Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent by NHS England on (a) each Section 7A service, (b) immunisation programmes within Section 7A services, (c) childhood immunisations within Section 7A services and (d) school-age immunisations within Section 7A services under the National Health Service Act 2006 in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding for public health functions delegated by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to NHS England, known as section 7A services, is allocated as part of NHS England’s mandate funding total. The following table shows the spend for section 7A services by NHS England for the financial years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24:
Section 7A service area/programme | 2019/20 (£, million) | 2020/21 (£, million) | 2021/22 (£, million) | 2022/23 (£, million) | 2023/24 (£, million) |
Childhood immunisations | 125.4 | 94.4 | 62.9 | 84.2 | 95.6 |
School age immunisations | 41.1 | 41.1 | 36.5 | 42.6 | 55.4 |
Flu vaccination | 260.2 | 345.8 | 388.6 | 448.1 | 403.9 |
Other immunisations | 32.2 | 22.1 | 8.0 | 25.1 | 29.2 |
COVID-19 immunisation | 0.0 | 554.6 | 1,080.2 | 386.2 | 268.4 |
National immunisation programmes total | 458.9 | 1,058.0 | 1,576.2 | 986.2 | 852.5 |
National population screening programmes total | 644.6 | 668.5 | 675.8 | 647.4 | 701.2 |
Child health information services total | 46.5 | 31.4 | 25.2 | 52.2 | 53.4 |
Public health services in secure and detained settings total | 95.5 | 84.5 | 90.8 | 82.0 | 82.1 |
Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) total | 33.2 | 39.0 | 42.3 | 48.1 | 52.8 |
Grand total | 1,278.7 | 1,881.4 | 2,410.3 | 1,815.8 | 1,742.0 |
Source: NHS England.
Notes:
Expenditure for 2024/25 and 2025/26 is not yet published.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ring-fence funding to enable the mass procurement and delivery of NHS meningitis B vaccines to groups identified by clinical experts as being at increased risk.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on eligibility for routine vaccination programmes are taken by the department on the basis of independent scientific advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
In 2015, following review of the epidemiology, disease burden, vaccine safety and efficacy, and cost-effectiveness analysis, the JCVI recommended that young infants should be routinely vaccinated against meningococcal B (MenB) with the aim of providing optimal protection as early as possible, as this age group had the highest disease incidence.
In response to the meningitis outbreak in Kent, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked the JCVI to review eligibility for MenB vaccination in older children and young adults. As ever, the Government will carefully consider JCVI advice.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (a) what steps his Department is taking to deliver a national roll out of Fracture Liaison Services in England; (b) if he will publish a timetable for achieving full coverage; and (c) what assessment he has made of the impact of Fracture Liaison Services on reducing preventable hip fractures and associated mortality.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. Integrated care boards (ICBs) remain well-placed to make decisions according to local need. The renewed Women’s Health Strategy sets an expectation that ICBs prioritise community-based models when commissioning new fracture prevention services.
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of Fracture Liaison Services on reducing preventable hip fractures and associated mortality. There is a broad evidence base for the benefits of Fracture Liaison Services. For example, there is evidence that they can reduce the risk of refracture by up to 40%, depending on the fracture type and population considered, with further information available at the following link:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4767862/
Greater prevention would contribute to avoiding debilitating further consequences, including pain, loss of independence, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Where available, evidence on the potential impacts will be taken into consideration in future policy development.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to menopause support and services in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service, and we acknowledge the impact that women suffering from symptoms of menopause has on their lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.
In Buckinghamshire, a specialist menopause service was launched in August 2025 and was accessible to all Buckinghamshire women via referral from their general practitioner (GP), delivered by telephone as standard to ensure this holistic and patient centred specialist menopause care is delivered close to the patient, in their own home, with face to face provision available where required within GPs across the county.
As announced in October 2025, we will be asking local authorities across the country to include menopause in the NHS Health Check later this year. This will support eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and a diagnosis.
Menopause and menstrual health conditions will be among the priorities for the NHS’s revolutionary new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.
On the 15 April 2026, we published the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy which identifies menopause as a core women’s health priority, recognising its impact on women’s health, wellbeing, work, and quality of life.
The strategy shifts menopause care into primary and community settings, including neighbourhood women’s health services and women’s health hubs, making care easier to access and closer to home.
The strategy commits to each region having a specialist centre to support group based approaches to high volume low complexity women’s health pathways such as menopause services, improving access, peer support, and consistency, with early rollout focused on areas of highest need.
The strategy recognises that menopause symptoms are often under recognised and poorly understood, and commits to improving information so women know their symptoms can be effectively managed, including through evidence-based treatments.
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 reduce waiting times for atrial fibrillation ablation procedures in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Catheter ablation for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation for adults is a prescribed specialised service commissioned in accordance with a published national clinical commissioning policy. Consequently, NHS England’s regional specialised commissioning teams and integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Somerset ICB, are responsible for monitoring activity, reviewing equity of access for their populations, and addressing unwarranted variation through local oversight arrangements and clinical networks.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many births recorded in the Maternity Services Dataset have been associated with the SNOMED CT codes i) 125678001, ii) 699110007, iii) 1269487002, iv) 1269486006 and v) 842009 in each year since the introduction of that coding within that dataset.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Validated data for the codes requested is not available. Guidance published in September 2024 set out how consanguinity and related information should be recorded however this guidance is not mandatory. Recording of these codes has been undertaken by a small number of NHS trusts to date.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 mandate endometriosis and menstrual health training across GP and medical education in England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.
The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, which set the outcomes and standards expected at undergraduate level. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula must meet the standards set by the GMC, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are maintained.
The curriculum for specialty training is set by individual royal colleges and faculties. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensuring it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum covers endometriosis as part of its gynaecology and breast health module.
GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP has worked with partners, including Endometriosis UK, to develop educational resources relating to endometriosis to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
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 The Renewed Women's Health Strategy for England, published April 2026, improves gynaecology care in regions with local shortages of gynaecologists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy was published on 15 April 2026 and sets out a bold, long‑term plan to transform how the health and care system listens to, supports, and delivers for women and girls across all regions in England.
It puts women’s voices and choices at the centre of care, drives faster improvements in services and outcomes that matter most to women, and tackles long‑standing health inequalities across the life course. The strategy aligns with the 10-Year Health Plan to shift care into the community, harness digital innovation, and strengthen prevention so women can live healthier, more fulfilled lives.
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan 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.
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 his Department is taking to help address variations in access to care for people with atrial fibrillation in England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions the CVDPREVENT audit, which publishes routinely held general practice data to support planning and tackle unwarranted variation at national, regional, integrated care board, primary care network, and practice level. This includes information on atrial fibrillation treatment.
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 reduce preventable admissions in A&E.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are significantly expanding urgent care across the country, including building and expanding 40 same day emergency care services and urgent treatment centres. This will mean patients are treated more quickly and in the most appropriate setting, while easing pressure on busy accident and emergency departments so they can focus on the most serious cases.
Alongside this, we are expanding urgent care outside hospital through new neighbourhood health services. Urgent community care enables people to receive timely, high‑quality care in their own homes or communities, helping to maintain independence and ensuring hospital attendance only where clinically necessary. The Neighbourhood Health model prioritises urgent community response, virtual wards, and coordinated multidisciplinary teams to support people with escalating or acute needs, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting care closer to home.
The Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan 2025/26 also committed to scaling a new “Home First” approach, enabling ambulance services to prioritise the most critical cases while providing alternative pathways for those with less urgent needs. This includes “see and treat” and “hear and treat” approaches, supported by additional clinicians in emergency operations centres and single points of access.