Asked by: Dave Robertson (Labour - Lichfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to consult people with lived experience of dementia on the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
On 28 October, Alzheimer’s Society held a World Café event on behalf of the Department to help ensure that people living with dementia were able to feed in at an early stage to the development of the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia.
Policy leads from the Department attended the session, along with representatives from Alzheimer’s Society, to hear from those living with dementia, their family members, and their carers, both paid and unpaid. This event aimed to foster open dialogue and help inform the development of the modern service framework.
We intend to further engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build a framework which is both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated for research of anti-seizure medications in pregnancy (a) in total and (b) to the MHRA since 2020.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 2020 and 2024 the Department, through its research delivery arm the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), has invested approximately £5.34 million through direct awards to research into anti-seizure or anti-epilepsy medication in pregnancy. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The most recent funding in this area was £2.68 million to a research award which commenced in June 2023. Since 2018, the NIHR has invested approximately £5.33 million through direct awards to prospective research studies into anti-seizure medications other than sodium valproate. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not received specific funding for research in this area from the Department. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including anti-seizure medications in pregnancy.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated for prospective studies into anti-seizure medications other than Sodium Valproate in pregnancy since 2018.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 2020 and 2024 the Department, through its research delivery arm the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), has invested approximately £5.34 million through direct awards to research into anti-seizure or anti-epilepsy medication in pregnancy. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The most recent funding in this area was £2.68 million to a research award which commenced in June 2023. Since 2018, the NIHR has invested approximately £5.33 million through direct awards to prospective research studies into anti-seizure medications other than sodium valproate. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not received specific funding for research in this area from the Department. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including anti-seizure medications in pregnancy.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when research funding was last given for anti-seizure medications in pregnancy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 2020 and 2024 the Department, through its research delivery arm the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), has invested approximately £5.34 million through direct awards to research into anti-seizure or anti-epilepsy medication in pregnancy. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The most recent funding in this area was £2.68 million to a research award which commenced in June 2023. Since 2018, the NIHR has invested approximately £5.33 million through direct awards to prospective research studies into anti-seizure medications other than sodium valproate. This figure reflects the total budget for research awards that were active during this period. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not received specific funding for research in this area from the Department. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including anti-seizure medications in pregnancy.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned on (a) reproductive health outcomes and (b) other long‑term health effects of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products among nursing staff; and what assessment his Department has made of the costs to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has not commissioned any research on the reproductive health outcomes or long-term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products. No assessment has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of sickness absence related to this.
Sickness absence is managed at an organisational level across the NHS. NHS organisations have their own policies and procedures in place to manage and reduce sickness absence, including any reasonable adjustments to allow people to return to work and/or prevent future absence. It is important that employers across the NHS take a preventative and proactive approach to supporting their staff and keeping them healthy.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of utilising shareable health data to help (a) fire and rescues services and (b) local authorities identify vulnerable residents.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a formal assessment of using health data in this way but is aware of exploratory work underway in the National Health Service, including in Greater Manchester. This year the Department is working to tackle the underlying barriers to linking health and non-health data to improve outcomes and is supporting a small number of priority projects.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delayed access to specialist heart valve treatment on (a) avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, (b) deaths on the waiting lists, and (c) other patient outcomes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made any specific assessment of the impact of delayed heart valve treatment on avoidable unscheduled hospitalisations, deaths on the waiting lists, and other patient outcomes.
It is unacceptable that so many patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. We have wasted no time in getting to work cutting National Health Service waiting lists and ensuring people have the best possible experience during their care. We promised change, and we’ve delivered early with a reduction in the list of over 206,000 since the Government came into office. Specifically, the waiting list for cardiology services has reduced by over 25,000 in that time.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
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 improve training for General Practitioners and junior doctors in recognising and managing cardiac and respiratory vulnerabilities in paediatric patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The steps taken include the production of the Paediatric and child health advanced practice area specific capability and curriculum framework, which was co-produced by NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The framework is available at the following link:
The framework outlines area specific capabilities and a curriculum addressing the full spectrum of paediatric health needs, including recognising and managing cardiac and respiratory conditions.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decriminalisation of abortion of women who are (a) vulnerable and (b) subject to (i) coercion and (ii) abuse: and what steps he plans to take to protect them.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made. It is for Parliament to decide the circumstances under which abortions should take place. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.
The House of Commons has voted to add a clause to the Crime and Policing Bill which disapplies the criminal offences related to abortion from women in relation to her own pregnancy. These offences would still apply to medical professionals and third parties who do not abide by the rules set out in the Abortion Act 1967.
The safeguarding of children, young people and adults who are at risk is a fundamental obligation for everyone who works in the National Health Service and its partner agencies. Following the decriminalisation of abortion for pregnant women acting in relation to their own pregnancy, the Department will consider whether sufficient safeguards are already in place or whether additional guidance is needed.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 improve facilities for healthcare workers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Health and Wellbeing Framework highlights the importance of getting the basics right such as providing access to good quality rest areas, food, and drink options.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals and support to work healthily and flexibly.
The New Hospital Programme will mandate that staff welfare spaces must occupy at least 6% to 7% of the total net internal area footprint for schemes that are fully compliant with the new standardised designs. This 6% to 7% minimum allocation will continue to be protected and maintained through the full life cycle of the building.