Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the National Institute for Health and Care Research review into the scope of the NHS Health Check programme to conclude; whether they intend to publish its findings; and what plans they have to respond to its recommendations.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The evidence review is expected to be completed during the second half of 2027, and the findings will be published shortly thereafter. We will consider the evidence as appropriate to inform future policy development.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the contractual requirement introduced on 1 October 2025 requires GP practices to provide (1) an online consultation system, (2) an online appointment booking system, or (3) both; and what percentage of GP practices currently provide each.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 6 July in response to Question HL1318, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
General practices (GPs) are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. We require practices to provide online consultation tools. From 1 October 2025, GPs have been required to offer access to online services throughout core hours, 8:00am to 18:30pm, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change aims to improve patient access, reduce long phone queues, and help GPs manage demand more effectively
NHS England collects data on GP appointments, online consultation submissions, and cloud-based telephony. This data shows that 99% of practices have reported having an online consultation system in place. Where a practice does not comply with these contractual requirements, it may be in breach of contract. Patients who have concerns should contact their practice in the first instance, or raise the matter with their local integrated care board.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many GP practices have been assessed as not complying with the contractual requirement to provide online access during core hours since 1 October 2025; and what action is being taken to increase compliance.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 6 July in response to Question HL1318, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
General practices (GPs) are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. We require practices to provide online consultation tools. From 1 October 2025, GPs have been required to offer access to online services throughout core hours, 8:00am to 18:30pm, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change aims to improve patient access, reduce long phone queues, and help GPs manage demand more effectively
NHS England collects data on GP appointments, online consultation submissions, and cloud-based telephony. This data shows that 99% of practices have reported having an online consultation system in place. Where a practice does not comply with these contractual requirements, it may be in breach of contract. Patients who have concerns should contact their practice in the first instance, or raise the matter with their local integrated care board.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the publication of the British Journal of General Practice study Diagnosing in the dark, published on 31 May, what discussions have they had with NHS England and GP organisations to (1) ensure that GPs receive appropriate guidance and training in diagnosing both post-natal post-traumatic stress disorder and post-natal depression and the difference between them, and (2) agree and approve a framework for assessing women’s risk of having PTSD.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has developed eLearning on trauma-informed care and Perinatal Mental Health Birth Trauma to support professionals involved in perinatal care.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is developing a National Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, within which maternal mental health is an area of focus, reflecting Baroness Amos’ recommendation for further consideration.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Sherlock on 1 September (HL Deb col 7), what plans they have to work with not-for-profit microfinance organisations such as Purple Shoots to support unemployed people to start their own businesses.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises that self-employment can be a suitable and sustainable route into work for some people, including those who are unemployed.
Through Jobcentre Plus, work coaches can provide self-employment information and support to customers and signpost them to specialist national or local organisations that provide advice to support people to start a business. This includes the Start Up Loans scheme run by the British Business Bank, the Business Support Helpline, Local Growth Hubs in England, Business Wales and Find Business Support and Business Gateway in Scotland, which offer support, advice and guidance to new and existing businesses.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what governance and monitoring arrangements are in place for delivering their commitment to universal fracture liaison service coverage in England by 2030; and whether those arrangements include implementation milestones, target dates and progress reporting.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 1 September in response to Question HL2030, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
Our 10-Year Health Plan is clear that the future National Health Service must be more preventative, more integrated, and deliver more care closer to home, including for people with osteoporosis.
The Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030, and we are clear that everyone at risk of fragility fractures should be able to benefit from high-quality, timely care that supports prevention, early intervention, and effective management. We are pursuing those goals across the whole pathway of fracture prevention, including improving access to diagnosis, supporting the adoption of effective treatments, and encouraging local systems to develop services that identify people at the highest risk of future fractures and intervene early.
Earlier this year, the Government announced £2.6 million of funding for 20 new DEXA bone density scanners across England. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, helping to ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier. This builds on the first wave of 13 DEXA scanners announced last year. In 2025, over 21,000 extra DEXA scans were delivered in England compared with 2024.
We continue to work closely with NHS England to improve access to fracture prevention services and to explore the best ways of supporting local systems to deliver high-quality care which meets the needs of their populations. The Government has been clear that integrated care boards are best placed to shape services for their localities and we have set expectations, through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, that they should prioritise community-based models when commissioning new services.
Progress in this area can be monitored through activity and outcomes reported through the Fracture Liaison Service Database.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (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 30 June (HL570), whether all the guidance referred to has now been published by NHS England; and whether that published guidance covers accesses for which NHS England, general practices, or pharmacies are the responsible employers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Stopping unlawful access to records - Guidance for health and care professionals has now been published on the NHS England website in an online-only format. It applies to any patient data, and to anyone working in the National Health Service, or under contract to the NHS, with the potential to access patient records.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult on further reforms to the NHS dental contract; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to fundamental contract reform by the end of this Parliament and this will include consulting on future proposals. We are continuing to engage with the sector on these reforms to scope potential changes. We will update on timelines for dental contract reform, including the details of the public consultation, in due course.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (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 paper by Zhang X et al (2025, The Lancet Neurology), which states that current tools such as the EQ-5D do not adequately capture health-related quality of life in people with dementia and their carers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The independent appraisal committee of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has examined whether EQ-5D is an appropriate way to assess quality of life for people with dementia and their carers, in the context of its ongoing appraisals of modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. NICE has also asked independent experts to review how the benefits for carers of people with Alzheimer’s disease are measured. The committee discussed these issues at its most recent meeting, on 8 July 2026, but the outcome of that meeting will remain confidential while the appraisal is ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Health and Social Care on 12 March (HC118419), what criteria they use to define those in greatest need of dental services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The main focus of our proposed reforms is on improving access for patients who require urgent access to dental treatment and those with complex care needs, such as significant tooth decay and gum disease.