Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the effectiveness of the National Wound Care Strategy Programme in co-ordinating wound care policy prior to its closure in March 2025, and (2) the potential benefits of developing a Modern Service Framework for wound care.

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

Community health services, including wound care, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.  No discussions have been held about the appointment of a National Clinical Director, and integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the delivery of wound care.

An independent evaluation of the National Wound Care Strategy was undertaken by the Health Innovation Wessex and was presented to the Chief Nursing Officer and shared with provider and ICB Chief Nurses in April 2025. The Government has not made an assessment on developing a modern service framework for wound care.

Standardising Community Health Services, first published 2025, with further detail added in 2026, sets clear expectations of the core community health services ICBs should be providing that will help to ensure consistent delivery of community health services, support effective commissioning, and improve patient access to care. This included expectations for ICBs providing specialist tissue viability or wound care. Work is underway to align current data collections to the definitions set out in Standardising Community Health Services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the cost of wound care to the National Health Service, and this includes whether procurement frameworks reflect total pathway value.

NHS Supply Chain’s frameworks are not simply focussed on price, as they provide value through the provision of product hierarchies and Information for Clinical Choice to enable clinicians to make better informed decisions on the right product for their patients. In addition, NHS Supply Chain actively explores innovation and value-based healthcare opportunities with suppliers and NHS customers across its wound care frameworks, to deliver increased value across the patient pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which procurement frameworks for wound care products in the National Health Service reflect total pathway value, including the costs of unhealed wounds, rather than unit product cost alone.

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

Community health services, including wound care, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.  No discussions have been held about the appointment of a National Clinical Director, and integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the delivery of wound care.

An independent evaluation of the National Wound Care Strategy was undertaken by the Health Innovation Wessex and was presented to the Chief Nursing Officer and shared with provider and ICB Chief Nurses in April 2025. The Government has not made an assessment on developing a modern service framework for wound care.

Standardising Community Health Services, first published 2025, with further detail added in 2026, sets clear expectations of the core community health services ICBs should be providing that will help to ensure consistent delivery of community health services, support effective commissioning, and improve patient access to care. This included expectations for ICBs providing specialist tissue viability or wound care. Work is underway to align current data collections to the definitions set out in Standardising Community Health Services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the cost of wound care to the National Health Service, and this includes whether procurement frameworks reflect total pathway value.

NHS Supply Chain’s frameworks are not simply focussed on price, as they provide value through the provision of product hierarchies and Information for Clinical Choice to enable clinicians to make better informed decisions on the right product for their patients. In addition, NHS Supply Chain actively explores innovation and value-based healthcare opportunities with suppliers and NHS customers across its wound care frameworks, to deliver increased value across the patient pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards collect and publish standardised data on (1) wound care patient outcomes and (2) wound care expenditure.

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

Community health services, including wound care, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.  No discussions have been held about the appointment of a National Clinical Director, and integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the delivery of wound care.

An independent evaluation of the National Wound Care Strategy was undertaken by the Health Innovation Wessex and was presented to the Chief Nursing Officer and shared with provider and ICB Chief Nurses in April 2025. The Government has not made an assessment on developing a modern service framework for wound care.

Standardising Community Health Services, first published 2025, with further detail added in 2026, sets clear expectations of the core community health services ICBs should be providing that will help to ensure consistent delivery of community health services, support effective commissioning, and improve patient access to care. This included expectations for ICBs providing specialist tissue viability or wound care. Work is underway to align current data collections to the definitions set out in Standardising Community Health Services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the cost of wound care to the National Health Service, and this includes whether procurement frameworks reflect total pathway value.

NHS Supply Chain’s frameworks are not simply focussed on price, as they provide value through the provision of product hierarchies and Information for Clinical Choice to enable clinicians to make better informed decisions on the right product for their patients. In addition, NHS Supply Chain actively explores innovation and value-based healthcare opportunities with suppliers and NHS customers across its wound care frameworks, to deliver increased value across the patient pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government (1) which Minister, (2) which National Clinical Directors and (3) who within (a) the Department of Health and Social Care, (b) NHS England, and (c) the Department for Work and Pensions, holds responsibility for the delivery and co-ordination of wound care services in England; and (4) what assessment they have made of the need for a National Clinical Director for Wound Care.

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

Community health services, including wound care, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.  No discussions have been held about the appointment of a National Clinical Director, and integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the delivery of wound care.

An independent evaluation of the National Wound Care Strategy was undertaken by the Health Innovation Wessex and was presented to the Chief Nursing Officer and shared with provider and ICB Chief Nurses in April 2025. The Government has not made an assessment on developing a modern service framework for wound care.

Standardising Community Health Services, first published 2025, with further detail added in 2026, sets clear expectations of the core community health services ICBs should be providing that will help to ensure consistent delivery of community health services, support effective commissioning, and improve patient access to care. This included expectations for ICBs providing specialist tissue viability or wound care. Work is underway to align current data collections to the definitions set out in Standardising Community Health Services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the cost of wound care to the National Health Service, and this includes whether procurement frameworks reflect total pathway value.

NHS Supply Chain’s frameworks are not simply focussed on price, as they provide value through the provision of product hierarchies and Information for Clinical Choice to enable clinicians to make better informed decisions on the right product for their patients. In addition, NHS Supply Chain actively explores innovation and value-based healthcare opportunities with suppliers and NHS customers across its wound care frameworks, to deliver increased value across the patient pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the annual cost of wound care to the National Health Service in England across (1) primary, (2) secondary, (3) community and (4) social care settings.

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

Community health services, including wound care, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.  No discussions have been held about the appointment of a National Clinical Director, and integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the delivery of wound care.

An independent evaluation of the National Wound Care Strategy was undertaken by the Health Innovation Wessex and was presented to the Chief Nursing Officer and shared with provider and ICB Chief Nurses in April 2025. The Government has not made an assessment on developing a modern service framework for wound care.

Standardising Community Health Services, first published 2025, with further detail added in 2026, sets clear expectations of the core community health services ICBs should be providing that will help to ensure consistent delivery of community health services, support effective commissioning, and improve patient access to care. This included expectations for ICBs providing specialist tissue viability or wound care. Work is underway to align current data collections to the definitions set out in Standardising Community Health Services.

The Government has not made an assessment of the cost of wound care to the National Health Service, and this includes whether procurement frameworks reflect total pathway value.

NHS Supply Chain’s frameworks are not simply focussed on price, as they provide value through the provision of product hierarchies and Information for Clinical Choice to enable clinicians to make better informed decisions on the right product for their patients. In addition, NHS Supply Chain actively explores innovation and value-based healthcare opportunities with suppliers and NHS customers across its wound care frameworks, to deliver increased value across the patient pathway.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of food delivery services on levels of alcohol consumption and any resultant impact on public health.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care, working in close collaboration with colleagues at the Home Office, are in the early stages of assessing the impact of food delivery services on levels of alcohol consumption and any resultant impact on public health, reflecting the importance of ensuring that the licensing regime remains robust and effective.

A roundtable was convened by both Minister Jones, Minister for Policing and Crime, and Minister Hodgson, Minister for Public Health and Prevention on 15 June, to explore the impact of rapid alcohol deliveries on consumption, the potential impact on harms, and potential solutions. We are also commissioning research to bridge evidence gaps.

The delivery of alcohol is regulated under the Licensing Act 2003, responsibility for which rests with the Home Office. This Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.