Department of Health and Social Care

We support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Democratic Unionist Party
Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford)
Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health)

Labour
Baroness Wheeler (Lab - Life peer)
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

Plaid Cymru
Ben Lake (PC - Ceredigion)
Shadow PC Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

Labour
Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer)
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Wes Streeting (Lab - Ilford North)
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Liberal Democrat
Daisy Cooper (LD - St Albans)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Lord Allan of Hallam (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Health)

Scottish National Party
Amy Callaghan (SNP - East Dunbartonshire)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Labour
Abena Oppong-Asare (Lab - Erith and Thamesmead)
Shadow Minister (Women's Health and Mental Health)
Preet Kaur Gill (Lab - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Shadow Minister (Primary Care and Public Health)
Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South)
Shadow Minister (Health)
Ministers of State
Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Andrew Stephenson (Con - Pendle)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Lord Markham (Con - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Maria Caulfield (Con - Lewes)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Scheduled Event
Tuesday 23rd April 2024
11:30
Department of Health and Social Care
Oral questions - Main Chamber
23 Apr 2024, 11:30 a.m.
Health and Social Care (including Topical Questions)
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Debates
Monday 18th March 2024
Select Committee Docs
Friday 15th March 2024
08:00
Select Committee Inquiry
Tuesday 23rd January 2024
NHS leadership, performance and patient safety

The Committee is examining the relationship between leadership in the NHS and performance/productivity as well as patient safety. It will …

Written Answers
Monday 18th March 2024
Yellow Card Scheme: Coronavirus
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Yellow Cards for covid-19 vaccinations were (a) …
Secondary Legislation
Thursday 7th March 2024
Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
These Regulations amend the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 (S.I 2014/2672) (“the 2014 Regulations”).
Bills
Tuesday 6th July 2021
Health and Care Act 2022
A Bill to make provision about health and social care.
Dept. Publications
Monday 18th March 2024
16:00

Department of Health and Social Care Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Mar. 05
Oral Questions
Apr. 17
Urgent Questions
Mar. 18
Written Statements
Mar. 13
Westminster Hall
Mar. 14
Adjournment Debate
View All Department of Health and Social Care Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2019 Parliament


A Bill to make provision about health and social care.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to confer power to amend or supplement the law relating to human medicines, veterinary medicines and medical devices; make provision about the enforcement of regulations, and the protection of health and safety, in relation to medical devices; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th February 2021 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision in connection with coronavirus; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 25th March 2020 and was enacted into law.


To make provision regarding the funding of the health service in England in respect of each financial year until the financial year that ends with 31 March 2024.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th March 2020 and was enacted into law.

Department of Health and Social Care - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 (S.I 2014/2672) (“the 2014 Regulations”).
These Regulations amend the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2996) (“the Standing Rules”). They are made under the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41) (“the 2006 Act”), as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31) (“the 2022 Act”) and they amend the requirements, or ‘standing rules’, imposed on NHS England and integrated care boards. On 1st July 2022, the NHS Commissioning Board was renamed NHS England and integrated care boards became the successors of clinical commissioning groups, in accordance with the 2022 Act.
View All Department of Health and Social Care Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

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Petition Debates Contributed

Advice from the JCVI on the priority groups for a Covid-19 vaccine does not include school/childcare workers. This petition calls for these workers, who cannot distance or use PPE, to be kept safe at work by being put on the vaccine priority list when such a list is adopted into government policy.

375,208
Petition Closed
20 Jul 2021
closed 2 years, 8 months ago

We want the Government to commit to not rolling out any e-vaccination status/immunity passport to the British public. Such passports could be used to restrict the rights of people who have refused a Covid-19 vaccine, which would be unacceptable.

I want the Government to prevent any restrictions being placed on those who refuse to have any potential Covid-19 vaccine. This includes restrictions on travel, social events, such as concerts or sports. No restrictions whatsoever.

View All Department of Health and Social Care Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Health and Social Care Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Health and Social Care Committee
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine (Conservative - Winchester)
Health and Social Care Committee Chair since 2nd November 2022
Taiwo Owatemi Portrait
Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 2nd March 2020
Lucy Allan Portrait
Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 3rd November 2021
Rachael Maskell Portrait
Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 4th July 2022
Paulette Hamilton Portrait
Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham, Erdington)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 4th July 2022
James Morris Portrait
James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 25th October 2022
Chris Green Portrait
Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 8th November 2022
Caroline Johnson Portrait
Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st November 2022
Paul Bristow Portrait
Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 29th November 2022
Paul Blomfield Portrait
Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 13th December 2022
Amy Callaghan Portrait
Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 12th September 2023
Health and Social Care Committee: Previous Inquiries
Department's White Paper on health and social care Pre-appointment hearing for the role of Chair of NICE Supporting those with dementia and their carers Social care: funding and workforce General Practice Data for Planning and Research Omicron variant update Long term funding of adult social care inquiry Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond Maternity services inquiry Planning for winter pressure in A&E departments inquiry NHS England current issues evidence session Suicide prevention inquiry Professional Standards Authority one off evidence session Department of Health and NHS finances Brexit and health and social care inquiry Impact of the Spending Review on health and social care Impact of membership of the EU on health policy in the UK Long-term Sustainability of the NHS - Report of the House of Lords Committee inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of National Health Service Improvement Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems inquiry Brexit – medicines, medical devices and substances of human origin inquiry Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement inquiry Nursing workforce inquiry Children and young people's mental health - role of education inquiry Care Quality Commission accountability inquiry Childhood obesity: follow-up Sustainability and Transformation Plans inquiry Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 inquiry National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination inquiry Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 inquiry NHS Capital inquiry Dentistry Services inquiry Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging inquiry Harding Review of health and social care workforce inquiry Kark Report inquiry Drugs policy inquiry Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis inquiry Suicide prevention: follow-up inquiry Availability of Orkambi on the NHS inquiry Budget and NHS long-term plan inquiry Impact of the Brexit withdrawal agreement on health and social care inquiry Impact of a no deal Brexit on health and social care inquiry Patient safety and gross negligence manslaughter in healthcare inquiry Care Quality Commission inquiry First 1000 days of life inquiry Sexual health inquiry NHS funding inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of NHS England NMC and Furness General Hospital inquiry NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Antimicrobial resistance inquiry Prison healthcare inquiry Alcohol minimum unit pricing inquiry Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing inquiry Implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Management of long-term conditions Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Emergency services and emergency care Post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health Act 2007 Nursing Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Public Expenditure Social Care Government's Alcohol Strategy Responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Health Commissioning Revalidation of Doctors Complaints and Litigation Follow-up inquiry into Commissioning Public Health Annual accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Annual accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Annual accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Annual accountability hearing with Monitor Report of the NHS Future Forum Public Expenditure 2 Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board Education, training and workforce planning Professional responsibility of Healthcare practitioners PIP breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions Accountability hearing with Monitor (2012) Public expenditure on health and care services Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of NICE Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Care Quality Commission 2013 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of Monitor 2013 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission End of Life Care The impact of physical activity and diet on health 2015 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council 2015 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council One-off session on the Ebola virus 2014 accountability hearing with Monitor 2014 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Public expenditure on health and social care 2015 accountability hearing with the General Dental Council Accident and emergency services Children's oral health Current issues in NHS England inquiry Primary care inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Public health post-2013 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission Establishment and work of NHS Improvement inquiry Children's and adolescent mental health and CAMHS Integrated Care Pioneers Complaints and raising concerns Handling of NHS patient data Urgent and Emergency Care Public expenditure on health and social care inquiry 2013 accountability hearing with Monitor Public Health England Health and Care Professions Council 2013 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Work of NICE Work of NHS England Safety of maternity services in England Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care Work of the Department Digital transformation in the NHS Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability IMDDS Review follow up one-off session Assisted dying/assisted suicide NHS dentistry Ambulance delays and strikes The situation in accident and emergency departments Prevention in health and social care Future cancer Pharmacy Men's health Management of the Coronavirus Outbreak Preparations for Coronavirus NHS leadership, performance and patient safety Coronavirus: recent developments Availability of Orkambi on the NHS Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 Dentistry Services Drugs policy Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis First 1000 days of life Budget and NHS long-term plan Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 Harding Review of health and social care workforce National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination NHS Capital NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging Sexual health Calls for cases of GP visa issues Long term funding of adult social care Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of parental (a) choice and (b) responsibility to decide the medical care their child receives.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of levels of parental choice and responsibility to decide the medical care their child receives. Those with parental responsibilities are entitled to give consent for medical treatment on behalf of their children. However, they are not entitled to inappropriate treatment for their children, or to refuse treatment which is in the child’s best interests.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Coroner’s report entitled Oli Hoque: Prevention of future deaths report, published on 13 October 2022, what steps NHS England is taking to allow the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority to compel the timely production of clinical data when conducting investigations into harms arising from regulated medicines.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date work on digitally linking Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority Yellow Card information to NHS clinical records (a) began and (b) is expected to be completed.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full time equivalent staff were employed in the health improvement directorate of (a) the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and (b) Public Health England in each year since 2017.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of findings from (a) the report by the Anscombe Institute entitled Suicide prevention: does legalising assisted suicide make things better or worse?, published on 21 April 2022, and (b) other suicide prevention organisations.

It remains the Department’s view that any change to the law in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide, and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy. The Department as no such plans to make any formal assessment.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of legalising assisted dying on suicide prevention programmes.

It remains the Department’s view that any change to the law in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide, and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy. The Department as no such plans to make any formal assessment.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of what can be done to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Prevention and early intervention are paramount to preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and we want to ensure that every family receives the support and guidance they need during the early days of parenthood.

Health visitors have an important role supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. They support families in improving health literacy, managing minor illnesses, and preventing accidents, including promoting safe sleeping for babies. Health visitors can also work with early years services to ensure that safer sleep messages are promoted across early years services. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-of-public-health-services-for-children/early-years-high-impact-area-5-improving-health-literacy-managing-minor-illnesses-and-reducing-accidents

The Department is also working alongside NHS England and the National Child Mortality Database (NMCD) to increase the data bank on SIDS, to increase our evidence base, understanding, and inform actions and policy.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the use of Gillick competence for vaccinations in schools.

The Gillick competence is a guideline used to determine whether children can provide informed consent based on their level of intelligence, knowledge, and competence. In schools, where requests for parental consent haven’t been responded to, vaccinators may ask for the child’s parents’ contact details to seek oral consent over the phone. For young people, and children in secondary school settings who may be offered the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine alongside other school aged vaccinations, after every attempt to gain parental consent has been exhausted, the School Aged Immunisation Service team may make a clinical decision to give the vaccination using the Gillick competence framework. This allows a child to consent to their own treatment where appropriate, and when they are competent to do so.

The Green Book Chapter two, Information for public health professionals on immunisation, provides guidance on seeking consent for vaccination, including the use of the Gillick competence. Obtaining consent to treatment and assessing the adequacy of the use of the Gillick competence in schools is the responsibility of each service provider.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Yellow Cards for covid-19 vaccinations were (a) identified by the MHRA as being of special interest and (b) followed up by the MHRA in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.

Adverse events of special interest (AESI) are medical events or conditions that have been identified as possible vaccine safety concerns, based mainly on previous experience with other vaccines and immune-mediated events which theoretically may occur, as vaccines stimulate an immune response. AESIs for COVID-19 vaccines were subject to enhanced surveillance by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and many other regulators from the start of the United Kingdom’s immunisation programme.

Specifically in relation to AESIs, the MHRA has received 22880 UK spontaneous suspected adverse reaction (ADR) reports across all COVID-19 vaccines. Over 157 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given in the UK. It is important to note that Yellow Card reports are not proof of a side effect occurring, and the incidence of a reaction occurring cannot be determined by these reports. The MHRA considers that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks for the majority of people.

The MHRA acknowledges receipt of every Yellow Card report received, and a team of safety experts follow up for additional information as necessary, including consideration of reports with a fatal outcome, based on the completeness, severity, and clinical details provided in the report. Responses to follow-up requests for ADR reports are recorded and stored with the original report on our ADR database. The information is then passed downstream for use in signal detection and the identification of safety concerns.

The data is available for its core purpose of assessment and signal detection, however, the systems were not designed to quantify follow-up metrics requested in this parliamentary question. As such it is not possible to automatically generate metrics on the proportion of follow-up requests sent. The MHRA has provided information on follow up rates under Freedom of Information, within the 20 day statutory timeframes based on manual review of reports, and is committed to publishing high level data on its website.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the potential impact of closing maternity services at the Royal Free Hospital.

The Department has not undertaken such an assessment. The North Central London Integrated Care Board has conducted an impact assessment on the proposals as part of its consultation on proposed changes to maternity, neonatal, and children’s surgical services in North Central London, which is due to close on 17 March 2024. This impact assessment is available at the following link:

https://nclhealthandcare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ALT-TEXT_Maternity-Neonates-IIA-1.pdf

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
8th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking in response to the Kimberley Liu: Prevention of future deaths report, published on December 29, 2023.

The Department takes all prevention of future death reports seriously, including working with healthcare partners where appropriate to develop our responses. We are conscious of the statutory deadline for these reports, and the Department will provide a formal response in due course.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has approved the business case costings for the New Hospital Programme.

On 25 May 2023, the Government announced that the New Hospital Programme (NHP) is expected to represent over £20 billion of capital investment for the financial year 2030/31, and that there would be a rolling programme of investment in health infrastructure in the longer term. Future spending beyond this current spending review period will be subject to the usual spending review processes.

The NHP has developed a third version of its Programme Business Case (PBC) which includes costs for the programme’s future spend. This was approved by the Department’s Joint Investment Committee on 19 February 2024. Following this approval, the PBC will go through Government assurance processes in May 2024.

Future spend will be confirmed through the usual processes of future spending reviews, and all funding allocations for specific schemes within the NHP will only be confirmed once the individual Full Business Cases have been reviewed and agreed by ministers.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with (a) NICE and (b) Bristol Myers Squibb on restarting the NICE appraisals process for luspatercept (Reblozyl).

Departmental officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including on access to medicines such as luspatercept (Reblozyl). The Department has had no discussions with Bristol Myers Squibb on this specific topic.

Luspatercept has a licence in the United Kingdom for the treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anaemia due to very low, and low and intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts, who had an unsatisfactory response to, or are ineligible for, erythropoietin-based therapy. The NICE had to terminate its appraisal of luspatercept for treating anaemia caused by myelodysplastic syndromes because the manufacturer did not provide an evidence submission. The NICE will review this decision if the company decides to make a submission.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to assess the adequacy of staffing levels in public health.

In October 2022, Health Education England carried out the fifth national census to capture the size and composition of the public health workforce in England. The scope of the 2022 census was expanded to include additional roles beyond specialists, including public health practitioners, advanced practitioners, specialist community public health nurses, including school nurses and health visitors, and public health apprentices. NHS England plans to conduct the next capacity review of the public health workforce in 2025, and will work with the Department to define the scope of the review.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver a health workforce that meets the needs of the population. This includes a commitment to provide 13% more public health specialist training places from 2023/24, and for the NHS to work with the Department to address demand and supply of the public health workforce in future years.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to encourage the England-wide roll-out of the drug Enhertu to aid the treatment of people with breast cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits.

The NICE published guidance in 2021 and 2023 recommending Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) for the treatment of NHS patients with HER2-positive breast cancer through the Cancer Drugs Fund, and it is now available to eligible NHS patients in line with the NICE’s recommendations.

The NICE is currently evaluating Enhertu for the treatment of metastatic HER2-low breast cancer, and published final draft guidance on 5 March 2024 that does not recommend it as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. Stakeholders have until 19 March 2024 to lodge an appeal against the NICE’s recommendations. The NICE currently expects to publish final guidance on 3 April 2024.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Cross-Government Fraud Landscape: Annual Report 2022, published on 21 March 2023, what the basis is of the increase in detected error in her Department from £0.5m in 2019/20 to £43.2m in 2020/21.

The increase in reported error in 2020/21 was due to the NHS Business Services Authority commencing the reporting of errors identified as part of their NHS Provider Assurance activity.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 1 February (HL1933), what progress they have made on reducing variation in breast screening services since 2019.

The NHS Breast Screening Programmes were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some breast screening offices took the decision to pause services temporarily to support the pandemic response. All breast cancer screening services have now recovered from the pandemic, and have no backlog of people waiting to be screened.

Increasing uptake and reducing health inequalities remains paramount as part of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to directly support early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Regional commissioners are working closely with cancer alliances and cancer charities to develop uptake plans which address their specific populations needs.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any dangers to some users of the commonly prescribed asthma drug montelukast.

Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.

Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.

Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.

As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.

We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the use of montelukast in the UK, what assessment they have made of the US Food and Drug Administration's issuing a “black box warning” in March 2020 about serious mental health side effects of the drug and restricting its use for allergic rhinitis.

Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.

Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.

Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.

As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.

We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of awareness by doctors of any dangers of the commonly prescribed drug montelukast, as highlighted by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2020, that the use of the drug resulted in “a wide variety of mental health side effects have been reported, including completed suicides".

Montelukast remains a safe and effective medicine in the treatment of asthma. Montelukast is indicated for use in the United Kingdom as an add on treatment for asthma patients who are inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroid treatment, and can be prescribed for the symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients with asthma. There is no licensed indication in the UK for the treatment of allergic rhinitis alone.

Neuropsychiatric effects such as depression have been included in the UK product information for montelukast since 2007. This has been subsequently updated with additional terms based on emerging evidence. This includes the most recent update in 2019, which more fully described the neuropsychiatric effects. In order to remind prescribers of the risk of neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, a Drug Safety Update article was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2019, to accompany the updated warnings.

Following a growing number of Yellow Card reports and queries from patients and caregivers, raising concerns about a potential ongoing lack of awareness of the risk of the neuropsychiatric effects with montelukast, the MHRA is conducting a further review of the current data.

As part of our review, we are evaluating all available evidence, including Yellow Card reports and queries received by the MHRA, literature publications, international regulatory changes, including those made by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, and are listening to and learning from patients’ experiences. The MHRA has sought advice from our independent expert groups including paediatricians, specialists in mental and respiratory health, as well as experts in medicines safety.

We are considering all relevant regulatory actions that would provide the most effective way of increasing awareness to healthcare professionals, patients, and their caregivers. The MHRA is finalising the review process and will communicate on any further measures to minimise the risk, upon completion of our review.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her Department's policy is on maintaining (a) supply of and (b) access to commonly prescribed medicines.

There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. However, the medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global, and supply disruption is an issue which affects countries all around the world.

There are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, including manufacturing difficulties, regulatory non-compliance, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes, or distribution issues. Supply issues are driven by a range of factors, many of which are non-specific to the United Kingdom.

Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and help mitigate risks to patients. We work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others, to develop bespoke mitigation plans, which are tailored to each issue, to help ensure patients continue to have access to the medicines they need.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Comment entitled Health spending planned to fall in England and Scotland in 2024–25, suggesting a top-up likely, published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on 4 March 2024, what steps he is taking to help ensure the NHS maintains (a) quality of care and (b) patient outcomes in the 2024/25 financial year.

The Spring Budget 2024 announced that the Government is protecting the day-to-day funding of the National Health Service in England, providing an extra £2.45 billion in 2024/25. This will allow the NHS to continue to focus on reducing waiting times, and will bring the NHS’s resource budget in 2024/25 to £164.9 billion. This means that NHS funding will increase from 2023/24, and equates to a real terms increase of 13% since 2019/20.

An additional £3.4 billion of capital funding announced at the budget will aid the NHS’ technological and digital transformation over three years, between 2025/26 and 2027/28. This will provide wider benefits to quality of care and patient outcomes, such as better prevention, and patients living longer and healthier lives, as a result of receiving scans earlier. Devolved administrations, including Scotland, will benefit from additional funding through the Barnett formula.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the use of the capsule sponge test to detect oesophageal cancer.

NHS England commissioned an evaluation to assess the impact of the capsule sponge test in secondary care, for patients on a routine reflux pathway. The evaluation report was completed in September 2023 and the national pilot will conclude in March 2024.

On 26 February 2024, NHS England published the results of the capsule sponge test pilot for secondary care routine reflux and Barrett’s surveillance cohort, which began in January 2021, and launched at 30 hospitals across England. The pilot tested over 8,500 patients with the capsule sponge test. Evaluation of a cohort of patients showed almost eight out of 10 patients, who completed a test, were discharged without the need for further testing, freeing up endoscopy capacity for higher risk patients and those referred for urgent tests for oesophageal cancer. Patients with positive results from the capsule sponge test who were referred on for an endoscopy had the highest prevalence of Barrett’s oesophagus, at 27.2%, compared to zero patients with negative results who completed an endoscopy.

NHS England has not committed to national uptake of capsule sponge, but will continue to support integrated care boards (ICBs) and local systems to deliver in their area. The evaluation report was published and shared with local National Health Service systems including Cancer Alliances, NHS providers, and ICBs to support with local service provision. The evaluation findings should be interpreted and used locally, based on need.

NHS England is continuing to explore other capsule sponge use cases, including in primary and community care settings jointly funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Cancer Research UK. Separately to this, the CYTOPRIME2 project is funded through the NHS Cancer Programme’s Innovation Open Call and is assessing the feasibility and safety of using capsule sponge in a primary care setting, and evaluating key outcome metrics.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she taking to help support parents to tackle obesity in their children.

We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.

The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.

We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.

We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.

The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.

In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.

The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.

Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022.  We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.

We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help support parents of children up to the age of five to tackle childhood obesity.

We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.

The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.

We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.

We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.

The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.

In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.

The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.

Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022.  We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.

We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the outcomes of the Tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and if she will have discussions with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time available for scrutiny of those outcomes.

Smoking is the number one entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability, and death in this country. It is responsible for 80,000 deaths in the United Kingdom a year, and one in four of all UK cancer deaths. It costs our country £17 billion a year, £14 billion of which is through lost productivity alone. It puts huge pressure on the National Health Service and social care, costing over £3 billion a year. This is why the Government is committed to creating the first smokefree generation, ensuring no child born after 1 January 2009 will ever legally be sold tobacco.

The tenth Conference of Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco control was an opportunity for the UK to showcase our international leadership on tobacco control. No decisions from COP10 will impact our plans to create the first smokefree generation, or our policies on vaping. I will update the House shortly on the outcomes from COP10.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the document entitled the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for England: improving the quality of services for people in prison and those subject to statutory supervision by the probation service in the community 2022-2025, if she will make a comparative assessment with Cabinet colleagues of standards of healthcare received by (a) prisoners at HMP Wandsworth and (b) the general population.

There are no plans to make such an assessment. As set out in the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for England, healthcare services in all prisons in England, including HMP Wandsworth, are commissioned by NHS England to national specifications, to make sure that prisoners receive the same standards of healthcare as the general population.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on redress for people affected by mesh implants following the publication of The Hughes Report on 7 February 2024.

The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report, and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations, and will respond substantively in due course.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support charitable organisations providing mental health services to those in need.

The Department recognises the valued contribution that mental health and suicide prevention voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations make in supporting people with their mental health.

During the pandemic, we provided £10.2 million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and the Campaign Against Living Miserably, and over £34 million to organisations supporting people who experience loneliness.

More recently, we announced that 79 organisations across the country have been allocated funding through the £10 million suicide prevention grant fund. These organisations, from local, community-led organisations through to national, are delivering a broad and diverse range of activity that will prevent suicides and save lives.

We have also announced that £8 million is being made available for 24 early support hubs across the country, a number of which will be run by voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
11th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to introduce the shingles vaccine for adults aged over 65.

The current policy is to offer the shingles vaccine to anyone who turned 65 and 70 years old after 1 September 2023, as well as to anyone aged 50 years and older who is at higher risk of serious complications. This policy has significantly improved the already very successful programme.

People aged 66 to 69 years old on 1 September 2023, who do not have a severely weakened immune system, will become eligible for shingles vaccination when they turn 70 years old. Those with a severely weakened immune system are eligible for the shingrix vaccine from 50 years old, due to their increased risk. Anyone who is unsure if they are at higher risk of complications from shingles should speak to their general practitioner. It is important that anyone eligible takes up this offer to protect themselves.

The Government’s policy on groups eligible for the shingles vaccination programme is based on recommendations by the independent expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the scope and speed of any expansion of a programme is decided between the UK Health Security Agency, the Department, and NHS England.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
11th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine by (a) girls and (b) boys.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with charities such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust to develop resources to raise awareness and educate young girls and boys about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and related cancers. The UKHSA has helped develop education resources for schools called EDUCATE, co-developed with teenagers and the Health Protection Research Unit on Behavioural Science and Evaluation.

School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) providers have continuously been focusing on HPV programme recovery since the pandemic and the school closures, and have robust catch-up plans in place for HPV vaccination based on population need, and utilising opportunities from the HPV programme change in September 2023 to deliver further catchup activities from the academic year 2023/24 using innovative models.

The UKHSA monitors uptake for immunisation programmes for teenagers. Annual published statistics help local NHS Screening and Immunisation teams develop plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities in collaboration with key partners, including Directors of Public Health, and teams in local authorities.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
11th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the shingles vaccine to adults aged 65 and over.

The Shingrix programme was recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to provide better and longer lasting population-level protection from a younger age than the previous Zostavax programme. The Shingrix shingles vaccination programme was introduced from September 2023, to offer two doses of the vaccine to immunocompetent individuals turning 65 and 70 years old, and severely immunosuppressed adults over 50 years old.

A cost-effectiveness review by the JCVI concluded that although the highest monetary benefit would be to provide the Shingrix vaccination at 65 years old, by offering it at 60 years old the highest number of cases would be prevented. For immunosuppressed individuals, Shingrix was determined to be cost-effective between the ages of 50 to 90 years old.

To avoid undue additional pressure on National Health Service delivery services, the Shingrix vaccine will be delivered in a phased approach over 10 years, after which the vaccine would then be offered routinely from 60 years old.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of people with long covid.

The Government does not currently routinely record the total number of people with long COVID, or new cases identified. However, the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023: 1.9 million people, or 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing long COVID symptoms; 83,000 people first had, or suspected they had, COVID-19 less than 12 weeks previously; 1.73 million people had symptoms for 12 or more weeks, 1.3 million people for at least a year and 762,000 for at least two years; and 1.5 million people reported day-to-day activities adversely affected. Of these, 381,000 people reported that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been limited a lot.

On 25 April 2024, the ONS will be publishing additional analysis from the fortnightly Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, including data on trends in ongoing symptoms of COVID-19. This article will expand on the existing analysis published in the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study’s data tables, to look more in depth at trends in self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, including ongoing symptoms and associated risk factors.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for mental health services.

More and more people are getting support with their mental health thanks to investments made through the NHS Long Term Plan. Unfortunately, demand has risen as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the cost of living on people’s mental health continues to be felt. This means that some people are facing waiting times that are much longer than we would like.

We are providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services, to expand access and reduce waiting times. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, NHS spending on mental health has increased by £4.6 billion in cash terms, as compared to the target of £3.4 billion in cash terms set out at the time of the Long Term Plan. The NHS Long Term Plan committed to grow the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 staff between 2019/20 and 2023/24. We are making positive progress, delivering two-thirds of this, or 17,000 additional staff, by September 2023, with further significant growth expected by the end of this financial year.

The NHS is also working towards implementing five new waiting time measures for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident and emergency and in the community, for both adults, and children and young people. This includes working towards improving the quality of data that we have on waiting times for people requiring mental healthcare, in both accident and emergency and in the community. NHS England began publishing this new data in 2023 to improve transparency and drive local accountability.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to (a) identify young people most at risk of poor health in later life and (b) mitigate that risk.

The Government recognises the significant impact that youth health can have across a person’s life course, and is committed to keeping young people healthy, preventing ill-health, and providing treatment and support where needed. The Department leads a range of universal public health interventions and guidance for those aged between zero and 19 years old, that provide universal support, and help identify further needs and safeguarding concerns for children and young people most at-risk.

People with both physical and mental health conditions face poorer clinical outcomes, and a significantly lower quality of life, than people with a physical health condition alone. This is why the Government is rolling out mental health support teams to schools and colleges in England, to detect and offer evidence-based interventions to young people experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health issues. These currently cover 3.4 million children, or approximately 35% of pupils, which will increase to 50% by 2025. When deciding where to introduce mental health support teams, integrated care boards consider how teams will reach young people most at risk of poor outcomes. In addition, on 27 February 2024 we announced extra funding for 24 early support hubs for young people across England, so that thousands of children and young people will receive earlier, open-access mental health interventions in local communities.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle obesity in primary school children.

We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.

The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.

We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.

We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.

The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.

In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.

The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.

Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022.  We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.

We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of waiting times for GP surgeries in Bristol East constituency.

In the last 12 months to December 2023, 41% of the 407,000 appointments in Bristol East were delivered on the same day they were booked, and 84.1% were delivered within two weeks of booking. NHS England publishes monthly data on General Practice Appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, but this is not a proxy for waiting times. There are a number of factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery, and an appointment.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects every child to have a personal child health record.

Every baby is allocated a National Health Service number as soon as their birth is notified by the attending midwife. This is linked to the NHS number of the birth mother. Once registered at a general practice (GP) surgery, a baby will also have a GP record. This is the first digital health record which most babies will receive, and is linked to their existing NHS number.

The aim of the Digital Personal Child Health Record programme is not to create a new, standalone record, but to use existing infrastructure to facilitate better coordination between existing records. This will support families in accessing the information they need when they need it, and for professionals to offer more informed, joined-up care.

We have improved access to relevant content and information about maternity, early years, and Start for Life, via the NHS App, and made it easier for families to register a new baby digitally at a GP practice. Over 2000 practices have already adopted the solution, which consists of an online registration service and a new paper form. GPs will be contractually required to adopt and offer both formats, from October 2024.

We have also prepared the launch of a pilot programme which will allow anyone with parental responsibility to apply digitally for access to their child’s record, for any child up to 13 years old. This has now launched in 70 GPs in England, and will make it much easier for parents to manage a child's digital health record. For example, once rolled out across England, this will enable the parent or carer to view their baby’s digital GP record, book appointments, and request prescriptions, all via the NHS App.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of new-born children were give a digital NHS personal child health record in the last 12 months.

Every baby is allocated a National Health Service number as soon as their birth is notified by the attending midwife. This is linked to the NHS number of the birth mother. Once registered at a general practice (GP) surgery, a baby will also have a GP record. This is the first digital health record which most babies will receive, and is linked to their existing NHS number.

The aim of the Digital Personal Child Health Record programme is not to create a new, standalone record, but to use existing infrastructure to facilitate better coordination between existing records. This will support families in accessing the information they need when they need it, and for professionals to offer more informed, joined-up care.

We have improved access to relevant content and information about maternity, early years, and Start for Life, via the NHS App, and made it easier for families to register a new baby digitally at a GP practice. Over 2000 practices have already adopted the solution, which consists of an online registration service and a new paper form. GPs will be contractually required to adopt and offer both formats, from October 2024.

We have also prepared the launch of a pilot programme which will allow anyone with parental responsibility to apply digitally for access to their child’s record, for any child up to 13 years old. This has now launched in 70 GPs in England, and will make it much easier for parents to manage a child's digital health record. For example, once rolled out across England, this will enable the parent or carer to view their baby’s digital GP record, book appointments, and request prescriptions, all via the NHS App.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions for which a medical exemption certificate for free NHS prescriptions may be issued.

While the Government’s policy remains that there are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate, there are extensive arrangements currently in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone.

Around 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with cystic fibrosis may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. The scheme provides income related help to people who are not automatically exempt from charges, but who may be entitled to full or partial help if they have a low income and savings below a defined limit.

To support those with greatest need, who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need, for a set cost.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) dental nurses, (b) dental hygienists, (c) dental technicians, (d) dental therapists, (e) orthodontic therapists and (f) clinical dental technicians were employed in each financial year since 2010-11.

Data on how many dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental therapists, orthodontic therapists, and clinical dental technicians are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) is available at the following link:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do/the-registers/registration-reports

In order to practise in the United Kingdom, all members of the dental team must be registered with the GDC. The Department does not hold data on the number of employed dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental therapists, orthodontic dentists, or clinical technicians.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists were registered with the General Dental Council in each financial year since 2010-11; and of those registered dentists how many and what proportion provided some NHS care.

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator of dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) practising in the United Kingdom and enforces the standards they must adhere to. In order to practise in the UK, all dentists and DCPs are required to hold registration with the GDC.

The Department does not hold data on how many dentists have been registered with the GDC. Data on the registration of dentists and DCPs with the GDC is held by the GDC. The GDC regularly publish registration reports on their website at the following link:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do/the-registers/registration-reports

The following table shows the number of dentists with National Health Service activity in England only between the years 2010/11 to 2022/23:

Number of dentists with NHS activity in England

Year

Number of dentists

2010/11

22,799

2011/12

22,920

2012/13

23,201

2013/14

23,723

2014/15

23,947

2015/16

24,089

2016/17

24,007

2017/18

24,308

2018/19

24,545

2019/20

24,684

2020/21

23,733

2021/22

24,272

2022/23

24,151

Source: Data is from the NHS Dental Statistics for England Annual Report 2017-18 (Workforce Table 8a) and the NHS Dental Statistics for England Annual Report 2022-23 (Workforce Table 1a). The reports are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people (a) infected and (b) affected by contaminated blood and blood products in Glenrothes constituency.

Health services in Scotland are the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Anyone living in Scotland who has been infected or affected by infected blood or blood products has access to specialist psychological support services. There are two such services established by the Scottish Government and managed by NHS Lothian: the Inherited Bleeding Disorders Psychological Support Service, which is available for any patients with a bleeding disorder or their family, and the Scottish Infected Blood Psychological Service. Both services can see patients from across Scotland by means of outreach services, virtually using the NHS Near Me service, or by telephone.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does she expect the photobiomodulation process for treatment of those with severe eye problems to be made available via the NHS.

Clinicians utilise the best available evidence, including guidance from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to determine appropriate treatments to be made available to patients via the National Health Service.

The NICE runs an interventional procedures programme to assess the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures used for treatment or diagnosis, to determine whether they work well enough and are safe enough for use in the NHS. The programme can assess procedures that involve incision, puncture, and entry into a body cavity, or that use ionising, electromagnetic, or acoustic energy.

The NICE’s interventional procedures programme is not currently looking at this procedure in relation to the treatment of eye problems, and there has been no notification to the NICE for consideration of photobiomodulation for treatment of those with severe eye problems.

The Department is committed to partnering with industry, patients, and the wider health and social care system to ensure effective and innovative medical technologies that support the continued delivery of high-quality care and outstanding patient safety, are available to patients. Innovators can sign up to the NHS Innovation Service for guidance on the key steps to introduce their idea or product to the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason is the shingles vaccine not available to people between the ages of 66 to 69 on 1 September 2023; and whether she will make an assessment of the potential impact of not providing the vaccine on those people.

The current policy offers the shingles vaccine shingrix to anyone who turned 65 or 70 years old on or after 1 September 2023, and to anyone aged 50 years old and over, who is at higher risk of serious complications as a result of having a severely weakened immune system. This approach has been used in the effective implementation of previous immunisation programmes. Whilst some individuals may have to wait until they are eligible, the population benefit of adopting this approach is greater, and means that many individuals will receive the vaccine sooner and will benefit for longer.

The approach is modelled on the first shingles programme, optimising achievements within the resources and capacity of the National Health Service, while being delivered alongside other important healthcare priorities, and avoiding undue additional pressure on NHS delivery services. An assessment of the potential impact of not providing the vaccine to people aged 66 to 69 years old is not required, as they remain eligible to receive a shingles vaccination when they turn 70 years old, as they would have done prior to 1 September 2023.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
6th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care.

No assessment has been made of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care. The Government recognises that access to high-quality, personalised palliative and end of life care can make a significant difference to individuals and their families, at a sensitive time.

While the National Health Service has always been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, palliative care services were added to the list of services an integrated care board must commission, promoting a more consistent national approach and supporting commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the abortion rates data for (a) 2021/22 and (b) 2022/23.

Abortion statistics for England and Wales for 2021, and from January to June for 2022, have been published on the GOV.UK website, and are available respectively at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2021/abortion-statistics-england-and-wales-2021

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-january-to-june-2022/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-january-to-june-2022

Full 12-month abortion statistics for 2022 are provisionally scheduled to be published in May 2024. The date of the publication of abortion statistics for 2023 will be announced in due course.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
5th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her planned timetable is for the introduction of Liberty Protection Safeguards.

The situation remains as set out in April 2023. The implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) has been delayed beyond the life of this Parliament. We will therefore not be publishing a timetable for the introduction of the LPS at this time.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)