theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Alan Mak:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the life sciences strategy. \p Feryal Clark: The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked closely with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the development of the Life Sciences Strategy. The strategy has been developed in tandem with the NHS’s 10-Year Plan to ensure alignment between health and industrial policy. This collaboration has included the co-commissioning of a series of task and finish groups to support the strategy’s development and ensure strong alignment between the two plans, maximising their impact on both health outcomes and economic growth.
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Alan Mak:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the life sciences strategy. \p Feryal Clark: The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and their officials have been in regular engagement with the Chancellor, HM Treasury, and colleagues across government on the Life Sciences Strategy and the wider Industrial Strategy. Health and life sciences are key drivers of economic growth, productivity, and global competitiveness—making close collaboration with HM Treasury essential to ensuring the strategy aligns with the government’s broader Plan for Growth. The strategy sets out targeted action to strengthen world-class R&D, attract investment, and accelerate healthcare innovation—supporting high-growth businesses, improving health outcomes, and reinforcing the UK’s global leadership in life sciences.
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Alan Mak:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on whether gene-editing technology exports to the EU will need to (a) meet UK domestic standards only or (b) conform to future changes to EU SPS rules. \p Feryal Clark: We have now agreed the parameters which will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.

We will update on progress with discussions with the EU in due course, but the UK has been clear about the importance of supporting the use of new and innovative technologies.
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Irene Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on what date was the last review of guidance to companies on the use of non-animal methods to meet specific data requirements across all sectors; and whether he plans to update that guidance. \p Feryal Clark: There are a range of internationally accepted guidelines which ensure the safety assessment of new chemicals and medicines before they are licenced for use. OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals assess the potential effects of chemicals on human health and the environment, and similarly ICH guidelines assure the complete and thorough assessment of the potential quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals. Guidelines are reviewed periodically by regulators and industry stakeholders as the science supporting the guidelines evolves. This will include how and when non-animal alternatives are acceptable and can be included to meet the aims of these guidelines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Irene Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of establishing a dedicated body, similar to the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), to (a) oversee and (b) accelerate the (i) validation and (ii) acceptance of non-animal methods for (A) regulatory and (B) scientific use. \p Feryal Clark: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods in basic, applied, translational and regulatory research and testing later this year. As part of this, we continually monitor international developments and bodies such as ECVAM and are in discussion with our overseas colleagues as to how we can work together on this matter.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring an independent alternative dispute resolution process for the resolution of disputes in relation to online safety between users and platforms. \p Feryal Clark: The Online Safety Act 2023 requires platforms to put in place reporting and complaints processes to resolve disputes. In the first instance, service providers are best placed to respond to individual complaints on online safety. However, the Act 2023 requires Ofcom to review the efficacy of platforms’ complaint processes and publish a report within two years of the relevant duties taking effect. We expect this in early 2028.

Following this report, the Secretary of State has a power to require Category 1 services to put in place, or engage with, an ‘alternative dispute resolution’ process.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49740 Innovation: Aldridge-Brownhills, how much Innovation Accelerator pilot grant funding has been allocated to businesses in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency. \p Feryal Clark: £33m was allocated to the West Midlands pilot of the £100m Innovation Accelerator programme. This has been supplemented by an additional £10m through the funding extension for 2025/26.

UKRI does not collect data on Innovation Accelerator funding by Parliamentary constituency. The delivery team are not aware of any grant recipients headquartered in Aldridge-Brownhills, but that does not mean that funded activity is not taking part in Aldridge-Brownhills.

Decisions on how to invest the funding in the West Midlands were led by a local partnership made up of local leaders, research organisations, and industry. This partnership has worked closely with UKRI to ensure that the projects receiving public funding will be effective in developing the local innovation ecosystem.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Assembly on supporting innovation in cyber security expansion. \p Feryal Clark: DSIT continues to support Northern Ireland’s cyber ecosystem through key investments such as the Cyber AI Hub programme at Queen’s University Belfast. The programme drives innovation in AI-based cyber security technologies, research, and skills development.

During Cyber NI Week 2025 I visited Belfast and met with NI stakeholders to discuss the strengths of the sector and explore the opportunities and challenges for growth.

More broadly, my DSIT ministerial colleagues and I regularly engage with Ministers in the NI Executive to maximise the benefits of science and technology across Northern Ireland. DSIT also has a Regional Cyber Lead in Northern Ireland who regularly engages with the sector, including relevant policy teams in the Northern Ireland Executive.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of (a) children and (b) adults who access the internet through a virtual private network. \p Feryal Clark: The Government does not hold this information. However, Ofcom’s Technology Tracker (2024) indicates that 30% of the UK’s population over 16 years old has connected to the internet using a virtual private network (VPN) for work, education or other purposes. This increases to 38% for 16-17 year olds. This data does not demonstrate how regularly respondents use VPNs to access the internet.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of government services for elderly people. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is committed to ensuring that digital public services are accessible to all, including elderly people.

Public sector bodies must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standard supporting a wide range of users.

Service Standard point 5.  requires departments to consider the full range of users, including those who may lack confidence or digital skills

Service Standard point 3.  ensures that alternatives to digital access, such as telephone or face-to-face, are available and usable by all.

We continue to improve inclusion across government services, recognising the importance of designing services that work well for older people and other groups at risk.

The UK government is supporting the skills pipeline in the UK, including developing the Industrial Strategy, setting up Skills England and launching the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. Digital skills will be a critical part of this work and include skills provision for vulnerable groups’ (including older adults).
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52266 on Overseas Trade: Israel and Occupied Territories, which companies that trade with (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Territories are excluded following a controversy screen and assessment of the human rights risks. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners do not disclose details of restricted companies due to commercial sensitivity. As stated in the answer issued in UIN 52266 on 20th May, the Church Commissioners have a process where they may restrict companies which are considered to cause, contribute to or are linked to human rights risks and impacts. In conflict-affected and high-risk areas, the Church Commissioners note the heightened risks of human rights harms and take this into account when screening their portfolios. The Pensions Board, as a separate legal entity, takes a similar approach.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she will hold discussions with the Church of England on the potential merits of heating church buildings with boilers that are compatible with hydrated vegetable oil. \p Marsha De Cordova: The National Church Institutions, Cathedral and Church Buildings Department does not recommend that parish churches use hydrated vegetable oil for heating. They have issued the following advice available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/hydrogen-and-hydrotreated-vegetable-oils

All the Parochial Church Councils across England have been encouraged to undertake an energy audit as part of the commitment of the Church of England to reach net zero by 2030. The audit should be conducted on a church-by-church basis to identify the best local heating, insulation, and lighting solutions.

An energy audit enables informed decisions to find the most suitable technology to replace boilers, heating, lighting and insulation. It also allows the parish church to apply for grants from the National Church Institutions, which may be able to help a parish install new technology, equipment and materials to make their buildings more efficient to operate.

Details of the grants can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/net-zero-carbon-church/short-guide-grants-and-projects-help-your-church-get
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-18)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45662 on Universal Studios: Bedfordshire, what her planned timetable is for publishing this information. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is following due process and will publish further information later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-18)

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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to identify people exposed to Diethylstilbestrol. \p Karin Smyth: In 1971, it was identified in a US study that DES could cause a distinct type of cancer in the daughters of women who took DES in early pregnancy. It was subsequently contraindicated in pregnancy, pre-menopausal women, children and young adults. The issue of DES and vaginal carcinoma in the daughters of women who took DES in pregnancy was reviewed by the predecessor to the Commission on Human Medicines, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) in the early 1970s. In 1973, the CSM wrote to all doctors to inform them of the results of the US study and the absence of cases identified in the UK.

Since 1992, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the US National Institutes of Health has been conducting the DES Follow-up Study of more than 21,000 mothers, daughters, and sons, exposed in the womb during the mother’s pregnancy, to better understand the long-term health effects of exposure to DES. The findings of this study have been published in the scientific literature.

As such, work has been undertaken to contact historic users of DES. Our sympathies are with anyone harmed by its historic use.

The UK Health Security Agency advises that routine cervical screening is appropriate for those who believe they were exposed to DES in utero. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-programme-and-colposcopy-management/5-screening-and-management-of-immunosuppressed-individuals

Participation in the National Breast Screening Programme is also recommended. Pregnant women who know that they were exposed in utero to DES should inform their obstetrician and be aware of the increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and preterm labour.

The MHRA continuously assesses the benefit risk balance of all medicines at the time of initial licensing and throughout their use in clinical practice, carefully evaluating any emerging evidence on their benefits and risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-18)

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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of exposure to Diethylstilbestrol on children of women who took that drug while pregnant. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously assesses the benefit and risk balance of all medicines, at the time of initial licensing and throughout their use in clinical practice, carefully evaluating any emerging evidence on their benefits and risks.

In 1971, a US study identified that diethylstilbestrol (DES) could cause a distinct type of cancer in the daughters of women who took DES in early pregnancy. It was subsequently contraindicated in pregnancy, pre-menopausal women, children, and young adults. The issue of DES and vaginal carcinoma in the daughters of women who took DES in pregnancy was reviewed by the predecessor to the Commission on Human Medicines, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) in the early 1970s. In 1973, the CSM wrote to all doctors to inform them of the results of the US study and the absence of identified cases in the UK.

A small increased risk of breast cancer in women who received DES whilst pregnant was first identified in the 1980s and confirmed in further studies in the 1990s, when a longer follow up of women who had taken DES was available. No increased risk of other cancers has been established, including endometrial cancer or ovarian cancer.

Since 1992, the National Cancer Institute at the US National Institutes of Health has been conducting the DES Follow-up Study of more than 21,000 mothers, daughters, and sons exposed in the womb during the mother’s pregnancy, to better understand the long-term health effects of exposure to DES. The findings of this follow up have been published in scientific literature.

Daughters of individuals exposed to DES are at increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina. The current advice from the UK Health Security Agency, formerly Public Health England, is that routine cervical screening is appropriate for those who believed they were exposed to DES in utero. Further information on the UK Health Security Agency’s advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-programme-and-colposcopy-management/5-screening-and-management-of-immunosuppressed-individuals

Participation in the National Breast Screening Programme is also recommended. Pregnant women who know that they were exposed in utero to DES should inform their obstetrician and be aware of the increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and preterm labour.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to update NHS commissioning policy to include funding for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy for patients with neuroendocrine tumours with liver metastases. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department recognises the need to offer patients the most suitable treatment, including the use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).

NHS England is currently in the early stages of policy development for SIRT as an additional treatment option for patients with neuroendocrine tumours with liver metastases. NHS England, through its specialised commissioning function, is responsible for setting national service standards, and for the development of clinical commissioning policies for prescribed specialised services. Should NHS England’s Clinical Panel consider that the evidence is robust enough to warrant making the treatment routinely available across the National Health Service in England, it will require further consideration through relative prioritisation and investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46103 on NHS: Energy, over what period he has estimated that these measures would pay for themselves. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS National Energy Efficiency Fund (NEEF) is a programme of investment delivering vital upgrades, like LED lighting, building management systems (BMS), and solar energy, to drive down trusts’ energy bills.

The published data suggests that investment in BMS’ in hospitals can payback in as little as two years, and investment in LED lighting will pay for itself in four years. Using data gathered for the recent Great British Energy £100 million capital investment in solar photovoltaics, payback is expected in approximately 13 years.

In the most recent NEEF funding round, the Department invested £95 million across January to April 2025, benefitting 114 National Health Service trusts. It is estimated that this investment will pay for itself through revenue savings by approximately 2030, and will go on saving money into the 2040s and beyond.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of qualified medical professionals unable to progress in their training pathways in the most recent period for which figures are available. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. It is not possible, from the data held, to consistently and accurately identify unique applicants, as many applicants will apply to more than one specialty training pathway

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty 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 and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Post graduate medical training consists of several different phases of training courses, depending on the speciality choices a doctor makes. After graduating, doctors will typically do a two year foundation programme, followed by speciality training. Speciality training can be a single “run through” programme or can be core training followed by competitive entry into higher speciality training. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/training-doctor

In 2024, there were 59,698 total applications across all medical specialty training pathways in the United Kingdom, for the 12,743 speciality training posts that were available. This data covers all round one and round two specialty training pathway programmes. The Department does not hold information on the number of individual, or unique, applicants that this comprises of in order to make and estimate on the specific progression of medical professionals. The timing of progression, from foundation years training to medical specialty training, will depend on a wide variety of factors, including personal preferences for future specialty training programmes, development of current strengths and skills, personal factors influencing the timing of progression, and the NHS’s demand for specialty training roles.

Once medical professionals have entered a training pathway, progress outcomes within that pathway are collected and reported by the General Medical Council in its Annual Review of Competency Progression reports. This information is available at the following link:

https://edt.gmc-uk.org/progression-reports/arcp
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS trusts do not have to (a) reduce substantive staff posts and (b) scale back service provision to meet operational priorities in 2025-26. \p Karin Smyth: We have changed the National Health Service operating model to devolve power to local leaders. The Darzi investigation highlighted that there were too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or be held properly accountable. 2025/26 NHS Planning Guidance therefore stripped back instructions to the NHS.

These clear and concise instructions will allow local leaders to focus on the job of meeting patients’ needs and improving the communities they serve. We are giving more freedom and autonomy to good leaders, including clinical leaders and managers in the NHS who are coming up with some of the best ways of improving productivity gains in the system.

2025/26 Planning Guidance was clear that the 2025/26 financial year needs to mark a financial reset for the NHS, and that systems must develop plans, including for the numbers of substantive staff, that are affordable within the allocations set, exhausting all opportunities to improve productivity and tackle waste, and take decisions on how to prioritise resources to best meet the health needs of their local population. The NHS England Chief Executive also set out, on 1 April, further actions to lay the foundations for reform, including halving the growth in corporate costs in providers since 2018/19.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reinstate a national target for local health systems to improve dementia diagnosis rates in future iterations of the NHS Operational Planning Guidance. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government and NHS England remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.

The NHS Operational Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. We have yet to take decisions on future iterations of the guidance.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of NHS hospital trusts unable to deliver comprehensive eyecare services to (a) adults and (b) children. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning secondary eye care services to meet local population need. Appropriate levels of staffing are decided by local system workforce planning.

We recognise the challenges facing secondary eye care services. NHS England has been testing how IT connectivity can improve the triage and referral of patients between primary and secondary care, and how to allow more patients to be managed in the community, increasing secondary eye care capacity.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients to have undergone NHS cataract surgery in private clinics in each of the last six years. \p Stephen Kinnock: The following table shows the number of patients who have undergone National Health Service cataract surgery in private clinics in each of the last six years:

Year

Independent provider total

Difference

Admissions

Patients

Admissions

Patients

2017/18

75,096

57,676

-

-

2018/19

101,609

77,652

26,513

19,976

2019/20

132,980

100,815

31,371

23,163

2020/21

99,185

77,982

33,795

22,833

2021/22

230,717

175,985

131,532

98,003

2022/23

373,252

276,175

142,535

100,190

2023/24

457,714

327,121

84,462

50,946

2024/25

377,265

267,011

80,449

60,110

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.  Note: the data for 2024/25 is provisional as counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final data set.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent community pharmacy closures in (a) rural and (b) deprived areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. We have secured a funding uplift for the profession that brings the core budget to £3,073 million from 2025/26. This represents a significant growth of 19.7% in 2023/24.

Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS funded services. Most pharmacies are not directly commissioned or contracted by the NHS, instead contractors apply to gain entry to the NHS pharmaceutical list and if an application is approved, a pharmacy can open and start providing services.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies, and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA. If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, ICBs can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes, and fund the contract from the ICB’s budgets. The Pharmacy Access Scheme helps protect access to pharmacies in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs, so that no area is left without access to local, physical NHS pharmaceutical services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support charities who help (a) blind and (b) visually-impaired people. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Health and Wellbeing Alliance is the mechanism through which the Department, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency work together with voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector organisations to drive the transformation of the health and care systems, promote equality, address health inequalities, and help people, families, and communities to achieve and maintain wellbeing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for ADHD treatment in Devon. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors, to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

NHS Devon advises that it has developed a local accreditation process for the Right to Choose pathway in ADHD and autism, which will enable the local NHS to assure quality and delivery on many new providers under the Right to Choose pathways.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate availability of Premarin in the NHS; and what steps he is taking to support patients who are unable to access it. \p Karin Smyth: Premarin tablets remain available. However, the supplier of Premarin has debranded this product, which means the product's brand name, Premarin, has been removed and it is now available and known under its generic name, which is conjugated oestrogens tablets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Chris Webb:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care services. \p Stephen Kinnock: We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.

Additionally, in February, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people living in Nottingham East constituency have access to NHS dentistry when they need it. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_14

Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce barriers to the sharing of medical records between NHS trusts in cases when those trusts are treating the same patients. \p Karin Smyth: Appropriate information sharing is essential for the provision of safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients and better informed clinical and care decision-making, empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

The Connecting Care Records programme joins up information based on the individual rather than via one organisation. Through targeted investment, local Connecting Care Record systems have been established in all integrated commissioning board areas. 97% of trusts and 92% of primary care networks are now connected.

As you may also be aware, NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records, and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity, which will further reduce barriers to the information sharing needed to treat patients. Further information on data and clinical record sharing is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/

Going beyond this, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the intention for there to be a single patient record, which would provide a comprehensive patient record and end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the NHS. We have been engaging with the public to help shape our plans, including what information they would want to see included in a single record.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_15

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of specialty training places for doctors in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, across all of the country.

To reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We 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.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_16

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's implementation of the recommendations on stronger clinical leadership and management roles outlined in the paper entitled High Quality Care For All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report, published in June 2008. \p Karin Smyth: There are no current plans to assess implementation of the 2008 High Quality Care for All report.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the National Health Service has strong and effective leadership in place. As Lord Darzi stated in his recent independent report on the NHS in 2024, “the NHS has many strong and capable leaders”, although we know there is more work to do to strengthen NHS leadership. That is why there is a significant programme of work underway to improve NHS management and leadership, including our commitment to establish an NHS College of Executive and Clinical Leadership and to introduce professional standards for, and regulation of, NHS managers. This builds on a wider programme of work being led by NHS England to develop standards, a code of practice, and a curriculum for NHS managers and leaders.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_17

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered reformulating unfilled training posts to enable them to be given to medical students in their second foundation year who have prior experience in the relevant department. \p Karin Smyth: There has been no such consideration. Foundation training and medical speciality training involve different responsibilities, expectations, and levels of experience. The two-year foundation programme acts as a bridge between medical school and specialty training. The programme provides trainees with the defined practical skills, competencies, and sound knowledge of how to manage acutely ill patients that prepares them for entry into specialty training.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_18

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 44000 on NHS England, what ongoing assessments his Department is currently undertaking to assess the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England healthcare delivery. \p Karin Smyth: It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Ongoing assessment is part of the reform programme, and the evidence collected will inform the programme as appropriate and ensure our decisions focus on improving patient care.

The Government is committed to transparency, and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_19

Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) career and (b) job search support provisions available to junior doctors. \p Karin Smyth: There has been no recent assessment. Under the UK Foundation Programme curriculum, foundation doctors should receive career guidance and advice from educational supervisors, along with the opportunity to explore potential careers.

A variety of other tools and support are available to support resident doctors with their career development and job searches. This includes an e-learning for healthcare course on career planning, and guidance on training pathways and career opportunities for doctors on the NHS Health Careers website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_20

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication entitled Working together in 2025/26 to lay the foundations for reform, published on 1 April 2025, if he will extend the time in which ICBs have to respond to the Model ICB once it is published. \p Karin Smyth: Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a critical role to play as strategic commissioners, improving population health, reducing inequalities, and ensuring access to high quality care. NHS England has circulated a draft of The Model ICB - blueprint document to all ICBs, to assist them in shaping their future plans, including which functions they should focus on, as indicated in Sir James Mackey’s letter to the National Health Service trusts, foundation trusts, and ICBs, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/#:~:text=When%20we%20met%20on%2013,the%20last%20few%20tricky%20weeks.

We expect ICBs to adhere to the timelines set out by NHS England on 1 April 2025, to ensure that ICBs are acting as lead strategic commissioners of health and care services and to ensure that cost savings are directed to frontline NHS health and care services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_21

Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include policies on self-care within the forthcoming 10-year Health Plan. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement that has been undertaken with the public, patients, and staff. The plan will set out how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet their needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see. The plan’s shift from sickness to prevention will help ensure the National Health Service uses its relationship with patients to help patients improve and protect their own health.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_22

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children were prescribed antidepressants in each year since 2007. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) holds data going back to April 2015, but not prior to this date. The following table shows the total number of patients aged 17 years old and under that were prescribed antidepressants for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24:

Financial year

Total identified patients aged 17 years old and under

2015/16

65,594

2016/17

65,428

2017/18

65,555

2018/19

67,631

2019/20

68,794

2020/21

65,266

2021/22

71,251

2022/23

71,263

2023/24

66,483

Source: NHSBSA Statistical Collections, available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england

These cover antidepressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_23

Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of restless leg syndrome with (a) GPs and (b) neurologists. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of information mainly for National Health Service staff working in primary care. The CKS on the diagnosis and clinical management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) was updated in February 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/

General practitioners (GPs) have a generalist’s knowledge of RLS. GPs utilise the RLS Rating Scale to understand the impact on the patient and then to trial treatments. GPs are supported by neurology referral or specialist Advice and Guidance. This includes 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across the NHS in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with RLS can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_24

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered appointing a clinical director for vascular and venous disease. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise the critical need to incorporate clinical expertise into our work. National clinical roles are a key part of this approach, and play an important role in policy development and implementation.

We are currently scoping the programme to bring NHS England into the Department, to form a new joint centre which will deliver better value for taxpayers’ money, and a better service for patients. As part of this process, we are carefully considering the future role of national clinical roles. While no specific decisions have been made yet regarding their scope and responsibilities within the new organisation, their expertise and leadership will continue to be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare in our country.