Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 level of training provided to General Practitioners on (a) the treatment and (b) symptoms of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome .
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) provides education on postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) through its Syncope Toolkit, which includes an e-learning module, a podcast and a webinar. These resources cover diagnosis and management and include patient perspectives to improve clinical understanding. The toolkit is available to GPs via the RCGP e-learning platform.
As part of its Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) resources, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also published detailed guidance on the assessment and management of syncope and blackouts, which includes advice on PoTS. The purpose of CKSs is to provide primary care practitioners with quick, accessible, and evidence-based guidance on best practice for commonly occurring conditions.
The guidance is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/
PoTS is diagnosed by a combination of GPs and specialist clinicians. GPs can diagnose PoTS in many cases but, if they are unsure of symptoms or if symptoms are complex, they will refer patients to specialists for diagnosis. The RCGP’s Syncope Toolkit provides diagnostic information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly.
Where patients are referred to secondary care for diagnosis, we are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029.
By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases of PoTS, including specialist diagnostic assessments.
While the Department recognises the significant challenges of PoTS diagnosis, responsibility for specific clinical pathways and specialist training rests with local NHS bodies.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the average diagnosis time for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) provides education on postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) through its Syncope Toolkit, which includes an e-learning module, a podcast and a webinar. These resources cover diagnosis and management and include patient perspectives to improve clinical understanding. The toolkit is available to GPs via the RCGP e-learning platform.
As part of its Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) resources, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also published detailed guidance on the assessment and management of syncope and blackouts, which includes advice on PoTS. The purpose of CKSs is to provide primary care practitioners with quick, accessible, and evidence-based guidance on best practice for commonly occurring conditions.
The guidance is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/
PoTS is diagnosed by a combination of GPs and specialist clinicians. GPs can diagnose PoTS in many cases but, if they are unsure of symptoms or if symptoms are complex, they will refer patients to specialists for diagnosis. The RCGP’s Syncope Toolkit provides diagnostic information to GPs, including the use of the active stand test, to rule out other conditions and potentially diagnose PoTS more quickly.
Where patients are referred to secondary care for diagnosis, we are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029.
By expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases of PoTS, including specialist diagnostic assessments.
While the Department recognises the significant challenges of PoTS diagnosis, responsibility for specific clinical pathways and specialist training rests with local NHS bodies.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current average waiting time is for an (a) ADHD and (b) autism assessment in (i) Slough constituency and (ii) the South East.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.
For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025, as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and has also released technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.
In respect of autism, the most recent data, published on 13 November 2025, is available on the NHS England website at the following link:
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure an adequate number of NHS dentists are recruited in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We recently held a public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and improve the quality of, NHS dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. We will publish a response shortly.
We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. The Government is committed to achieving fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 availability of lactose free Olanzapine in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I have made no assessment of the availability of lactose free olanzapine in Slough and Berkshire. Information is not held at that level. However, I am informed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that records show that lactose free olanzapine should be readily available throughout the United Kingdom. At present there are 11 companies that do not list lactose as an ingredient in their olanzapine. All ingredients are listed on the relevant summary of product characteristics and should be confirmed by the healthcare professional prescribing the medicine and the pharmacist performing the dispensing.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 3 March 2025 to Question 35028 on LGBT Veterans Independent Review, what progress he has made on recommendations (a) 31, (b) 35, (c) 36, (d) 38 and (e) 42.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For recommendation 31, NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs), continues to encourage participation in the Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. To date, over 99% of primary care networks have at least one accredited GP in their area. For recommendation 35, since June 2025, 100% of National Health Service trusts have been accredited as ‘veteran aware’. This achievement, led by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, reflects a national commitment to providing compassionate, personalised care to the Armed Forces Community.
As for recommendations 36 and 38, I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 31 October 2025 to Questions 84296 and 84297.
Finally, for recommendation 42, we recognise the importance of training for NHS staff on the needs of the Armed Forces Community. The NHS National Armed Forces Training and Education Programme will see NHS staff across England receiving dedicated training to help them identify and support patients with military backgrounds. This will be provided through a variety of channels: face to face; webinars; train the trainer; and e-learning. This launched in October 2025 and is supported by £1.8 million of investment over three years.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 lactose-free medication in the South East.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The patient’s doctor is best placed to understand their requirements and might consider it necessary to prescribe lactose free products, possibly by brand. Alternatively, the doctor might be able to stipulate “lactose free” on the prescription and liaise with local pharmacists to find a suitable product.
The British National Formulary is an evidence-based independent drug formulary used by health professionals as a source of key information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing, and administration of medicines. It advises that the lactose content in most medicines is too small to cause problems in most lactose-intolerant patients. However, in patients with severe lactose intolerance, lactose content should be determined before prescribing, especially if they are taking several products containing lactose.
It is a requirement to state the presence of lactose on the label of a medicine. All ingredients present in a medicine must be declared in the patient information leaflet (PIL). The PIL is provided in the packaging of all medicines. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the electronic medicines compendium can be used to see the composition of medicines licensed in the United Kingdom, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients admitted to hospital with (a) covid, (b) flu and (c) respiratory syncytial virus in (i) 2025, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2023.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions, including due to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The data is available at the following link:
NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions including those that relate to the number of patients admitted with COVID-19. The data is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-hospital-activity/
The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in 2023/24 and 2024/25:
Hospital Admissions | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Influenza | 28,003 | 59,320 |
RSV | 19,572 | 19,457 |
COVID-19 | 35,507 | 23,507 |
Source: NHS England Digital
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 support the (a) development and (b) rollout of biomarker tests to support early detection of (i) pancreatic cancer and (ii) other less survivable cancers in primary care services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
million NHS programme. This is funding more than 300 general practices (GPs) to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss. More than 80 GPs across England have begun using the initiative. It will be extended to the other general practices participating in the trial by the end of the year.
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is developing a National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register (NICPR), which launched on 30 June. The NICPR looks at a wide range of cancers for which there is an increased inherited risk, including for less survivable cancers. It aims to identify high-risk individuals who are eligible for targeted screening and surveillance, and will act as an electronic referral route into national screening programmes where these exist.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 introducing a screening programme to detect undiagnosed heart defects in young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening and which supports implementation.
The UK NSC last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that population screening should not be offered. Further information is available at the following link:
https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/
The UK NSC is currently examining the evidence for SCD screening and will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this in due course.