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: 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, whether his Department plans to support adaptive clinical trials for cannabinoid treatments tailored to children with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding two trials to investigate the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy in both adults and children. Further detail on the trials can be found on the NIHR’s website, at the following link:
https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR131309
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with epilepsy, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. We are working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, including treatments for epilepsy.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with uncontrolled epilepsy are adequately assessed for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that all health professionals (HPs) receive comprehensive training in disability analysis, including how to assess the impacts of medical conditions on people’s day-to-day activities, as well as awareness training on epilepsy and uncontrolled seizures.
Assessment quality is assured by suppliers and through DWP’s independent audit function, which checks assessments against a set of guidelines to ensure the criteria is applied appropriately and consistently in all cases, including those involving epilepsy and uncontrolled seizures.
The Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) provides detailed instructions for HPs, with Part 2, Section 2.3 covering guidance for HPs on applying the criteria for the daily living component. HPs also have access to Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development materials on epilepsy, offering clinical and functional information to support HP’s in delivering informed assessments.
Furthermore, if during the course of the assessment a HP identifies a deterioration in symptoms, or new symptoms that their usual health care professional is not aware of, DWP has a robust process in place to ensure this information is passed to the NHS, or if the individual if acutely unwell, they are transferred to an NHS service on the same day.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to PIP assessors on the (a) risks and (b) limitations for people with uncontrolled seizures.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that all health professionals (HPs) receive comprehensive training in disability analysis, including how to assess the impacts of medical conditions on people’s day-to-day activities, as well as awareness training on epilepsy and uncontrolled seizures.
Assessment quality is assured by suppliers and through DWP’s independent audit function, which checks assessments against a set of guidelines to ensure the criteria is applied appropriately and consistently in all cases, including those involving epilepsy and uncontrolled seizures.
The Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) provides detailed instructions for HPs, with Part 2, Section 2.3 covering guidance for HPs on applying the criteria for the daily living component. HPs also have access to Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development materials on epilepsy, offering clinical and functional information to support HP’s in delivering informed assessments.
Furthermore, if during the course of the assessment a HP identifies a deterioration in symptoms, or new symptoms that their usual health care professional is not aware of, DWP has a robust process in place to ensure this information is passed to the NHS, or if the individual if acutely unwell, they are transferred to an NHS service on the same day.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will review eligibility criteria for Carer’s Allowance in cases where unpaid carers support individuals with severe epilepsy.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government keeps eligibility criteria under review to ensure they are meeting the needs of carers. Entitlement to Carer's Allowance depends on certain conditions relating to the circumstances of both the disabled person and the carer being satisfied. A carer must care for a severely disabled person for a minimum of 35 hours per week. The disabled person (including those with severe epilepsy) must be in receipt of a gateway benefit:
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the adequacy of NHS provision for young people with (a) complex comorbidities, (b) Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, (c) epilepsy, (d) autism and (e) juvenile systemic lupus.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations. It is the responsibility of ICBs, working with clinicians, service users, and patient groups, to develop services and care pathways that meet patients’ needs.
Supporting children and young people as they transition into adulthood, especially those with long-term or complex conditions, including those with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), is a priority for the Government, and we are committed to ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.
Our 10-Year Health Plan for England commits to establishing a new radical approach through neighbourhood health services, shifting from sickness to prevention and ensuring that support for children’s health and development is locally accessible. It ensures the support for children and young people as they navigate the National Health Service, and ensures that they feel confident in managing their own health and care from age 16 years old, where appropriate. This will include supporting young people, including those with EDS, as they move from child to adolescent and adult services, ensuring that care is developmentally appropriate throughout.
In addition, a national transition framework is currently awaiting publication. This is to help local areas set up this model or to strengthen an existing one, and the principles of age- appropriate services set out in this document apply to both young people receiving care for the first time and those already on a transition pathway. While the framework focuses on broad principles of transition, future work will focus on specific considerations and conditions.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training provided to school staff on assisting children who have epilepsy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, as well as the duties under the Equality Act 2010. The effectiveness of a school is assessed through inspection by Ofsted.
The department has committed to reviewing the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ guidance and intends to issue a consultation on an updated version. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
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 ensure equitable access England to (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) specialist rehabilitation services for patients with Functional Neurological Disorder.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The majority of services for people with neurological conditions, including functional neurological disorder (FND), are commissioned locally. Integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are best placed to configure services for their populations and are supported by clinical guidance.
More widely, NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is supporting ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.
NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkits, including the Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, the Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Epilepsy Toolkit, aim to improve care for patients with neurological conditions by reducing variation.
On 15 October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published new guidance, titled Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or FND. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181