Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rate of closure of pharmacies; and what steps they are taking to help pharmacies to remain financially viable.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
There has been a reduction in the number of pharmacies since 2017, as there are over 1,300 fewer than in 2017, and over 550 fewer than two years ago. However, access to pharmacies in England remains good. Over 80% of the population lives within one mile of a pharmacy. In some rural areas where there is no pharmacy, general practitioners are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. Patients can also choose to access medicines and pharmacy services through any of the over 400 NHS online pharmacies that are contractually required to deliver prescription medicines free of charge to patients.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of GLP-1 drugs on combatting and preventing disease.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for licensing medicines, such as GLP-1s, based on an assessment of their safety, quality, and efficacy. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) then appraises licensed medicines based on an assessment of their clinical and cost-effectiveness, and makes recommendations on whether they can be recommended for routine use on the National Health Service. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance.
The MHRA only assesses medicines within the indications for which companies submit evidence. Any extension of a medicine’s licence to cover additional indications would require a separate evidence submission. Similarly, the NICE only appraises medicines within their licensed indications.
There are a number of GLP-1s licensed for use in weight management, type 2 diabetes, and for cardiovascular risk reduction for adults who are overweight or obese. The NICE has recommended them as a clinically and cost effective option, when prescribed alongside diet, physical activity, and behavioural support, to support some people living with obesity to lose weight. For those living with obesity, weight loss can provide significant health benefits, reducing the risk of developing certain diseases as well as improving the management of some existing weight related conditions.
There is also research exploring the role of GLP-1 drugs for the treatment and prevention of wider diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer, and health related behaviours, including alcohol and nicotine intake. The MHRA and the NICE will consider the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of any wider use of GLP-1 medicines should evidence be submitted to them.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of lawyers to the public purse in medical negligence cases in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. The following table shows the payments made for clinical negligence claims from 2021/22 to 2023/24:
| Financial year payment raised | NHS defendant legal costs | Claimant legal costs | Total legal costs | Compensation | Total payments including legal costs and compensation |
| 2021/22 | £156,935,099 | £470,094,066 | £627,029,165 | £1,777,234,356 | £2,404,263,521 |
| 2022/23 | £159,982,259 | £489,706,081 | £649,688,340 | £1,985,073,662 | £2,634,762,002 |
| 2023/24 | £166,889,578 | £545,140,258 | £712,029,836 | £2,112,384,509 | £2,824,414,344 |
Notes:
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the NHS 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.
The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely to be rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.
We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of patient demand for antibiotics from pharmacists; and what action, if any, they are taking to reduce this.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under Pharmacy First, pharmacists can supply prescription-only medicines, including some antibiotics, under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). PGDs are strict protocols that allow certain healthcare professionals to supply prescription-only medicines in very specific circumstances and without a prescription from a general practitioner. The service design was informed by best practice with input from an expert panel of clinicians.
The impacts of the service are being assessed via multiple routes. As part of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2025/26, participating contractors will be expected to complete a clinical audit, focusing on the clinical advice and consultations provided to patients. NHS England has completed a review of the Pharmacy First service. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to assess the impact, safety, and effectiveness of Pharmacy First. NHS England will keep the clinical scope of the service under review.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect NHS services and patients from the development of drug-resistant pathogens.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pathogens develop resistance to antimicrobial treatments, such as antibiotics, through inappropriate use and unintentional exposure through the environment and our food. This is driving rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is creating a generation of ‘superbugs’ that cannot be treated with existing medicines and treatments, leading to longer hospital stays and more complex treatment pathways.
The Government’s UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029, a copy of which is attached, is committed to reducing the rate of drug-resistant infections and AMR through a series of commitments that aim to reduce the need for, and unintentional exposure to, antimicrobials. This aims to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials. The national action plan also commits to meeting specific targets to reduce drug-resistant infections by 2029, including preventing their increase in humans and any increase in gram-negative bloodstream infections from the specified 2019/20 financial year baseline.
NHS England implements its responsibilities under the national action plan through a set of workstreams, each with responsibility for a set of these commitments. The central AMR programme team within NHS England works with partners within the UK Health Security Agency and the Department to co-ordinate and ensure delivery. Regional NHS England leads work with integrated care boards to advise on, and support actions locally, to reduce infection and the need for antimicrobials.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to other governments regarding the importance of international action to promote the uptake of vaccinations.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom continues to be the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public-private partnership that works to ensure that 54 of the world’s poorest countries have affordable access to life-saving vaccines. We are providing a further £1.65 billion in financing for the period covering 2026 to 2030.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works in partnership with the devolved administrations to deliver on our commitments to the global elimination of vaccine preventable diseases such as polio, measles, rubella, hepatitis B and C. The UKHSA collaborates closely with international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), on a range of activities aimed at strengthening routine immunisation programmes and improving uptake.
The UKHSA holds a mandatory role in the WHO’s Expanded Programmes for Immunization to ensure that all children, in all countries, benefit from life-saving vaccines, and is also contributing to work in the European Immunization Agenda 2030. The UKHSA also collaborates with international partners on relevant research, for example the Reducing Inequalities in Vaccine uptake in the European Region – Engaging Underserved communities project.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, sponsored by the Department, supports international work to improve the development of evidence-based advice on vaccination. This includes representation on the global National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) steering committee, and through bilateral and multi-lateral communication with NITAGs globally.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat tuberculosis domestically and internationally.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England’s joint Tuberculosis (TB): action plan for England, 2021 to 2026 details actions to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035. This is aligned with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) elimination targets. Work to review and update the national action plan, including a call for evidence, is underway.
The Tuberculosis (TB): action plan for England, 2021 to 2026 is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format. The UKHSA’s research and analysis executive summary on TB, updated 16 January 2025, is also available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.
The United Kingdom is a leading donor in the fight against TB. Our £1 billion commitment to the Global Fund, from 2023 to 2025, will provide TB treatment and care for 1.1 million people, screen 20 million people for TB, and provide 41,800 people with treatment for multidrug-resistant TB. This is complemented by our investment in Unitaid, to improve access to key TB products, and our support of WHO and others, to strengthen health systems.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the uptake of vaccinations to combat the spread of diseases.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is aware of the need to improve the uptake of our vaccine programmes.
The Department is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to take steps to promote uptake by providing diverse delivery methods, to make getting vaccinated easier, increasing outreach efforts to under-served groups, and raising awareness of the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases. Paid for marketing campaigns to support uptake of routine immunisations, seasonal flu, and COVID-19 vaccinations have been run over the past year, with evaluation showing positive results.
The UKHSA has continued to undertake annual surveys of parents and adolescents to develop an understanding of how knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards immunisation, vaccine safety, and disease severity influence vaccine uptake decision-making.
Along with this work, the Department is also looking at how it can go further, exploring new ways to boost uptake by supplementing the general practice offer already based in communities through teams including community pharmacists and health visitors.
It is vitally important that everyone has their recommended vaccinations, as they are the best way to help protect yourself and your family from these viruses, which can cause serious harm.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, or plan to have, with the vaping industry on curbing underage vaping.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is of great concern that approximately 25% of children aged between 11 and 15 years old have tried vaping. Evidence suggests vaping products are regularly promoted in a way that appeals to children, despite the risks of nicotine addiction.
That is why we announced strong measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ban the advertisement and sponsorship of all vapes and nicotine products. It will also stop vapes from being deliberately targeted at children, providing new powers to limit flavours and packaging, and changing how and where they are displayed in shops.
The Department ran a public consultation in October 2023 which received responses from the vaping industry. The consultation informed the development of the current Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The bill contains a statutory duty to consult on the use of regulation-making powers related to vaping and other measures. We will consult with the vaping industry at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (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 11 November (HL2250), when they anticipate that they will set out their principles for professional regulation in relation to doctors and dentists.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no confirmed timeframe for the Government to set out its approach to any future professional regulation reforms.