Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
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 address variation in access to NHS-funded IVF treatment between integrated care boards.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand NHS-funded fertility services and the effectiveness of these services. This work will take time to develop, and the Department is keen to ensure there will be stakeholder engagement during this process, beginning in the new year.
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.
NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether its current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September and closed on 21 October 2025.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed the factors contributing to variation in intervention rates between NHS trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has made no specific assessment. Local National Health Service commissioners are responsible for planning healthcare services that meet the needs of their respective populations. NHS trust interventions will vary across services and in response to a range of local factors.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government will commit to publishing outcome data and not only referral figures for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE as set out in the Veterans Strategy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.
All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.
NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline services.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
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 reduce waiting times for veterans accessing Op COURAGE services, including for those in rural counties such as Wiltshire.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.
All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.
NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline services.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
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 GP accreditation coverage for Veteran Aware practices in Wiltshire, and what steps are being taken to close any gaps.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has been working with the regional providers of Op COURAGE to ensure that they are meeting the needs of veterans. This includes reviewing the time that veterans wait for assessment and treatment. Any required changes identified through this internal review will be implemented from April 2026.
All primary care networks in Wiltshire have at least one general practice (GP) accredited as being veteran friendly. NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, are continuing to encourage GPs to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access.
NHS England is working with Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE to develop more meaningful data on outcomes, patient satisfaction, and to demonstrate progress on continuous improvement in services and clinical provision. This work will focus on ensuring that future reporting is both purposeful and proportionate, to avoid detracting from the delivery of frontline services.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether training on the NHS Accessible Information Standard will be included in the competency framework setting out all nationally mandated training subjects, in the context of NHS’s England’s ongoing review of mandatory training for NHS staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is currently considering the inclusion of the Accessible Information Standard in the Competency Framework as part of their review of mandatory and statutory training for National Health Service staff.
In the meantime, NHS England is working to support implementation of the Accessible Information Standard with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the Accessible Information Standard. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the Accessible Information Standard and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeline is for making the NHS Accessible Information Standard mandatory for health and social care providers, following commencement of regulations made under the Health and Care Act 2022.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Mandatory information standards will be introduced in a staged process. There is no timeline yet for issuing a mandatory NHS Accessible Information Standard.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether integrated care boards will be asked to report local baseline (a) data and (b) progress on reducing ultra-processed food consumption; and if he will publish a breakdown for (i) Wiltshire and (ii) other local authority areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
UK dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN considered processed foods and health in 2023 and 2025. The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. Diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPF) are often energy dense, high in saturated fat, salt, or free sugars, high in processed meat and/or low in fruit, vegetables, and fibre. The SACN’s recommendations align with our existing policies for supporting healthier diets and our advice to consumers. Therefore, the Government does not currently have plans to introduce a national target to reduce the proportion of UPF in the diet of the United Kingdom’s population.
The Government is taking action to support people to make healthier choices. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector, and will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. This more strategic, outcomes-based approach aims to reduce less healthy food consumption, in line with UK dietary guidelines.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting a national target to reduce the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the UK diet by 2030.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
UK dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN considered processed foods and health in 2023 and 2025. The SACN recommended that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre. Diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPF) are often energy dense, high in saturated fat, salt, or free sugars, high in processed meat and/or low in fruit, vegetables, and fibre. The SACN’s recommendations align with our existing policies for supporting healthier diets and our advice to consumers. Therefore, the Government does not currently have plans to introduce a national target to reduce the proportion of UPF in the diet of the United Kingdom’s population.
The Government is taking action to support people to make healthier choices. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large companies in the food sector, and will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. This more strategic, outcomes-based approach aims to reduce less healthy food consumption, in line with UK dietary guidelines.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) NHS Food Scanner app and (b) Good choice badge take into account the level of (i) food processing and the (ii) presence of industrial additives when determining which foods are healthy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.
For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.
Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.
The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/
Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.