Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had since the publication of the Final Delivery Plan for ME/CFS regarding the commissioning of a specialised service for people with very severe ME/CFS.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan, published in July 2025, includes an action for the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The third and final session in NHS England’s ME/CFS e-learning series, Managing Severe ME/CFS, is now live on the NHS Learning Hub. This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance to support people living with severe and very severe ME/CFS, and has universal access. There is also an additional version of this module, which is only available to healthcare professionals, and includes clinical guidance on severe and very severe ME/CFS.
NHS England has already started its work on co-designing resources, including a ‘template service specification’ for mild/moderate ME/CFS services, to support systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have met with a group of key stakeholders to move this work on. This template will now include reference to severe ME/CFS.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the analysis of responses to the 2018 consultation on the Nutrient Profiling Model before any decision to adopt that model; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published responses to the 2018 consultation on 27 January 2026 alongside the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018 Review and Consultation Outcome and the associated NPM technical guidance.
The Government launched the consultation on applying the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on 25 March 2026.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Department can outline how many NHS outpatient services for ME/CFS are currently operational in England, and how many of these accept referrals for patients with severe or very severe ME/CFS.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan, published in July 2025, includes an action for the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The third and final session in NHS England’s ME/CFS e-learning series, Managing Severe ME/CFS, is now live on the NHS Learning Hub. This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance to support people living with severe and very severe ME/CFS, and has universal access. There is also an additional version of this module, which is only available to healthcare professionals, and includes clinical guidance on severe and very severe ME/CFS.
NHS England has already started its work on co-designing resources, including a ‘template service specification’ for mild/moderate ME/CFS services, to support systems to improve services for mild and moderate ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have met with a group of key stakeholders to move this work on. This template will now include reference to severe ME/CFS.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
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 assessment of the variation in diagnosis times and access to treatment for heart valve disease by (a) region and (b) demographic group in England and West Sussex.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that variation in the provision of heart valve disease (HVD) services exists across England is taking action to address this.
NHS England is strengthening consistency in the diagnosis and treatment to reduce variation in HVD diagnosis, including in West Sussex. This included echocardiography workforce initiatives to increase diagnostic capacity for HVD referrals for 2024/25. In 2025, the Getting It Right First Time programme published new and revised cardiology pathways to reduce delays and guide clinicians through diagnostic steps and treatment planning, and enhanced recovery protocols for Aortic Stenosis (advanced HVD).
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the British Heart Foundation are partnering for the £50m Inequalities, which will fund a five-year consortium to generate research focused on tackling inequalities in ethnic minorities, deprived communities and unequal cardiovascular disease outcomes between women and men. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-50m-funding-to-tackle-inequalities-cardiovascular-disease
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
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 implications for its policies of the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report on dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention, particularly the evidence on alcohol as a risk factor for bowel cancer.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
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 prevent bowel cancer by addressing key modifiable risk factors, including alcohol.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve public awareness of the bowel cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and the National Health Service welcome the findings of the World Cancer Research Fund’s report and recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of bowel cancer.
The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, has patients at its heart and covers the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan sets out that every patient will receive personalised insights into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.
The plan builds on the commitment made in ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages, to raise awareness of associated risks of alcohol consumption.
It emphasises prevention by supporting the no- and low-alcohol market and exploring stricter regulations on these products to cut cancer-related deaths including those related to alcohol such as bowel cancer. The plan acknowledges that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to several cancer types including bowel cancer and aims to build on a shift from "sickness to prevention" by addressing modifiable risk factors like alcohol.
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines outline how the risk of developing cancer rises with ongoing regular drinking. As outlined on the NHS page ‘Risks: Alcohol Misuse’, the long-term health conditions that are caused by alcohol consumption include cancers of the liver, mouth, head and neck, breast, and bowel.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, including bowel cancer.
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 potential merits of rolling out lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes nationally, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has not been a specific national assessment of the roll out of lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel-occlusion.
The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities and foster innovation where it is needed most.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has any newly available (a) evidence or (b) modelling related to carriage studies and the potential impact of routinely offering Meningitis B vaccinations for people aged 13-25 on their health.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department makes decisions on vaccination programmes following careful consideration of independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults. The JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 17 March that the JCVI has been asked to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. However, decisions on routine vaccination programmes are taken on the basis of independent scientific advice from the JCVI. As ever, we will carefully consider their advice.
In the meantime, a targeted vaccination programme has been extended to everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment as part of this outbreak.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 consistency and effectiveness of (a) antenatal screening in detecting fetal cardiac conditions and (b) the efficacy of the Fetal anomaly screening programme handbook guidance in supporting early identification and treatment pathways for foetuses with cardiac abnormalities.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of babies and children. The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) recommends the offer of an ultrasound scan which is performed between 18+0 to 20+6 weeks to screen for 11 physical conditions, including serious cardiac anomalies.
Coverage of the foetal anomaly ultrasound for the 2024/25 screening year was high, at 98%. As of 2020/21, the proportion of women who had an unexpected finding suspected or confirmed in the baby at the 20-week screening scan and who were then referred within the timeline was 76.8% for local referrals, those seen within three days of screening scan, and 85.2% for tertiary referrals, those seen with five days of screening scan. This ensures women with a suspected or confirmed unexpected finding are referred in a timely manner and receive timely intervention where appropriate. Minimum screening standards data is collected against the 20-week scan, with further information available at the following link:
NHS England is aware that there is geographical variation in antenatal cardiac detections and it is working with The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Services and the Screening Quality Assurance Service to address the variation, with further information about both services available at the following two links:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-population-screening-quality-assurance
NHS England also has a task and finish group looking at quality improvement in this area.
The NHS FASP handbook is a recommended guidance document for providers offering NHS FASP screening with the main aim of supporting healthcare professionals in delivering NHS FASP screening. This includes early identification of screened for conditions. NHS England FASP do not cover treatment pathways.
Additionally, NHS FASP provides an e-learning package with recommended timescales for completion for relevant healthcare professionals involved in the offer of NHS FASP screening, once every 24 months for ultrasound practitioners. This e-learning package is available at the following link:
https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Catalogue/Index?HierarchyId=0_37210&programmeId=37210