Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring vape liquid and vapes to be sold separately.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is currently exploring a range of topics related to vaping and nicotine products.
On 8 October, we launched a call for evidence which examines the size and shape of vapes, vape-like devices and tanks, the components of vaping products, as well as the role of technology in these devices. Further information is available at the following link:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs banned the sale and supply of single use vapes due to the harm that they cause to the environment on 1 June 2025. They will continue to monitor the impact of these changes to ensure that they have the desired positive environmental impact.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to consult the Royal College of General Practitioners on a potential replacement of the Carr-Hill funding formula.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The review of the Carr-Hill formula is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with key stakeholders, including the Royal College of General Practitioners, involved in the process.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 a framework model for functional neurological disorder (FND) care, including (a) FND care pathways, (b) the requirement for multidisciplinary teams trained in FND, (c) follow-up appointments for patients, and (d) mandatory training for (i) GPs, (ii) neurologists, and (ii) A&E staff.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) included information on functional neurological disorder (FND) in its guideline Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, code NG127, which covers symptoms and the appropriate referral pathways. The NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries also feature a detailed topic on FND, offering information on diagnosis and management. The guideline and Clinical Knowledge Summary are available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/functional-neurological-disorder/
We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, and with the right skills, to deliver the best care for patients, including those with FND, when they need it. We have recently published a call for evidence to gather views from stakeholders on the specific professions, roles, skills, and training needed to implement the reforms outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan for England.
More widely, the Elective Reform Plan has committed to reforming outpatient care, which will improve outcomes for patients with FND, through:
¾ clinical pathway reform, by transforming clinical pathways to build on the opportunity to deliver more activity in the community and increase the opportunities for patients to be referred straight to diagnostic tests;
¾ reducing unnecessary follow up care by using remote monitoring and widening access to Patient Initiated Follow Up so that more patients can have choice and control over if and when they require follow up care, freeing up appointments for patients who need them most; and
¾ focusing on the smaller aspects of service delivery than can make a big difference to productivity, by focusing on waiting list validation being properly funded as a form of activity, better use of outpatient clinical capacity, and making better use of clinic templates and job planning so clinicians have the right balance of activity to meet demand.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29, published on 24 October 2025, what plans he has to consult the Royal College of General Practitioners on the same day appointments for all clinically urgent patients (face to face, phone or online) success measure.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our recently published Medium-Term Planning Framework, we have introduced a new and ambitious target to ensure all urgent appointments are provided on the same day, so that patients requiring urgent care are prioritised, irrespective of how they are delivered, whether it be face-to-face, via telephone, or online. At present, 44.4% of appointments are already delivered on the same day they are booked
We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice and continue to engage with general practitioners broadly to ensure the targets are achievable, reflect the needs of the populations they serve, and to understand any barriers to delivery.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework – delivering change together 2026/27 to 2028/29, published 24 October 2025, what steps his Department is taking to measure the same day appointments for all clinically urgent patients (face to face, phone or online) success measure.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our recently published Medium-Term Planning Framework, we have introduced a new and ambitious target to ensure all urgent appointments are provided on the same day, so that patients requiring urgent care are prioritised, irrespective of how they are delivered, whether it be face-to-face, via telephone, or online. At present, 44.4% of appointments are already delivered on the same day they are booked
We have always valued input from a range of stakeholders on the future of general practice and continue to engage with general practitioners broadly to ensure the targets are achievable, reflect the needs of the populations they serve, and to understand any barriers to delivery.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an investment standard for general practice.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important role that general practice (GP) plays in the National Health Service and is committed to shifting more funding towards primary and community care services to enable early intervention and to reduce pressure on hospitals. We are committed to investing in reforms to support this shift, and to ensure sustainable resources for GPs. We’ve delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an almost £1.1 billion uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 patients with postural tachycardia syndrome in Devon.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Many patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team.
Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs, including the NHS Devon ICB, to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS.
There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which should have a positive impact on care for patients with PoTS: more tests and scans delivered in the community; better joint working between services; and greater use of technology. These changes will help people with PoTS to manage their care closer to home.
Neighbourhood Health Services will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services to people with PoTS or other long-term conditions.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through My Specialist on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) dentists currently accepting NHS patients, (b) NHS dental appointments offered each month and (c) patients seeking NHS dentistry in Newton Abbot constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is not held on the number of National Health Service dental appointments offered each month.
As of 3 November 2025, there were nine NHS dentist practices in the Newton Abbot constituency, with two showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and two showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’.
This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
The data for the Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Newton Abbot constituency, shows that 29% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, compared to 40% in England.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the Amazon Web Services outage in October 2025 on NHS services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are not aware of any impact to National Health Services resulting from the outage at Amazon Web Services.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 improve breast cancer screening rates in Devon.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking a range of actions to improve participation in breast screening in Devon, through the NHS Breast Screening Programme. These actions include: