Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 ensure all Integrated Care Boards have Fracture Liaison Services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need. Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 when the rebuilding of (a) Whipps Cross Hospital and (b) Princess Alexandra Hospital will be completed.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation, the new hospital schemes for Whipps Cross Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital are in Wave 2 and are expected to commence construction between 2032 and 2034. Completion dates for all schemes will be confirmed following the approval of a Full Business Case, as set out in HM Treasury Green Book and as is usual for large infrastructure projects. Further information on the New Hospital Programme Plan for Implementation is available at the following link:
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 impact of penalties for the illegal sale of vaping products on those sales.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Trading Standards officers currently have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal to enforce age of sale restrictions and to take a proportionate approach to enforcement that reflects the severity of the offence committed. When necessary, this includes prosecuting offenders, which can result in a court imposed fine of up to £2,500, and, in the case of repeat offences, an application for a restricted premises order or restricted sale order. £200 fixed penalty notices, introduced by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, will complement existing sanctions and support Trading Standards to crack down on retailers selling to underage people.
We will complete a post-implementation review of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in due course.
The sale and supply of single use vapes was banned on 1 June 2025. If a retailer repeatedly sells single use vapes, they can be charged with an unlimited fine, or a prison sentence of up to two years. We will work with enforcement agencies to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the ban, including the impact of the penalties.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 tackle the sale of illegal nicotine pouches.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In Great Britain, nicotine pouches are currently regulated under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, meaning they are subject to general product safety requirements enforced by Trading Standards, including labelling with safety information and instructions for use.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will enhance the regulation of nicotine pouches by providing powers to restrict product packaging and flavours. Powers in the bill will also allow the Government to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch, as well as ban any other ingredient that might be harmful.
The Government is taking a range of action to tackle illegal nicotine pouches and protect young people from potential harms. The bill will strengthen enforcement and crack down on rogue retailers by enabling the introduction of a retail licensing scheme in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The bill also provides powers to develop a new registration system for all tobacco, vape, and nicotine products. This will help Trading Standards to enforce our rules on product requirements and support improving consumer safety.
Alongside the bill, the Government has announced £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 to Trading Standards, to tackle illicit and underage sales, and to support the implementation of the measures in the bill. This funding will be used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by recruiting approximately 80 new apprentices.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the will increase funding for mental health services in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Mental health is and will remain a priority for the National Health Service across the country, including for those in rural areas. This is backed by the Mental Health Investment Standard, which in 2025/26 will continue to ensure that mental health funding is ring-fenced to support the delivery of our commitments, including those outlined in NHS Planning Guidance.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 support the (a) development and (b) use of eye scans for diagnosing dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including the detection and diagnosis of dementia, and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services.
The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme is investing in biomarker innovations ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.
The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds a range of research into diagnosing dementia, including investing nearly £11 million of funding to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.
As part of the NIHR funded DaRe2THINK sub-study, researchers are using tests, including eye scans, to look at the effects of blood thinning medications on preserving brain function and assessing the real-time disease burden of dementia.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to refine the NHS Health Check to better identify dementia brain health risks.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Health Check raises awareness of the actions people can take to reduce their risk of dementia and, for people aged 65 to 74 years old, the signs and symptoms of dementia, with signposting to memory services where appropriate. The Department will continue to work with NHS England to ensure the advice and guidance on dementia in the NHS Health Check is up to date.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 help improve capacity in dementia diagnostics to facilitate access to new dementia treatments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, builds on the investments already made with an ambitious vision for the future of diagnostic testing. This will include more straight-to-test pathways, increasing and expanding community diagnostic centres (CDCs), and better use of technology. With 170 CDCs due to be up and running by the end of March 2025, CDCs can take on more of the growing diagnostic demand within elective care. We will also deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding several existing CDCs and building up to five new ones.
To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, NHS England is working closely with regulators to ensure that arrangements are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as soon as possible.
Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Gates Ventures and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the National Institute for Health Research is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to (a) increase the number of scanners available for dementia diagnosis and (b) reduce diagnosis times for patients.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.
Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, builds on the investments already made with an ambitious vision for the future of diagnostic testing. This will include more straight-to-test pathways, increasing and expanding community diagnostic centres (CDCs), and better use of technology.
With 170 CDCs due to be up and running by the end of March 2025, CDCs can take on more of the growing diagnostic demand within elective care. We will also deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones.
Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Gates Ventures and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the National Institute for Health Research is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a cross-government strategy to tackle (a) health and (b) lifestyle factors that increase the risk of developing dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Government’s Health Mission, we will shift from sickness to prevention, to tackle ill health, prevent premature deaths, and build a fairer United Kingdom where everyone lives longer, healthier lives.
We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia care needs, with input from the public, patients, and health staff as we develop the plan. The plan is being co-produced with the health and care sector and the public.