theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require standardised information about the inclusion of genetically engineered food ingredients to be clearly marked on food packaging for consumers. \p Ashley Dalton: Existing labelling rules for genetically modified organisms (GMO) stipulate that foods sold in Britain that contain GMO ingredients must be labelled with this information. This labelling gives consumers the choice on whether to consume such foods containing, or consisting of, GMO ingredients, and the choice to avoid such foods, should they wish to do so. In the case of food sold loose, or where food has been cooked in a GMO product, for instance cooking oil, this information must appear on a notice, menu, ticket, or label which can be easily read by customers.

Information about any characteristic or property which renders a food consisting of or containing genetic modifications different from its conventional counterpart, such as its composition, nutritional value, the intended use of the food or feed, or any health implications for certain sections of the population, must also be included.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to early prostate cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment in deprived communities. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all people with prostate cancer. To achieve this, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week during our first year in Government, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

To address disparities and find ways to better detect prostate cancer earlier, we have invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms. This research will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis by targeting black men in trial recruitment, ensuring that one in ten participants are black men. We have also asked the National Screening Committee to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening, including for high-risk groups.

The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support GPs in diagnosing ovarian cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including ovarian cancer, earlier and faster.

We are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres. We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice (GP) to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26.

In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has enabled the recruitment of over 1,500 recently qualified GPs across England, which will increase the number of appointments delivered and care for thousands of patients.

We are committed to ensuring that GPs have the right training and systems to identify cancer. The Department will continue to look at opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform diagnostic performance and ultimately bring down waiting times. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for rare and less common cancers. It will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment and will ensure that all patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional support for families affected by members with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Under the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2025, we remain focused on delivering against the four key priorities set out in the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The 2025 England Rare Diseases Action Plan was published on 28 February 2025 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-rare-diseases-action-plan-2025

We know that people living with rare conditions, and their families and carers, often struggle to access mental health and psychological support. Mental health services should be offered based on need and should not exclude anyone because of a particular physical health or neurological diagnosis. The NHS Genomics Education Programme has this year published new resources on rare diseases and mental health, aimed at healthcare professionals. It has also developed a communications tool to help healthcare professionals with sensitive conversations, to ensure that patients and families feel supported throughout the diagnosis of a rare condition.

Many people struggle to access reliable information on rare diseases, and we recognise the important role patient support groups can play in developing reliable and easy to access information. In this year’s action plan we have set out the steps we are taking to support organisations to get the information they produce accredited under the Patient Information Forum’s trusted information creator scheme.

To enhance specialist care, NHS England is supporting multi-system disorder clinics to reduce appointments and ease care coordination for families.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 36961, whether there is a licensed direct infant immunisation for respiratory syncytial virus; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of maternal rather than direct infant immunisation on health outcomes. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government’s decisions on who to offer immunisations to, and which products are suitable, are based on expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

In June 2023 the JCVI advised, for infant protection against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), for either a programme of maternal antenatal vaccination with Pfizer’s Abrysvo PreF vaccine or for infant immunisation with Sanofi’s monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus). Following a competitive tender, the new RSV vaccination programmes began in September 2024 for older adults and pregnant mothers, to protect infants, both using the Pfizer vaccine.

The UK Health Security Agency undertakes evaluation of national immunisation programmes and will be evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the RSV maternal vaccination programme for infant protection, once sufficient data is available. The JCVI will continue to keep the RSV programme under close review.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) rates of early diagnosis, (b) access to treatment and (c) specialist care for people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), by supporting earlier diagnosis, improving access to treatment, and enhancing specialist care. Under the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2025, we remain focused on delivering against the four key priorities set out in the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The 2025 England Rare Diseases Action Plan was published on 28 February 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-rare-diseases-action-plan-2025.

To support earlier diagnosis, we are digitalising the National Genomic Test Directory to improve access to genomic testing, and have established eight Genomic Networks of Excellence to standardise services and speed up diagnoses.

We are improving access to treatment for rare conditions like DMD by reforming clinical trial regulations through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which facilitates the development and approval of new therapies.

Progress is also being made on repurposing existing medicines and advancing new therapies, to expand treatment options. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) plays a key role by making recommendations on which licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE has recently published guidance recommending vamorolone as an option for treating DMD in people aged four years old and older, and the NHS in England is legally required to fund treatment for eligible patients in line with the NICE’s recommendations. The NICE is currently appraising givinostat, which received a conditional marketing authorisation from the MHRA in December 2024 for treating DMD in patients aged six years old and over, to see if it can be recommended for routine funding on the NHS.

To enhance specialist care, NHS England is supporting multi-system disorder clinics to reduce appointments and ease care coordination for families. Research is underway to improve service integration, and five new Rare Disease Collaborative Networks have been launched to strengthen specialist support across the NHS.
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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide regular screening for people exposed to Diethylstilbestrol in utero. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises the Government on screening programmes, has never been asked to consider the evidence for screening people exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero.

Any individual or organisation can submit a topic to the UK NSC to consider a new screening programme via the UK NSC’s annual call, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal/uk-nsc-annual-call-how-to-submit-a-proposal
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve public awareness of the (a) risk factors (b) transmission and (c) symptoms of leptospirosis. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency publishes standard guidance on the risk factors, transmission, and symptoms of leptospirosis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/leptospirosis#full-publication-update-history.

National Health Service guidance is also available, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leptospirosis/.

Finally, guidance for workers is available from the Health and Safety Executive, at the following link:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/harmful-micro-organisms/leptospirosis-weils-disease.htm.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the shingles vaccination to people aged 65 or over. \p Ashley Dalton: In 2019, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the shingles vaccination programme should switch to using a two-dose vaccine called Shingrix, to better protect individuals from the effects of shingles, provide better clinical outcomes, and reduce pressures on the health system. The committee also advised that the vaccine should be given to everyone at the age of 60 years old, rather than 70 years old.

Based on this advice, the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England decided to phase the expansion of the shingles programme. During the first phase, which commenced September 2023, those who reach the ages of 65 or 70 years old should be called in for vaccination on or after their 65th or 70th birthday. During the second phase, from September 2028, individuals will be called in for vaccination on or after their 60th or 65th birthday. From 1 September 2033 onwards, vaccination is routinely offered to those turning 60 years of age on or after their 60th birthday.

This is a newly expanded programme, and anyone unsure if they are eligible for the shingles vaccination should check online, on the NHS.UK website, or should speak to their general practice.

In November 2024, the JCVI provided further advice to the Department on eligibility for the shingles vaccination programme. This included advice that the Government should consider expanding the shingles vaccination offer to include older adult cohorts aged 80 years old and over. The Government will consider this latest advice when setting the policy on who should be offered shingles vaccinations, and will update in due course.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the level of imports of phage products on national security; and whether he is taking steps to help develop UK-based manufacturing capabilities. \p Ashley Dalton: In the March 2024 response to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s report on bacteriophages, the government acknowledged the challenges in developing phage therapy in the United Kingdom, including the requirement to meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. GMP is the minimum standard that a medicines manufacturer must meet in their production processes. To meet GMP, products must:

- be of consistent high quality;

- be appropriate to their intended use; and

- meet the requirements of the marketing authorisation or product specification.

In the response, the Government committed to considering the case for a UK-based GMP facility to support phage innovators and reduce reliance on imports. The UK Health Security Agency is also exploring phage production options in accordance with GMP, working with partners nationally and internationally.

The new Life Sciences Sector Plan, part of the upcoming Industrial Strategy, to be published in late spring 2025, will outline the Government’s growth strategy for the sector. Within this, domestic manufacturing, including for bacteriophage production, is a priority and projects can be supported via applications to the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.

In parallel, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will be publishing draft guidance on phage product licensing, developed with researchers and industry, to clarify regulatory and manufacturing requirements.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to consult stakeholders on the potential impact of fixed recoverable costs on access to justice for vulnerable patients impacted by clinical negligence. \p Ashley Dalton: Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on fixed recoverable costs and we will announce our position in due course.
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Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if monies will be noted in the April budget which includes the interim payment for people impacted by Valproate. \p Ashley Dalton: The Spring Statement demonstrated that the Government has taken the decisions necessary to provide security, reform the state, and grow the economy. The Government remains committed to holding only one major fiscal event a year, to give families and businesses the certainty they need on tax and spending changes.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to expand the statutory obligation for local authorities to include welfare advice. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities in England have a duty to establish and maintain information and advice services relating to care and support for all people in their area.

Local authorities must ensure that information and advice services established cover more than just basic information about care and support; and that they cover a wide range of care and support related areas. The Care and Support Statutory Guidance states that local authorities must ensure that the subject matters covered by their information and advice available to people in their areas go much further than a narrow definition of care and support, including:

Therefore, there are currently no plans to review the Care Act 2014 or the supporting Care and Support Statutory Guidance.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the shortfall in clinical psychologists; and whether he plans to provide additional funding for clinical psychology training places in the next financial year. \p Stephen Kinnock: Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

Clinical psychologists are an essential component of the NHS workforce. NHS England’s workforce growth commitment has included significant investment to double the number of NHS commissioned Doctorate in Clinical Psychology training places since 2019/20 to just under 1,100 places in 2024. It is expected this level of commissions will be sustained in the 2025/26 financial year.

However, we know that the NHS has been facing workforce shortages for a number of years and, while there has been growth in the mental health workforce over recent years, more is needed. That is why, as part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment alongside the refresh of the Long Term Workforce Plan, which will revolve around the three shifts to deliver our 10 Year Plan, specifically: moving more care from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology in health and care; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support people with autism with their mental health in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We know that too many people, including autistic people, are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long across England, including in Surrey Heath. We are determined to change that.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, introduce open access Young Futures hubs in communities, and modernise the Mental Health Act.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that only registered nurses can legally use the title nurse. \p Karin Smyth: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Ashfield on 27 March 2025 to Question 40615.
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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35462 on Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy: Shortages and with reference to his Department's joint National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): additional actions, published on 18 December 2024, what assessment he has made of the actions taken by integrated care boards in response to that alert. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has made no formal assessment of the actions taken by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): additional actions. However, the Department has engaged with representatives from specific ICBs for details on the management plans implemented and to understand how these are working in improving access to PERT at a regional level.

The Department also continues to work closely with specialist clinicians, NHS England, and the affected patient advocacy groups and charities, including Pancreatic Cancer UK, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Guts UK, and Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, to understand the impacts of the guidance issued and discuss further actions.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed Integrated Care Board cuts on Community Diagnostic Centres. \p Karin Smyth: As part of the necessary changes to support the National Health Service to recover, NHS England has indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce in size. The Government is supportive of NHS England’s decision and the necessary choices that are needed to get the NHS back on its feet. We expect ICBs to continue to deliver their responsibilities, including the planning and delivery of health and care services in community diagnostic centres. Further detail on the future of ICBs was provided in a letter issued to the ICBs, NHS trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the progress towards meeting the target of implementing Electronic Patient Records across all NHS Trusts by March 2026. \p Karin Smyth: 91% of trusts have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR), with work underway to provide support to the remaining nineteen trusts which do not have an EPR.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the level of staff overtime pay rates in emergency departments on (a) the quality of patient care and (b) the retention of senior clinical staff. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has not made this specific assessment. Where national rates for overtime are applicable in England, these are set out in the national terms and conditions, and no recent changes have been made to these provisions, nor are there planned to be. Where pay for additional work is set at a local level or where local providers agree overtime rates that are different to those in the national terms and conditions, this would be considered a local matter.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to letters from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health dated (a) 5 February, (b) 25 February, (c) 14 March, (d) 24 March, (e) 1 April and (f) 8 April 2025. \p Karin Smyth: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health replied to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 10 April 2025.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies the (a) side effects and (b) long-term health implications of the use of clozapine as a medicament. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines and medicinal products and ensures that the product information for each medicines reflects what is known about the medicine and provides information to support safe use and minimise risks. The product information consists of the Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals and the patient information leaflet supplied in each pack of medicine.

Clozapine was first authorised in 1989 and is now indicated for treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients and in schizophrenia patients who have severe, untreatable neurological adverse reactions to other antipsychotic agents, including atypical antipsychotics. Treatment resistance is defined as a lack of satisfactory clinical improvement despite the use of adequate doses of at least two different antipsychotic agents, including an atypical antipsychotic agent, prescribed for adequate duration.

Clozapine is also authorised to treat psychotic disorders occurring in patients with Parkinson's disease, in cases where standard treatment has failed. Clozapine is associated with several potentially serious side effects which are outlined in the product information, that require monitoring of various aspects of patient’s health to minimise risks including monitoring: white blood cells, blood pressure, heart function, liver function, body weight, glucose, cholesterol, other medication, falls and for signs of infection.

As clozapine is used when other treatments have failed to manage a patient’s condition, careful monitoring is required to minimise the risks to ensure patients are able to receive effective treatment with clozapine.

The safety of clozapine is continuously monitored by the MHRA to ensure the product information reflects what is known about the medicine. The MHRA is in the process of reviewing the blood monitoring requirements and will be seeking views in the summer from patients, patients’ families and healthcare professionals on methods to improve awareness of the risks associated with clozapine and how to manage them.
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Andrew Pakes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of sepsis in the 10 Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: We have committed to develop a 10 Year Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. This will include how we improve access to, and the experience of, urgent and emergency care, such as for when people develop sepsis.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle shortages of medication for (a) Parkinson's and (b) epilepsy. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues, including with carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.

We are currently aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets from one manufacturer. This supply issue is expected to resolve by the end of May 2025. We are also aware of a shortage of phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets from one manufacturer with the resupply date to be confirmed. In both cases, alternative suppliers are in stock with sufficient supply to support patients. These issues have been communicated to the National Health Service.

The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover demand. The Department has also been notified of a discontinuation of apomorphine (APO-go PFS) 50 milligram/10 millilitre pre-filled syringes from April 2025. Alternative formulations of apomorphine remain available for patients, and management guidance has been issued to the NHS.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on (a) when the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency plans to publish guidance on regulatory process for phage therapy use; and (b) whether that guidance will help reduce regulation on phage therapy research. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is preparing the draft guidance, Regulatory considerations for therapeutic use of bacteriophages in the United Kingdom, which will be published in the second quarter of 2025.

Regulation of medicines in the UK is undertaken by the MHRA in accordance with the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/1916) (as amended), thereby ensuring compliance with statutory obligations relating to the manufacture, distribution, sale, labelling, advertising, and promotion of medicines.

The purpose of the guidance is to address regulatory considerations applicable to the use, in the UK, of bacteriophages for therapeutic purposes in humans, whether as licensed or unlicensed medicinal products.
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Mark Sewards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will have discussions with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on the potential merits of reducing or removing the annual registration fee for nurses. \p Karin Smyth: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government. All registered health and social care professions in the UK pay an annual registration fee to their regulatory body. Being funded by registrant fees enables the NMC to maintain its independence, allowing it to take action if it identifies risks to patient safety or the public’s confidence in the profession.

The Government expects the NMC to run its operations efficiently and keep registration fees as low as possible in order to limit the financial impact on registrants. The Government has no current plans to discuss with the NMC the potential merits of reducing or removing the annual registration fee for nurses.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of endometriosis. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and we are making progress to ensure that women with endometriosis receive a timely diagnosis and effective treatment.

Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. This includes updated recommendations that for women with symptoms of endometriosis, initial pharmacological treatment should take place in primary care, and that this can take place in parallel with additional investigations and referral to secondary care if needed. This will help women receive more timely treatment. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

We have taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres. Alongside the plan we published a new partnership agreement between the National Health Service and the independent sector, which will help cut gynaecology waiting lists faster.

Additionally, to provide quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures such as a laparoscopy, which can be used to diagnose and treat endometriosis, we have committed to opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025 and ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide funding to improve the accident and emergency department at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service commissioners are responsible for delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services. Therefore, in this case, the commissioning body responsible would be the North East London Health and Care Partnership Integrated Care Board (ICB), rather than the Department.

The North East London Health and Care Partnership ICB has been provisionally allocated £24 million for constitutional standards recovery in 2025/26, as part of our £1.65 billion capital investment to support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care. This will fund new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds, to create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community. The £1.65 billion capital investment also includes £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing pressure on accident and emergency services.

In addition, the ICB has been provisionally allocated £107.5 million in operational capital funding, including primary care business-as-usual capital, for 2025/26, to be prioritised according to local needs, such as investing in hospital infrastructure.

Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in late spring 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_228

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the training of healthcare employees in recognising symptoms of endometriosis. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions including endometriosis.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024, NICE published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management and treatment of endometriosis. This can be accessed through the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

Endometriosis is included in the core curriculum for general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment for most incoming doctors, including all medical students graduating from academic year 2024/25 and onwards. Within this assessment are several topics relating to women’s health, including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of endometriosis among doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_229

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the Women’s Health Strategy. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.

Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible actions, for instance by providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025, taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan, and setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_230

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency and reduce the number of cases misdiagnosed as (a) dementia, (b) chronic fatigue syndrome and (c) psychiatric conditions. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance in March 2024 on the diagnosis and management of vitamin B12 deficiency in over 16 year olds. The guidance is available at the following link:

http://nice.org.uk/guidance/ng239

It provides guidance to clinicians on recognising the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, outlines the recommended diagnostic tests that should be carried out if vitamin B12 deficiency is suspected, and provides guidance on how to interpret the results from the diagnostic tests. Clinicians adhering to this guidance will help to minimise the number of B12 deficiency cases misdiagnosed as dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome, psychiatric conditions, or any other health condition.

The NICE’s guidance is informed by clinical expertise, is evidence-based, and represents best practice. Healthcare professionals are expected to pay due regard to NICE guidance, although NICE guidelines are not mandatory and do not supersede the judgement and clinical discretion of clinicians in determining the most appropriate treatment for their patients.

The NICE promotes its guidance via its website, newsletters, and other media. Healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring that their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the NICE.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_231

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40741 on Health Services: Public Consultation, how much his Department has spent on the Change NHS portal to support the development of the 10-Year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: Following an invitation to tender competition process, we appointed Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care, and IPPR to support us in running the engagement exercise for the 10-Year Health Plan. The awarded value of the contract is up to £2,961,595.50, with an option to vary to £3,500,000 in the event that the scope of the contract evolves. This includes running in-person deliberative engagement events with members of the public and health and care staff, further online and in-person engagement activities, the Change NHS online portal, and the analysis of the insight received.

The details of this award and redacted contracts can be found on the 10 Year Health Plan Engagement Exercise Contracts Finder on the GOV.UK website. Information regarding the breakdown of the overall costs can be found from page 118 of the contract. However, this information is exempt under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which exempts from the general duty to release information which would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any entity, including the public authority holding the information.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_232

Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce gynaecology waiting lists in (a) Manchester Rusholme constituency and (b) Manchester. \p Karin Smyth: The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is the largest National Health Service trust serving both the Manchester Rusholme constituency and Manchester. At the end of January 2025, the waiting list for gynaecology services at the Manchester University Trust stood at 19,952, and in 42.7% of cases, the patient had been waiting up to 18 weeks. The median waiting time for gynaecology services at the Manchester University Trust was 21.8 weeks at the end of January 2025.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for gynaecological care, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments as a first step to achieving this, seven months ahead of schedule.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reform we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes commitments to offer patients care closer to home, in the community, including piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy. We have also committed to increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures with the largest waiting lists and reviewing support options from the independent sector.

The Manchester University Foundation Trust is part of the Further Faster 20 initiative, which sees expert clinicians and managers deployed into NHS trusts in areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity to get patients treated faster. Greater Manchester is also served by four surgical hubs and seven community diagnostic centres.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_233

Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of (a) harassment and (b) abuse of NHS staff. \p Karin Smyth: There is no national mechanism at present to capture and report incidents of harassment and abuse. Data is held at a local level. The NHS Staff Survey captures data on self-reported incidents. Results from the 2024 NHS Staff Survey showed that 25.08% of staff have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying, or abuse from patients or service users in the last 12 months. This shows a slight improvement in trends of the level of staff experiencing harassment, bullying, or abuse since 2020, as it is at its lowest reported levels in the past five years.

However, everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work. There is a zero-tolerance approach to any incidents of harassment or abuse against NHS staff, and the Government is taking further action to tackle it. On 9 April 2025, the Government announced that 36 out of 37 of the non-pay recommendations from the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal have been accepted. These include significant commitments to tackling violence and aggression against NHS staff. The recommendations include improving the data and reporting of incidents and ensuring Violence Prevention and Reduction standards are upheld and form part of Care Quality Commission’s assessments.