theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jess Brown-Fuller: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 rare diseases. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster, increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan in February, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities in the preceding year. The Government will be working with the devolved nations this year to review what comes next following the expiry of the UK Rare Diseases Framework in 2026.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the UK National Screening Committee’s in-service evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy covers a wide geography. \p Ashley Dalton: Planning and development work to shape the in-service evaluation (ISE) of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is ongoing. This is being steered by the SMA partnership board that includes Department officials, the UK National Screening Committee, NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and patient and public representatives. The SMA partnership board has three sub-groups, one of which is the laboratory subgroup. This subgroup has experts with a broad range of experience of laboratory testing of newborn blood spots both in the United Kingdom and internationally. Their expertise ensures that laboratory requirements for successfully rolling out SMA ISE are fully considered and represented in the ongoing planning work.

The number of laboratories in England that will form part of the ISE is under consideration by the SMA partnership board led by NHS England.

The geographical coverage of the ISE is also under consideration by the SMA partnership board, and will be determined by the number of laboratories with the technology and processes needed to roll out the ISE.

Earlier this summer, the NIHR advertised the research call for the SMA ISE, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/spinal-muscular-atrophy-screening/2025338

A decision on the shape and roll out of the ISE will be made after the research call process has concluded.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish (a) the full impact assessment and (b) equality impact assessment of the changes to the length of time between cervical cancer screenings. \p Ashley Dalton: Both the impact assessment and the equality impact assessment on the changes to the frequency of cervical screening have been published and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-risk-stratification-impact-assessments
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people with Niemann-Pick disease type B. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Niemann-Pick disease type B. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the UK Health Security Agency has undertaken any recent analysis of the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease in age groups currently not eligible for NHS vaccination; and if he will publish that analysis. \p Ashley Dalton: The United Kingdom’s world‑leading vaccination programmes against invasive meningococcal disease have resulted in substantial declines in incidence across all age groups since the introduction of the first meningococcal group C (MenC) vaccine in 1999.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes continuous, real‑time surveillance of invasive meningococcal disease in England, covering all age groups, which includes those not currently eligible for NHS vaccination. Summary data are routinely published in the UKHSA Health Protection Report, with further analyses appearing in peer‑reviewed journals.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) keeps all immunisation programmes under regular review. The most recent data for the 2023 to 2024 epidemiological year (July 2023 to June 2024) are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-laboratory-confirmed-cases-in-england-2023-to-2024. Quarterly data for the first three quarters of the 2024 to 2025 epidemiological year are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-laboratory-confirmed-cases-in-england-2024-to-2025.
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Sir John Whittingdale:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to publicise the need for vaccination against (a) influenza and (b) covid-19. \p Ashley Dalton: This year, we are carrying out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations, supported by millions of targeted emails, texts and letters sent nationally. The winter vaccination national booking service is opening earlier than ever for advance bookings, supported by a press and social media launch.

The Department works closely with partners at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to produce a variety of influenza and COVID-19 communication tools and materials including translation of information and guidance materials into over 30 languages; in accessible formats including braille, audio, large print, Easy Read and British Sign Language; dedicated products for target population groups for individual vaccine programmes; and focused work with relevant third sector organisations ahead of major campaigns.

For the 2025-26 flu season, we are encouraging those most at risk of serious illness to get vaccinated. Targeted communications to pregnant women and the parents of eligible children started this month. The campaign for other eligible groups will run from October 2025 and will consist of TV, radio advertising, digital advertising, both social and display, supported by search and partnership activity.

Additionally, NHS England has developed an enhanced campaign aimed at improving flu uptake among frontline health and social care workers, using multiple ways to reach staff including workplace communications, partnerships with unions and professional bodies, and materials tailored for different healthcare roles.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve awareness and understanding of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy among healthcare professionals across all regions of England, and (b) ensure earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the condition. \p Ashley Dalton: Under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as progressive supranuclear palsy. This includes helping patients get a final diagnosis faster and increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals.

With over 7,000 rare diseases, it is not possible for healthcare professionals to receive comprehensive training on every condition. It is therefore important that they are aware of rare diseases more broadly and are alert to considering them. The 2025 England Rare Diseases Action Plan updates on progress to increase awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, including:

- Launching new resources on the innovative digital educational resource, GeNotes;

- Developing a communication skills resource to aid healthcare professionals in having sensitive conversations to ensure the patient feels supported in their diagnosis of a rare condition; and

- Developing a range of training and educational resources on rare diseases to include rare diseases in UK health professional education and training frameworks.

Another priority of the Framework is to help patients get a final diagnosis faster. Progress has been made over the last year, including research commissioned to better understand what causes delays in diagnosis, the Generation Study to pilot whole genome sequencing of newborns in the NHS being launched, and the work of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider extending NHS provision of the (a) Meningitis ACWY and (b) Bexsero vaccines to those who are currently ineligible under the national immunisation programme. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government relies on expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) when making decisions about which vaccines are offered through the NHS.

The JCVI has advised that extending the Meningitis ACWY vaccine to infants or toddlers is unlikely to be cost-effective, as very few cases would be prevented thanks to the success of the current adolescent programme.

For the Bexsero (MenB) vaccine, the JCVI has found that while it has reduced disease in infants, it does not stop the spread of the bacteria among teenagers. As a result, offering it to adolescents is also unlikely to be cost-effective at this time.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of (a) the causes of and (b) actions they can take to help prevent skin cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns in England to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and to address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.

The Department continues to advise patients to follow National Health Service guidance on reducing the risk of skin cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and aftercare. The plan will seek to improve both the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer, including skin cancer.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to (a) develop and (b) implement a national roll-out strategy for fracture liaison services to support the (i) prevention, (ii) early identification and (iii) management of osteoporosis. \p Ashley Dalton: Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local needs.

Our 10 Year Health Plan is committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Boost to mental health services from thousands of extra staff, published on 27 June 2025, what roles those 6,700 mental health workers have been recruited to. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England publishes monthly data on the National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce in England. This includes data on the NHS mental health workforce employed by NHS provider trusts and integrated care boards. The press release presented the change in workforce between the 30 June 2024 baseline and the data for 30 April 2025.

Within the NHS Monthly Workforce Statistics series, data on the mental health workforce is included in the file titled Preliminary – NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Trusts and core organisations – data tables, April 2025, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/march-2025

Tab 21 within the file information on the mental health workforce is broken down by staff groups, showing how the total has increased over time.

The definition of the HCHS mental health workforce includes those who are providing or supporting the provision of mental health services. Staff are included if they have either an NHS Occupation Code or Area of Work code that is related to mental health services. Further information on the mental health workforce definition, including a list of the relevant Occupation Code and Area of Work variables, can be found on the National Workforce Data Set guidance page, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/mental-health-data-hub/dashboards/mental-health-and-learning-disabilities-workforce-in-the-nhs
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the (a) scope, (b) eligibility, (c) criteria and (d) compensation level of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. \p Ashley Dalton: I would like to reiterate my profound sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

Ministers continue to consider options for reforming the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

In parallel, the Department continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the VDPS, to take further steps to improve the scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support (a) people injured by vaccination and (b) families affected by vaccine-related deaths. \p Ashley Dalton: In the very rare event where someone may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a vaccine, care and treatment will be best met and managed by local National Health Service specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice. Individuals will be treated and managed through existing healthcare services, with treatment dependent on the individual’s clinical needs.

Individuals can also apply to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) which provides a one-off, tax-free payment of £120,000 to claimants who have been found, on the balance of probabilities, to have been severely disabled as a result of vaccinations against certain diseases listed in the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979.

Outside of the VDPS, other government support remains available for those with a disability or long-term health condition, including Statutory Sick Pay, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Attendance Allowance, and Personal Independence Payments. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of the classification of stage 4 breast cancer as moderate in severity. \p Ashley Dalton: Neither the Department for Health and Social Care nor the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have classified stage 4 breast cancer as moderate in severity.

In developing guidance on whether new medicines can be recommended for routine use in the treatment of NHS patients, NICE is able to apply a weighting that recognises the additional value that society places on treatments for severe conditions. The weighting that is applied is calculated for each appraisal based on information on the expected shortfall in life expectancy and quality of life of people with the condition, taking into account existing treatment options. NICE has concluded for several appraisals of medicines for late-stage breast cancer that a weighting should be applied based on the severity of the condition.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for trends in the number of reported cases of measles in children; and what advice his Department has provided to parents whose children contract measles. \p Ashley Dalton: Coverage for all routine childhood immunisations, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, has fallen in England over the last decade. National uptake of MMR1 in two-year-olds is currently 88.8%, and uptake of MMR1 and MMR2 in five-year-olds is 92.4% and 82.5% respectively. This is below the 95% needed to prevent measles outbreaks as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Falling vaccination rates have led to an increase of measles cases in England, with 2,911 laboratory confirmed measles cases in 2024. In response, a national MMR catch-up campaign was launched, which contributed to a downward trend in case numbers from mid-July, although small, localised outbreaks continued in some regions.

The UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and the Department will launch a new ‘always on’ vaccination campaign this summer to drive increased uptake of the routine maternal, childhood, and seasonal flu vaccinations. The MMR vaccine is a particular focus, with parents and carers of zero- to five-year-olds and pregnant women being two of the priority audiences for campaign activity.

NHS England has provided detailed information for parents whose children have contracted measles, which can be found at the following link:

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

The Department for Education also provides advice to parents, which is available at the following link:

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/what-to-do-if-you-think-your-child-has-measles-and-when-to-keep-them-off-school/
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Integrated Care Boards on (a) increasing vaccination rates for and (b) prevention of measles. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national standard incident response for measles on 10 July 2025 to oversee the risk assessment and public health response to the increase of measles cases in England and coordinate the multi-agency input to the response nationally with the aim of limiting further spread. The Department, UKHSA and the National Health Service are already working with local partners to undertake community and stakeholder engagement to raise awareness that measles is circulating, promote the importance of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and target catch-up efforts at key under vaccinated communities and in a range of settings.

NHS England is working with local health teams, including integrated care boards, to monitor reported measle cases, provide advice and support local communities to be aware of action they can take to protect themselves, including getting vaccinated.

Building on the MMR coverage gains achieved in 2023/24, NHS England continues to deliver national and regional improvement plans that include activities to strengthen the routine vaccination offer and to address inequalities by supporting MMR catch up vaccination by school age vaccination services in schools and community settings, for example, summer ‘catch up’ immunisation clinics are being stood up in some of the areas of England with the lowest MMR uptake including Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and St Helens.  In London, childhood vaccination clinics have been stood up in outbreak areas including targeted community clinics, pharmacies offering MMR and we are working with school immunisation services to deliver some MMR catch up in schools once term starts.

Additional steps are being taken which will strengthen efforts to reduce the risk of future measles outbreaks, including bringing forward MMR vaccination for children so they are protected sooner. There are also plans to explore new ways of delivering vaccinations such as greater use of community pharmacies and during at health visits. Further to this, a new national communications and marketing campaign will kick off in August 2025 with a brand-new programme of always on activity to reach parents, pregnant women and multicultural audiences and encourage uptake of MMR as well as other vaccinations.

It is vitally important that everyone takes up the vaccinations they are entitled to, for themselves, their families, and wider society.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any regional pilot schemes will be introduced prior to the national rollout of the chickenpox vaccine for children. \p Ashley Dalton: From 1 January 2026, general practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. There are no plans for regional pilot schemes prior to the national rollout of the chickenpox vaccine for children.

The eligibility criteria for children will be set out in clinical guidance, which will be published in due course, covering which age groups will get the MMRV vaccine and when, to ensure the most effective protection for children.
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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) reinstate and (b) establish dedicated long covid support services in St Helier and Epsom. \p Ashley Dalton: The St George’s, Epsom and St Helier NHS Foundation Trust’s chronic fatigue service had a waiting list of 350 patients waiting 25 weeks or more for their first appointment. To manage this, the trust temporarily paused new referrals from June. During the temporary pause, the service will continue to care for existing patients. Any new patients who were referred before the pause will still be offered an appointment within 25 weeks.

The St George’s, Epsom and St Helier NHS Foundation Trust continues to keep this under review. Patients needing help should still visit their general practice if they are experiencing long COVID symptoms.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for NHS provision of the Bexsero vaccine for Meningitis B; and whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has considered expanding access to additional age groups since its 2016 review. \p Ashley Dalton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) most recently considered meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination in June 2024 and February 2025. Over the past decade, the number of cases of invasive meningococcal disease in infants has fallen significantly, largely due to the success of the MenB vaccination programme.

The JCVI advised that MenB vaccination should continue to be offered to infants, and that the second dose should be given at 12 weeks of age to provide earlier protection from the full course.

The JCVI has also reviewed the potential for an adolescent MenB vaccination programme. Evidence shows that MenB vaccines do not prevent adolescents from carrying the bacteria that cause the disease, meaning such a programme is highly unlikely to be cost-effective.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for new (a) services and (b) research to support people with (i) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (ii) chronic fatigue syndrome. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England is responsible for allocating funding to integrated care boards, which in turn are responsible for commissioning specialist myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) services that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding.

On 22 July 2025, we published the final ME/CFS delivery plan, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan

Within the plan there is an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed for very severe ME/CFS.

The Government funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). We have assessed the ME/CFS research portfolio funded through NIHR and MRC and acknowledge that this is an under-funded area. The level of funding awarded is directly related to the number and quality of applications received and we have historically received a small number of applications for funding in this area. Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, the NIHR committed approximately £3.7 million to research projects and programmes on ME/CFS. In the same period, the MRC committed approximately £2.9 million to research into ME/CFS.

Together with the MRC, we are actively exploring next steps for research in ME/CFS. In the final delivery plan for ME/CFS, we have outlined the research actions and additional support that we will offer to the research community to increase the volume and quality of applications. This includes a new funding opportunity for a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed pharmaceutical inventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including ME/CFS.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of funding his Department is providing to the (a) Best Start in Life strategy and (b) Best Start Family Hubs. \p Ashley Dalton: The Best Start in Life strategy makes it clear that the integration of health services within Best Start Family Hubs is critical to raising the healthiest generation of children ever, and to ensuring that every child has a happy and healthy start to life. Additionally, the strategy commits the Government to:

- strengthening early childhood health services;

- improving maternity and newborn care;

- strengthening health visiting services;

- making it easier to get vaccinated;

- supporting healthy eating;

- tackling tooth decay; and

- giving parents and health professionals easier access to child health information.

The Department is working to provide clarity on future funding and spending plans, including preparing for the first multi-year planning round for the National Health Service in years.

The vision for Best Start Family Hubs goes hand in hand with the move to neighbourhood health services set out in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, and the three radical shifts from hospital to community, from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ingestion of microplastics from plastic-based chewing gum on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is monitoring and assessing emerging information concerning the wider issue of microplastics in food.

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) is an independent scientific advisory committee that provides advice to the FSA and other Government Departments. No assessment has been made on the potential impact of the ingestion of microplastics from chewing gum specifically, as the COT is currently considering the issue of microplastics in general.

The COT has previously concluded that there is currently insufficient data to carry out a full risk assessment. Further research is required into standardisation of analytical techniques as well as the effects of microplastics on humans. The FSA is keeping the issue of microplastics under review as new evidence becomes available.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what regulations are in place to ensure the accuracy of health claims made in the marketing of protein supplements. \p Ashley Dalton: Legislation on Nutrition and Health Claims sets out the legal framework for businesses wanting to make nutrition and/or health claims on their products. A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that health benefits can result from consuming a given food. These require health claims to be authorised on the basis they are supported by evidence and only health claims that are on the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (GB NHC) Register of approved health claims can be used. The Register is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register.

Protein supplements are also regulated under Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, along with equivalent legislation for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as all other applicable food law. The labelling requirements set out in the regulations state that labelling needs to be clear and easy for consumers to understand.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the equity of access to the shingles vaccine. \p Ashley Dalton: Previously, the shingles vaccine was available to people turning 65 and 70 years old, up until their 80th birthday, and to severely immunosuppressed individuals aged 50 years old and over.

As of 1 September 2025, approximately 300,000 more people have become eligible for shingles vaccination, with all severely immunosuppressed individuals aged 18 years old and over now being eligible for the shingles vaccine. Individuals who are severely immunosuppressed are most at risk of serious illness and complications from shingles, and so the decision has been made to follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to lower the age of eligibility to protect the most vulnerable.

For immunocompetent individuals, the current offering to adults aged 65 and 70 years old was agreed by the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England. This decision was made following the JCVI’s advice, an assessment of the effective use of National Health Service resources, and careful consideration of individual risk and population benefit.

Analysis shows that the difference in risk and vaccine effectiveness between an individual aged 66 to 69 years old and a 70-year-old is likely to be marginal. This was taken into consideration when planning the expansion of the vaccination programme for immunocompetent adults, which maintains the original offer for those turning 70 years old while also providing another cohort with the opportunity for vaccination.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental care. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of local populations has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Warrington South constituency, this is NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB is expected to deliver 46,617 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of constituency boundary changes on the availability of (a) discharge to assess and (b) respite care beds in South Cotswolds constituency; and what steps he is taking to ensure local provision of those beds. \p Stephen Kinnock: Hospital discharge and respite care planning and provision are the responsibility of local authorities and local National Health Service bodies, including integrated care boards, trusts and foundation trusts. The geographical footprint of these bodies is not affected by constituency boundary changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_321

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will create a national register for care workers to improve (a) professional recognition and (b) workforce mobility. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey. The Commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future. This includes considering professional registration if the Commission sees fit.

There is also work underway to improve professional recognition and workforce mobility.

In April 2025, the Department published the expanded and revised Care Workforce Pathway, including a new enhanced care worker role category. These pathway role categories will guide workers in building their careers in adult social care by signposting training and development opportunities, highlighting routes for progression, and giving proper recognition to the highly skilled, complex care and support they provide. Additionally, the Learning and Development Support Scheme, backed this financial year by up to £12 million, funds learning and development opportunities, including learning outcomes outlined in the Care Workforce Pathway. Overall, this work is essential for raising the status of adult social care as a career and recognising the vital work that care professionals do.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_322

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 47877 on NHS dental professionals, which (a) regions and (b) localities his Department has identified as being in greatest need of more NHS dental professionals. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of local populations is delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. Dental practices in specific areas, determined locally as experiencing significant dental pressures due to workforce challenges impacting patient access, were invited by their ICBs to express interest in participating in the scheme and notified of the outcome of their application via their ICB. Further information on the dental recruitment process can be found in guidance issued by NHS England, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_323

Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of the NHS app for visually impaired users. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for all. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face-to-face services.

We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, such as ethnic minority groups, those with visual impairments, neurodiversity, and/or physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.

Centrally built services, such as the NHS App and NHS website, are designed to meet international accessibility standards. We are modernising the mobile patient experience within the NHS App, ensuring information is clearly structured and easy to find and understand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_324

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will conduct a modelling exercise to determine how much the NHS should spend on the health elements of children’s palliative care. \p Stephen Kinnock: I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that the future state of services reduces variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

There are currently no plans at a national level to run a modelling exercise to determine how much the NHS should spend on the health elements of children’s palliative care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_325

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the way children's palliative care is (a) planned and (b) funded. \p Stephen Kinnock: I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that the future state of services reduces variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

There are currently no plans at a national level to run a modelling exercise to determine how much the NHS should spend on the health elements of children’s palliative care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_326

Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS-provided wheelchairs for adults with degenerative neurological conditions. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services.

NHS England is taking a number of steps to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving intervention and equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/

The Government is committed to improving care for people with neurological conditions and ensuring that they receive the support they need. There are several initiatives at a national level supporting service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions. These include the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, within which timely access to specialist and personalised equipment, such as wheelchairs, is a key area of focus.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_327

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS roles for newly-trained GPs. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government has invested £82 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), which has enabled the recruitment of more than 1,900 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in England since October. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future supply of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

Under recently announced changes to the GP contract in 2025/26, the ARRS will become more flexible to allow primary care networks to respond better to local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots have been combined to create a single pot for the reimbursement of patient-facing staff costs. There will be no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs.

On 27 February, the Government and the British Medical Association agreed to the changes to the GP contract to fix the ‘front door’ of the National Health Service and bring back the family doctor. We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs for 2025/26, bringing total spend on the GP contract to £13.2 billion. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework, and means we are reversing recent trends by allocating a rising share of NHS resources to GPs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-05)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-05 conversation_328

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to fund specific communications campaigns in (a) Lancashire and the (b) North West to (i) raise awareness of the chickenpox vaccine and (ii) address misinformation. \p Ashley Dalton: On 29 August 2025, the Government announced plans to introduce chickenpox vaccination into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026, using the MMRV vaccine which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).

The launch of the chickenpox vaccination programme in January 2026 will see a press campaign with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England working together to inform and educate through the use of low and no cost communications. This will continue throughout the year with key bursts of activity on all childhood vaccines. The last national childhood vaccination campaign was elevated in the North West area, with outdoor advertising up weighted in funding and exposure in the North West’s lowest uptake areas.

The Department of Health and Social Care will also launch a national childhood vaccination paid marketing campaign in February 2026 to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations for those age 0-5 years and will include high impact advertising across video on demand, online video, radio, out of home posters and social media. This will be supported by partnerships across a range of sectors including retailers, nursery providers and charities. Activity will be upweighted to key low uptake communities and geographical areas across the country.

Ahead of the launch, NHS England is hosting vaccine confidence sessions for health care workers to help them have vaccine conversations and address questions or concerns with parents and carers.

Communications toolkits and assets will be issued to primary care teams across all regions to support the launch of the MMRV programme, which includes material for parents and carers on the new vaccination programme.