theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase public awareness of (a) which medicines are known to have teratogenous effects and (b) the risks of taking teratogenous medicines during pregnancy. \p Karin Smyth: The product information for each medicine possibly associated with teratogenic effects includes details about the nature and severity of the risk. The product information is intended to support and not replace the discussion between a healthcare professional and their patient regarding their treatment options.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of medicines, including their use during pregnancy, ensuring the product information reflects what is known about each medicine.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Sands entitled Lost in the system: Saving babies’ lives, published on 10 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that bereaved parents who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss have the same level of access to specialist psychological support in each postcode. \p Karin Smyth: Experiencing pregnancy or baby loss can be extremely difficult and traumatic. We are determined to make sure that all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to specialist psychological support.

As of June 2025, Maternal Mental Health Services are now available in all areas of England. These services provide specialist psychological support for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or baby loss.

All trusts in England are also signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway. This pathway is designed to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care for parents and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss.

We also recognise the importance of maternity bereavement services being available at all times. Seven day a week bereavement services are in the process of being set up in every area in England to support women and families who experience pregnancy loss or neonatal death.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of practising (a) dentists and (b) dental (i) hygienists, (ii) therapists and (iii) nurses. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry and deliver a dentistry service fit for the future.

No recent assessment has been made. The 10-Year Health Plan has set out a new service model for the NHS. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will assess what this means for the workforce, and will ensure we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.

We are regularly engaging with the sector on a range of issues, including workforce recruitment and retention. For instance, the Department has held two roundtables in the last month with dentists, dental nurses, dental therapists and dental hygienists sharing their views on the changes we are making to NHS dentistry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10 Year Health Plan for England, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of neighbourhood health centres on the provision of community hospital services in Yeovil constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: On 3 July 2025, the Government announced the 10-Year Health Plan and set out its vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service to bring care into local communities, transform access to health services, and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

Neighbourhood Health Centres will play a key role in realising this vision and transforming healthcare access by bringing historically hospital-based services into communities and addressing wider determinants of health in communities across the country, including in places like Yeovil.

On 21 July 2025, I wrote to Members of Parliament highlighting that the Department and NHS England have written to integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to invite applications from local places to participate in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the health outcomes of veterans. \p Stephen Kinnock: As well as being able to access all national health services across the United Kingdom, NHS England has also introduced several bespoke services to improve healthcare support available to veterans. These are: Op RESTORE which supports veterans with service-related physical health problems; Op COURAGE which supports veterans with a mental health pathway; and Op NOVA which supports veterans in the justice system.

In addition, the veteran-aware trust and the veteran-friendly accreditation schemes raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals of the specific needs of veterans. These schemes provide support to ensure appropriate signposting and referrals to relevant veteran and wider services within the National Health Service.

In May 2025, a national training and education plan was announced to help veterans benefit from improved and targeted healthcare. NHS staff across England will receive dedicated training to help them identify and support patients with military backgrounds. This will be rolled out across the NHS from 1 October 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 61959 on Dentistry: Recruitment, how many (a) recruited dentists and (b) dental posts are being advertised per region in England. \p Stephen Kinnock: Data on Golden Hellos will be published by the end of August 2025. Once a publication date has been confirmed, this will be announced on the NHS England website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what steps he plans to take to ensure that people who need one will be able to get a same-day GP appointment. \p Stephen Kinnock: Through our 10-Year Health Plan, it will be easier and faster to see a general practitioner (GP). The 8:00am scramble will end, we will train more doctors, and we will guarantee digital consultations within 24 hours. We have delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources

In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,900 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, which has expanded capacity, and will help to make same-day appointments more available to the patients that need them.   The new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England, enabling more appointments and supporting same-day access.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) respond to threats to religious freedom for Christian and other minority faith communities in Iraq. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. On 8 July, the Government publicly set out its approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement, including for countries navigating the impact of conflict, both past and present, such as Iraq.

In July 2025, the Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for FoRB met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis. We also raise threats to minority faith communities into regular engagements with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and in multilateral fora. For example, at Iraq's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in June, we recommended that Iraq upholds the right for minorities to freely practice their religion or belief, without fear of persecution.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-08)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Disability Living Allowance Tribunal hearings her Department sent a presenting officer to in the last year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested on the proportion of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Tribunal hearings the Department sent a presenting officer to is not readily available within the Department. However, we estimate that  47% of DLA Tribunal hearings had a presenting officer in FY2024/25. This estimate uses DWP internal statistics on total number of DLA Hearings Attended by presenting officers and published statistics on number of DLA disposals cleared at hearing from Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how much money has been spent on (a) research funding, (b) salaries and (c) legal advice for Project Spire. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Annual Reports of the Church Commissioners’ contains information on fees relating to forensic accounting services provided to support a research project into the fund of Queen Anne’s Bounty, one of the Commissioners’ predecessor bodies. Information (2023, p.105; 2022, p.105; 2021, p.90) can be viewed here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/who-we-are/publications

Further information will be included in the Church Commissioners’ Annual Report and Accounts for 2024, which will be published next month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have (a) made or (b) have held discussions with the Charity Commission on making an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 105 or 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissions have not made an application to the Charity Commission to seek authority for a payment under section 105 or 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire.

The Church Commissioners have held discussions with the Charity Commission about making an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 in relation to Project Spire.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners plan to set up a new charity to administer Project Spire, in the context of the Bishop of Salisbury’s comments at the General Synod in February 2025. \p Marsha De Cordova: Subject to the decision of trustees and the approval of the Charity Commission, the Church Commissioners plan to set up a new charitable fund, which they propose to call the Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice, as part of the delivery of Project Spire.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church Commissioners have for the release of public information on (a) the structure of the Project Spire fund and (b) its statutory authority. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners have sought, and continue to seek, to keep the public informed about their research findings and their response to these findings through reports on their webpage, including a regularly updated Frequently Asked Questions section, stakeholder engagement sessions online and in-person, routinely answered correspondence, and published articles; including topics such as the structure of the proposed Fund of Healing, Repair and Justice – as that develops – and such statutory authority as the Church Commissioners may obtain

https://www.churchofengland.org/historic-links-to-enslavement
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether legal advice has been sought to confirm that the proposals for Project Spire are within the statutory powers of the Church Commissioners. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners routinely take advice as they consider appropriate in the exercise of their functions where there may be legal implications.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, which grant-making powers the Church Commissioners plan to use in making grants under Project Spire. \p Marsha De Cordova: Subject to the approval of trustees, the Church Commissioners intend to make an application to authorise an ex-gratia payment under section 106 of the Charities Act 2011 on the basis of a moral obligation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, when Project Spire discussions began between the Charity Commission and the Church Commissioners. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners began discussions with the Charity Commission about Project Spire in February 2023.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Katie Lam:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to Questions 48 and 49 of the Questions to the General Synod on 10 February 2025, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the potential implications for their policies of the comments made by the Bishop of Salisbury that external authorities must approve the implementation timeline for Project Spire; and if the Church Commissioners will list those external authorities. \p Marsha De Cordova: The Church Commissioners have had informal and constructive dialogue with the Charity Commission about how to implement the Church Commissioners’ response to their historic links to African chattel enslavement (known as “Project Spire”).

This informal engagement has now concluded, and subject to authorisation by trustees the Church Commissioners anticipate that they will make appropriate applications to the Charity Commission.

Project Spire’s implementation timeline depends on this external authority to the extent that the Charity Commission will determine how long it takes to come to a decision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the average proportion of NHS funding for GP practices contributed by the global sum payment for 2022/23. \p Stephen Kinnock: In 2022/23, global sum payments to general practices were £4.4 billion, while total payments to general practices were £10.2 billion. The global sum accounted for 42.7% of funding. This figure includes practices who do not receive global sum payments but are instead paid under a Personal Medical Services or an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract.

For a median average practice, that had registered patients in 2022/23 and received global sum payments, those payments accounted for 63% of their total payments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the inclusivity of public services for autistic people. \p Stephen Kinnock: From 1 July 2022, service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022. To support this, we are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over two million people have now completed the e-learning module, which is the first part of the training.

The Government has also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace. An independent panel made of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity, including autism, has been launched to advise the Government on fostering more inclusive workplaces. This will build on the recommendations outlined in the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, which related solely to autism.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. We are also supporting earlier intervention for children with SEND through the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS brings together integrated care boards, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children and their families.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on reform of the NHS dental contract. \p Stephen Kinnock: To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists.

There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting minimum targets for integrated care boards on the proportion of people seen by NHS dental providers over a 24 month period. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their population.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure reliable access to NHS dental treatment in (a) East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) rural areas. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in rural areas. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For East Riding of Yorkshire, this is the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB.

The additional 700,000 appointments will be available across the country, with specific targets for each region. The Humber and North Yorkshire ICB is expected to deliver 27,196 additional urgent care appointments. These targets are more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/#annex-a-distribution-of-700k-additional-appointments
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of funding available for NHS dental treatments. \p Stephen Kinnock: The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

The NHS in England invests £3 billion into dentistry every year. NHS England is responsible for issuing guidance to ICBs on dental budgets, including ringfences. Dental budgets are ringfenced and NHS England reserves the right to direct unused resources, if contractors are unable to deliver on NHS dental commitments.

NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 has now been published and sets out the funding available to ICBs. Planning guidance also confirms that improving access to urgent dental appointments is a key national priority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of age-related eligibility criteria on the inclusion of teenagers and young adults in cancer clinical trials. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to maximising the United Kingdom’s potential to lead the world in clinical research, with the aim of ensuring that all patients, including teenagers and young adults with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The eligibility of patients for a clinical trial is determined by a set of criteria designed to ensure the safety of participants and the scientific validity of the study. These criteria are decided by each study's sponsors and researchers, based on scientific evidence, study goals, and safety considerations.

The Department is working closely with the National Health Service, industry, academia, research regulators, and charities to make clinical research in the UK more efficient, more competitive, and more accessible. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, including clinical trials for teenagers and young adults with cancer.

The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including clinical trial participation for young people with cancer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what preparations he is making for the potential impact of conflict abroad on the NHS. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with NHS England and the Ministry of Defence to understand the impacts of international conflict on domestic healthcare delivery. This includes exercising existing plans such as the Reception Arrangements for Ministry of Defence Patients, which supports the return of injured personnel for treatment by the National Health Service. We also actively monitor the wider impacts of conflicts including emerging threats to medical supply resilience. We work in partnership with industry and the wider health system to support robust planning to mitigate these risks. The Department of Health and Social Care has established processes in place to manage disruption to the NHS.

The Department also provides medical aid to conflict-affected areas to reduce the impact of humanitarian crises in the region and beyond. For example, in 2023 the Department assisted with coordinating aid for displaced civilians in Gaza. Essential supplies included 76,800 surplus trauma kits, 1,350 water filters, and 2,560 solar lights.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Tessa Munt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) online and (b) in person meetings NHS England had with (i) Varian, (ii) Elekta and (iii) Accuray before setting the criteria for the allocation of funding for new radiotherapy machines. \p Ashley Dalton: We do not currently hold this information, but we are seeking advice from NHS England on whether any engagement took place between NHS England and the medical companies listed.

The Government does not routinely publish correspondence between NHS England and medical companies. We have various communication channels to keep the public and stakeholders updated on our work to improve cancer care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce regulations for the use of solo carers for elderly people. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have understood that the term solo carers refers to personal assistants. The Department has no current plans to introduce regulations for the use of solo carers for elderly people.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure that there is sufficient workforce in adult social care. Much of the responsibility of recruitment and retention of the workforce rests with adult social care employers, who are largely private providers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that funds allocated for resident care in retirement homes are used for the purpose intended. \p Stephen Kinnock: To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population.

To ensure local authorities are fulfilling their duties for care users, including care home residents, under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assess local authorities' delivery of their adult social care duties. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act 2014 to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has powers to intervene.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to healthcare for the elderly population in Ashfield constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We recognise that patients are finding it difficult to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to bringing back the family doctor so patients with complex conditions and the elderly population receive the care they deserve. We have invested an additional £889 million in GPs and, through the 2025/26 GP Contract, have incentivised primary care networks (PCNs) to improve continuity of care.

The Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework is a key contractual requirement for PCNs, ensuring coordinated healthcare services for care home residents across the country. Under the terms of this framework, all residents must have a comprehensive assessment of need completed and personalised care and support plans put in place within seven days of admission or re-admission to a care home, and all care homes must have a weekly home round supported by a multidisciplinary team.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for mental health treatment; and when he plans to set out further measures to reduce delays for patients in need of support. \p Stephen Kinnock: Too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we are committed to ensuring we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health so that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people with severe mental illness to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.

We have also committed £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing pressure on busy emergency mental health and accident and emergency services and ensuring people have the support they need when they need it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to enable all day booking at GP surgeries. \p Stephen Kinnock: The 2025/26 GP Contract has been updated to give patients the right to access help electronically, including requesting appointments, throughout the duration of core practice hours.

All practices in England are required to offer online and video consultation tools, secure electronic communication methods, and online facilities to provide and update personal information.

Practices are required to offer patients an appropriate response on the day they contact the practice, or the next day if they contact the practice in the afternoon, according to the urgency of their clinical needs and other circumstances. An appropriate response could, for example, involve inviting the patient to an appointment, providing appropriate advice or care by another method, signposting to the patient to appropriate services, or communicating with the patient to request more information.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to introduce restrictions on purchasing sodium nitrate in quantities that pose a significant risk to (a) self harm and (b) life. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are committed to implementing our suicide prevention strategy for England, which sets out priority areas and key actions to address the risk factors contributing to suicide and self-harm. Tackling methods of suicide and self-harm is one of these priority areas.

The Government continues to take steps to reduce access to, and awareness of, sodium nitrate. The Department leads a Concerning Methods Working Group, which develops and delivers rapid targeted actions to collectively reduce public access to, and awareness of, emerging methods of suicide, including the use of sodium nitrate. The group involves representatives from Government departments, including the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Home Office, as well as representatives from the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, police, academics, and the National Health Service. This substance has been a particular focus of the actions implemented since the group was established and continues to be a priority in discussions about further action to be taken.

The group has worked with manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers to reduce access to this substance, where people may be intending to use it for suicide.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_24
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_24

Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that community-based glaucoma (a) monitoring, (b) referral and (c) refinement services are made available to patients in (i) Chingford and Woodford Green constituency and (ii) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their local areas to meet patient need, and this will include services to meet the needs of patients with glaucoma.

The North East London ICB has confirmed that residents living in Chingford and Woodford Green already have access to glaucoma referral refinement and glaucoma monitoring services in the community.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_25

Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered allowing dentists qualified in Canada an exemption from the requirement to sit the Overseas Registration Examination before practicing in the UK. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) exam is operated by the General Dental Council (GDC). The GDC is independent of the Government.

It is the role of the GDC to set the standards that must be met by domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to the United Kingdom dental register, and the required routes to registration.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_26
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_26

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's timetable is for publishing the results of the consultation entitled Pharmacy supervision, which closed on 29 February 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to publishing the response to the public consultation entitled Pharmacy Supervision, and to bringing forward the associated legislation later this year.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_27

Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures will be included in the 10 Year Health Plan to improve palliative and end of life care. \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 families receive the care they need when and where they need it, including those who need palliative and end of life care.

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have been 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, including the hospice sector.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_28
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_28

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to establish specialist care pathways for people with bipolar to (a) improve treatment and (b) reduce misdiagnosis. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for people with bipolar disorder. We are determined to change that.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, create a network of open access community Young Futures hubs, recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to cut wait times and provide faster treatment, and modernise the Mental Health Act.

We are also committed to new models of care for mental health, including reforming care for people experiencing a mental health crisis. We are testing neighbourhood mental health centres for people aged 18 years old and over with serious mental illness. These six pilot schemes are based in Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Sheffield, York, Birmingham, and Whitehaven.

These models will offer 24/7 open access care closer to home, with an integrated service including healthcare providers, local authorities, and the voluntary sector. These pilots build on international evidence which shows that similar models have led to a reduction in hospitalisation and waiting times, and support our efforts to move more care into the community.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_29

Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a cross-government mental health strategy for children and young people. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to taking a cross-government strategic approach to children and young people’s mental health.

We are currently co-developing the NHS 10 Year Health Plan with the public, staff and patients. We continue to listen to emerging insights on children and young people’s mental health and are taking the concerns of participants seriously. The consultation process has provided invaluable feedback, and we are in the process of exploring how we best take this forward.

Whilst the National Health Service is responsible for evidence-based treatment of mental ill health, we recognise the levers to prevent mental ill health sit largely outside of the health system. That’s why we are using the cross-government missions as a strategic tool to tackle the socioeconomic determinants of mental ill health amongst children and young people.

We continue to work with the Department for Education to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England. We are also working across government and with NHS England to set up a network of community Young Futures hubs.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_30

Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what priority is being given to cases of suicide by sodium nitrate poisoning within the Government’s ongoing implementation of the suicide prevention strategy. \p Stephen Kinnock: Every suicide is a tragedy that has a devastating and enduring impact on families, friends and communities. The suicide prevention strategy for England sets out priority areas and key actions to address the risk factors contributing to suicide. Tackling methods of suicides is one of these priority areas.

The Government continues to take steps to reduce access to, and awareness of, this substance. The Department of Health and Social Care leads a Concerning Methods Working Group which develops and delivers rapid targeted actions to collectively reduce public access to emerging methods of suicide, including this substance. The group involves representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, police, academics and the National Health Service, as well as Government departments including Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Home Office. This substance has been a particular focus of the actions implemented since the group was established and continues to be a priority of the Government’s approach to preventing suicides.

The group has worked with retailers and manufacturers to prevent this substance being sold for the purpose of suicide and the Home Office works with retailers to raise awareness and to remind them of their obligation to report suspicious activity relating to this action.

We continue to work operationally with a range of organisations, and we are actively considering further opportunities alongside the NHS, Border Force, police, charities and a range of Government departments.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_31
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_31

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department taking to support menopausal women with mental health issues in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We know that too many people, including menopausal women with mental health issues, are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long across England, including in Surrey Heath.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we are committed to prioritising women’s health, and we will also recruit 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult services to help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

We are working with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment alongside the refresh of the Long Term Workforce Plan.

In addition, NHS England is working on menopause workforce support packages for employees and developing a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more general practitioners in menopause care, including awareness of mental health symptoms during menopause, and improve access to treatments.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_32
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_32

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with relevant stakeholders to discuss the potential risks to public health posed by uncollected rubbish in Birmingham. \p Ashley Dalton: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and ministers from the Department have had no recent meetings on the potential risks to public health posed by uncollected rubbish in Birmingham.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is part of a multi-agency response Strategic Coordinating Group, led by Birmingham City Council, and has contributed to their risk assessment. The UKHSA will continue to provide advice and support to Birmingham City Council.
wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_33
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_33

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend opt out (a) HIV, (b) Hepatitis B and (c) Hepatitis C testing to all patients requiring a blood test in all NHS accident and emergency departments that do not currently offer it. \p Ashley Dalton: Emergency department opt out testing is currently being offered to all extremely high and high HIV prevalence areas in England until 2026/27. A detailed list of specific sites offering opt-out HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C testing is in the attached table. Emergency departments not listed in the attached table are not currently offering opt-out testing.

The Department, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), and NHS England are working together in the development of a new HIV Action Plan which we aim to publish this year. The plan will include a focus on scaling up HIV testing, including an assessment of the future of opt out testing, based on the programme’s progress and the available data, in line with our 2030 ambition.

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wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_34

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on the Healthy Start Scheme in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department spent £86,382,173 on the Healthy Start scheme in 2023/24. Audited data on the Department’s spend on the Healthy Start scheme for the 2024/25 financial year is not yet available.