Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with epilepsy are represented in the work of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 6 January 2026, NHS England published the Maternal Care Bundle, setting out best practice standards to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including epilepsy, thrombosis, mental health, and haemorrhage.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is developing an action plan, to be published by the end of this year, to improve maternity and neonatal care across the country. All women and babies have a right to safe, personalised, and equitable care, which takes account of their individual needs, conditions, and preferences.
The taskforce and its supporting expert reference groups have been set up to ensure a representative breadth of voices inform its approach. The taskforce is comprised of experts and key stakeholders including families, clinicians, academics, royal colleges, charities, and grass-root organisations, including representation from Epilepsy Action, as well as those who can speak to health equity and international expertise.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve maternity care for women with epilepsy.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 6 January 2026, NHS England published the Maternal Care Bundle, setting out best practice standards to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including epilepsy, thrombosis, mental health, and haemorrhage.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is developing an action plan, to be published by the end of this year, to improve maternity and neonatal care across the country. All women and babies have a right to safe, personalised, and equitable care, which takes account of their individual needs, conditions, and preferences.
The taskforce and its supporting expert reference groups have been set up to ensure a representative breadth of voices inform its approach. The taskforce is comprised of experts and key stakeholders including families, clinicians, academics, royal colleges, charities, and grass-root organisations, including representation from Epilepsy Action, as well as those who can speak to health equity and international expertise.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing care home costs for elderly and disabled people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.
Local authorities should negotiate fees individually with care providers to achieve a sustainable balance of quality, effectiveness, and value for money.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people to access quality care.
In undertaking these duties, there are elements of good market shaping practice that can be applied more widely. These include:
using local population and market data to inform commissioning decisions and involving providers and those with lived experience in the commissioning process;
encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate and high quality care services in their local area; and
working effectively with local providers to inform decisions on fees, drawing on providers’ insight into local market sustainability and workforce pressures.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with colleagues in NHS England on the development of a regenerative medicine strategy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
No such discussions have taken place. The Government is committed to ensuring the United Kingdom remains a global leader in the development of advanced therapies, including regenerative medicines, to drive innovation in the National Health Service and deliver life-changing outcomes for patients. The Department continues to work with public sector partners to promote a joined-up ecosystem that will support the development, regulation, and delivery of advanced therapies.
The Government invests in research into regenerative medicine and advanced therapies through UK Research and Innovation. The £42 million UK Regenerative Medicine Platform (UKRMP) aimed at addressing the key translational challenges in regenerative medicine and at bringing innovative regenerative medicine therapies to the clinic. In its second phase, from 2018 to 2024, the UKRMP established three hubs: the Engineered Cell Environment Hub; the Smart Materials Hub; and the Pluripotent Stem Cells and Engineered Cells Hub.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2025 to Question 76643 on Primodos, whether his Department plans to consider scientific evidence from Aaron. P. Adam et al (2026) titled Recurrent Constellations of Embryonic Malformations: Teratogenicity Linked to Transient Hypoxia and Hormone Pregnancy Tests Agrees With RCEM and Suggest a Reactive Oxygen Species Pathogenesis, as part of its review of the evidence on hormone pregnancy tests.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), together with the wider Government, have committed to review any new scientific evidence which comes to light regarding the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In line with this commitment, the MHRA will consider whether the recent publication, Recurrent Constellations of Embryonic Malformations (RCEM): Teratogenicity Linked to Transient Hypoxia and Hormone Pregnancy Tests Agrees With RCEM and Suggest a Reactive Oxygen Species Pathogenesis, by Aaron. P. Adam et al, presents any new scientific evidence and will act as appropriate.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of regenerative medicine techniques on surgical recovery.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
Regenerative techniques, such as cell therapies, growth factors, and bioengineered scaffolds, can accelerate wound healing, which is particularly valuable in complex or high‑risk surgeries. NHS England maintains an overview of the advanced therapy medicinal products in development and assesses the potential National Health Service impact and the requirements for individual treatments as part of its due diligence, ensuring the NHS is ready to deliver innovative new treatments that secure a positive Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency licensing decision and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to meet the travel costs of pensioners with cancer diagnoses.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Department recognises that the cost of travel should not be a barrier to cancer treatment. NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel.
The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the benefits and complications of ablation surgery for endometriosis patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on best practice in the care and management of patients with specific conditions based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness.
NICE has published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis that includes recommendations on the use of ablation. The analysis underpinning NICE’s recommendations can be found in the full guideline that is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73/evidence/full-guideline-pdf-4550371315
NICE is working with NHS systems to ensure adoption of this best practice endometriosis care, including access to approved medicines.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action his Department is taking to ensure (a) GPs and (b) GP nursing staff receive training on endometriosis.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
General practitioners (GPs) and nurses are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on endometriosis and women’s health issues in general, remains up to date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development, within their scope of practice.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and has to meet the standards set by the GMC.
The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee GPs, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The British Medical Journal and RCGP offer online courses on endometriosis designed for healthcare professionals, including practice nurses.
In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
GPs and primary care networks have access to a regional Primary Care Training Hub, which brings together education and training resources from National Health Service organisations, community providers, as well as local authorities. Training hubs are usually run by a clinical leader and a manager supported by a network of primary care staff with education and training professionals based in the community. They work closely with primary care networks and integrated care systems to support workforce priorities and tackle health inequalities to help meet patient and population demand. Training hubs support all clinical staff, including nurses, to maintain their continuing professional development when new guidance, such as that from NICE, becomes available.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a respiratory Modern Service Framework on NHS provision in Bristol East constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to National Health Service provision in the Bristol East constituency.