Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that practicing nurses are able to find NHS employment and remain on the nursing register.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals including our nurses. We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan this Autumn setting out how we will ensure all NHS staff including nurses are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.
NHS England is working with employers, universities, and regional nursing leads to ensure support is in place to help graduating nurses find a role as soon as possible after qualification and transition into the workplace.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 provide culturally appropriate dementia services for (a) South Asian and (b) other ethnic minority groups.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/
Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Health 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, which will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia, and which will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 that any outstanding complaints are thoroughly investigated by the organisations that take over the responsibilities of Healthwatch England and the 150 local Healthwatch organisations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.
The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of abolishing Healthwatch England on outstanding complaints against these organisations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dr Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. It recommended that the strategic functions of Healthwatch England are transferred into the new patient experience directorate of the Department. This new directorate will be responsible for overseeing the collection of more informed feedback from both patients and carers and significantly improving the complaints function across the National Health Service. It ensures that the NHS properly manages and learns from complaints.
The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions, and the changes to local Healthwatch will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training is provided to health professionals to ensure culturally sensitive dementia care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want all relevant staff to have received the appropriate training in order to provide high quality care to people with dementia, whether in hospital or in the community.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff by providing continuing professional development funding.
The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:
https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/
It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It notes that person-centred dementia care involves considering the whole person, taking into account not just their health condition, but also each individual’s life history, unique abilities, interests, culture, preferences, and needs.
There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.
NHS England has also published a guide which aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/intercultural-dementia-care-guide/
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 8 April 2025 to Question 43317 on Prescriptions: Fees and Charges, what other exceptional reasons have resulted in the NHS Business Services Authority cancelling a penalty charge notice in each of the last five years, other than a medical condition that significantly impacted an ability to read or understand the form signed.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold the information requested. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), which issues Penalty Charge Notices, does not hold or collect data outlining the exceptional circumstances relating to an easement of a prescription penalty charge. Each case is handled on an individual basis, considering the specific circumstances presented to the NHS BSA.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 reduce wait times for (a) assessment and (b) diagnosis of ADHD in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June 2025, with the final report expected to be published later in the year.
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. NHS England 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.
The Greater Manchester ICB has recently conducted reviews of both children and young people’s and adult ADHD pathways. The ICB has been working with people with lived experience and has developed new service models which aim to provide earlier, fairer, and more effective ADHD support locally. The ICB expects to begin implementing these pathway changes in the coming months.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 ensure that there is a wide range of customisations available to patients at all providers when procuring prosthetic eyes through the National Artificial Eye Service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning artificial eye services. The National Artificial Eye Service supplies one artificial eye free of charge. Customised bespoke artificial eyes can be provided to patients at the time of the supply of a National Health Service prosthesis at a small cost. Further information, including examples of customisations provided to patients, can be found on the National Artificial Eye Service website, at the following link:
https://www.naes.nhs.uk/custom-eyes
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps hi Department has taken to support GP practices who have taking on patients coming from private healthcare backgrounds.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service and general practices (GPs) are free at the point of use, and anyone is entitled to register with an NHS GP regardless of whether they have had private healthcare before.
Under the GP Contract, a contractor must not host private paid-for GP services that fall within the scope of NHS funded primary medical services, and must not themselves, or through another person, advertise the provision of private services using the same written or electronic means used to advertise the NHS funded primary medical services they provide.
This does not prevent individual GPs from offering purely private GP services to non-registered patients, although these services must be outside the agreed medical services and separate to the services provided to their NHS patient list and on alternative premises which are not NHS-funded. This is intended to safeguard the model of comprehensive NHS primary medical care and ensure that the line between NHS and private practice does not become blurred.
The British Medical Association provides guidance to GPs on its website for their responsibility in responding to private health care.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 providing additional support to people on waiting lists for an ADHD diagnosis who show clear symptoms.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including assessments and support for people suspected or confirmed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published September 2024, highlighted that the demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that there are severe delays for accessing ADHD assessments.
The independent ADHD taskforce, commissioned by NHS England to consider these issues and how to address them, recently published its interim report. The report recommends the need for timely access to needs-based support, including practical help for people showing signs of ADHD, such as coaching, classroom tools, and parenting advice. The taskforce's final report is expected to be published later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.
The Government is also supporting earlier intervention for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes. The Government will be investing in support for pupils with SEND more widely, enabling transformation of the SEND system to make mainstream schools more inclusive and to improve outcomes.