theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_656
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_656

Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to fertility treatments. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE are currently reviewing these guidelines.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_657
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_657

Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome there were in each of the last 10 years. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the number of cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) since 2014:

Year

Token Person ID

2014

1,287

2015

1,279

2016

1,198

2017

1,184

2018

1,195

2019

1,083

2020

1,058

2021

1,163

2022

1,095

2023

1,056

2024

1,107 (provisional)

Source: NHS England

Notes:
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_658
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_658

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting times for an endometriosis diagnosis. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the diagnosis times for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.

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.

Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. The General Medical Council is introducing 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.

Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat conditions. In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published updated recommendations on the diagnosis, management and treatment of endometriosis, which are available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_659
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_659

Jade Botterill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of endometriosis care services in West Yorkshire. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care received by those suffering from gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis. 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.

We encourage any woman or girl with symptoms of endometriosis to contact their GP. Within West Yorkshire endometriosis care services are delivered in three ways; through work taking place to provide care in women’s health hubs supported by primary care, support provided by secondary care, and specialist services for the treatment of severe endometriosis.

The Leeds women’s health hub opened on 1 May 2024 and a virtual West Yorkshire women’s inclusion health hub is due to go live in March 2025. Services provided in the women’s health hubs include assessment and treatment of menstrual problems, including but not limited to care for heavy, painful or irregular menstrual bleeding, as well as care for conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Secondary care endometriosis diagnosis and treatment is provided by several hospital trusts across West Yorkshire. The Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust is the only commissioned specialist endometriosis centre in West Yorkshire, commissioned by NHS England to provide interventions for severe endometriosis. The local gynaecology clinical network is currently reviewing opportunities to maximise patient access to endometriosis services across West Yorkshire, utilising the available sub-specialty skill set across the hospital trusts in the network.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_660
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_660

Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department. \p Karin Smyth: Desk booking is used at the Department’s offices but is not required for office attendance. There are workspaces which do not require booking.

Desk booking is required at certain Arm’s Length Bodies’ workplaces. Employees are asked to book desks prior to attending the office at the UK Health Security Agency, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the Human Tissue Authority, the Care Quality Commission, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, and the Health Research Authority.

Desk booking is not required at the offices of NHS England, NHS Resolution, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and NHS Blood and Transplant. Desk booking at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS Business Services Authority is required at some of their offices.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_661
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_661

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require integrated care boards to remove requirements for (a) same sex couples and (b) single women to have privately-funded IVF cycles before they are accepted for NHS-funded IVF cycles. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, including the issues for female same sex couples.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE is currently reviewing these guidelines.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_662
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_662

Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of free period products at (a) primary care and (b) secondary care settings in England. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products.

Since 2019 it has been a requirement in the NHS Standard Contract that the National Health Service must offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them. This requirement applies to inpatient services only. It does not currently apply to providers of community or ambulance services, or to primary care providers, like general practices, pharmacies, optometrists, and dentists, who generally operate outside of the NHS Standard Contract.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_663
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_663

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many bilateral mastectomies for gender dysphoria funded by the NHS were performed on patients (a) over 18 years old, (b) under 18 years old and (c) in total in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this data centrally. This information is held at individual National Health Service provider level.

NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, which delivers care for those who are under 18, do not make referrals for surgical interventions.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_664
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_664

Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure consistency of waiting times for pessary ring treatment for prolapsed bladders in (a) East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, (b) Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust and (c) other NHS Trusts. \p Karin Smyth: We have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for pessary ring treatment for bladder prolapse, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. As a first step, we have delivered early an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services.

There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, to reduce the time patients are waiting for care. The Elective Reform Plan sets out actions to reform outpatient care, which is a key part of the National Health Service’s approach to cutting waiting times for patients, including in high volume specialisms such as gynaecology.

Women’s health hubs have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists. NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board, which covers East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, has launched Women’s Health Hubs in five locations, namely Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Worthing, and Horsham. Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust is hosting a new Women’s Health Hub model, as part of a new South West London initiative to improve care and reduce waiting times for women. Suggested core services for hubs include pessary fitting and removal, including for pelvic organ prolapse.

The Government remains committed to improving women’s health and we are working with NHS England on how we take forward the women’s health strategy by aligning it to the Missions and forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_665
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_665

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to remove the requirement for female same-sex couples to self-fund initial IVF treatments; and what steps he has taken to ensure equal access to fertility services across the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, including the issues for female same sex couples.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE is currently reviewing these guidelines.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_666
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_666

Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of endometriosis services in London. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care received by those suffering from gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis. 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.

We encourage any woman or girl with symptoms of endometriosis to contact their general practitioner (GP). Women’s health hubs also have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists and are being rolled out across areas in London. For example, in North East London, there are women’s health hubs based in City and Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and in Redbridge. These can be accessed by all residents from across North East London including Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Newham as the model is developed further.

NHS North East London has also developed clinical management guidelines to support National Health Service trusts and GPs across North East London caring for patients presenting with symptoms related to endometriosis. A new pathway for referring patients experiencing pelvic pain that could be endometriosis is being developed and run by clinicians specialising in the management of endometriosis in North East London.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_667
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_667

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for endometriosis treatment in Sussex, including (a) specialist consultations and (b) surgery. \p Karin Smyth: At the end of December 2024, the gynaecology waiting list, which includes those waiting for endometriosis treatment, for Sussex Integrated Care Board stood at 18,454, with 54.3% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks.

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 endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.

There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in Sussex, to reduce the time patients are waiting for gynaecological care. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures, including for certain endometriosis pathways, with the largest waiting lists and reviewing support options from the independent sector.

Sussex has launched Women’s Health Hubs in five locations, namely Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Worthing, and Horsham. The core specification in the hub model includes menstrual problems, assessment, and treatment, including but not limited to, care for heavy, painful, or irregular menstrual bleeding, and care for conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The establishment of these five hubs aims to improve access for local women to advice, support and treatment.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_668
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_668

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many gender (a) reassignment and (b) affirmation operations were carried out by the NHS in each year since 2000 for which data is available. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this data centrally, as it is held at an individual National Health Service provider level.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_669
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_669

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which office in his Department Alan Milburn sits in. \p Karin Smyth: Alan Milburn was appointed as Lead Non-Executive Member to the board of the Department on 8 November 2024.

Non-executive board members provide independent advice and expertise to inform the Department's strategy, performance, and governance, and the lead non-executive board member provides additional support to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in their role as Chair of the Board.

Non-executive board members do not have a designated space within the Department’s office buildings. They may attend meetings in person or virtually as required.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_670
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_670

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the level of availability of funding for newly qualified midwives at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. \p Karin Smyth: Decisions on the level of funding available for hiring newly qualified midwives is a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. Trusts manage their recruitment at a local level to ensure they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

While we have no plans to make a specific assessment of Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, we are committed to recruiting the staff the NHS needs across all parts of the country to get patients seen on time. In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_671
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_671

Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the challenges that rural communities face in accessing NHS services. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises the particular challenges that communities in rural areas can face in accessing healthcare services. We are committed to returning National Health Service performance to the access standards as set out in the NHS Constitution.

The forthcoming 10 Year Plan will set out the reforms needed to ensure the NHS is put on a sustainable footing so it can tackle the problems of today and the future. The plan will focus on ensuring three big reform shifts in the way our health services deliver care: moving from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_672
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_672

Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of missed or cancelled appointments in the NHS as a result of strike action between (a) July - November 2023 and (b) July - November 2024. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes data on the number of rescheduled appointments due to industrial action, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/

The following table shows the number of elective procedures, outpatient appointments, and community appointments that were rescheduled due to industrial action between July and November 2023 as well as the corresponding period in 2024:

Time period

Number of elective procedures that were rescheduled

Number of outpatient appointments that were rescheduled

Number of community appointments that were rescheduled

Total appointments that were rescheduled

July 2023 to November 2023

60,974

475,283

3,991

540,248

July 2024 to November 2024

1,643

19,551

86

21,280

Source: NHS England

Note: some of these appointments would have been rescheduled to a date in the same time period.

We are pleased that a deal was agreed last summer between the Government and the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee bringing an end to their prolonged strike action. The Government can now work with resident doctors to get on with its mission of fixing the health service for patients, including tackling waiting lists.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_673
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_673

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle ophthalmic workforce shortages. \p Karin Smyth: We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service, which will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospitals to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.

We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan, which will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, to ensure that the NHS has the right people, including those who work in ophthalmology, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_674
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_674

Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the difference in waiting times for gender dysphoria treatment between England and Wales. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee commissions gender identity services for children and young people from NHS England. There are no plans to assess the difference in waiting times for specialist gender services for adults between England and Wales.

NHS England is conducting a review into adult gender services. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients. The review’s findings will inform an updated service specification for adult gender services.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_675
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_675

Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason British medical graduates are not prioritized over international medical graduates for foundation year placements. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England keeps the selection process for foundation training under review to make sure it works well for applicants and for building a sustainable workforce to provide the best possible care for patients.

We are committed to ensuring that the number of medical foundation training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable, nurtures homegrown talent and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_676
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_676

Lola McEvoy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support social care workers to use their career experience to support their qualifications as NHS workers. \p Karin Smyth: Higher education institutions (HEIs) have institutional autonomy to set their own admissions criteria to healthcare profession qualifying courses. Some HEIs accredit prior experiential learning (APEL), including from working in social care, which helps reduce the time it takes to achieve a qualification in a healthcare profession working in the National Health Service. This will vary by HEI and course.

NHS England is leading a programme of work to standardise the approach to APEL across the country and maximise the opportunity from shortened programmes to deliver more professionals more quickly.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_677
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_677

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of standardising reimbursement for all types of home dialysis. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of standardising reimbursement for all types of home dialysis, or to reduce variance in payments. Commissioned renal providers in England have a contractual obligation to reimburse the additional utility costs for patients who receive home haemodialysis therapy, as stipulated within the national Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification, and reimbursement costs are managed directly between providers and patients. Currently, information about patients seeking reimbursement costs is not collected centrally. Further information on the Haemodialysis to treat established renal failure performed in a patients home service specification and the Paediatric medicine renal service specification is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Haemodialysis-to-treat-established-renal-failure-in-the-home.pdf

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-standard-contract-for-paediatric-medicine-renal/#:~:text=The%20aim%20of%20the%20service,progression%20of%20disease%20where%20possible

Increasing access to home therapies is a priority for NHS England and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation Toolkit that was published in 2023, which recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.

Commissioned renal clinical networks across England have included improving access to home therapies in their work plans as per the recommendations within the toolkit. The NHS England national team supports renal clinical networks with the implementation of home dialysis transformation.

The renal clinical networks and the renal services clinical reference group are providing input into the Department’s 10-Year Health Plan development process. As part of this, it is highlighted that increasing home dialysis provision will reduce in-centre dialysis demand and this will shift care from a hospital to a community setting. Renal clinical networks are working towards increasing home dialysis rates in line with the Renal Service Transformation Programme Toolkit’s recommendations.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_678
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_678

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of integrated care boards limiting access to prescriptions for gluten-free products on people with coeliac disease. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not plan to make such an assessment. NHS England guidance on prescribing gluten-free foods in primary care was developed in 2018 to communicate to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The guidance stated that CCGs may further restrict the prescribing of gluten-free foods by selecting bread only, mixes only or they may choose to end prescribing of such foods altogether having considered whether it is appropriate for their population, taking account of their legal duties to advance equality and have regard to reducing health inequalities. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/prescribing-gluten-free-foods-primary-care-guidance-for-ccgs.pdf

Decisions about the commissioning and funding of local health services are now the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), rather than CCGs. NHS England guidance should be considered when ICBs formulate local policies, and prescribers are expected to reflect local policies in their prescribing practice. The guidance does not remove the clinical discretion of prescribers in accordance with their professional duties.

The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten free bread and mixes can be provided to coeliac patients on National Health Service prescription and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_679
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_679

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that newly qualified midwives in Dorset can secure employment at local NHS trusts upon completing their training. \p Karin Smyth: Decisions about the employment of newly qualified midwives is a matter for individual National Health Service trusts, including in Dorset. Trusts manage their recruitment at a local level to ensure they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_680
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_680

Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the additional NHS capital investment announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 will be allocated to establishing (a) mobile diagnostic hubs and (b) new health centres. \p Karin Smyth: £1.65 billion of additional capital funding has been allocated in the budget for 2025/26 to support National Health Service performance across secondary and emergency care. This investment includes funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online; new beds across the estate to create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community; and £70 million to invest in new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.

As detailed in the 2025/26 capital guidance, published on 30 January 2025, NHS England has also provided systems with their operational capital envelopes. These allocations are managed locally, with systems prioritising investments in line with their clinical and operational needs. As part of the £1.65 billion of funding, some targeted national programme funding is also available for strategic priorities such as the expansion of community diagnostic centres and the improvement of cancer treatment capacity.

The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the composition of investment across individual schemes that will best support NHS performance, including the completion of business cases. To support this, NHS England is working with local NHS systems to identify the most appropriate locations for investment. Further information will be shared shortly.

Future capital investment beyond 2025/26 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_681
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_681

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring private health providers to pay a fee back to the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made of the merits of private health providers paying a fee back to the National Health Service.

Independent healthcare providers do have a role to play to strengthen the overall health service in England. NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Provider Network recently agreed a new Partnership Agreement that supports the use of excess independent sector capacity to help meet the Government’s commitment to tackle elective waiting lists, and to provide the choice of being treated by independent providers, at no cost to patients. The agreement is also clear that independent sector providers will support broader work to grow the overall elective workforce, provide training opportunities, and continue to meet the same high standards expected of all providers.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_682
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_682

Jon Trickett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff his Department has seconded from Palantir since July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: Since July 2024 no employees have been seconded to the Department from Palantir.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_683
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_683

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) repair hospitals and (b) improve patient safety. \p Karin Smyth: The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is a top priority for the Government.

The NHS was provided with £4.1 billion in operational capital in 2024/25, enabling systems to allocate funding according to local priorities, including hospital repairs and estate safety. In 2025/26, the Government is again backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital, which will continue to be allocated to local system priorities.

The Government is also providing significant support through ongoing estates safety programmes delivering vital upgrades, eradicating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), and tackling backlog maintenance and critical infrastructure risk. The 2024 Autumn Budget confirmed over £1 billion of additional investment in 2025/26 for these programmes, including £750 million for an estates safety fund to help ensure hospitals are safe and sustainable, and £440 million for RAAC mitigation and eradication.

Alongside 2025/26 funding to address hospital repairs, the Government is taking a fresh look at how to make the current system effective and efficient to protect quality of care and improve patient safety. Following last year’s review by Dr Penny Dash into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the CQC is rebuilding its approach and trust in its regulation. Dr Dash is conducting a second review of patient safety across the health and care landscape. The conclusions of the review are due to be published shortly and will inform our 10-Year Health Plan to transform the NHS and social care system.

Our commitment to patient safety is further demonstrated by other key measures that include the introduction of death certification reform and medical examiners, our commitment to introduce professional standards for and regulate NHS managers and reviewing the statutory duty of candour.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_684
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_684

Ian Lavery:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle shortages of medications due to supply issues in the North East of England. \p Karin Smyth: The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within the North East of England is not held centrally.

Most supply issues can be managed to avoid shortages, and while we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we do have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients.

The resilience of the United Kingdom’s supply chains is a key priority, and the Department and NHS England are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_685
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_685

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints have been received by the NHS England in the last 12 months for which the latest data is available. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has received 275 complaints in the 12-month period from 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2025.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_686
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_686

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's Office press release entitled Over two million extra NHS appointments delivered early as trusts handed £40 million to go further and faster, published on 16 February 2025, if he will publish the evidence base for the announcement. \p Karin Smyth: Information related to the baseline and methodology for the additional appointments delivered is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/recovery-of-elective_activity-mi/
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_687
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_687

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the use of NHS Shared Business Services by non-NHS services for (a) payroll, (b) pension, (c) procurement, (d) tax accounting and (e) other financial services. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Shared Business Services provides corporate and back-office services, including payroll, pensions, procurement, and accounting services, to National Health Service organisations and health-related social enterprises only.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_688
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_688

Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much new funding healthcare providers in Sheffield Hallam have received since the general election, by provider; and what impact this has had on the number of appointments available for people in that constituency. \p Karin Smyth: Through Phase 1 of the Spending Review for 2025, the Government has reset public spending for 2024/25 and set departmental budgets for 2025/26. The Government has prioritised investment into the National Health Service, and this is reflected by a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending and a £3.1 billion increase in capital for the Department over this year and next.

This includes the additional £1.8 billion in direct support of elective activity since July 2024, which has supported the NHS to deliver an additional two million appointments. This settlement also makes progress towards meeting the commitment that, within our first term, patients should expect to wait no longer that 18 weeks from referral to consultant led treatment.

The 2024/25 financial year has not yet concluded so we do not yet have final outturn figures for expenditure and activity by provider. The NHS is currently planning for 2025/26, including for the delivery of the elective targets that systems have been given. We currently do not have the outcome of the planning round for individual providers, including those in Sheffield.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_689
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_689

Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise surgeons to work in areas with high waiting lists for elective procedures. \p Karin Smyth: Within the terms and conditions of employment for consultants in England, there is the facility for employers to apply a local recruitment premium in addition to the base salary, time-limited for a maximum of four years. This can be used in circumstances where there is evidence of difficulties in recruiting which cannot be remedied through a non-pay solution.

The value of the premium is determined by the employer but should not typically exceed 30% of the normal starting salary for a consultant post.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure a return to 92% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, including a focus on reforming delivery by working more productively, consistently, and in many cases differently, to deliver more elective care.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_690
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_690

Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure consistent application of retention policies across NHS trusts. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, to ensure the retention of our hardworking and dedicated staff. NHS England is leading the National Retention Programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts.

Retention efforts are aligned with the NHS People Promise, which was co-developed with staff to reflect what matters to them. This ensures that trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_691
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_691

Michael Payne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) utilise the complex patient access scheme to make Ruxolitinib available on the NHS and (b) consider other options for vitiligo patients to receive that medication. \p Karin Smyth: It is for the marketing authorisation holder to propose a complex patient access scheme for a medicine being evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which would then be considered by the NICE and NHS England through the established process. The marketing authorisation holder has proposed a commercial agreement for ruxolitinib but the NICE was unable to recommend it as a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources at the price proposed in its final draft guidance, published in July 2024. A number of organisations appealed against the draft guidance. The NICE has not yet published final guidance, and its Appraisal Committee will consider the upheld appeal points at a future meeting, scheduled for 14 May 2025. The NICE is open to working with NHS England to ensure that commercial arrangements that are operationally manageable for the NHS can be taken into account.

Where the NICE does not recommend a treatment as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources, it will not usually be routinely funded by the NHS. NHS commissioners are, however, required to consider exceptional funding requests for individual patients.
wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_692
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-03 conversation_692

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle the shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy drugs. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredients resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.