Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
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 glioblastoma survival rates.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to supporting an innovative clinical research ecosystem in the United Kingdom so that patients in this country can be among the first to benefit as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.
The Government supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members Bill on rare cancers which will make it easier for clinical trials into rare cancers, such as glioblastomas, to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers. This will ensure that the NHS will remain at the forefront of medical innovation and is able to provide patients with the newest, most effective treatment options, and ultimately boost survival rates.
Early next year, the Government will publish a National Cancer Plan which will set out targeted actions to reduce the lives lost to cancers and improve the experience of patients, including rarer cancers such as glioblastomas.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the application for a mandatory reversal of the decision of the NHS Business Services Authority with reference VAD20662 will be actioned; and for what reason it has not yet been actioned.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). It would not be appropriate to comment on the status of an individual claim to the VDPS, which is a matter for NHSBSA
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential barriers to implementing the provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in Northern Ireland in line with the Windsor Framework, following the opinions submitted by Greece, Romania and Slovakia to the European Commission expressing their view that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill would be incompatible with EU law.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Technical Regulatory Information System (TRIS) notification is a routine procedure required under the Windsor Framework. It is not an approval process.
Receiving detailed opinions are a part of the TRIS process. The Government’s position remains that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will apply in Northern Ireland and is consistent with both our domestic and international obligations.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many beds at University Hospitals Dorset were occupied on (a) 1 April and (b) 1 October 2025 by patients with no criteria to reside.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information about how many beds are occupied by patients with no criteria to reside by trust is published by NHS England, and this information is available at the following link:
The following table shows how many beds at University Hospitals Dorset were occupied by patients with no criteria to reside for 1 April 2025 and 1 October 2025:
Date | Number of patients remaining in hospital who no longer meet the criteria to reside |
1 April 2025 | 186 |
1 October 2025 | 194 |
Source: NHS England
To support trusts to reduce the number of beds occupied by patients with no criteria to reside, the Government published a new policy framework in January 2025 for the £9 billion Better Care Fund. This holds the National Health Service and local authorities accountable for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays and preventing avoidable emergency admissions. Some challenged systems are also receiving a programme of improvement support.
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, if he will set out the legal status of the sale of tan- enhancing nasal products containing Melanotan II for cosmetic purposes.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is required to determine whether products are medicines on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the definition of a medicine in The Human Medicines Regulations 2012, relevant case law, and any other evidence.
There are many products which modify physiological function but which are not medicinal products, and case law has established that products that do so while having no beneficial effects on human health cannot be medicines.
Melanotan II injections and pens are considered medicinal products due to their similarity to an authorised medicinal product and potential application to other medical conditions.
However, tan-enhancing nasal products, which are clearly marketed for self-tanning purposes and which do not have a medical purpose, do not fall under medicines regulations and therefore are not within the MHRA’s remit.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of de-transitioners reporting harm from puberty blockers; and whether his Department considered this data as part of its approval of the trial.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is currently no registry in place in the United Kingdom that routinely collects data that is specific to individuals who choose to detransition at any point following a previous medical intervention for gender reassignment.
Last month, NHS England published a Call for Evidence aimed at healthcare professionals and medical bodies to gather evidence on the care needs of individuals who choose to detransition, in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. NHS England will publish plans for the establishment of a clinical detransition pathway in 2026, informed by the outcome of the Call for Evidence and a review of the published evidence.
The PATHWAYS trial has been subject to extensive scientific, clinical, ethical, and regulatory approvals. It was approved by an independent National Institute for Health and Care Research funding committee, with the final protocols all subject to rigorous approval processes from both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Health Research Authority, including review by an independent Research Ethics Committee.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 trends in the levels of readmission rates among mental health inpatients aged 0-17.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of readmissions and the percentage of all admissions that were readmissions for children and young people’s mental health inpatient services, for 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, and from April to August of 2025/26:
Year | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
Number of readmissions | 197 | 196 | 157 | 83 |
Percentage of admissions that were readmissions | 7.9% | 8.7% | 7.5% | 9.3% |
Source: Mental Health Services Dataset, NHS England.
A readmission is any admission which takes place within 90 days of a previous discharge, for the same patient.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department are taking to ensure people have access to adequate counselling support for disability diagnoses.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs.
More people, including those experiencing depression and anxiety associated with a disability, now have better access to counselling support provided through NHS Talking Therapies services. We have increased the number of therapy sessions so that more than 670,000 people completed a course of treatment last year, compared to 567,000 in 2016/17.
We plan to expand NHS Talking Therapies still further so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge; how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs; and whether he will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to support with these costs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of levels of epilepsy medication availability on patient safety.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medicine supply issues are global in their nature and, whilst not wholly preventable, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage and mitigate risks to patients. The Department has worked hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including asking manufacturers to expedite deliveries, most issues have been resolved.
The Department is currently aware of supply issues affecting some suppliers of clobazam 10 milligram tablets, all strengths of topiramate tablets, clonazepam 2 milligram tablets, and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets, used in the management of epilepsy.
The supply issue with clonazepam 2mg tablets from one manufacturer is expected to resolve late January 2026. The affected suppliers of topiramate 25 milligram and 50 milligram tablets, and clobazam 10 milligram tablets, are expected to resupply these products by early December 2025. The resupply date from the other affected manufacturers for topiramate 50 milligram, 100 milligram and 200 milligram tablets and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets is yet to be confirmed. Stock remains available from alternative manufacturers of these products to meet patient demand, and we have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service.
We have issued guidance for the discontinuation of sodium valproate (Epilim Chronosphere) 750 milligram and 1000 milligram modified release (MR) granules sachets. Alternative strengths of sodium valproate MR granules sachets remain available.