Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the digital NHS health check programme will include the use of point-of-care diagnostic testing technologies.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Health Check Online is currently in a private Beta testing phase and is being piloted in multiple local authorities. The service utilises point-of-care testing through the NHS Find a Pharmacy service, which directs patients to their nearest participating pharmacy for a free blood pressure check, which can be completed quickly without the need to see a general practitioner.

The private Beta testing phase is being independently evaluated, and the findings will inform decisions on whether further development is needed, including whether the NHS Health Check online may need to consider the use of further point-of-care diagnostic testing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the expected timetable is for the rollout of the digital NHS health check programme.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To improve access and engagement with the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, we are developing the NHS Health Check Online service that people can use at home, at a time convenient to them, to understand and act on their CVD risk.

The NHS Health Check Online is currently in a private Beta testing phase and is being piloted in multiple local authorities. The testing phase is being independently evaluated and once completed, the findings will inform decisions on next steps such as whether further development is needed. We expect to have the evaluation results later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they will secure independent evidence on the needs and experiences of health and social care users following the abolition of Healthwatch.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the Dash Report and the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the strategic functions of Healthwatch England will transfer to a new directorate for patient experience within the Department.

We are committed to ensuring that patient voice is not only heard but embedded at the highest levels of our leadership and decision-making structures. By creating clear routes for patient insight, feedback, and lived experience to directly influence senior leaders at the national level, we will ensure that policies, strategic priorities, and service design will be shaped by what matters most to the people who use health services.

To achieve this, we are proposing to abolish Healthwatch and bring patient voice ‘in-house’ by creating a new Patient Experience Directorate in the Department, which will take on the strategic functions of Healthwatch England. The health function of Local Healthwatch (LHW) will become the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs will ensure the functions are incorporated in provider organisations alongside existing patient engagement work such as Patient Participation Groups. Local authorities will be responsible for the social care functions of LHW.

The abolition of both Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch will require primary legislation and will be subject to the will of Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to update the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for generalised anxiety and panic disorder; and what representations they have made, if any, to NICE regarding review of those guidelines.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of updating the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on generalised anxiety and panic disorders, and has not made any representations to NICE regarding a review of the guideline.

NICE is an independent body and is responsible for keeping its guidelines up to date in light of new evidence. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. There are currently no plans to update the guideline on generalised anxiety and panic disorder.

NICE is currently updating or reviewing several guidelines related to mental health conditions, including its guidelines on bipolar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure regular review of National Institute for Health and Care Excellent mental health guidelines.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of updating the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on generalised anxiety and panic disorders, and has not made any representations to NICE regarding a review of the guideline.

NICE is an independent body and is responsible for keeping its guidelines up to date in light of new evidence. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. There are currently no plans to update the guideline on generalised anxiety and panic disorder.

NICE is currently updating or reviewing several guidelines related to mental health conditions, including its guidelines on bipolar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review policy and legislation to ensure that healthcare mutuals have access to the same opportunities for growth, investment and regulatory support as mutuals in the financial sector.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

DBT, as part of the 2025 Autumn Budget announcements, launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals. This was open across Great Britain for 12 weeks and closed on 18th February. DBT is now analysing responses and these responses will inform any potential business support policy for the co-operative and mutual businesses.

DBT ensured that for Financial Year 25/26 Growth Hubs in England offer support to businesses with alternative business models – including Co-operatives and Mutuals, as a condition of funding, and included more information on Co-operatives and Mutuals through the highly successful Help to Grow Management programme.

The Law Commission reviews are considering ways to update and modernise the legislation for co-operatives, community benefit societies, and friendly societies, ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies as well as ensuring that regulation is proportionate and effective. The government will carefully consider the recommendations to understand whether reform is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of proposals to shift from analogue to digital announced in the 10-year Health Plan for England, what provisions will be established to ensure digital exclusion does not exacerbate any existing inequalities...

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service organisations must ensure that all patients have equitable access to care, and that decisions or policies do not unfairly disadvantage people or lead to an increase in inequalities. All NHS organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate against patients or staff.

This means that a non-digital solution should be available for those patients who cannot or do not wish to engage digitally, and these non-digital routes must be available for all services provided by NHS organisations.

Aligned to the Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012, each 10-Year Health Plan policy, proposition, programme, proposal, or initiative in scope of public sector equality duties will undergo an Equality Impact Assessments and Equality and Healthcare Inequalities Impact Assessments.

Found: Letter dated 19/02/2026 from Baroness Merron to Lord Kamall regarding the Medical Training (Prioritisation