Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the level of funding in hospice care in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission, including the Somerset ICB, which covers the Yeovil constituency. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.
We are supporting the hospice sector with an initial £100 million investment and a recent additional £25 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. The full £125 million has now been allocated to 158 eligible hospices by Hospice UK, and I can confirm that St Margaret’s Hospice in the Yeovil constituency is receiving £986,184 from this capital funding.
The capital funding is helping hospices to provide the best end of life care to patients and their families in a supportive and dignified physical environment. Funding helps to support hospices and deliver much needed improvements including refurbishments, overhauling IT systems, and improving facilities for patients and visitors.
Additionally, children and young people’s hospices will receive £26 million in revenue funding this year. We have also confirmed the continuation of this funding stream, approximately totalling £80 million of revenue funding over the next three years, which will provide stability for the sector over that period.
More widely, the Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework. Contracting and commissioning arrangements will be considered as part of this work.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had on the potential merits of producing a National Maternity Strategy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
The taskforce will address the recommendations that are expected this Spring from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation through the development of a new national action plan that will drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. The taskforce will also hold the system to account for the delivery of this plan, as well as improving outcomes and experiences for women and babies.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will appoint a Maternity Commissioner.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to appoint a Maternity Commissioner. The Government has commissioned an independent National Investigation into maternity and neonatal care, chaired by Baroness Amos, which is expected to make recommendations this spring. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will chair the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to address the recommendations and develop a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered removing prescription charges for patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to add cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate which exempts the holder from paying the National Health Service prescription charge.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 proposals in the Autumn Budget 2025 on community pharmacies in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2026/27 national community pharmacy funding arrangements will be subject to consultation with Community Pharmacy England, which will commence shortly.
Funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework increased to £3.073 billion for 2025/2026. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to strengthen the social care workforce in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For adult social care workforce in specific areas, local authorities hold the duty to ensure sufficient provision. Under the Care Act 2014, they must promote an effective market to meet local care and support needs, including fostering a workforce able to deliver high quality services.
Nationally, the Government plans to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This will improve recruitment and retention and give staff better recognition for their vital work. The £500 million forms part of the approximately £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29, compared to 2025/26.
Ensuring staff have the skills and training needed to work in social care is also essential, both to attract people to join and remain in the workforce, and for the provision of high-quality care and support. That is why we have developed the Care Workforce Pathway, the first national career framework for adult social care, and we are investing £12 million in learning and development through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, to enable eligible staff to complete eligible courses and qualifications.
These actions form part of our wider commitment to improving skills and support for the social care workforce.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board to increase access to therapeutic play services in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play in healthcare settings.
The primary National Health Service trust responsible for services in the Yeovil constituency is the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is part of a regional delivery network in the South West which provides support to help trusts develop and improve therapeutic play services. This group brings together play specialists, nurses, managers, and representatives from integrated care boards and other operational delivery networks. The group’s remit includes supporting trusts to implement the national Play Well Toolkit, published by NHS England and Starlight in June 2025.
In 2025, the working group conducted a review of hospital play services across participating trusts against the Play Well Toolkit standards. Yeovil District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital were included in this review. The findings highlighted common challenges across the region, such as staffing constraints and gaps in seven-day and emergency department provision. These insights are now informing local business cases and shaping regional priorities.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to insure that NHS correspondence is accessible for constituents in Yeovil with a visual impairment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Equality Act 2010, health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably. This might include, although is not limited to, recording details of specific communication methods that are required for interacting with the person such as providing information in a specific format.
Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including people with a visual impairment. Provision of correspondence in an accessible format is specifically covered within the AIS.
On 30 June 2025, NHS England published a revised AIS. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using NHS services.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 adequacy NHS support pathways pathways for people with Tourette’s Syndrome in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) initiative are playing an important role in improving care for people with Tourette’s syndrome, including in Yeovil. These programmes aim to ensure that patients receive timely, high-quality, and evidence-based care. For Tourette’s, this means supporting local integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop clearer referral pathways, improve access to multidisciplinary teams, and embed best practice in local services. GIRFT also uses data to identify gaps in provision and highlight where improvements can be made, helping to ensure that people with Tourette’s are not left behind in the transformation of neurological care.
Our 10-Year Health Plan is designed to transform the way we deliver care for people with long-term conditions, including Tourette’s syndrome. By shifting the focus from hospital-based treatment to more integrated, community-led care, the plan aims to ensure that individuals with Tourette’s can access timely support closer to home, including in Yeovil.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support people with Tourette syndrome in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) initiative are playing an important role in improving care for people with Tourette’s syndrome, including in Yeovil. These programmes aim to ensure that patients receive timely, high-quality, and evidence-based care. For Tourette’s, this means supporting local integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop clearer referral pathways, improve access to multidisciplinary teams, and embed best practice in local services. GIRFT also uses data to identify gaps in provision and highlight where improvements can be made, helping to ensure that people with Tourette’s are not left behind in the transformation of neurological care.
Our 10-Year Health Plan is designed to transform the way we deliver care for people with long-term conditions, including Tourette’s syndrome. By shifting the focus from hospital-based treatment to more integrated, community-led care, the plan aims to ensure that individuals with Tourette’s can access timely support closer to home, including in Yeovil.