Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
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 people affected by (a) Fahr's Disease and (b) other genetic, rare and undiagnosed conditions.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Fahr’s Disease. The United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs.
We published the annual England Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities in the preceding year and set out three new actions for the year ahead.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation limited eligibility for covid-19 booster vaccinations; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including unpaid carers under 75 within the eligibility for those vaccinations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness (hospitalisations and deaths) arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.
The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.
On 13 November 2024, JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following groups:
The Government has no plans to change eligibility for autumn 2025. It has accepted the JCVI advice for this campaign in full. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support workers in the social care sector in Broxtowe constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has an ongoing programme of work to ensure the care profession is recognised and rewarded and to improve domestic recruitment and retention. This includes supporting the professionalisation of the adult social care workforce through the recently expanded Care Workforce Pathway. The pathway provides a framework for progression and development opportunities so people can build their skills and careers in care.
In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete courses and qualifications. This includes the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.
We are also introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are rewarded for the important work that they do. As we work towards a Fair Pay Agreement, the Government will engage all those who draw upon care, as well as those that work to provide care and support. We will also consult local authorities. unions, and others from across the sector.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with NICE on providing up-to-date guidance for clinicians on the provision of HRT to people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop guidance on the provision of HRT to people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by a prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer.
NICE makes independent, evidence-based recommendations for the health and care system on best practice. It is right that decisions on the topics to be prioritised for guidance development should be based on the evidence and in line with NICE’s process.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to support clinical research on the impact of menopause and perimenopause on people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research delivery arm of the Department, funds a range of research to improve health outcomes for women, including on the impacts of menopause and perimenopause on preexisting conditions such as Type 1 diabetes.
For example, the NIHR is currently funding research to identify disparities in key health outcomes in older women, with a focus on the use of hormone replacement therapy. Amongst other aims, this research will explore whether there are differences in outcomes for women who have health conditions, such as sickle cell disease or diabetes.
In addition, the NIHR funds the infrastructure of the James Lind Alliance (JLA). In 2024, the JLA updated the Priority Setting Partnership on Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults. One of the top ten priority questions identified for future research is to investigate the impact of hormonal phases such as the perimenstrual period and menopause on glycaemic management, and to identify what treatments are most effective for managing glucose levels around these times.
The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the impact of menopause and perimenopause on people with Type 1 diabetes.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve the provision of social care in Broxtowe constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
To ensure high standards of care, local authorities are assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in how well they are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The CQC has not yet published the assessment report for Broxtowe and Nottinghamshire County Council.
The CQC also helps ensure high-quality social care by inspecting services, setting standards, taking enforcement action, listening to feedback, and providing transparent information of assessments on their website to protect and empower service users.
To enable local authorities to deliver key services, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
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 reduce incidents of stillbirths amongst black and Asian families.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that losing a baby or pregnancy loss is extremely difficult for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
While the vast majority of births in England are safe, the stark inequalities in maternity outcomes demonstrate that there are deep-seated issues across maternity and neonatal services.
To address these and other issues within maternity and neonatal care, a rapid independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services is being launched. This will look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care, taking into account findings from previous maternity reviews.
This includes the Maternity Outcome Signalling System, a new system that will monitor the rates of term stillbirth, neonatal death, and brain injury. It will immediately flag unusually high rates to prompt a rapid review of any safety concerns. We have already made progress in this area, for example through the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal deaths, and preterm births.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the GP-to-patient ratio was in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of December 2024, the number of full time equivalent doctors in general practice (GP) per 10,000 registered patients was:
- 6.9 in the Broxtowe constituency;
- 6.5 in Nottinghamshire;
- 5.9 in the East Midlands; and
- 5.6 in England.
Data from before September 2015 is not comparable. Each GP is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The demands each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentists were employed in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows how many National Health Service dentists were employed in 2011/12 and 2023/24 in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Broxtowe constituency, as well as regional figures for the Midlands:
Year | Number of dentists employed in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB | Number of dentists employed in the Midlands |
2011/12 | 448 | 4,016 |
2023/24 | 578 | 4,454 |
Notes:
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure workforce planning aligns with the availability of trained candidates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
We will publish a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. Later this year, we will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.