Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 through the modern service framework for cardiovascular disease to help (a) reduce disability caused by stroke and (b) improve the lives of stroke survivors living with (i) poor health and (ii) a disability post-stroke.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To accelerate the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF) in 2026. The CVD MSF will consider approaches to reducing poor health and disability caused by heart disease and stroke.
The Department and NHS England are working together to deliver the CVD MSF and are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care. At the heart of this is engagement with people and communities, so that the modern service framework is shaped by and meets their needs. We will say more on these plans in due course.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in his Department is responsible for children's health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I am the Minister responsibility for children’s health, as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention. Children’s health remains a priority for the Department, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for children's hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children and young people’s hospices do incredible work to support seriously ill children and their families and loved ones when they need it most, and we recognise the incredibly tough pressures they are facing.
We are providing £26 million in 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’s Hospice Grant.
I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next spending review period, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children’s and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
This revenue funding is intended to be spent by hospices to provide high-quality care and support for the children and the families they care for, either in the hospice or in the community, including in children's homes. They can, for example, use this funding for providing respite care for children who have high health needs, by providing physiotherapy or occupational therapy, or by providing 24/7 nursing support for a child at the end of their life.
We are also supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 adequacy of the transition from hospital to community care for stroke survivors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.
The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.
Recent data shows that the percentage of patients discharged from hospital to community stroke services has now risen to 65.7%.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 adequacy of stroke rehabilitation services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community.
The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home.
Recent data shows that the percentage of patients discharged from hospital to community stroke services has now risen to 65.7%.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 encourage research into migraines and migraine treatment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) into a range of conditions, including chronic migraine. The NIHR promotes participation in research through the Be Part of Research service, which features chronic migraine research studies seeking participants. Further information on the NIHR’s Be Part of Research service is available at the following link:
https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/
The NIHR also invites proposals for new research into the causes and treatment of conditions through its website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to improve support for people who suffer from migraines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. The GIRFT programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders.
The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate.
NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with migraine.
There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which have the potential to have a very positive impact on care for patients with migraine. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including migraine, closer to home.
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. The My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section 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 the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 ambulance response times for (a) strokes and (b) other category 2 calls.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Strokes can be potentially life-threatening and require a Category 2 response to ensure patients have access to timely care. The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidence-based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service models set out that high quality stroke care should include fast emergency response and better-informed ambulance service 999 calls, to reduce mortality and disability.
The Government is determined to improve response times. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan for 2025/26 commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, ensuring ambulances are released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to implement the recommendations outlined in the Cumberlege Review with respect to the drug Primodos.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our sympathies remain with those who believe they were harmed by hormone pregnancy tests, such as Primodos.
Recommendation 4 of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, also known as the Cumberlege Review, specifically mentions hormone pregnancy tests, recommending that separate redress schemes be set up for each of the interventions examined by the Review, namely hormone pregnancy tests, sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. As a follow up to this recommendation, the Patient Safety Commissioner was asked to investigate and provide advice on options for redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations.
The Patient Safety Commissioner was not asked to look at Primodos as part of this work, because the available scientific evidence does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests such as Primodos and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. The Government is committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39290 on Coronavirus: Drugs, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the potential use of PEMGARDA to help protect clinically vulnerable people against covid-19 in emergency situations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and Department officials have regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on a range of issues, including topics for new or updated guidance.
Pemivibart, also known under the brand name Pemgarda, for use in the prophylaxis of COVID-19, does not have a marketing authorisation in the United Kingdom issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for the relevant marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider the product for its benefits and risks in relation to quality, safety, and efficacy.
In England, NICE evaluates all newly licenced medicines to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of Pemgarda seeks a licence from the MHRA, then NICE may consider it through its technology appraisal programme.