theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 50758 on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Sexual Dysfunction, which regulatory options are under consideration; and what his planned timeframe is for the review. \p Karin Smyth: Following the next meeting of the Expert Working group (EWG), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will seek advice from the Commission on Human Medicines on the recommendations of the EWG, on a wide range of regulatory options for the communication of the risk of sexual dysfunction where symptoms continue after taking antidepressants.

Once the regulatory procedure is completed, a public assessment report will be published which will contain the evidence underpinning any regulatory action. The MHRA anticipates that regulatory action will be finalised in Autumn 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Health on working together on (a) research and (b) treatment for people with long covid. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department has not had any specific discussions in relation to working together on research and treatment for long COVID with Northern Ireland’s Department of Health.

The Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR, through the Department, has had an arrangement with the devolved administrations, including in Northern Ireland, since 2008, based on investments from each nation that has allowed research hosts, including universities and research active National Health Service organisations, to apply for NIHR funding through the majority of our research programmes. This enables devolved nation-based researchers to lead studies across the range of health and social care priorities, and, importantly, allows more people to participate in an expanded range of research initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Chris Bloore:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to support research to develop an early-diagnosis test for Lyme disease infection. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department funds research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is not currently funding any research on early diagnostic tests for Lyme disease. The NIHR welcomes research proposals on Lyme disease and diagnostics.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Life Sciences Sector Plan will include medical technology. \p Ashley Dalton: Medical technology (MedTech) is a key pillar of the forthcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, alongside the pharmaceutical sector. The United Kingdom’s MedTech industry employs approximately 154,000 people, underscoring its significant contribution to the economy. Through the Life Sciences Sector Plan and the broader Industrial Strategy, the Government will take targeted and concerted action to unlock growth. The plan will focus on enabling world-class research and development, making the United Kingdom a leading destination to start, scale, and invest in life sciences, and driving innovation and reform across the healthcare system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve survival rates for pancreatic cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: Improving survival rates for all cancers, including pancreatic cancer, is a priority for the Government. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.

NHS England is providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at high-risk to identify lesions before they develop into cancer. NHS England is additionally creating pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms and is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment. It will aim to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates, including for those with pancreatic cancer, back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to  the ban on single-use vapes coming into force on 1 June 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure that  (a) smokers and (b) ex-smokers are aware of the need to switch to reusable vapes. \p Ashley Dalton: The ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes protects the environment and removes products from the market that particularly appeal to children.

Adult smokers will still be able to access refillable and reusable vapes as well as other alternative methods to stop smoking. Sources of advice, including the Better Health Website, are being updated to reflect the ban to ensure smokers remain aware of reusable and refillable vapes to aid quitting.

Our national Swap to Stop scheme will continue to help adult smokers by offering a free reusable vape starter kit as part of a twelve-week programme of support.

Responsible local vape stores will also be able to direct both smokers and ex-smokers to a reusable device, and help them select one that is suitable for them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include provision in the NHS 10-Year Plan for the National Health Service on the respiratory health of people living in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the county, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire.

More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow for earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the use of the current mediation scheme for medical negligence disputes. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHS Resolution is committed to the use of dispute resolution, including the use of mediation and is working with claimant lawyers and its own lawyers on innovative approaches. This includes running pilots exploring which dispute resolution techniques work best in particular types of cases and introducing several into routine claim- handling. This approach is being developed further under NHS Resolution’s published 2025-28 strategy.

Increasingly higher numbers of NHS Resolution’s cases are now resolved pre-action using a wide range of dispute resolution techniques. These approaches can improve the experience for patients and healthcare staff through a less adversarial approach and can also reduce legal costs for both sides. In 2023/24, 81% of all clinical claims handled by NHS Resolution were resolved without court proceedings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the 10 Year Health Plan will help people with arthritis. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving arthritis care in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including arthritis, closer to home.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of outcomes from that meeting. \p Ashley Dalton: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on 17 May 2025. The meeting was an opportunity for the United Kingdom and our Commonwealth partners to exchange views and strengthen cooperation on shared health challenges.

Commonwealth health ministers adopted an Outcome Statement outlining commitments to build equitable, resilient, and sustainably financed health systems that prioritise vulnerable member countries, that the UK supported. The statement included several UK health priorities including cancer, digital health, mental health, and antimicrobial resistance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to ensure that commercial clinical trials take place in the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced significant progress in modernising the United Kingdom’s clinical trials framework, marking the most substantial update in two decades. The announcement, made on International Clinical Trials Day, highlights a shift toward a more efficient, inclusive, and participant-focused regulatory system.

The new regulations, developed in partnership with the Health Research Authority and shaped by feedback from patients, researchers, clinicians, and industry, will come into full effect in April 2026 following a 12-month implementation period.

The reforms aim to streamline clinical trial approvals and place participants at the heart of trial design. Already, the MHRA has embedded improvements into its standard operations, with 100% of clinical trial applications processed within statutory timelines since September 2023. The average time for Combined Review determinations was just 40 days in March 2025, with all approvals completed within 60 days.

We are working with system partners to ensure that the whole process of Clinical Trials delivers as needed for all to encourage research in the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the 10 Year Health Plan will benefit people with (a) arthritis and (b) other long-term conditions. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving arthritis care and management of long-term conditions in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including arthritis, closer to home.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to renew the UK Rare Diseases Framework. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government remains committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases and their families, and will be working with the devolved administrations this year to review what comes next following the expiry of the UK Rare Diseases Framework in 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alex Ballinger:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the UK’s capacity to attract investment in dementia clinical trials, in the context of the availability of disease-modifying treatments in other countries that have not yet been approved for use by the NHS. \p Ashley Dalton: No particular assessment has been made.

The Department is committed to turbocharging medical research and delivering better patient care, to make the United Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research. We are working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including treatments for dementia.

The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Government funders are investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention to treatment, care and support, including for carers.

The NIHR is investing nearly £50 million to the UK Dementia Trials Network, which will deliver a coordinated network of early phase dementia trial sites. This will be complemented by the £20 million Dementia Clinical Trials Accelerator, designed to position the UK as the destination of choice for late phase clinical trials in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle disparities in the incidence of group B Streptococcal infections among different (a) ethnic and (b) socioeconomic groups. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has co-ordinated periods of enhanced surveillance of invasive group B Streptococcal (GBS) in infants younger than 90 days, allowing for a greater understanding of the risk factors and outcomes of infection, which is vital in identifying opportunities for prevention. For example, a population-wide data analysis on race and ethnicity in neonatal GBS in England between 2016 and 2020 revealed marked differences in invasive GBS rates among black and minority ethnic infants. Further details of this study are available at the following link:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35979728/

The UKHSA is working to identify target groups for future GBS vaccination through epidemiological analysis of invasive and non-invasive disease phenotypes in adults and children, and to identify ethnic disparities in rates of infant and maternal GBS. The UKHSA has also been progressing the development of maternal carriage studies to investigate differential rates of carriage according to ethnicity and other characteristics, including socioeconomic factors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with the University of Derby on the development of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of long Covid. \p Ashley Dalton: We are aware of the University of Derby’s study looking at the use of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of long COVID, however officials have not discussed the study with the research team. The study is being managed by the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit. Since 2008, the Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has funded clinical trials units in England to support developments in the design and delivery of efficient and innovative research. We will follow the progress of the study to understand the implications for policy and practice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) inform healthcare professionals on the potential clinical presentation of West Nile Virus in the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: In May 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) reported fragments of West Nile virus genetic material in a small sample of mosquitoes collected in Nottinghamshire during July 2023, as part of the RADAR surveillance programme. There is no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus in animals or mosquitoes, and there have been no locally acquired West Nile virus detections in humans in the United Kingdom. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has assessed the risk to the general public as very low.

The UKHSA partners with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the APHA on the surveillance of mosquitoes, birds, horses, and humans for a range of emerging infectious diseases, including West Nile virus.

Human health surveillance relevant to the West Nile virus includes routine testing of travellers who have returned from overseas areas affected by West Nile virus with compatible clinical syndromes, including undiagnosed encephalitis.

The NHS Blood and Transplant service screens donors returning from affected areas based on their travel history, and partners with the UKHSA on a research study to understand the risk of climate-related emerging infections, including West Nile virus.

The UKHSA’s clinical testing protocols require that any undiagnosed human cases of encephalitis are referred to the UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory. They will be routinely tested for West Nile virus, regardless of travel history.

Following the detection in mosquitoes, the UKHSA issued a briefing note to National Health Service clinicians nationally on the potential clinical presentation of vector borne diseases, including West Nile virus.

The UKHSA Imported Fever Service offers a clinical advisory and testing service to support doctors managing domestic cases of undiagnosed encephalitis. The British Infection Association’s testing guidelines for encephalitis are being updated to include consideration of the West Nile virus.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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John Whitby:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to issue death certificates. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, through the Death Certification Strategic Board and a cross-Government data strategy group. Since the introduction of the reforms, the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by two days, from seven days to nine days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. Working with the Office for National Statistics, weekly data is now published on the time taken to register a death by region and also by setting. This is supporting NHS England and the Welsh administration to offer support and challenges.

The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days, though there can be variation at a local level. It’s important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.

The introduction of medical examiners is in part about making sure deaths are properly described and improving practice, but the impact on the bereaved is also central. The reforms aim to put the bereaved at the centre of the process, and the medical examiner’s office must offer a conversation with representatives of the deceased, so they can ask any questions they have about the death or to raise concerns. Ensuring the system is appropriately resourced and works for all those who interact with it is crucial, and something we will continue to monitor with NHS England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on regional variations in access to group B Streptococcus testing; and what steps are being taken to reduce those variations. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National External Quality Assessment Service’s (NEQAS) microbiology service, hosted by The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has introduced a group B Streptococcus Screening External Quality Assessment scheme as of April 2025.

The UKHSA does not currently collect regional variations in the provision of group B testing services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the link between lung health and (a) air pollution and (b) indoor air quality in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire. \p Ashley Dalton: Poor air quality is one of the largest environmental risks to public health in the United Kingdom. Epidemiological studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Short-term exposure, over hours or days, to elevated levels of air pollution can also cause a range of health impacts, including effects on lung function, exacerbation of asthma, increases in respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, and mortality. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether UK Health Security Agency microbiology laboratories have the capability to carry out group B Streptococcus-specific enriched culture medium testing in accordance with the Public Health England guidance on Standards for Microbial Investigations B 58. \p Ashley Dalton: The provision of group B streptococcal microbiological laboratory testing is under review with clinical stakeholders. At present, this service, with respect to enriched culture medium testing, in accordance with Public Health England’s guidance on Standards for Microbial Investigations B 58, is not offered within regional UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) microbiology laboratories. The Bacteria Reference Department in UKHSA Colindale had specific accreditation under the United Kingdom Accreditation Service for group B Streptococci testing, which provides confirmation of group B Streptococci status and typing, based on the identification of 10 polysaccharide antigens.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-05)

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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take through the NHS 10 Year Plan to improve early diagnosis in (a) ovarian cancer and (b) other women’s health conditions. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to improving early diagnosis of all cancer types, including ovarian cancer.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving early diagnosis and support for women’s health conditions in all parts of the country.

As a first step, the NHS is now delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to ensure early diagnosis and faster treatment, including for women with ovarian cancer. NHS England is continuing the roll out of community diagnostic centres to ensure that patients can access the diagnostic tests they need as quickly as possible. The NHS is also improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred, including non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway. Combined, these interventions will help to improve the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and reduce misdiagnosis, with further actions to be outlined in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will follow the 10-Year Health Plan.

The Department is also committed to improving the diagnosis of women’s health conditions more broadly by taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan, supporting innovative models offering patients care closer to home, and by piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres. Moreover, the Department supports the use of clinical guidelines that help healthcare professionals identify and manage these conditions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidelines on a range of women’s health conditions, including heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and menopause.
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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of the role of naloxone in preventing opioid-related deaths. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. The legislation means more services and professionals can supply this medication without prescription, which in turn means easier access to it for people at risk, and for their loved ones. The Department has recently published guidance that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required. Additionally, guidance is also available for local areas to prepare for potent synthetic opioid incidents and to strengthen their preparedness.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, including naloxone provision.

Raising awareness of naloxone and its lifesaving potential amongst the general public is important. The Government has a drug and alcohol information and advice service called Talk to FRANK which aims to reduce drug and alcohol use and their harms by providing information and increasing awareness for young people, parents, and concerned others. This website has a page providing detailed information on when and how to use naloxone, which is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/what-to-do-in-an-emergency

Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office ministers have written to festival organisers, asking them to work closely with police and health partners on their harm reduction and first aid measures, which includes ensuring that naloxone is readily available. The Department has also worked with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on a joint letter and advice for the police and local authorities about festivals, drugs, and alcohol, to minimise the risk of harm to individuals at these events. The advice highlights that naloxone remains an effective, life-saving tool in the face of a synthetic opioid overdose.
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations his Department received on the Advertising Standards Authority's guidance on the advertising of foods high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.

We have not undertaken an assessment of the impact of moving the enforcement date of the restrictions from 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, or of providing an exemption for ‘brand advertising’ from the regulations, because we are not changing the policy but instead providing legal clarification on an existing aspect of the policy. We have secured a unique and public commitment from advertisers and broadcasters to voluntarily comply with the restrictions from 1 October 2025, meaning we do not expect to see adverts for specific identifiable less healthy products shown on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm, or at any time online. Therefore, from 1 October, we expect to achieve the outcomes of the policy as planned, which will protect children from the harms of junk food advertising and begin to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year.

We received representation from a range of stakeholders in response to the Advertising Standards Authority's revised implementation guidance, and following my written statement of 7 April 2025. This included written correspondence from industry bodies, broadcasters, advertisers, and non-government organisations. We listened carefully to the concerns raised by all stakeholders, and we have worked with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find a resolution that supports economic growth by ensuring that industry has the confidence to invest in advertising that complies with the restrictions, whilst protecting children from advertising of less healthy products.

An impact assessment was published in 2021, along with the laying of the primary legislation, which recognised that brand advertising that did not identify less healthy products is out of the scope of the restrictions. This remains fit-for-purpose, as we are not changing the policy but providing legal clarification on the existing policy.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social care, whether he has held recent discussions with the African Diaspora Malaria Initiative partnership. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency and the Malaria Reference Laboratory work closely together and are in regular communication with the African Diaspora Malaria Initiative. The initiative is a diaspora-led charitable initiative whose primary objective is the eradication of malaria in the United Kingdom’s African diaspora.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to plan the (a) resources and (b) workforce capacity required for new (i) medical technologies and (ii) medicines. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department recognises that the successful adoption of new medical technology and medicines depends on robust planning for both resources and workforce capacity. We are taking a multi-pronged approach through the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan (LSSP) to ensure that the health system will be equipped to deliver at scale, and incentives are in place for the National Health Service and industry to optimise the uptake of innovative medical technology and medicines.

The NHS is actively investing in, and implementing, digital infrastructure to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility of healthcare services. One of the three big shifts of the 10-Year Health Plan is from analogue to digital, and we will harness the digital revolution for the benefit of patients and staff. The Government is investing more than £2 billion into NHS technology and digital capabilities, to run essential services and drive NHS productivity improvements. This will free up staff time, ensure all trusts have electronic records, improve cyber security, and enhance patient access via the NHS App.

The Government’s Medical Technology Strategy instigated work to improve the innovation and procurement pathways. The LSSP and 10-Year Health Plan will build on this progress, and we will set out our plans shortly. This will also include investment in digital infrastructure and policy plans for the modernisation of procurement pathways to accelerate the safe and effective deployment of new medical technologies.

Regarding workforce capacity, the Department will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. This will 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.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people living with (a) arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal conditions have access to the (i) treatment and (ii) support they need. \p Ashley Dalton: Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making.

As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. Launched in December 2024, with 17 ICBs selected in the first cohort, GIRFT teams have deployed their proven Further Faster model to work with ICB leaders to reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with arthritis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services. The Joint Work and Health team and GIRFT are continuing to develop the approach to better enable integrated care systems to commission the delivery of high quality MSK services in the community, which will benefit patients now and in the future.

The NHS Constitution sets out that patients should start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions. On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. The Government has now exceeded its pledge to deliver two million extra operations, scans, and appointments, having delivered over three million more appointments as a first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the NHS constitutional standard, by March 2029.

To support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published expert guidance for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NT-proBNP testing is implemented in Community Diagnostic Centres. \p Ashley Dalton: NT-proBNP is a well-established blood test used across the National Health Service in the detection of heart failure. All standard and large model community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are required to offer blood tests via a phlebotomy service, and the majority of spoke model CDCs also offer this service.

All NHS pathology networks have laboratories that are equipped to provide results for these blood tests.

14 CDCs are also currently able to provide NT-proBNP blood tests as a point of care test (POCT), where results can be assessed on site while patients wait, allowing patients to get results on the same day. NHS England is working with CDCs to expand the number offering this test as a POCT test.

NHS England has also released guidance to increase the use of NT-proBNP tests as a triage tool for referral to echocardiography services. The guidance has been published, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/enhancing-gp-direct-access-to-diagnostic-tests-for-patients-with-suspected-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-asthma-or-heart-failure/
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people living with arthritis to stay physically active. \p Ashley Dalton: Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the diagnosis and management of osteoarthritis recommends therapeutic exercise for all people with osteoarthritis that is tailored to their needs and that is part of a wider structured treatment package. It advises that, for people with osteoarthritis, long-term adherence to an exercise plan can help to reduce pain and increase functioning and quality of life. Further information on this guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226

More widely, the Government and the National Health Service recognise the important role of physical activity in the prevention and management of long-term health conditions, including arthritis. The NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for adults, families, and children to move more, and signposts people, including those living with long term conditions who are ready to build movement into their routine, to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app.

Local authorities and the NHS also promote and provide services for people living with long- term conditions, such as exercise on referral and social prescribing, including access to physical activity interventions, fall prevention, and walking groups.

The Department, with Sport England, has delivered support and training to equip healthcare professionals to enable patients to move more to improve their physical and mental health. Sport England continues to support work in this area through the Physical Activity Clinical Champions programme, which is currently being piloted in local areas.

NHS England is working closely with partners nationally and locally to explore how the NHS might galvanise support to make physical activity a core part of NHS care in order to benefit patients, NHS staff, and the wider public.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to help ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are followed by NHS staff. \p Ashley Dalton: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are not mandatory, but the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account when designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time. NHS England remains committed to supporting integrated care boards to ensure equitable access and evidence-based care. This partnership will support the integration of best practices and insights to enhance service quality and consistency across the system.

There are steps that the Government is taking to improve care for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is a priority for the Department to publish the final ME/CFS delivery plan by the end of June 2025. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. The responses to the interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with other parts of the Government, the National Health Service, and external stakeholders including the NICE, will inform the development of the final ME/CFS delivery plan.
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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support people living with long covid, (b) retain the services provided by the long covid clinic and (c) develop systems of treatment and diagnosis to identify long covid. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess adults, children, and young people who are experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

These services offer physical, cognitive, and psychological assessment, and, where appropriate, refer patients onto existing services for treatment and rehabilitation. More information can be found via the NHS website at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

The commissioning and service provision of long COVID services are the responsibility of local ICBs, which are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local needs and priorities and to improve outcomes.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 33072 on Stem Cell: Donors, if he will make it his policy to help develop a (a) sustainable and (b) resilient supply of stem cells from UK based donors; and whether he will commission an independent review of the (i) supply and (ii) use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. \p Ashley Dalton: Between 2022 and 2025, the Department’s Stem Cell Programme has provided £2.4 million of funding to Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood and Transplant for a three-year targeted stem cell donor recruitment campaign. The approach has focused on increasing the sustainability and resilience of the United Kingdom’s stem cell supply by recruiting donors most likely to donate, those being male donors aged 16 to 30 years old, and addressing health inequalities, with targeted campaigns to recruit donors from ethnic minorities. Funding to both organisations has been extended by one year, to 2025/26.

The Department recognises the need to ensure stem cell supply and use for transplantation is optimised. However, there are no imminent plans to undertake an independent review.