Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that total triage systems in primary care do not compromise the continuity of care for patients with (a) Parkinson’s disease and (b) other chronic neurological conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The triage process is designed to direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare professional based on their individual needs. This includes those who request or require continuity of care with the same general practitioner (GP), such as patients with Parkinson’s or other neurological conditions, as well as those who may be more appropriately supported by accident and emergency or pharmacy services. The system aims to accommodate a wide range of patient needs and enhance access across the broader healthcare network.
To prevent digital exclusion, the GP contract clearly states that patients must always have the option to telephone or visit their practice in person. Online tools that are utilised to support ‘total triage’ should complement, not replace, traditional methods of access. Practice receptions must remain open to ensure that patients without access to telephone or digital services are not disadvantaged, especially those with conditions that require in-person support.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 difference in patient care outcomes between (a) assigning a named GP for accountability and (b) ensuring continuity of care through an own doctor system for patients with long-term conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is bringing back the family general practitioner (GP) because we know that continuity of care is essential to person-centred healthcare. While all patients have the legal right to choose their GP practice and must be assigned a named GP, the current system does not guarantee that they will see the same doctor at each visit. Although practices must make reasonable efforts to accommodate patient preferences, there is currently no formal assessment of the impact of assigning a named GP on outcomes.
That is why we are going further, by improving continuity of care, we aim to make it easier for patients to see the same doctor at each appointment, which is key to managing and supporting patients with long-term conditions.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to include Parkinson’s disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to include Parkinson’s disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
The indicators included in QOF are developed in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, and are underpinned by a robust evidence base. The QOF is reviewed annually to ensure it remains aligned with NICE guidelines.
For the 2025/26 contract year, 32 out of 76 QOF indicators were retired to streamline the scheme and reduce the administrative burden on general practice.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 (a) help tackle midwifery shortages and (b) improve recruitment and retention in the NHS in (i) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (ii) Hertfordshire and (c) England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to tackling the issues facing the maternity workforce, to make sure we have the right people in the right place at the right time. NHS England is leading a range of initiatives to boost retention of existing staff and to ensure that the National Health Service remains an attractive career choice for new recruits. This includes building a compassionate and inclusive culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities.
NHS England has invested in a range of measures, such as unit-based retention leads, a midwifery and nursing retention self-assessment tool, mentoring schemes, and investment in workforce capacity. This has resulted in an increase in retention and a reduction in vacancy, leaver, and turnover rates. As of March 2025, there are a record 25,000 full time equivalent midwives in post, which is over 1,400, or 6.1%, more full-time equivalent midwives in the maternity.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 ADHD treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England has established an 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, with the report expected in the summer.
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; it will soon release technical guidance to ICBs to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. 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.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 ensure people in mental health crises receive adequate support in emergency services in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board commissions mental health services to meet the needs of its population, including for people living in Harpenden and Berkhamsted. The integrated care board continues to monitor the effectiveness and quality of these services.
The National Health Service, local councils, police, and experts by experience continue to work together through Hertfordshire’s Crisis Care Concordat, to implement service and pathway improvements to ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis receive timely, effective, and appropriate support.
This includes implementing the Right Care, Right Person approach which minimises the involvement of police in the care of people with mental health needs, where this is appropriate.
The integrated care board has developed a range of services to support people in mental health crisis. A new mental health urgent care centre has opened in Stevenage, which offers a safe space and a multidisciplinary team to provide support. Options for a similar model in West Hertfordshire are being explored. Nightlight services, delivered by the Herts Mind Network, provide emotional support, advice, and sanctuary space for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Additionally, mental health response vehicles are being rolled out across the country. Each vehicle is staffed by a paramedic with enhanced medical training and a registered mental health practitioner, enabling expert care to be delivered directly at the scene.
People of all ages in England who are experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time of the day via the NHS 111 service. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated by his Department for research into the (a) causes, (b) treatment, and (c) long-term effects of long covid in children and young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, have jointly invested over £57 million into long COVID research with the aim of improving diagnosis and our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease, evaluating the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, and clinical care. This research will support the treatment of long COVID in children and young people, as well as adults.
We have also funded research specifically focused on long COVID in children and young people, including the approximately £1.9 million CLoCk study jointly funded by the NIHR and MRC. The study developed an agreed definition of long COVID in children and young people and associated symptoms, to improve understanding of the condition and help harmonise research.
The NIHR and MRC remain committed to funding high-quality research into the causes, treatments and long-term effects of long COVID. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including long COVID in children and young people. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 prevalence of long covid in children and young people in (a) England and (b) Hertfordshire; and if he will publish estimates of the number of affected individuals by age group.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown by age group of the number of people with self-reported long COVID symptoms, more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection:
Age group | Estimate |
3 to 17 years old | 111,816 |
18 to 34 years old | 406,538 |
35 to 44 years old | 294,099 |
45 to 54 years old | 397,802 |
55 to 64 years old | 389,977 |
65 to 74 years old | 271,374 |
75 years old and over | 113,467 |
While no estimate has been made specifically for Hertfordshire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated that 202,852 people self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms in the East of England region in that same time period.
NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess children and young people who are experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.
As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. Since April 2024, commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local ICBs, following the closure of the national programme.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for keeping its published guidelines up to date and under active surveillance, to ensure that they reflect developments in the evidence base and its recommendations on new medicines.
The NICE is changing the way that it develops guidelines to ensure that they respond more rapidly to the latest evidence and newly recommended technologies, to help speed up access for patients.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue updated clinical guidance to support (a) GPs, (b) paediatricians and (c) school nurses in (i) diagnosing and (ii) treating children with long covid.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown by age group of the number of people with self-reported long COVID symptoms, more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection:
Age group | Estimate |
3 to 17 years old | 111,816 |
18 to 34 years old | 406,538 |
35 to 44 years old | 294,099 |
45 to 54 years old | 397,802 |
55 to 64 years old | 389,977 |
65 to 74 years old | 271,374 |
75 years old and over | 113,467 |
While no estimate has been made specifically for Hertfordshire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated that 202,852 people self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms in the East of England region in that same time period.
NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess children and young people who are experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.
As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. Since April 2024, commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local ICBs, following the closure of the national programme.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for keeping its published guidelines up to date and under active surveillance, to ensure that they reflect developments in the evidence base and its recommendations on new medicines.
The NICE is changing the way that it develops guidelines to ensure that they respond more rapidly to the latest evidence and newly recommended technologies, to help speed up access for patients.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 potential merits of a national register of children and young people diagnosed with long covid.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown by age group of the number of people with self-reported long COVID symptoms, more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection:
Age group | Estimate |
3 to 17 years old | 111,816 |
18 to 34 years old | 406,538 |
35 to 44 years old | 294,099 |
45 to 54 years old | 397,802 |
55 to 64 years old | 389,977 |
65 to 74 years old | 271,374 |
75 years old and over | 113,467 |
While no estimate has been made specifically for Hertfordshire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated that 202,852 people self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms in the East of England region in that same time period.
NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess children and young people who are experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.
As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. Since April 2024, commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local ICBs, following the closure of the national programme.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for keeping its published guidelines up to date and under active surveillance, to ensure that they reflect developments in the evidence base and its recommendations on new medicines.
The NICE is changing the way that it develops guidelines to ensure that they respond more rapidly to the latest evidence and newly recommended technologies, to help speed up access for patients.