Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - 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 23 March (HL15676), when the independent evaluation of the Core Competency Framework for maternity and neonatal staff commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research will be completed and its findings published; and whether it includes an assessment of the availability of protected training time, staffing and resource constraints, and variation in training provision across NHS trusts.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research commissioned an independent evaluation of the Core Competency Framework for maternity and neonatal staff. Data collection was completed in August 2026, and the research team is now analysing and disseminating its findings. Two papers have been published to date, with further findings being prepared for publication.
The evaluation is examining the implementation and impact of the framework across maternity and neonatal services in England, including variation in training provision and the barriers and facilitators to its implementation. This includes consideration of organisational and workforce factors affecting implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what national data are collected on the time taken to inform patients in England of clinically significant diagnostic test results following verification of those results; whether NHS England has issued guidance on the maximum acceptable interval for communicating such results to patients; and what action is taken when delays in communication pose a risk to patient safety.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold this data centrally.
Prompt access to diagnostic test results is a Government priority. Digital imaging reports should be automatically available to patients four weeks after formal verification on the Radiology Information System or equivalent. NHS England’s March 2025 guidance on patient digital notification of diagnostic imaging reports is available on the NHS England website in an online-only format.
National Health Service trust patient safety leads, or integrated care boards where trusts have no dedicated team, are responsible for taking action when communication poses a risk to patient safety.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the then-Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 23 June (HC Deb col 180), what discussions they have had with pharmaceutical companies about re-engaging with compassionate use and early access schemes.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has heard concerns from patient groups and industry that the application of VAT to free-of-charge donations of medicines has impacted patient access. On 23rd June 2026, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury announced that we will bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist either of changes to VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.
Since then, HM Treasury officials have been working at pace with the Department of Health and Social Care and industry to develop a solution that secures patients’ access to innovative medicines, including through early access and compassionate use scheme.
The new approach will be permanent and backdated to 23rd June, supporting firms to continue making donations now.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events. The Government will set out the details of the new approach at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the expected timetable for implementing the new approach to VAT on free-of-charge donations of medicines.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has heard concerns from patient groups and industry that the application of VAT to free-of-charge donations of medicines has impacted patient access. On 23rd June 2026, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury announced that we will bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist either of changes to VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.
Since then, HM Treasury officials have been working at pace with the Department of Health and Social Care and industry to develop a solution that secures patients’ access to innovative medicines, including through early access and compassionate use scheme.
The new approach will be permanent and backdated to 23rd June, supporting firms to continue making donations now.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events. The Government will set out the details of the new approach at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards developing proposals for the statutory regulation of funeral services in England; whether those proposals will include mandatory registration, independent inspection, and enforceable minimum standards; and when they expect to publish their proposals and bring forward legislation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the Written Statement HLWS306, made on 1 September, which I have reproduced below for ease:
My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Yvette Cooper MP) has made the following statement:
I wish to update the House on the Government’s proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector, announced this summer following the sentencing of criminal funeral director Robert Bush. These proposals will seek to crack down on rogue operators in the funeral sector and ensure better protection for bereaved families.
On 31 July, Bush, of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was sentenced to twenty years in prison for a total of 67 charges, including the prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud, fraudulent trading and theft.
His actions were utterly abhorrent, and my thoughts remain with all the bereaved families in Hull who were so badly let down. Every person in every situation deserves dignity in death, and every bereaved family deserves certainty that their loved ones are being treated with care and respect.
For those families, there can be few things more painful than knowing a loved one was not treated properly after they died. The deceased cannot speak for themselves, which is why clear safeguards, stronger oversight and consistent standards are needed to protect their dignity and give families the reassurance they deserve.
Sadly, this case was just the latest horrendous example in our country of the deceased not being treated with the care and respect they deserved.
Sir Jonathan Michael’s independent inquiry into the horrific crimes of David Fuller in the mortuary of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust showed the need to ensure better standards across all settings that look after our loved ones after they die, including those where some level of regulation is already in place.
Building on the progress already made in responding to the Fuller Inquiry (see HCWS26, 15 July 2026), and in the wake of the Robert Bush case, the Government will therefore bring forward comprehensive proposals to ensure respect and dignity for the deceased in every setting, to drive rogue operators out of the funeral industry, and to protect other families from suffering this same heartache.
The Department of Health and Social Care is leading this work alongside the Ministry of Justice and other government departments, and will draw up detailed proposals to drive up standards, including proper regulation of the funeral sector. As part of this work, the Law Commission will also undertake a review of the criminal law in relation to the deceased, consider any gaps in existing legal protections and make recommendations on the creation of new offences, if they are needed.
The Government will work closely with bereaved families, funeral providers, faith groups, local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that future policy in this area is proportionate, effective and informed by those with relevant experience. This will ensure families can have confidence that funeral providers are meeting clear, consistent standards, no matter where they live or which provider they choose.
These changes will also reinforce the profound responsibility placed on anyone entrusted with caring for someone after death. The majority of funeral providers live up to that responsibility, and offer compassionate and professional care every day. Nevertheless, stronger oversight, including proper regulation of the sector, will protect families from rogue operators, support good providers and restore confidence in a sector that people must be able to trust in moments of profound grief and loss.
We will keep the House updated as this work progresses, and set out our detailed plans and timetables for the implementation of these new proposals in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle regional variation in access to genomic testing for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), which includes tests for over 7,000 rare diseases and over 200 cancer clinical indications, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing.
Genomic testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England. The NGTD sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing as well as the genomic targets to be tested and the method that should be used. Genomic testing for pancreatic cancer is available under the M219 clinical indication code and delivered by all seven NHS GLHs.
NHS England captures Patient Level Contract Monitoring data across the NHS GMS to facilitate a national approach to reporting and validating activity data and turnaround times for the genomics element of the pathway. This national approach enables NHS England to understand activity volumes, detect any backlogs, and work with the NHS GLHs to implement improvement activities.
NHS England has been undertaking a procurement of NHS GMS Lead Providers to embed a new operating model for delivery of the NHS GMS from 2026. This includes a cancer genomics clinical function, which will bring together multi profession leadership to work with partners to embed and develop cancer genomics pathways.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for NHS capacity of the increase in the ophthalmology waiting list since July 2024 despite reductions in waiting lists across 20 of the NHS's 23 outpatient specialties; and what plans they have to increase capacity in hospital eye services by expanding the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While ophthalmology waiting lists have increased since July 2024, waiting times for these services have improved. The proportion of waits below 18 weeks has increased from 65.7% in July 2024 to 74.1% in May 2026, an 8.4 percentage point improvement.
This Government is committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across all specialties, including in ophthalmology services.
We are taking specific steps to improve services like ophthalmology. NHS England accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.
In May 2026, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme released a best practice guidance for the care of patients with glaucoma, and this will be the first in a series of best practice documents for ophthalmology conditions. The aim of this series is to standardise the patient pathways in use across England in line with best practice, which will enable the most complex and most at risk to be seen more quickly by specialist ophthalmology teams.
We are also committed to expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the ophthalmology waiting list, including through expanding the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While ophthalmology waiting lists have increased since July 2024, waiting times for these services have improved. The proportion of waits below 18 weeks has increased from 65.7% in July 2024 to 74.1% in May 2026, an 8.4 percentage point improvement.
This Government is committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across all specialties, including in ophthalmology services.
We are taking specific steps to improve services like ophthalmology. NHS England accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.
In May 2026, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme released a best practice guidance for the care of patients with glaucoma, and this will be the first in a series of best practice documents for ophthalmology conditions. The aim of this series is to standardise the patient pathways in use across England in line with best practice, which will enable the most complex and most at risk to be seen more quickly by specialist ophthalmology teams.
We are also committed to expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the planned scope and timeline for their review into Rare Disease Collaborative Networks announced in the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2026.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2025, NHS England initiated a review of the rare disease collaborative networks (RDCNs) in order to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the networks and inform future strategy. In the coming weeks, NHS England will update RDCNs, and other interested groups, on the outcome of the review, including a range of proposed actions to support the ongoing and important role that the networks play.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a national policy framework for hospital helipads, including measures to ensure that Major Trauma Centres and specialist hospitals have continuous access to on-site helipads for air ambulance operations where demand is high, and to embed such requirements within relevant NHS standards and commissioning arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 16 July 2026 to Question 16317, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
Hospital helipads play an important role in supporting the transfer of critically ill patients and access to specialist services. Responsibility for the provision and management of hospital helipads rests with local NHS organisations, working with relevant planning, aviation and local authority bodies. Decisions on investment in hospital helicopter landing sites, including any upgrades required to support night-time operations, are primarily a matter for local NHS organisations. Organisations may consider such improvements as part of their wider estate planning and capital investment priorities, subject to the availability of funding and any relevant local planning, environmental and operational requirements.
The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Civil Aviation Authority and other partners to consider issues relating to hospital helipad access and resilience.