Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to integrate family history data into risk assessments for cardiovascular disease.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with experts to integrate genomic testing for pharmacogenomic profiles into the cardiovascular disease prevention programme, the NHS Health Check, enabling early identification and intervention for high-risk individuals.
Alongside this, to accelerate progress on the ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) later this year. The framework will support consistent, high quality and equitable care whist fostering innovation across the cardiovascular disease pathway. The Department and NHS England are engaging widely with stakeholders to co-produce the CVD MSF, ensuring that experts, people, and communities are at the heart of its development.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the accessibility and cultural sensitivity of cardiovascular disease risk and prevention messages.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England regularly run health-related media campaigns targeting audiences to take preventative action. In developing the materials, we work with specialists within communities to ensure that messages are culturally appropriate and effectively tailored. We also ensure that materials are produced in accessible formats as required.
To improve access and engagement with the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease 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 cardiovascular disease risk.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand eligibility for the NHS Health Check, particularly for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Health Check is a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme. The programme is designed to assess the top risk factors for CVD in eligible people aged 40 to 74 years old, and to refer people to further support through behavioural interventions, clinical assessment, and treatment where appropriate.
Data shows that the older a person is, the more likely it is they will attend their NHS Health Check, with the highest uptake in the 70 to 74 age group.
The Department is considering the recommendations of the National Audit Office’s report Progress in preventing cardiovascular disease and reviewing a range of options to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check programme.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase funding for cardiovascular disease research.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The Department, through the NIHR, funds research into cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is aligned with the Government’s Health Mission, embracing digital transformation, prioritising prevention over treatment, and bringing care closer to communities to tackle health inequalities and reduce the number of lives lost to the biggest killers.
For example, in 2025 the NIHR launched a new funding opportunity to invest £50 million into innovative new research in CVD, aiming to tackle preventable causes of heart disease and its complications, save lives, and reduce inequalities in this area across the United Kingdom.
In addition, our wider investments in NIHR infrastructure, strengthening specialist facilities, the workforce, and support services to enable research in the health and care system, have enabled significant CVD funded by other funders to take place.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including CVD. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to set a target for reducing incidence of cardiovascular disease as part of the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to fewer lives being lost to the biggest killers, such as cardiovascular disease. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, to accelerate progress on the ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework later this year.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what initiatives are (1) in place, and (2) planned, to provide advice for families of pre-school aged children about healthy eating and nutrition.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last October, the first Best Start in Life campaign was launched, tackling the confusion and pressure facing parents in the early years by providing trusted, expert information to give every child the best start in life. The joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education campaign provides National Health Service backed advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, including infant feeding, and weaning and directs parents to the Best Start in Life website for support on how to feed their baby.
Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, local authorities are expected to connect a range of services through Family Hubs, including nutrition and weight management services. Staff in the family hub should be able to raise the topic of weight management with families and should be aware of what services are available and be able to connect families to them.
The Healthy Start Scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026 the value of the weekly payments will increase by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.
The funding for Healthy Start can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries are also eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to improve waiting times for gynaecological appointments in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Women’s health is a priority for the Government, including tackling gynaecology waiting lists. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care by March 2029.
Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out several actions to improve gynaecology waiting times. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer-to-home and in-the-community; piloting gynaecology pathways in Community Diagnostic Centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and; increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures. These reforms will mean shorter waits and more convenient gynaecological care for patients.
Wider elective reforms, including widening opportunities for direct advice to referrers from specialists, introducing more straight to test pathways, taking action to reduce missed appointments and ramping up remote monitoring and patient-initiated follow up, will also improve gynaecology waiting times. These changes will provide flexibility and convenience for patients, whilst freeing up appointments for those who need them.
We are also introducing an “online hospital” called NHS Online, and women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available to be referred to this hospital from 2027. This will give patients the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.
The Department does not hold data on the current average waiting time for urgent gynaecology appointments. For urgent suspected cancer referrals, the Faster Diagnosis Standard requires that 75% of patients are informed within 28 days whether they have cancer. For suspected gynaecological cancers, national performance as of November 2025 against the Faster Diagnosis Standard in England is 68.6%.
The National Cancer Plan, which will be published this year, aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including gynaecological cancers. The plan will set out how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, and speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources, if any, they will allocate to gynaecology services in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Women’s health is a priority for the Government, including tackling gynaecology waiting lists. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care by March 2029.
Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out several actions to improve gynaecology waiting times. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer-to-home and in-the-community; piloting gynaecology pathways in Community Diagnostic Centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and; increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures. These reforms will mean shorter waits and more convenient gynaecological care for patients.
Wider elective reforms, including widening opportunities for direct advice to referrers from specialists, introducing more straight to test pathways, taking action to reduce missed appointments and ramping up remote monitoring and patient-initiated follow up, will also improve gynaecology waiting times. These changes will provide flexibility and convenience for patients, whilst freeing up appointments for those who need them.
We are also introducing an “online hospital” called NHS Online, and women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available to be referred to this hospital from 2027. This will give patients the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.
The Department does not hold data on the current average waiting time for urgent gynaecology appointments. For urgent suspected cancer referrals, the Faster Diagnosis Standard requires that 75% of patients are informed within 28 days whether they have cancer. For suspected gynaecological cancers, national performance as of November 2025 against the Faster Diagnosis Standard in England is 68.6%.
The National Cancer Plan, which will be published this year, aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including gynaecological cancers. The plan will set out how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, and speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the current average waiting time is for urgent gynaecological appointments in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Women’s health is a priority for the Government, including tackling gynaecology waiting lists. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care by March 2029.
Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out several actions to improve gynaecology waiting times. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer-to-home and in-the-community; piloting gynaecology pathways in Community Diagnostic Centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and; increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures. These reforms will mean shorter waits and more convenient gynaecological care for patients.
Wider elective reforms, including widening opportunities for direct advice to referrers from specialists, introducing more straight to test pathways, taking action to reduce missed appointments and ramping up remote monitoring and patient-initiated follow up, will also improve gynaecology waiting times. These changes will provide flexibility and convenience for patients, whilst freeing up appointments for those who need them.
We are also introducing an “online hospital” called NHS Online, and women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available to be referred to this hospital from 2027. This will give patients the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.
The Department does not hold data on the current average waiting time for urgent gynaecology appointments. For urgent suspected cancer referrals, the Faster Diagnosis Standard requires that 75% of patients are informed within 28 days whether they have cancer. For suspected gynaecological cancers, national performance as of November 2025 against the Faster Diagnosis Standard in England is 68.6%.
The National Cancer Plan, which will be published this year, aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in England, including gynaecological cancers. The plan will set out how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, and speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand the hours and remit of the National Clinical Director for Dementia.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The national clinical directors and national specialty advisers are practising clinicians from across England who work part-time at NHS England, providing clinical leadership, advice, input, and support across distinct areas of National Health Service conditions and services.
There are currently no plans within the Department to expand the hours and remit of the National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health.