Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support patients of sighted non 24 through the NHS in England; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding into research on that condition.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including sighted and non-sighted non-24-hour sleep wake disorder. However, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Between 2017/18 and 2021/22, the NIHR directly funded seven studies researching sleep disorders with a total award of £8,564,996. Additionally, the NIHR has supported the delivery of 23 studies relating to sleep disorders via the Clinical Research Network infrastructure, including one study on sighted non-24 disorder.

Integrated care boards work with local commissioners and providers to understand the needs of the local population and commission services that meet those needs, including the treatment of sighted non-24-hour sleep wake disorder.