Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England continues to support the improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, including strengthening pre-hospital triage, inter-hospital transfer pathways, and emergency referral arrangements.
These actions are intended to reduce unwarranted variation and improve equitable access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, including those living in rural areas such as Somerset, while ensuring services remain clinically safe and sustainable.
Mechanical thrombectomy is an evidence-based treatment for eligible patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and is recognised as a national clinical priority.
The service is commissioned by NHS England as a specialised service, with aspects of planning and delivery supported locally through specialised commissioning delegated arrangements, working closely with integrated care boards and systems.
NHS England has assessed the need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy through national clinical policy, audit, and service monitoring. NHS England routinely monitors access and outcomes through the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, which has demonstrated variation in access across England, including challenges related to geography and travel times.
In response to this assessed need, work continues to develop and strengthen services. In addition to NHS England’s aforementioned improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, work is also ongoing to support the expansion and sustainability of thrombectomy capable services where clinically and operationally appropriate, within the framework of specialised commissioning delegated services. For instance, 24/7 services to serve stroke patients are available at Bristol and Plymouth.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the time taken and (b) effectiveness of the General Optical Council's action in cases of malpractice.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has regular discussions with the General Optical Council (GOC) on regulatory matters.
While the GOC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GOC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.
In March 2026, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) published its 2024/25 performance review of the GOC, concluding that that it met all 18 Standards of Good Regulation, including those relating to fitness to practise. The PSA found that most fitness to practise investigations were timely and adequate, with risks managed appropriately. However, the PSA identified some areas for improvement which the GOC is addressing through an action plan. The PSA will monitor the progress of this plan as part of its continuous oversight of GOC’s performance.
In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on proposals to reduce reliance on resident doctors in response to industrial action.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government has committed to create a new model of care, fit for the future. In spring we will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver that transformed service.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan has been developed and is informed by regular discussions with NHS England and will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate changes for different professional groups.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of NHS appointments and procedures postponed due to the resident doctors’ strike beginning on 7 April 2026.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England routinely publishes information on postponed inpatient and outpatient appointments during periods of industrial action, and this information will be published in due course. Further information will be available at the following link:
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on improving the recognition of overseas qualifications and reducing barriers to employment in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory regulation of healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom is designed to protect patients and the public by ensuring that registered practitioners are appropriately trained, competent, and fit to practise.
The UK’s healthcare professional regulators are independent bodies responsible for setting standards of education, training, and professional conduct. They are also responsible for setting registration routes, including for overseas‑qualified applicants, to ensure UK standards of safe and effective practice are met. Only those who meet these requirements can legally practise in regulated healthcare professions.
National Health Service employers are responsible for ensuring that individuals appointed to specific roles meet the requirements of those posts in line with service needs, patient safety requirements, and relevant NHS frameworks.
The Government is committed to maintaining robust regulatory frameworks that support public safety, professional standards, and confidence in the healthcare system. Through its programme of regulatory reform, the Government will bring forward legislation to modernise the legislative frameworks of the regulators to ensure that they have the powers they require to protect the public while supporting an effective and flexible workforce. In the meantime, we continue to engage with regulators to support the effective use of their existing powers and frameworks to facilitate efficient registration pathways for both UK and overseas‑qualified applicants, consistent with public protection.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how the Government will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory and accreditation barriers on the level of NHS workforce.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory regulation of healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom is designed to protect patients and the public by ensuring that registered practitioners are appropriately trained, competent, and fit to practise.
The UK’s healthcare professional regulators are independent bodies responsible for setting standards of education, training, and professional conduct. They are also responsible for setting registration routes, including for overseas‑qualified applicants, to ensure UK standards of safe and effective practice are met. Only those who meet these requirements can legally practise in regulated healthcare professions.
National Health Service employers are responsible for ensuring that individuals appointed to specific roles meet the requirements of those posts in line with service needs, patient safety requirements, and relevant NHS frameworks.
The Government is committed to maintaining robust regulatory frameworks that support public safety, professional standards, and confidence in the healthcare system. Through its programme of regulatory reform, the Government will bring forward legislation to modernise the legislative frameworks of the regulators to ensure that they have the powers they require to protect the public while supporting an effective and flexible workforce. In the meantime, we continue to engage with regulators to support the effective use of their existing powers and frameworks to facilitate efficient registration pathways for both UK and overseas‑qualified applicants, consistent with public protection.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how the Government will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.
Asked by: Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish spending data for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 on approved non-NHS entities providing NHS patient care as part of the Insourced Services framework.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in North Cornwall constituency compared with national averages.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for North Cornwall and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:
Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence | 2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025) | 2025/26 (April 2025 to February 2026) |
North Cornwall | 810 | 945 |
England | 612,876 | 676,170 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Cornwall is available at the following link:
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help (a) reduce regional disparities in access in access to left atrial appendage closure and (b) the potential impact of such disparities on Yeovil constituents.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has not undertaken a formal national assessment of regional variation in access to left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO).
LAAO is a prescribed specialised service and is commissioned in accordance with NHS England’s published national clinical commissioning policy, with further information available at the following link:
NHS England’s regional specialised commissioners and integrated care boards are responsible for the monitoring of activity, the reviewing of equity of access for their populations, and for addressing variation through local oversight and clinical networks.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the North West of England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information on the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the Northwest of England.