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 12 November 2025 to Question 87400 on Prosthetics and Wigs: Ethnic Groups, whether he will make an assessment of the impact of limited access to suitable breast prosthesis on those patients.

NHS Supply Chain manages a framework agreement for the provision of external breast prosthesis and chest support garments, only which was renewed in November 2024. The framework provides the breadth of products available to meet National Health Service trusts and/or foundation trusts assessment and patient choice requirements.

The product ranges on the framework include a variety of materials, types, shapes, sizes, and colours to meet diverse needs, and all suppliers have some product ranges available in more than one colour. Some products are better suited to exercise and swimming, but the provision of a prosthesis is limited to a softie, which is textile based, immediately after surgery and a silicone based prosthesis once wounds have healed.

NHS trusts and foundation trusts are responsible for their own procurement activity to meet the requirements of their patients and clinicians. NHS England has a list of approved regional and national frameworks that NHS provider organisations can use, and they are encouraged to buy from a framework if it catalogues the particular product or service.

The accreditation standards required to be on the list cover a range of areas, from minimum contractual terms and conditions, robust supplier appointment and value for money assessment processes, through to the sharing of commercial and commission data with NHS England.  Details and the list of accredited host organisations can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/system-guidance-for-the-implementation-of-framework-host-management/

NHS Supply Chain is on this list and is the main supplier of goods and services into the NHS.