Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people living with rare diseases in England have timely access to innovative medicines.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE plays a key role in supporting the adoption of innovative new medicines to improve outcomes for patients, at a price that reflects their value and is fair to the taxpayer.
NICE has a strong track record of recommending medicines for the treatment of rare diseases and its standard technology appraisal process has been proven to be suitable for the evaluation of these medicines, where companies engage constructively in the appraisal and commercial discussions with NHS England. NICE’s approval rate for medicines for rare diseases is in line with its overall approval rate for new medicines, with 91% of medicines licensed for rare diseases recommended for some or all of the eligible patient population since April 2024.
NICE’s also operates a separate highly specialised technologies programme (HST) which is reserved for a small number of medicines for very rare and very severe diseases. The HST programme uses a much higher cost-effectiveness threshold than a standard NICE appraisal, that recognises the challenges of developing medicines for very small patient populations.
The Government remains committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases through the UK Rare Diseases Framework, which includes improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs as one of its four priorities. We are committed to ensuring that this priority is a key driver of the action plans published under this framework.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the current strategic approach to ME/CFS research; and whether his Department plans to develop a coordinated national research strategy for the condition.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have outlined our strategy to support myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), research in the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan published in July. These steps include a research showcase event, a new funding opportunity for a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed pharmaceutical interventions, and the announcement of new funded studies in health and care services, and research infrastructure and capacity-building.
We are determined to accelerate progress in the treatment and management of ME/CFS and will continue working with the ME/CFS community to identify and address barriers to research, with the ambition of supporting more research and capacity-building programmes.
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ME/CFS. Research funding is available, and applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to set out (a) where responsibility sits for action to prevent the availability of tan- enhancing products containing Melanotan II and (b) the steps that have been taken to prevent the availability of tan-enhancing products that are illegal.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicinal products and medical devices in the United Kingdom.
Although tanning is not considered to be a medical purpose, injectable products containing Melanotan 1 or Melanotan 2 have been determined as medicinal products due to their similarity to the authorised medicine Scenesse.
In relation to nasal sprays containing Melanotan 1 or 2, there are no equivalent authorised medicines and in the absence of medicinal claims, they are not regarded as medicinal products.
Medicinal products must hold a relevant Marketing Authorisation to be legally sold and supplied in the UK. This also guarantees that the medicines have been tested for conformity with strict standards of quality, safety, and efficacy.
The MHRA takes action when a medicinal product without appropriate authorisations is identified.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the rising legal costs of clinical negligence.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising legal costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s report.
The results of David Lock’s work will inform future policy making in this area. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps, in due course.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the MHRA allows an AAI prescribed to someone else to be used on a person having an anaphylactic reaction.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulation 2012 permits the administration of adrenaline by auto-injector for use in anaphylaxis for the purpose of saving a life. The regulation does not specifically provide for, or prevent the use of, an adrenaline auto-injector, supplied under a named prescription for another person, in an anaphylactic emergency.
Regulation 235 and Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulation also permits the supply and administration of adrenaline without a prescription, including auto-injectors, to and by named categories of individuals that are suitably trained, and certain institutions and organisations, such as schools. The regulation does not prevent the use for administration of an auto-injector prescribed to someone else.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will consider enabling electronic prescribing for cannabis-based products for medicinal use, in line with other controlled drugs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Rules around the electronic prescribing of cannabis-based medicines are no different to other drugs regulated in Schedule 2 to 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
In England, the NHS Electronic Prescription Service enables the electronic transmission of prescriptions for Schedule 2 to 5 controlled drugs. As part of the robust system of governance and restrictions around the most addictive and harmful drugs, all private healthcare provider prescriptions for Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs cannot be transmitted by electronic means and must be issued on a paper FP10PCD prescription form. All paper copies of private prescriptions of Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs must be submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority. NHS England’s Controlled Drug Accountable Officers have a statutory duty to monitor the management and use of controlled drugs in the National Health Service and private healthcare.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not provide guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis. The MHRA provides guidance on manufacturing, importing, distributing, and supplying unlicensed medicines, which includes cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans.
Current guidelines on the prescribing and use of cannabis-based medicinal products, reference code NG144, is published on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that digital exclusion is not a barrier to accessing primary care.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Digital technology is being used to help health and care professionals communicate better and enable people to access the care they need quickly and easily, when it suits them.
Since 1 October, general practices (GPs) have been required to keep their online consultations tools on throughout core hours, from 8am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, for non-urgent and routine requests.
Patients are able to get in touch with their GPs via an online form during these hours to request an appointment or raise a query.
We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. We have also committed to work with digital transformation teams in integrated care boards and with groups at risk of digital exclusion to ensure digital solutions are inclusive.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 20 November (HL11652), what projects for reform of occupational health services are funded through the Small Business Research Initiative; how much funding was provided to each of those projects, and whether they will place a copy of the self-reported outcomes of those projects in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The fund for stimulating innovation in occupational health (OH) funded five projects in Phase 2. Up to £300,000, inclusive of VAT, was allocated for each contract, to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for up to 12 months. The following table shows the projects to reform OH, their actual spend, and the project participant’s name:
Participant name | Project title | Actual spend |
WELLICS LTD | The enhancement and trialling of an innovative platform to improve SMEs' ability to provide occupational health services to their workforce and measure improved performance in the workplace | £296,200 |
KINSEED LIMITED | SwiftCare - INFORMATION SYSTEMS for HEALTH AND WORK | £299,347 |
| A smart digital OH portal and employee-facing app to bring the benefits of occupational health to individuals, micro and SME companies - initially addressing those employees with Long COVID of the overall total of 2,200,000 patients in the UK. | £262,956 |
LATUS HEALTH LTD | Remote access occupational health support system | £287,945 |
ARMOUR LABS LTD | Digital Healthcare Navigation for the Modern Workforce | £300,000 |
Further details on each of the projects have been published on the Innovate UK transparency page.
Following the normal practice of Innovate UK, projects will not be required to deposit their self-reported outcomes in the Library of the House due to commercial confidentiality considerations.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds information on the number of NHS cancer treatment centres that have access to medical grade freezers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England do not hold information centrally on the number of National Health Service cancer treatment centres that have access to medical grade freezers. Further information on the availability and adequacy of freezing capacity in specific cancer treatment centres may be obtained through direct engagement with NHS providers.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many BSL-interpreters were provided at the outset for patients seeking healthcare treatment in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire and (c) England over the last 12 months.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language interpreters to support deaf patients in the community.
On 30 June 2025, a revised Accessible Information Standard (AIS) was published. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the National Health Service are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using these services.
The AIS implementation guidance outlines support for people with hearing loss, and is available at the following link:
NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a patient and their adjustment needs, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately.