Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 provision of NHS treatment for Functional Neurological Disorder; and what steps he will take to resolve the disparities that currently exist between regions for the treatment of this condition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England’s updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification, published in August 2025, includes specific reference to functional neurological disorder (FND). It states that all specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for FND. The updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/
There are a number of other national-level initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including FND, such as the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the Neurology Transformation Programme, which aim to improve care for people by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across England.
Additionally, we have set up a UK Neuro Forum facilitating formal, which are twice-yearly meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations. The new forum brings key stakeholders together, to share learning across the system and to discuss challenges, best practice examples, and potential solutions for improving the care of people with neurological conditions, including FND.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has has with (i) the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, (ii) the Children's Commissioner, (iii) the Local Government Association and (iv) Adoption UK on waiting times for current and previously looked-after children for mental health services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Minister of Care met with the Children’s Commissioner’s office and other stakeholders at the Care Leaver Ministerial Board in October 2025, where they discussed mental health support and ways to improve health outcomes for both current and previously looked after children. Officials have also engaged with the Local Government Association on similar issues.
In addition, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health took part in a care leavers advisory group meeting in October 2024, where conversations focused on care leavers’ health, their mental health needs, and waiting times for services.
We have not engaged with Adoption UK on this particular issue.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England holds data on the number of (i) current and (ii) previously looked-after children on waiting lists for (a) mental health services and (b) neurodevelopmental assessments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England holds data on the number of current looked-after children accessing or waiting for contact with secondary mental health services. We can identify individuals waiting for neurodevelopmental, autism, or mental health assessment via the indicated primary reason for referral or type of team they were referred to.
NHS England does not hold specific data on the number of previously looked after children. If an individual is no longer a looked-after child, this would not be held within the dataset.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the points-based immigration system in the recruitment and retention of UK-trained newly qualified doctors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the points-based immigration system in the recruitment and retention of United Kingdom-trained newly qualified doctors.
However, the number of applications to foundation and speciality training has increased over recent years, both from people graduating from UK medical schools, UK medical graduates, and from graduates of international medical schools, international medical graduates.
For specialty training, the number of international medical graduates applying for places has significantly increased since 2020. Data from the General Medical Council (GMC) shows that the number of non-UK trained doctors applying for Core Training Year One and Specialty Training Year One places has increased from 5,326 in 2019 to 18,857 in 2024, a 254% increase. Over the same period, the number of UK trained applicants increased from 8,836 to 11,319, a 28% increase.
Internationally trained doctors may also be seeking employment outside of medical specialty training posts and GMC data shows that the proportion of doctors taking up or returning to a GMC licence to practice who were trained outside of the UK was 57% in 2019, which has increased to 66% in 2024.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the review of the Carr-Hill formula will conclude; and when he plans to publish its findings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The review of the Carr-Hill formula has been commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and commenced in October 2025. The first phase of the review is expected to conclude in March 2026. Subject to ministerial decision, further work would be undertaken to technically develop and model any proposed changes to the formula.
Findings from the review will be published in due course by the NIHR. Members of Parliament will be updated once the review findings are available.
Implementation of any new funding approach would be subject to ministerial decision and consultation with the General Practice Committee of England, of the British Medical Association, in the context of the available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the General Medical Services Contract within this Parliament.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 GP to patient ratios.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are starting to see consistent growth in the general practice (GP) workforce. We have funded primary care networks with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. Over 2,500 individual GPs have now been recruited, preventing them graduating into unemployment. We are committed to expanding the GP workforce further, by training thousands more GPs over the course of this Parliament. We have taken the first steps towards this, with an additional 250 training places available this year, taking the total to 4,250 places with plans to expand this further.
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: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 racial inequalities in maternity care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
In England, maternal mortality rates are higher among women from Black and Asian ethnic groups. The risk of maternal death from Black ethnic backgrounds increased between 2022 and 2024 to nearly three times higher compared to white women, while Asian women had a slightly increased risk compared to white women.
The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach to determining what targets are set, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred.
Actions that have been taken to reduce inequalities includes the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, Equity and Equality action plans in the most deprived areas, and inequalities dashboard to identify areas where specific populations face the greatest disparities.
To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from Black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 porcine insulin is available to users who are dependent on it.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of the global discontinuation of insulin porcine vials, including Hypurin Porcine Isophane, Hypurin Porcine Neutral, and Hypurin Porcine 30/70 Mix vials, by Wockhardt. We have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service, including all general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists, on 23 July 2025. This management guidance contains information on alternative licensed medicines including Hypurin Porcine cartridges.
Hypurin Porcine Isophane and Hypurin Porcine Neutral cartridges remain available. Following a short-term supply issue from 1 January 2026, Hypurin Porcine 30/70 Mix cartridges will be available from the week closing on 19 January 2026.
Patients and/or patient representatives should speak to their GP on the most appropriate treatment option.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond substantively to Question 90841 tabled by the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 January 2025 to Question 90841.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board on the (a) public petition and (b) campaign to safeguard Arthur Rank Hospice.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers meet and engage regularly with integrated care boards (ICBs) to discuss local issues.
Representatives of NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB meet Arthur Rank Hospice on a regular basis relating to the services it commissions from the organisation. The ICB and Arthur Rank Hospice work collaboratively to ensure that commissioned services meet contractual expectations and on continuous improvement of services for palliative care and end of life care patients.
The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.