Joined House of Lords: 21st January 2026
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These initiatives were driven by Baroness Nargund, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Baroness Nargund has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Baroness Nargund has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Department is committed to supporting more young people into careers in the National Health Service as part of its wider ambition to deliver a sustainable workforce fit for the future. As the country’s largest employer, the NHS has a unique responsibility to catalyse growth and economic prosperity in the communities it serves.
We work closely with colleagues across Government, and the wider health and social care system, to improve youth participation in education, employment and training by offering a range of entry routes into NHS careers for young people, including apprenticeships, supported internships and access programmes.
Current work includes the Widening Access Demonstrators programme which has already supported more than 1,000 young people and people from deprived communities into pre-employment programmes and onward opportunities in health or care. We have extended this work for 2026/27 and are also rolling out successful, proven pre-employment models nationally over the next three years. The Department also continues to work with the King’s Trust to support 3,500 young people from diverse backgrounds into NHS and adult social care roles by 2030.
The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT). The most recent statement was published in 2024 and is available on COT’s website in an online-only format.
In October 2025, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) published a ‘state of the science’ statement summarising the evidence for a potential risk to health from exposure to airborne nano and microplastics (NMP) (excluding tyre wear particles), and the uncertainty and gaps in this evidence. The statement is available on GOV.UK in an online-only format.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has taken further steps to understand the risks to health of microplastics by carrying out published research to understand if there are potential health risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. This work was carried out in collaboration with Imperial College under the Health Protection Research Unit Environmental Exposures and Health that was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) until March 2025.
The Government recognises microplastics as an emerging concern and continues to assess potential risks. On 12 May 2025, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published an Option Appraisal for Intentionally Added Microplastics as part of a research scoping project, assessing impacts on the environment and human health and setting out possible policy options, available on the Department’s website in an online-only format.
The Government is supporting research and working with regulators, industry and partners to better understand impacts, while taking action to reduce plastic pollution and protect water quality.
The Government recognises that women suffering with gynaecological conditions, including polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (PMOS), have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in education and the workforce.
We recognise the need to improve awareness of PMOS, and welcome the renaming of this condition to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, a change that reflects the multisystemic nature of the condition.
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, published in April 2026, represents a decisive shift towards addressing longstanding failings in women’s health outcomes, experiences, and access to care. The strategy announces a new programme to improve education for girls about their menstrual health, investing an additional £1 million to support targeted work in schools and community settings to support girls’ knowledge about menstrual health and when to seek healthcare. This investment in improved information will help women and girls know when to seek healthcare, which is an important factor in the diagnosis and treatment in conditions like PMOS.
In 2025, the Department for Education published revised statutory guidance on relationships and sex education and health education in schools, covering women's health topics including menstrual health, premenstrual syndrome, heavy periods, endometriosis, PMOS, and guidance for when to seek healthcare advice.
We are also introducing an “online hospital”, NHS Online. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including menstrual problems that may be a sign of PMOS, will have the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is developing guidance on PMOS and will publish a consultation of its draft guidelines in July.
The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace.
We have made strong progress in turning the commitments in the last government’s Women's Health Strategy into tangible action. Our renewed strategy will address gaps from the 2022 strategy, and go further to create a system that listens to women and tackles health inequalities across England.
Renewing the strategy will help identify and remove enduring barriers to high-quality care across England, such as long waits for diagnosis, and ensuring professionals listen and respond to women’s needs.
As announced in October, we will be asking local authorities to include menopause in the NHS Health Check later this year. This will support eligible women across England to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and a diagnosis.
Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the National Health Service’s revolutionary new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.
We recognise that for some women symptoms of menopause can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Women experiencing anxiety or depression can get support from NHS Talking Therapies. They can ask their general practitioner to refer them or they can self-refer. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are expanding Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people can complete a course of treatment by March 2029.
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are a shining example of how we’re shifting care out of hospitals and into the community, making life easier and more convenient for patients. As of March 2026, 170 CDCs across England are open, 108 of which offer at least one service for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning that people can fit appointments, such as diagnostics for women on gynaecology pathways, around their lives, not the other way around. NHS England is working with local NHS systems to identify the most appropriate locations for additional investment, including new CDCs. New CDCs will be positioned in a location which addresses local need and address health inequalities.