theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the National institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to innovative treatment for patients with brain tumours. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. As such, officials meet regularly with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to cover a range of related issues.

The Department is working with delivery partners and key stakeholders, including the MHRA, to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of future medicines and therapies, including for brain tumours.

The MHRA is engaging with public, academic, industry, and patient stakeholder groups to see how the agency can encourage research and product licencing in this underserved area. The MHRA remains focused on enabling safe access to innovative treatment as rapidly as possible.

The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers, including brain tumours. As such, the Department has worked closely with the MHRA during the passage of this bill.

NICE makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and the NHS in England is required to fund NICE recommended medicines. NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance for relevant brain cancer therapies.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase screening programmes to improve early diagnosis of cancers, in the context of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will build on the three shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services in patients’ local areas. We will increase participation in screening programmes through digital booking and by taking innovative approaches like self-sampling for cervical screening.

The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis, including how we will prioritise screening programmes and improve participation.
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS is prepared for future demographic changes. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our plan to get the National Health Service back on track and make it fit for the future through delivering three big shifts in how the NHS works. By moving more care from hospital to community, shifting from analogue to digital, and reaching patients earlier by shifting from sickness to prevention, the NHS will be better enabled to meet future demographic changes.

Integrated care boards are expected to have a deep understanding of their population’s needs and will engage with the public to develop long-term plans that meet these needs.
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Katie White:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to integrate (a) movement and (b) exercise into cancer rehabilitation. \p Ashley Dalton: To encourage movement, the National Health Service’s Better Health Campaign signposts people, including those living with long term conditions like cancer, to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app and Couch to 5K.

The NHS Cancer Programme, through local Cancer Alliances, is working to ensure physical activity is fully integrated across the whole cancer pathway, which includes opportunities within rehabilitation for people who have undergone treatment.

We know that more can be done to support people living with and beyond cancer. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published later this year, will set out how we will seek to improve the experiences and outcomes for people at every stage of the cancer pathway, including after treatment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of integrating smoking cessation services into (a) A&E, (b) mental health services and (c) lung screening. \p Ashley Dalton: We are fully committed to our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom. Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health, and our assessment of the evidence is that targeting people with smoking cessation support in in-patient, accident and emergency, and lung screening services can be successful.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we remain committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate smoking cessation interventions into routine care. We will also fully roll out lung cancer screening for those with a history of smoking, which we expect will detect 9,000 cancers earlier each year.

As of the end of 2024/25, 93% of National Health Service in-patient services and 97% of maternity services had a tobacco dependence treatment offer. Specifically in mental health services, there was a 41% quit rate amongst those setting a quit date in these settings.

Further to this, awards under our National Swap to Stop programme have been made to many NHS services, including mental health and accident and emergency. The programme offers smokers across England a free vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit smoking.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes a liver disease profile that compares local areas within England. Data on the number of people in the population, or the prevalence of people, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not collected.

The liver disease profile provides NAFLD hospital admission and mortality rates. However, these rates underestimate the level of NAFLD in the population as the great majority of people with NAFLD never experience any symptoms from the condition. Only a minority may progress to more serious forms of the disease that require hospital admission. It is unclear what proportion of people experience this serious disease, and therefore we cannot make a reasonable estimate of the number of people with NAFLD.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of research funding models, in the context of the forthcoming national cancer plan; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of research funding models on supporting (a) equitable, (b) clinical and (c) economic opportunities. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

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

The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including research on cancer. The NIHR also provides an online service called Be Part of Research, which promotes participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, including cancer studies.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the NIHR. The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the second half of this year, will have a focus on research and innovation. It will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the (a) structure and (b) responsibilities of Integrated Care Boards on the (i) commissioning and (ii) delivery of multiple sclerosis services. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, with the expectation of achieving a reduction in their running cost allowance.

NHS England has shared a draft of The Model ICB Blueprint to help ICBs shape future plans. The blueprint confirms their critical role as strategic commissioners, with their core functions centred in population health management, including understanding local context, developing a long-term strategy, allocating resources, and evaluating impact.

The Government is focused on improving health, and as part of that has produced a 10-Year Health Plan in order to reform the health system. The Government will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that the expected hundreds of millions of pounds of savings made will be reinvested into frontline services and to unlock the benefit of working at scale to deliver better care for patients, including those with multiple sclerosis.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department’s 10 Year Health Plan will support patients with multiple sclerosis in receiving adequate (a) care and (b) support. \p Ashley Dalton: The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with multiple sclerosis, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

In addition, by 2028/29, neighbourhood health teams will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings, with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services.

By 2030, one million patients with long-term conditions will be offered personal health budgets, which will enable them to use National Health Service resources and to determine the care that best suits their needs.

Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through My Specialist on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support. The NHS App will provide access to advice, guidance, self-care support, and appointment management. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access to, and preference over the services they need.

As part of the NHS App, My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the NHS England Getting It Right First Time neurology programme on the (a) quality and (b) consistency of multiple sclerosis care. \p Ashley Dalton: The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve neurology services nationally and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The National Specialty Report highlighted differences in how services are delivered and offered an unprecedented opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally.

Building on the GIRFT National Specialty Report, the Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions.

The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a national data dashboard for integrated care systems to monitor delivery of MS care, including for disease-modifying therapies. Additionally, NHS England has also developed guidance for systems on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS closer to home, which includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies.

The Neurology Transformation Programme is working with the National Clinical Director for Neurology and the Neurology Clinical Reference Group to develop a revised service specification for neurology. The updated service specification will further build on the specific recommendations in the GIRFT report and will include specific guidance for pathways for MS and other neuroinflammatory conditions.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of funding available for research into (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma. \p Ashley Dalton: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.

Whilst no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the funding available for research into low grade glioma and astrocytoma specifically, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million into research projects focused on brain tumours. In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.

In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain tumour research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.

The NIHR also supported the development of Dabrafenib with trametinib, a combined treatment for low grade glioma in children and young people, which is now recommended in guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain tumours. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Welcoming applications on brain tumours to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
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Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 55860 on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services, whether he has a new target date for publication of that plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, final delivery plan will be published shortly. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report entitled The short- and medium-term effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes, published in May 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: We are committed to giving every child the best start in life and recognise the importance of early years services as essential for future health and education outcomes. The findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report showed that Sure Start generated widespread, long-lasting benefits on children’s outcomes.

Building on lessons from Sure Start, the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides joined-up support for babies, children, and families. As a first step, the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme has been extended in 2025/26, with £126 million being made available for families to deliver on the Plan for Change.

We will consider the findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies as we continue to develop our approach to the future of support for babies, children, and their families.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders also have a diagnosis of foetal valproate syndrome. \p Ashley Dalton: Everyone who has been harmed from sodium valproate has our deepest sympathies. Information about the number of children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder and a diagnosis of foetal valproate syndrome is not collected centrally.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 10 Year Health Plan for England on the Black Country. \p Karin Smyth: The 10-Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or geography. The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver more care locally, including in urban areas like the Black Country, supporting people to stay healthier.

The neighbourhood health service will reflect the specific needs of local populations. Over the course of the plan, neighbourhood health centres will be available in every community, including the Black Country, providing easy access to general practitioners, nurses, and wider support, such as employment advisers, all under one roof. The Government will begin establishing neighbourhood health centres in places where healthy life expectancy is lowest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of barring illegal migrants from being eligible to apply for an HC2 certificate. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of barring illegal migrants from being eligible to apply for an HC2 certificate.

An HC2 certificate is for full help with health costs and is received via the NHS Low Income Scheme, which anyone, regardless of their immigration status, can apply for if they do not have savings or investments over a certain limit.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with representative bodies of non-medical aesthetic practitioners on regulatory proposals for that sector. \p Karin Smyth: In exploring options for the regulation of cosmetic procedures, the Department has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from the British Beauty Council and the Beauty Industry Group. The Department will continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders in addressing concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector, and will notify them of any upcoming consultations on this area to which they can contribute.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase retention rates for domestically trained NHS (a) doctors and (b) other clinical staff. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan this autumn setting out how we will ensure staff are better treated, have better training, more fulfilling roles, and have hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

We have made significant progress over the past year in improving the working lives of resident doctors. This includes agreeing to an improved exception reporting system which will ensure doctors are compensated fairly for the additional work that they do, and reviewing how resident doctors rotate through their training.

NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prioritise UK-trained resident doctors in the allocation of specialist training posts; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of such funded posts. \p Karin Smyth: As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training. Over the next three years we will also create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out the next steps in due course.

We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 52906 on Department of Health and Social Care: Permanent Secretaries, whether she has been employed under the terms of the model permanent secretary contract; for how long the fixed term period is; and whether she is classified as a (a) temporary or (b) permanent civil servant. \p Karin Smyth: The Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care has been appointed using the Senior Civil Service model contract, for a period of three years. She is classified as a temporary civil servant.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve hospital food for patients in Eastbourne. \p Karin Smyth: Access to nutritious, tasty, and aesthetically pleasing hospital food can improve patient morale and contribute to their recovery.

All National Health Service trusts, including in Eastbourne, are expected to follow the NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink. There are eight mandatory standards all trusts are required to meet. This includes having a food and drink strategy and demonstrating that they have suitable food service provision, which is appropriate for their demographic, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Further information on the NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-drink/
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of waiting times for specialist gender services for under-18s. \p Karin Smyth: The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. NHS England developed an ambitious two-year action plan which sets out how they will continue to transform and improve gender services, helping to tackle waiting lists, whilst ensuring safe and holistic care.

The Government recognises that waiting times for Children and Young People’s gender services are too long, and we are determined to change that. NHS England has opened three children and young people’s gender services in the North-West, London, and Bristol.

A fourth service is anticipated to open in the East of England later this year. NHS England is aiming to deliver a gender clinic in each region of England by 2026. This will bring services closer to the homes of those who need them, and will help tackle waiting times.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has undertaken a (a) call for evidence and (b) consultation to support the review of NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England. \p Karin Smyth: The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later this summer. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.

The review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics in order to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/key-lines-of-enquiry-review-of-the-nhs-adult-gender-dysphoria-clinics-in-england/

The review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for the clinicians delivering these services.
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Jake Richards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across his Departmental responsibilities. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is supportive of the extension of the Armed Forces Covenant. A key benefit of the Department having a legal duty to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant is greater awareness and consistency of the unique impacts of military service on health and care needs from the early stages of policy development through to operational delivery from the National Health Service and local authorities.

NHS England and other specified NHS bodies have a statutory obligation to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. Extending this duty to include the Department will build on the good work of the NHS to date and will play an important role within the new NHS model for the benefit of the Armed Forces Community.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK's 41st place in the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, what steps his Department is taking to improve women's health. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.

Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025, setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan, and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July, sets out the vision to distribute power to patients, including women, and to revitalise the NHS, making it fit for the future.
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Jodie Gosling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure clinical leadership and advice is available within his Department for (a) Musculoskeletal conditions, (b) stroke, (c) neurological conditions, (d) cardiovascular disease, (e) continence care, (f) cancer, (g) respiratory illnesses, (h) rehabilitation, (i) frailty, (j) pediatrics, (k) women's health and (l) allergies. \p Karin Smyth: National clinical directors and national specialty advisers are practising clinicians from across England who work part-time at NHS England, providing clinical leadership, advice, input, and support across distinct areas of National Health Service conditions and services, ranging from cancer and cardiovascular disease to urgent and emergency care and major trauma, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.

NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Programme also employs clinical directors who provide clinical leadership across national programmes of care and clinical reference groups.

Whilst transformation for NHS England and the Department takes place, we will continue to ensure the clinical voice remains at the core of our work.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to update regulations in the fertility industry. \p Karin Smyth: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) published Modernising Fertility Law in November 2023, which made a number of recommendations for legislative change, including around its regulatory powers. Ministers have met with the HFEA Chair and discussed the emerging regulatory challenges.

The Government is considering the HFEA’s priorities for changing the law and will decide how to take this forward at the earliest opportunity.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the severity modifier introduced by NICE in 2022 on access to new treatments for secondary breast cancer. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for the methods and processes that it uses in the development of its recommendations. The severity modifier was introduced in January 2022 as part of a number of changes intended to make NICE’s methods fairer, faster, and more consistent.

NICE carried out a review of the implementation of the severity modifier in September 2024 and found that it is operating as intended. Since the introduction of the severity modifier in December 2022, the proportion of positive cancer recommendations is higher, at 84.8%, than with the end-of-life modifier it replaced, at 75%, and the proportion of positive recommendations for advanced cancer treatments is also higher, at 81.1% compared to 69%.

Since January 2022, NICE has recommended all but one of the treatments for breast cancer that it has assessed. These treatments are now available to eligible National Health Service patients.

NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future method reviews.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has spent the following amounts on equipment for its staff to work from home in each financial year:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 2 June from the hon. Member for Torbay. \p Karin Smyth: We have received the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 2 June and we will respond shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-10 conversation_180

Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the affordability of prescriptions for people with asthma in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescription charges on the health outcomes of people with asthma. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the British Thoracic Society, and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network published a new collaborative guideline for asthma in November 2024. The guideline covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. It aims to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, help people to control their asthma, and reduce the risk of asthma attacks. The recommendations offer the opportunity to simplify diagnostic processes and improve the treatment of people with asthma, and NHS England is working with specialist groups and partners to encourage a joined-up approach to implementation. Through its national respiratory programme and focused work on children and young people with asthma, NHS England is already supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with asthma.

While there are no plans to amend the criteria for eligibility for free prescriptions, approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available, and PPCs can be paid for in instalments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Mr Toby Perkins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of hospital Safer Staffing requirements on the newly qualified nurses’ ability to become employed in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of hospital Safer Staffing requirements on newly qualified nurses’ ability to become employed in the National Health Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contracts their Department has with Palantir. \p Karin Smyth: Details of Government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform’s Find a Tender service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of cleanliness in hospitals in Eastbourne. \p Karin Smyth: Cleanliness in hospitals is integral for patient safety and to ward off infections. We expect all National Health Service hospitals, including in Eastbourne, to follow the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025, which were published in February 2025. The standards apply to all healthcare organisations, and are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-of-healthcare-cleanliness-2025/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62444 on Asthma: Medical Equipment, what recent discussions his Department has had with pharmaceutical companies on encouraging them to become marketing authorisation holders for dosage counters in emergency inhalers. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not approached any pharmaceutical company to encourage them to become a marketing authorisation holder (MAH) for short-acting beta agonist (SABA) pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) with integrated dose counters. As the United Kingdom’s independent regulator for medicines and medical devices, the MHRA does not have the remit to proactively approach pharmaceutical companies with requests to become MAHs for specific products.

However, the MHRA provides scientific and regulatory advice to support any pharmaceutical company that wishes to develop and seek authorisation for SABA pMDIs that incorporate integrated dose counters. Through scientific advice meetings and regulatory interactions, the MHRA can offer support on the design, development, and licensing requirements for these products.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on improving mental health resources for (a) nurses and (b) other medical care providers. \p Karin Smyth: The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is very important. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.

In the formulation of the plan, officials from the Department have regularly met with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss and share updates.

Within the 10-Year Health Plan, we have committed to introducing a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace. We will work with the Social Partnership Forum to design and deliver these standards. We will also roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure staff have access to high quality support for mental health and back conditions.

NHS staff in England currently have access to a helpline for mental health crisis support and the Practitioner Health service, which provides support for more complex mental health issues.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of new technology for cancer screening. \p Ashley Dalton: Capital spend for new screening technology is held under the same budget as wider spend on diagnostic equipment for the National Health Service, and therefore we cannot provide the specific information requested.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the scientific evidence underpinning the prohibition of kava-kava under the Medicines for Human Use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002. \p Karin Smyth: The UK Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3170 The Medicines for Human use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002 prohibits the sale, supply, and importation of Kava-kava for use in unlicensed medicines in the United Kingdom.

The Prohibition Order was reviewed after it had been in force for two years by an Expert Working Group of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, which announced in February 2006 that the prohibition was justified and proportionate and should remain in place. No further review of the prohibition order has been made.

The 2002 Prohibition Order does not exclude applicants applying for a traditional herbal registration or a marketing authorisation under Regulation 125 or Regulation 49, respectively, of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Should a traditional herbal registration or a marketing authorisation application for a Kava-kava medicinal product be submitted to the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, its safety would be reviewed on an application-specific basis and based on the currently available evidence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ringfencing funding for community preventive health initiatives through the forthcoming NHS 10 Year Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan has set out how we will reinvent the National Health Service through the radical shifts, namely hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. These are the core components of our new care model. To support the scale of change we need, we ensure the whole NHS is ready to deliver these three shifts at pace: through a new operating model, by creating a new workforce model with staff genuinely aligned with the future direction of reform, through a reshaped innovation strategy and by taking a different approach to NHS finances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-10 conversation_189

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policies on maintaining the defibrillator network. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department does not maintain the automated external defibrillator (AED) network.

The Circuit is the independently operated national AED database, developed by a partnership of the British Heart Foundation, the National Health Service, the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Circuit provides a national database of where defibrillators can be found so that ambulance services can quickly identify the nearest defibrillator. There are now over 100,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit.