheme is still in the early stages of policy development. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.

However, given the nature of vaping products, which are not healthcare products, officials from the Department and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) are considering whether OPSS would be better placed to oversee the future register. The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will continue to be responsible for the current notification systems until further notice.

Powers in the bill will allow us to charge a fee for the ongoing and continuous registration of products. Exact details on fees, as well as the future registration scheme, will be subject to future consultation.

We recognise that doctors can find it challenging to diagnose Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) because of the wide range and variability of symptoms, and that the most common type, hypermobile EDS, currently has no specific genetic test.

Resources such as the Royal College of General Practitioners’ EDS Toolkit, now maintained by Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, are helping general practitioners (GPs) to better recognise, respond to, and manage EDS and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) in primary care. For rarer genetically confirmed types of EDS, NHS England commissions a national diagnostic service for EDS.

A primary goal of the national diagnostic service is to educate referring doctors about the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients with complex and atypical forms of EDS. While the service focuses on rare types and accepts referrals from secondary and tertiary care, its development of guidelines and educational initiatives also benefit GPs who are on the front line of patient care.

Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are introducing neighbourhood health centres, and deploying multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic support to people with EDS. Patients will benefit from enhanced NHS App functionality, including My Medicines and My Health, and will be able to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitments on artificial intelligence will give clinicians advanced tools for faster diagnosis, predictive analytics, and personalised care planning. For people with long-term conditions like EDS, this means earlier interventions, better monitoring of complex needs, and more time for clinicians to focus on patient-centred care rather than administrative tasks. The plan also commits to 95% of people with complex needs to have a personalised care plan by 2027.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. It will set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. By setting out how we will train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs, the 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that services are more accessible, proactive, and tailored for all patients, including those with EDS.

We recognise that doctors can find it challenging to diagnose Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) because of the wide range and variability of symptoms, and that the most common type, hypermobile EDS, currently has no specific genetic test.

Resources such as the Royal College of General Practitioners’ EDS Toolkit, now maintained by Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, are helping general practitioners (GPs) to better recognise, respond to, and manage EDS and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) in primary care. For rarer genetically confirmed types of EDS, NHS England commissions a national diagnostic service for EDS.

A primary goal of the national diagnostic service is to educate referring doctors about the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients with complex and atypical forms of EDS. While the service focuses on rare types and accepts referrals from secondary and tertiary care, its development of guidelines and educational initiatives also benefit GPs who are on the front line of patient care.

Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are introducing neighbourhood health centres, and deploying multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic support to people with EDS. Patients will benefit from enhanced NHS App functionality, including My Medicines and My Health, and will be able to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitments on artificial intelligence will give clinicians advanced tools for faster diagnosis, predictive analytics, and personalised care planning. For people with long-term conditions like EDS, this means earlier interventions, better monitoring of complex needs, and more time for clinicians to focus on patient-centred care rather than administrative tasks. The plan also commits to 95% of people with complex needs to have a personalised care plan by 2027.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. It will set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. By setting out how we will train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs, the 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that services are more accessible, proactive, and tailored for all patients, including those with EDS.

We recognise that doctors can find it challenging to diagnose Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) because of the wide range and variability of symptoms, and that the most common type, hypermobile EDS, currently has no specific genetic test.

Resources such as the Royal College of General Practitioners’ EDS Toolkit, now maintained by Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, are helping general practitioners (GPs) to better recognise, respond to, and manage EDS and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) in primary care. For rarer genetically confirmed types of EDS, NHS England commissions a national diagnostic service for EDS.

A primary goal of the national diagnostic service is to educate referring doctors about the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients with complex and atypical forms of EDS. While the service focuses on rare types and accepts referrals from secondary and tertiary care, its development of guidelines and educational initiatives also benefit GPs who are on the front line of patient care.

Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are introducing neighbourhood health centres, and deploying multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic support to people with EDS. Patients will benefit from enhanced NHS App functionality, including My Medicines and My Health, and will be able to self-refer to specialist services where appropriate.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitments on artificial intelligence will give clinicians advanced tools for faster diagnosis, predictive analytics, and personalised care planning. For people with long-term conditions like EDS, this means earlier interventions, better monitoring of complex needs, and more time for clinicians to focus on patient-centred care rather than administrative tasks. The plan also commits to 95% of people with complex needs to have a personalised care plan by 2027.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. It will set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. By setting out how we will train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs, the 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that services are more accessible, proactive, and tailored for all patients, including those with EDS.

Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. This includes the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.

In the call for evidence, we are seeking information on how best to implement the registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.

Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including testing requirements.

On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.

Any new testing requirements introduced following consultation will apply to products produced in the United Kingdom and those imported into the UK.

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including ovarian cancer, is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan which will be published in the new year. The plan will set out in further detail how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including ovarian cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

The Government knows that many ovarian cancer patients are still left waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment and so will push to get the National Health Service diagnosing and treating it faster, so that more patients survive the disease and have an improved experience across the system. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard. This includes expanding existing community diagnostic centres (CDCs), as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26, to support the NHS to return to meeting the elective waiting time constitutional standard. The plan also commits to CDCs opening 12 hours per day, seven days a week, delivering more same-day tests and consultations and an expanded range of tests, many of which can support the diagnosis of gynaecological cancers, including ovarian cancer.

To support early diagnosis, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer. NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information can be found at sources including the NHS website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including ovarian cancer, is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan which will be published in the new year. The plan will set out in further detail how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including ovarian cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

The Government knows that many ovarian cancer patients are still left waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment and so will push to get the National Health Service diagnosing and treating it faster, so that more patients survive the disease and have an improved experience across the system. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard. This includes expanding existing community diagnostic centres (CDCs), as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26, to support the NHS to return to meeting the elective waiting time constitutional standard. The plan also commits to CDCs opening 12 hours per day, seven days a week, delivering more same-day tests and consultations and an expanded range of tests, many of which can support the diagnosis of gynaecological cancers, including ovarian cancer.

To support early diagnosis, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer. NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information can be found at sources including the NHS website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/

Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including ovarian cancer, is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan which will be published in the new year. The plan will set out in further detail how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including ovarian cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.

The Government knows that many ovarian cancer patients are still left waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment and so will push to get the National Health Service diagnosing and treating it faster, so that more patients survive the disease and have an improved experience across the system. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and modernisation efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard. This includes expanding existing community diagnostic centres (CDCs), as well as building up to five new ones in 2025/26, to support the NHS to return to meeting the elective waiting time constitutional standard. The plan also commits to CDCs opening 12 hours per day, seven days a week, delivering more same-day tests and consultations and an expanded range of tests, many of which can support the diagnosis of gynaecological cancers, including ovarian cancer.

To support early diagnosis, NHS England is taking a wide range of activity to increase awareness of ovarian cancer. NHS England relaunched the Help Us Help You cancer campaign on the 8 January 2024, to encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner if they notice, or are worried about, symptoms that could be cancer. Previous phases of the campaign have focused on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers, can be indicative of ovarian cancer. NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. This information can be found at sources including the NHS website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2025 to Question 95574.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2025 to Question 95574.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet local need. We are not aware of any issues with the availability of sight testing services. The decision to commission enhanced eye care services will be determined by local ICBs following a local needs assessment.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available.

We recognise that certain groups of patients may find it difficult to access dental care. Community dental services are available to people whose additional needs may mean they are not able to be treated at high street dental practices. Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care organisations, including dental practices, have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in their approach and provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled patients as they are for everybody else.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, integrated care boards (ICBs) will become strategic commissioners with responsibility for using multi-year budgets to enhance local population health while achieving efficiencies. This will help to support the delivery of the three shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, that are needed to build a health service fit for the future.

ICBs must continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and will work with NHS England to ensure this is done effectively within the running costs allowance with savings reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.

All medicines, including higher-risk ones, are potentially hazardous and should be handled with care during preparation to avoid unnecessary exposure. National Health Service providers are required to follow health and safety legislation and COSHH regulations at all stages.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s guidance, Professional guidance in the safe and secure handling of medicine, includes specific recommendations for the safe preparation of higher-risk medicines. NHS providers are expected to adhere to these standards as part of their statutory and professional obligations under the NHS Standard Contract.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Medicines Optimisation Quality Statement, along with statements on Safe Environments and Safe and Effective Staffing, also set out requirements for appropriate training, equipment, and policies to ensure staff safety during preparation.

The same principles of safety and regulatory compliance apply during the administration of higher-risk medicines. Staff must follow established protocols to minimise risk and ensure safe handling.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines and medical devices. When a safety issue is identified, the MHRA communicates with healthcare professionals and stakeholders through channels such as the GOV.UK website, direct emails, and safety alerts, using different methods depending on urgency and impact.

The MHRA’s three-year Strategy for Improving Communications aims to deliver more coordinated, targeted, and effective safety communications to healthcare professionals and patients, supporting safe administration practices.

The CQC’s quality statements also require providers to have appropriate policies and procedures in place to support both patient and staff safety during the administration of medicines.

We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months.

The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines and medical devices, and it continually reviews product safety.

When a safety issue is identified, the MHRA communicates with healthcare professionals and stakeholders through various channels, such as the GOV.UK website, direct emails, and safety alerts, and may use different methods depending on the urgency and impact of the issue.

The MHRA’s three-year Strategy for Improving Communications aims to deliver more coordinated, targeted, and effective safety communications to healthcare professionals and patients using the best available channels.

NHS England has stipulated that all large providers of National Health Services must designate a Medication Safety Officer. They are mandated to implement medication safety within their organisations and are updated regularly on current issues and learning.

NHS England is also reducing risk to staff by increasing the availability of ready to administer products through its Transforming Aseptic Services Programme, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-nhs-pharmacy-aseptic-services-in-england/transforming-nhs-pharmacy-aseptic-services-in-england

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Medicines Optimisation Quality Statement, a copy of which is attached, is focused on ensuring that patients are able to access their medicines safely. The CQC would therefore expect providers to be following their organisations processes and national guidance, where relevant, to ensure that this happens. Organisations providing care need to ensure that staff have the relevant information available to them to keep patients safe through appropriate medicines use, as well as supporting them to undertake their roles safely.

The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. Stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates remain higher for mothers in more deprived areas.

A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard, and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

We are putting in place immediate actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle. This bundle is a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby.

NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services and address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.

To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.

The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care and to promote health equity in the delivery of those services.