Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
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 help ensure that NHS England staff who have taken partial retirement receive fair redundancy payments..
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Voluntary Redundancy (VR) scheme being used by NHS England is the national ‘model Voluntary Redundancy’ scheme approved by HM Treasury for use across the National Health Service. The national ‘model VR scheme’ directs that voluntary redundancy payments should be made in accordance with Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook. These terms and conditions are developed and maintained through the NHS Staff Council for staff covered by Agenda for Change. They include provisions about how redundancy pay should be calculated in instances where an individual has taken some, or all, of the pension. NHS England has completed an Equality Impact Assessment on the implementation of the national model VR scheme.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider extending NHS sight test eligibility criteria by listing learning disability as a risk factor.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst adults with a learning disability do not automatically qualify for free National Health Service sight tests, they may qualify under other categories of exemption, for example being in receipt of income-related benefits or through the NHS low-income scheme.
To support children and young people with learning disabilities, free NHS sight tests are available within special educational settings across England, that choose to host a service.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing free prescriptions for inhalers to people with asthma who are moving into adulthood.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.
There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and their requirements.
People who need to pay and who need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as needed for a set cost. An annual PPC costs £114.50 and will save money if they need 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC through 10 monthly direct debits, which works out as just over £2 per week. A three month PPC for £32.05 is also available.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to engage with the pharmaceutical industry on price negotiations relating to Enhertu; and if he will take steps to help ensure that Enhertu becomes an (a) affordable and (b) accessible treatment option for patients with HER-2 low (i) metastatic and (ii) unresectable breast cancer.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) following an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and on the basis of the available evidence.
NICE has been able to recommend Enhertu in advanced breast cancer for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after one or more anti-HER2 treatments, and for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after two or more anti-HER2 therapies.
On 29 July 2024, NICE published final guidance on Enhertu for use in the treatment of HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, and it was unable to recommend this life-extending treatment. The only obstacle to access for NHS patients to Enhertu is price, and the Secretary of State met the manufacturers of Enhertu, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, to encourage them to re-enter discussions with NHS England with a view to reaching a price at which NICE would be able to recommend Enhertu. However, despite NICE and NHS England offering unprecedented flexibility, the companies were unable to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price. NICE’s guidance will therefore remain unchanged, however, the door remains open for the companies to enter into a new NICE appraisal if they are willing to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the use of evidence-based off-label medicines where there is no commercial incentive for a pharmaceutical company to seek a marketing authorisation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK. The MHRA is responsible for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.
In the UK, off-label prescribing refers to the use of a licensed medicine outside the terms of its marketing authorisation, such as for a different condition, dose, or age group. The MHRA regulates the licensing, safety and quality of medicines and monitors adverse effects but does not control medical practice. Responsibility for off-label prescribing lies with the prescriber, who must ensure it is in the patient’s best interests, supported by evidence, and discussed with the patient.
The General Medical Council (GMC) provides professional standards, while NHS trusts and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) may set local or national policies to guide safe and appropriate use.
Where there is no commercial incentive for a pharmaceutical company to seek a marketing authorisation, the use of independent, evidence-based guidelines (such as those developed by NICE, professional bodies, or specialist societies) can support clinical decision-making and standardise safe practice. Published research, systematic reviews, and expert consensus also provide a foundation for justifying off-label use in areas such as paediatrics, oncology, and rare diseases.
Thus, the MHRA oversees the medicine itself, while prescribers, the GMC, and the NHS govern how off-label prescribing is carried out in practice, supported by independent clinical evidence and guidelines when licensing is not pursued.
The MHRA encourages Marketing Authorisation Holders to vary their licences when there is sufficient evidence to change the indication approved. The MHRA will reach out to ask companies to assess when appropriate. This does not indicate that the MHRA will approve the licence, but are prepared to assess the evidence provided.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timetable is for distributing interim payments for people affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether long-term reform hospice care funding will be included in the NHS 10-year plan.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan will set out how the Government will fix our broken National Health Service. Too many people, towards the end of their lives, are not receiving the support and care they deserve, and we know that waiting times for services are far too long. We are determined to change that, by changing the way services operate, rather than by simply funding more of the same.
Whilst it is too soon to say what will be in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are continuing to support the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide guidance to Integrated Care Boards on the minimum provision of palliative care that should be available for hospices in their area.
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. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care.
Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.
To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. It is included in the statutory guidance 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 the hospice services available within the ICB’s catchment area.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of applying a currency model to the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services.
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 must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care.
A suite of new community service currency models, including for palliative and end of life care in children and adults, have been developed and published in the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme. Further information on the new community service currency models and the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme is available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/25-26NHSPS-Community-Currency-Guidance.pdf
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/
Currency models will help us to understand:
Combining these three elements provides an understanding of the overall value, and will support the achievement of the Government’s priorities for palliative care and end of life care.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of palliative and end of life care on patients; and how the 10 year plan will ensure that there is adequate provision of these services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been made on the impact of palliative care and end of life care on patients, but we know that currently approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care provision.
Whilst it is too soon to say what will be in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £3 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research in a new Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit launched in January 2024 and will build the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.