Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 establish a ring-fenced research fund for studying the reproductive safety of sodium valproate.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), commissions a range of research to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. For example, the NIHR is currently funding a £2.7 million award which aims to improve outcomes, for both mother and baby, in pregnant women with epilepsy through early identification of women and their babies at risk of complications, and to promote safe antiepileptic drug (AED) use.
The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including AEDs such as sodium valproate. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 adequacy of regulations on the (a) composition, (b) marketing and (c) labelling of commercial infant and toddler foods.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that the ingredients used in commercial baby food are suitable for the nutritional needs of infants and require businesses to ensure labelling in clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 impact of trends in the level of investment in rural VCSE infrastructure on inequalities in access to (a) GP, (b) mental health, (c) community and (d) other essential healthcare services in rural localities; and what steps he plans to take with local VCSE partners to reduce these inequalities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector as a valuable partner in improving people’s health and wellbeing.
The Government is committed to resetting the relationship with civil society and to unlock its potential. We want civil society to be an equal, expert partner, integral to the delivery of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan. The implementation of the Neighbourhood Health Service brings care closer to people’s homes and integrates services across the statutory and VCSE sectors.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming (a) NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and (b) National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme will include policies on staffing in rural areas.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will be published later this year. We will work with partners to make sure we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, to ensure the National Health Service has access to the workforce it needs to treat those that require care, treatment, and diagnosis across all our communities, including remote, rural, and coastal communities.
The National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme was launched on 3 July 2025, to support systems across the country to test new ways of working, share learning, and scale what works. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 ensure the (a) sustainable funding and (b) fair commissioning of (i) hospice and (ii) palliative care services take into account the higher cost of delivering services in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. The statutory guidance also outlines areas for consideration when commissioning, including improving equity of access and reducing inequity in outcomes and experiences.
Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.
The Government and the NHS will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to ensure that the future state of services reduces variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
The Department is currently exploring how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan. Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining how to operationalise the required shifts in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of Community Interest Companies to the provision of day care services for people with early-stage dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards and may include day care services.
Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all people.
Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 reduce NHS staff burnout.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive, including access to high quality health and wellbeing support.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health.
To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 prioritise UK-trained resident doctors in the allocation of specialist training posts; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of such funded posts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. Over the next three years we will also create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out the next steps in due course.
We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 role of family hubs in (a) neighbourhood health and (a) the delivery of integrated community-based health services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan outlined proposals for a new Neighbourhood Health Service, which embodies our preventative principle, that care should happen as locally as it can. Neighbourhood health services will build on, and will coordinate with Best Start Family Hubs and Start for Life services to continue to integrate children’s services, National Health Services, and public health.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals, providing easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services on people’s doorsteps.
The impact of Family Hubs and Start for Life services will take time to be realised. The current Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is subject to two national, independent evaluations to understand its implementation and impact.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 adequacy of the availability of training for social care staff to (a) understand and (b) address the needs of brain injury survivors.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We intend to develop an acquired brain injury (ABI) Action or Delivery Plan, with input from NHS England and other Government departments, to be published in autumn 2025. The 10-Year Health Plan will provide the overarching plan for the future of the National Health Service, and a subsequent ABI Plan would then focus on specific actions and deliverables for ABI against the backdrop of the 10-Year Health Plan.
Community rehabilitation for people with neurological conditions is named as one the integrated care board-funded core components of community health services. Further information on Standardising community health services planning guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services/
The Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) in September 2024, providing funding for eligible care staff to complete courses and qualifications. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.
We have published a list of over 200 training courses and qualifications which are eligible for funding from the LDSS, including training to enable staff to support care users with specific needs and medical conditions. It also includes qualifications to enhance quality of care more broadly, including the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate (L2ASCC).
The L2ASCC is an accredited occupational qualification for all eligible non-regulated care staff aged 19 years old and over. It is based on the Care Certificate standards and ensures that those working in the sector have the right skills to provide the right care for individuals who draw on care and support.
While brain injuries are not explicitly mentioned, the L2ASCC and the Care Certificate standards provide a foundation of knowledge and skills necessary to support individuals in the adult social care sector safely and effectively.