theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_124
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_124

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve (a) training and (b) awareness of (i) Lymphoedema and (ii) Lipoedema for (A) GPs and (B) other medical professionals. \p Karin Smyth: Doctors are responsible for maintaining their clinical knowledge, including on lymphoedema and lipoedema, throughout their careers, and are responsible for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.

All doctors registered in the United Kingdom are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation, which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence that doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.

The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors are set by the relevant medical royal college and have to meet the standards set by the GMC. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.

Resources for health professionals are available from a number of professional and patient organisations to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients presenting with lymphoedema and lipoedema.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_125
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_125

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to reduce the impact of chronic respiratory conditions on the NHS in winter 2025-26. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency and other partners, is taking action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service this winter. This includes robust, consistent infection prevention and control measures, and the campaign to encourage eligible people to get their winter vaccinations.

Further details of the actions being taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_126
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_126

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure rehabilitation pathways reflect the differing needs of stroke survivors. \p Karin Smyth: The National Health Service’s integrated community stroke service model (ICSS) describes stroke services that are integrated, specialist, responsive, and of sufficient intensity to meet the needs of the patient.

There are three discharge pathways described in the model: to home with no social care required; to home with social care support; and discharge to a care home, which may be considered as a step-down bed. All pathways have access to needs-led rehabilitation.   Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of the ICSS.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_127
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_127

Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a national multi-cancer case-finding initiative to identify people at higher risk of (a) pancreatic and (b) other less survivable cancers. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England is working on case-finding approaches for less survivable cancers, where the evidence suggests this is appropriate. This includes a public-facing Family History Checker, which enables people and their families affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they may inherit risk. Individuals identified as being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trial, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trial can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors or by individuals via self-referral, contributing to a centralised approach to case-finding.

The National Disease Registration Service is developing a National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register (NICPR), which launched on 30 June. The NICPR looks at a wide range of cancers for which there is an increased inherited risk, including for less survivable cancers. It aims to identify high-risk individuals who are eligible for targeted screening and surveillance and will act as an electronic referral route into national screening programmes where these exist.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_128
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_128

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has contingency plans in place to extend eligibility for coronavirus vaccinations if infection rates rise in winter 2025-26. \p Ashley Dalton: The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to prevent serious disease, hospitalisation and/or mortality arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity.

COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant. With rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged, the focus of the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality.

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government decided, in line with this advice, that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in autumn 2025 to the following groups:

While the JCVI keeps the available data under regular review, there are no plans to offer vaccination through the national programme outside these JCVI-advised groups for autumn 2025. All those individuals who are eligible are encouraged to take up the offer of vaccination.

The JCVI has advised that the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant of concern which escaped from current widespread immunity, and therefore results in serious disease, in a wider range of individuals, is unlikely. However, if this scenario did emerge, the JCVI does not consider it likely that current vaccines would be effective. This means that expanding groups eligible for vaccination is unlikely to be clinically useful when compared with developing a new variant vaccine matched to the variant of concern. In this scenario, which the JCVI believes to be unlikely, new advice would be required on which groups were at risk of serious disease and should therefore be eligible for vaccination.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_129
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_129

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of (a) maintaining facilities at the University Hospital of North Tees and (b) constructing a replacement hospital. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England’s annual Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) is our main source of information on the costs of maintaining acute hospital sites, including the University Hospital of North Tees.

The latest published data (2024/25) on costs, including estates and property maintenance and hard and soft facilities management, is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2024-25

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) is the current mechanism for the delivery of hospitals and there are currently no plans to invite further schemes to join the NHP. The focus of the NHP is on delivery aligned to our Plan for Implementation. As such, there are no current estimates of the cost of constructing a replacement hospital.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_130
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_130

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to include North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust in future phases of the New Hospital Programme. \p Karin Smyth: The focus of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) is on the delivery of schemes in line with the Plan for Implementation. This was deposited into the House Library and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome

There are currently no plans to invite further schemes to join the NHP.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_131
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_131

Lewis Atkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the accuracy of officially reported numbers of opioid related deaths and (b) the potential implications for his policies. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is aware of several limitations that apply to drug-related death statistics. These include the limitation that figures reported for specific substances are undercounts as it is not always possible to determine which drugs were involved from information provided on death certificates. This is a limitation the Office for National Statistics acknowledges in their drug poisoning statistical publications. However, drug related deaths where the specific substances involved have not been recorded are still included within overall counts of drug poisonings, which the Department also monitors. Furthermore, it is clear from the deaths where sufficient information is known that opioids are involved in a substantial majority of drug-related deaths in England. This understanding underpins our policy decisions.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_132
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_132

Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) women wishing to become pregnant and (b) all people diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Fanconi Anaemia. Where possible, the National Health Service offers reproductive options for carrier couples wishing to have a baby, including prenatal counselling prior to conception, testing in early pregnancy, and preimplantation genetic testing. The UK Rare Diseases Framework also sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include: getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the annual England action plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities. The Government 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, to support all those diagnosed with a rare diseases, including Fanconi Anaemia.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_133
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_133

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to collaborate with (a) academic institutions, (b) industry, and (c) research charities in rolling out new diagnostic tools for pancreatic cancer across primary care pathways. \p Ashley Dalton: While cancer, including pancreatic cancer, is not diagnosed in primary care, there are initiatives to improve the identification of cancer symptoms in primary care. This includes ‘Jess’s Rule’, which supports clinicians to rethink their assessments when patients have presented three times with the same symptoms or concerns. Jess’s Rule was developed through a process of engagement with leading clinicians and charities.

NHS England is working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a public-facing Family History Checker, which enables people, and their families, affected by pancreatic cancer to self-assess if they have inherited risk. People identified of being at risk are referred directly to the European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatic Diseases research trail, which aims to understand inherited conditions of the pancreas. Referrals to the trail can be made by any healthcare professional across all health sectors, including primary care, or by individuals via self-referral.

Research continues to play a vital role, with National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure supporting dozens of studies annually in partnership with industry and charities. This is also a vital part of improving diagnosis and treatment for cancer. The NIHR has invested £4.4 million to directly funded pancreatic cancer research from 2018/19 to 2023/24. These investments are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_134
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_134

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) Tees Valley Combined Authority on options for (i) funding and (ii) delivering a new hospital to serve Teesside. \p Karin Smyth: We recognise that delivering high quality National Health Service services requires safe, sustainable, and effective infrastructure. That is why we prioritised investment in healthcare at the recent Spending Review 2025 – delivering the largest ever health capital budget.

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) is the current mechanism for the delivery of hospitals and there are currently no plans to invite further schemes to join the NHP. The focus of the NHP is on delivery aligned to our Plan for Implementation. As such, there have been no discussions with NHS England and Tees Valley Combined Authority on options for funding and delivering a new hospital for Teesside.

It is possible that local NHS organisations could develop new health infrastructure using existing funding, short of a new hospital, if it aligns with their local priorities.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_135
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_135

Jim Dickson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 September 2025 to Question 75816 on Heart Diseases: Young People, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that people who are (a) asymptomatic and (b) unaware of a family history also are screened. \p Ashley Dalton: In the United Kingdom, national screening programmes are introduced based on the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening and supports implementation.

The UK NSC last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that population screening should not be offered. Information on that review is available at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/

The UK NSC is currently examining the evidence for SCD screening and will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on this in due course.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_136
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_136

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring organisations with public use defibrillators to be provided with a log of use. \p Ashley Dalton: Charities which provide automated external defibrillators (AED) have clear guidance in place on the use and ongoing maintenance of the devices they provide.

The Circuit, the national defibrillator registry independently operated by the British Heart Foundation, notifies the guardian of the defibrillator when it has been used and action to replace the pads is required.

In addition, the Department for Education has published guidance on AEDs for schools, including on maintenance and registration with The Circuit. A copy of this guidance is attached.

NHS England provides training sessions on first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of AEDs both in the community and in schools, under the Restart a Heart initiative. NHS England has trained over 35,800 adults and children in CPR and defibrillation.

Additional document (pdf, 1029.5KB)
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_137
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_137

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to protect NHS (a) staff and (b) volunteers from (i) verbal abuse, (ii) threats, (iii) unauthorised sharing of personal information and (iv) other forms of abuse; whether he plans to extend zero tolerance policies to cover digital harassment; and what steps his Department is taking to provide (A) guidance and (B) support to NHS providers for affected (1) staff and (2) volunteers. \p Karin Smyth: Everyone working or volunteering in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe and work in an environment free from all forms of harassment, bullying and violence, including digital harassment.

Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff and volunteers and put in place many measures to do this including appropriate security, training, and emotional support for those affected by violence. Additionally, NHS England have developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme which provides national guidance, training and resources to help organisations build positive workplace cultures, tackle bullying and harassment, and ensure staff and volunteers feel safe and supported in all work environments.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_138
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_138

Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays to rebuilding of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on people in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation was published on 20 January 2025 and sets out a credible, deliverable plan for the schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP). This plan will be delivered through five-year waves of investment and is backed by up to £15 billion over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging £3 billion a year from 2030. Further information on the plan for implementation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome

As wave 3 schemes, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and the Royal Preston Hospital have been paused. No further funding will be available from the NHP until pre-construction activity begins from 2030. The NHP is committed to ensuring both schemes are fully resourced when this time comes. The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.

An equality impact assessment was carried out for the review into the NHP and included assessing the extent to which service users might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was laid in the House Library and published on 20 January 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-equality-impact-assessment
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_139
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_139

Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department required any private commercial suppliers or delivery partners previously contracted to work on the New Hospital Programme to be excluded from working on the New Hospital Programme Review. \p Karin Smyth: The review of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) was led by a Director from the NHP Sponsor team in the Department. They were supported by a number of officials from the NHP Sponsor team in the Department along with officials from NHS England, with input from the NHP’s interim commercial and delivery partners and officials in HM Treasury. The NHP developed the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis tool with support from its interim commercial and delivery partners.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_140
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_140

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with (a) vague and (b) non-specific symptoms can undergo a range of tests in one visit at Community Diagnostic Centres. \p Karin Smyth: The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and to speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.

As well as expanding capacity by building up to five more community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in 2025/26 and by expand existing CDCs, the plan commits to optimising the use of this capacity by increasing same day tests and consultations, as well as the range of tests offered. We are also increasing the operating hours of CDCs so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week, so that tests are accessible for patients around their busy working lives. This is backed by part of the £600 million of capital for diagnostic services announced at the October Spending Review.

NHS England is also taking steps to improve diagnostic pathways. Strongly coordinated pathways will involve testing in one visit in order to support early and accurate diagnosis.

Patients can be referred to CDCs via their general practitioner or via hospital based clinical teams. Clinicians are responsible for working with patients to assess symptoms that may be considered as vaguer and more non-specific, ensuring that this includes referral for appropriate diagnostic tests.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_141
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_141

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national A&E Appreciation Week. \p Karin Smyth: The Government highly values hardworking National Health Service staff who go above and beyond to provide rapid and critical care. Local NHS trusts have in place their own approaches to recognising and rewarding staff, supported by advice and guidance set out in the Staff Recognition Framework. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/staff-recognition-framework/

Members of Parliament can also acknowledge the work of NHS staff in their constituency through the NHS Parliamentary Awards.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_142

Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that cancer patients receive radiotherapy treatment within the 62 day standard wait time in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Department remains committed to ensuring that all patients receive a swift diagnosis and timely access to treatments, including patients in the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. We know that patients are often waiting too long for treatment which is why we have recently invested £70 million into new LINAC radiotherapy machines, replacing older, less efficient machines. These machines are currently being rolled out. This will be the first step in boosting productivity across the country, thereby allowing more patients to be seen per session, reducing waiting times for patients who require radiotherapy treatment.

In addition, the National Health Service is delivering an additional 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week. The NHS has exceeded its pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year of Government, having delivered 5.2 million more appointments.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_143

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce NHS urgent treatment waiting times in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance has fallen short in recent years and is committed to improving urgent treatment waiting times across England, including in Surrey Heath.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. The plan will ensure that at least 78% of patients in accident and emergency departments are seen within four hours. This includes the expansion of Urgent Treatment Centres and investment in digital tools to allow for the effective streaming of patients, helping to reduce waiting times and overcrowding.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, sets out major National Health Service reforms to move healthcare from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. A key focus of our approach will be to expand access to urgent care services at home and in the community as part of our new Neighbourhood Health model. This will improve the experience and care that people receive, thereby avoiding unnecessary hospital trips, while more timely access to primary care and better proactive care for long term conditions will reduce demand into urgent and emergency care.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_144

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of modular construction for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure within the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: We recognise the merits of modular construction for delivering National Health Service health infrastructure, including faster construction times, cost savings, minimised disruption, higher quality and safety standards, and the use of sustainable materials and methods.

Modular construction is a modern method of construction (MMC). A toolkit has been developed to support MMC opportunities in healthcare, which is publicly available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-modern-methods-of-construction-assessment-tool-user-guide/

The toolkit is recommended for use on all healthcare infrastructure projects and is mandated for projects over £25 million to meet the business case requirements of 70% new build and 50% refurbishment using MMC.

The New Hospital Programme is already transforming the way that hospital infrastructure is constructed by using a national standardised approach, called Hospital 2.0. Hospital 2.0 uses a standardised ‘kit of parts’ for hospital components, ranging from doors to full bathroom pods, that can be assembled into different size hospitals in an optimised, consistent, and repeatable way and with off-site manufacturing and with modular construction, reducing costs and accelerating construction.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_145

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the length of NHS specialist waiting times for patients in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: No formal assessment on the trends in the length of National Health Service specialist waiting times for patients in the Surrey Heath constituency has been made, as data is not collected at constituency level. Data is, however, available at an integrated care board (ICB) level.

The Surrey Heath constituency is served by both the NHS Frimley ICB and the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB. Between August 2024 and August 2025, the NHS Frimley ICB improved its referral to treatment time (RTT) 18-week performance by 5.1%, increasing to 56.6%, but sits under the national average of 61%. In the same period, the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB improved its RTT 18-week performance by 0.9%, up to 62.3%, which is above the national average.

As set out in the Elective Reform Plan and Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.

Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets a target that 65% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_146

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excluding British citizens trained abroad from GMC registration-based prioritisation on the future NHS workforce in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will work across government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_147

Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to reduce ward work in portacabins at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service trusts make decisions locally on their use of temporary facilities, in line with delivering clinical services.

Any temporary facility must meet the same Health Building Notice and Health Technical Memorandum safety, environmental, fire, clinical, and other standards as a permanent healthcare building.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_148

Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) waiting times at urgent care centres and (b) the geographical coverage of urgent care provision in Staffordshire; and what is the timetable for the (i) opening of new and (ii) upgrading of urgent treatment centres in that county. \p Karin Smyth: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local communities, as they are best placed to take those decisions. In doing so, ICBs – including NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, which is responsible for services in Staffordshire – consider how best to provide urgent care, including Urgent Treatment Centres, to meet patient demand.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, set out the steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. This includes the expansion of Urgent Treatment Centres to allow for the effective streaming of patients, helping to reduce waiting times and overcrowding.

We have been taking key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on Accident and Emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing ICB and trust winter plans to confirm they are able to meet demand and support patient flow.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_149

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help reduce the impact of chronic respiratory conditions on the NHS during winter months in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and other partners, is taking action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service this winter, including in Surrey. This includes robust, consistent Infection Prevention and Control measures, and the campaign to encourage eligible people to get their winter vaccinations. Further details of the actions being taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

The Government is committed to increasing the capacity of respiratory services and is improving access to these services through new community diagnostic centres (CDCs).

All standard and large CDCs are required to offer diagnostic respiratory tests such as spirometry and full lung function tests as part of their core testing offer.

The 2025/26 capital guidance confirmed that £1.65 billion of capital funding is being allocated to support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care across 2025/26 more broadly. This includes funding to enable the completion of 2024/25 CDC schemes, as well as to expand existing and build new CDCs.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_150

Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has set a national timeline for equal access to NHS-funded fertility treatment. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand the offer around NHS-funded fertility services. This work will take time to develop, and the Department is keen to ensure there will be stakeholder engagement during this process, beginning in the new year.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their population. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. A consultation on revised guidelines was published on 10 September 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10263/consultation/html-content-2
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_151
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_151

Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to routinely monitor and report miscarriage rate trends; and what steps he has taken to reduce the rate of miscarriages. \p Karin Smyth: The risk of miscarriage is estimated at 15%, or approximately 100,000-150,000 miscarriages per year in the United Kingdom. However, due to lack of data on the earliest losses, the true figure could be higher at approximately 250,000 a year.

An update to digital record standards on maternity means that the National Health Service is now able to record the pregnancy outcome for any woman, including miscarriage, where they have been in contact with NHS maternity services.

The Tommy’s Miscarriage Centre at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital has completed its pilot assessing the effectiveness of a graded model of sporadic or recurrent miscarriage care and is in the final stages of evaluating the study. Under the ‘Graded Model of Care’, women receive dedicated care from their first miscarriage. It includes bereavement support, health advice and risk assessment for women who wish to become pregnant again, screening for mental health support, and a clear pathway to manage congenital risks.

Research on the feasibility and affordability of this care is due to be published later this year. The Department has received headline positive early findings from Tommy’s and will continue to engage with Tommy’s through our planning for maternity and neonatal services.

We look forward to discussing the full findings of this important work with Tommy's in the coming weeks, and to consider what immediate and longer-term actions the Government can put in place that will help to transform care and deliver the outcomes and experience we want to see.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_152
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_152

Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of average (a) stillbirth and (b) neonatal mortality rates among (i) Black and Asian babies and (ii) babies born to mothers in the most deprived areas; and (b) what steps he is taking to help reduce maternal inequalities. \p Karin Smyth: The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location or ethnicity.

A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

An important aspect of both the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce announced in June, is to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care and promote health equity in the delivery of those services.

We are putting in place immediate actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle in all Trusts to reduce the rates of stillbirth, preterm birth and neonatal care.

NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, and address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from Black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_153
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_153

Claire Coutinho:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average cost to the public purse is of a Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary process. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this information centrally. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

All registered health and social care professions in the UK pay an annual registration fee to their regulatory body. Registrant fees are used to fund the NMC's operations, including its fitness to practise processes. Being funded by registrant fees enables the NMC to maintain its independence, allowing it to take action if it identifies risks to patient safety or the public’s confidence in the profession.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_154
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_154

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase women’s engagement with healthcare providers for fertility concerns. \p Karin Smyth: There are no particular measures in place to increase women’s engagement with healthcare providers for fertility concerns.

More broadly, achieving our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service will rely critically on a strong partnership working between health and social care, also working closely with wider local government services and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_155
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_155

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of maternity services in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service Frimley Integrated Care Board confirmed that the Friends and Family Test is completed every month and includes all community midwifery services. There is also an annual survey conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and feedback from Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) who hold quarterly meetings with the trust. No concerns have been raised through these channels to the service, and nothing has been raised specifically about community maternity provision in Surrey Heath.

There are 11 maternity hubs across Frimley Health and Care, including one at Frimley Park Hospital which serves Surrey Heath and sees approximately 700 to 750 women. The community matron visits all the hubs monthly. Both the Director and the Head of Midwifery also undertake regular ‘walkabouts’.

The CQC last inspected in May 2023 and rated the maternity services at Frimley Park Hospital as Good overall. The MNVP did a ‘walkabout’ on both sites in July 2025. Their report is yet to be received.
wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_156
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_156

Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are internal NHS targets for blood test waiting lists; and what steps he is taking to ensure timely access to blood tests for patients in Staffordshire. \p Karin Smyth: We are committed to transforming National Health Service diagnostic services and ensuring timely access to diagnostic tests, including blood tests and that patients have the best possible experience of care.

The Elective Reform Plan published in January 2025 sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this parliament. To achieve this, the plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests.

Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), including Cannock Chase CDC in Staffordshire, are supporting one of the Government’s key strategic shifts – moving care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are undertaken. Cannock Chase CDC has delivered 21,673 phlebotomy tests since July 2024.

We are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the NHS. As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more CDCs in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This is backed by part of the £600 million capital investment for diagnostic services announced at the October Spending review.

We are also funding all pathology networks to increase digital capabilities by March 2026. This will reduce unnecessary waits and repeat tests to ensure that patients receive their blood test results sooner, including in Staffordshire.