theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Oral Statement of 19 December 2024 on Hospice Funding, Official Report, column 451, what the level of the Barnet consequentials will be for each of the devolved Administrations. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to the Government’s departmental expenditure limits. As this £100 million in capital funding for adult and children’s hospices is being re-allocated from within existing budgets, there will be no additional Barnett consequentials. The Barnett formula has already been applied to funding previously allocated at Autumn Budget 2024. Given the devolved nature of healthcare funding and administration across the four nations, this capital funding is for adult and children’s hospices in England only.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of NHS England's report entitled Independent mental health homicide report into the treatment of Valdo Calocane, published on 5 February 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have accepted all the recommendations in this report, and we have been clear that we expect these recommendations to be fully implemented.

The trust has also been placed in the recovery support programme, meaning it is receiving focused and intensive support from NHS England to turn around its services and improve the quality and safety of care.

The National Director for Mental Health has written to all mental health trusts in England to ask them to ensure they have action plans in place to address all the issues in the report by 30 June 2025.

We are also taking steps to improve the way that people with severe mental illnesses are treated, including trialling new open access neighbourhood mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide people and their families with support if they are in crisis as well as providing wider support such as housing or employment advice to support them to stay well.
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Dan Carden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) dentists and (b) dentist representatives on the recent dentist pay award. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department formally consults with the British Dental Association on the details of contract uplift proposals before these are implemented, as the recognised representative body for dentists. We consulted the British Dental Association on the proposed uplift for 2024/25, as we do each year.

The Government implemented the overall uplift to contract values on 29 January. Uplifted payments will be made in March, backdated to 1 April 2024.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Care of 13 January 2025, Official Report, column 128, if he will undertake a review of the distribution of hospice funding. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are working at great pace to get this year’s funding to hospices as soon as possible, including having regular discussions involving NHS England and Hospice UK. We are currently finalising the delivery mechanisms and are pleased that Hospice UK stands ready to distribute the money to local hospices throughout England.

We are also providing an additional £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices. We are aware that the shift to an integrated care board (ICB) transacted model for 2024/25 was not as smooth a transition as we would have hoped. We are working closely with NHS England so planning for 2025/26 is improved.

NHS England is currently making decisions on the allocation and administration mechanisms for the £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices in 2025/26 and hopes to communicate plans to the sector later this month.

Although palliative and end of life care is mostly provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each area. Therefore, there are no current plans to undertake a review of the distribution of hospice funding.

Neither the Department nor NHS England believe that publishing a consultation on the distribution of hospice funding is necessary, but both organisations are in regular discussions with key hospice sector stakeholders on this issue.

Earlier this month, I met the major palliative and end of life care, including hospice, stakeholders when long-term sector sustainability, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, was discussed at length.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services in City of Durham constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

In the NHS Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, which includes the City of Durham constituency, 45% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England. In addition, 58% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

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.
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Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to increase the number of NHS dentists in Kent. \p Stephen Kinnock: 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 areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, 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 the Kent constituency, this is the NHS Kent and Medway ICB.

ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of NHS dental provision in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which includes Nottinghamshire, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England. In addition, 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

Within the Midlands region, which includes the East Midlands, 42% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England. Additionally, 56% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

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 areas that need them most.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional (a) funding and (b) other resources his Department plans to provide to primary care providers to support preventative healthcare in South Derbyshire constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff. It will set out how the National Health Service will deliver the shift from sickness to prevention, which will be one of the central tenets of the plan. This includes a working group focused on the preventative healthcare model for the future.

We have announced a proposed £889 million uplift for general practices (GPs) in 2025/26 and set out the proposed areas of reform which will help us to deliver on our commitments. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since the beginning of the five-year framework and means that we are reversing the recent trend, with a rising share of total NHS resources going to GPs.

To shift care from sickness to prevention, the Government has also proposed providing financial incentives to reward GPs who go above and beyond to prevent the most common killers, like heart disease, for the next contract year. This is subject to the contract consultation currently underway with the General Practitioners Committee England.

We have already started hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS and uplifted a monthly payment to practices by 7.4%. We will also be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements.

The most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital is for tooth decay. We will work with local authorities and the NHS to introduce supervised tooth brushing for children aged between three and five years old in the most deprived communities. These programmes are proven to reduce tooth decay and to boost good practices at home.

Integrated care boards have delegated responsibility for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible. In South Derbyshire, our Regional Director of Public Health is working with local government and the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Care System to support the shift to prevention.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Written Question 26150 on General Practitioners: Bedfordshire, what assessment he has made of the impact of rurality on on a GPs workload. \p Stephen Kinnock: We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring rural areas, including Bedfordshire, have the resources to continue serving their patients. We are committed to training thousands more GPs across the country, including in rural areas. We have also committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs in 2024/25 through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which will increase capacity, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.

Through the Red Tape Challenge, we are also determined to bulldoze bureaucracy and cut red tape, ensuring GPs spend less time filling in forms and more time caring for patients. We recognise it is vital for roles to be satisfying, rewarding, and sustainable, so that our experienced GPs continue to contribute throughout their career.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are affected by the shortage of NHS dentists in Broxtowe constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: We know there are challenges with accessing National Health Service dentistry across the country. 28% of adults in England, or 13 million people, are estimated to have an unmet need for NHS dentistry.

The following table shows the number of dentists per 100,000 people in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Years

Dentists per 100,000 population in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB

Average number of dentists per 100,000 population across all ICBs in England

2019/20

51.2

52.9

2020/21

40.8

48.6

2021/22

45.2

51.0

2022/23

48.6

50.3

2023/24

49.7

49.5

Source: data is published by the NHS Business Services Authority and is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what preparations his Department is making for currently unknown pathogens that could emerge in future. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has a comprehensive epidemic intelligence system to detect, assess, and communicate infectious health threats to the United Kingdom. Horizon scanning and intelligence gathering functions are designed to identify and monitor outbreaks, even when the cause is unknown, such as in the World Health Organization’s hypothetical "Disease X" scenario. Robust risk assessment processes are also in place to implement effective mitigation strategies, ensuring the protection of public health.

For diseases of pandemic potential, the UKHSA’s Centre for Pandemic Preparedness (CPP) works to identify gaps in preparedness and opportunities to enhance readiness. The CPP also serves as the UK secretariat for the 100 Days Mission, a global initiative which aims to ensure that safe and effective diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines can be equitably deployed within the first 100 days of a pandemic.

Further information on the Government’s ambition to protect the UK and ensure it is resilient to a spectrum of biological threats is set out in the Biological Security Strategy, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-biological-security-strategy
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis rates for (a) leukaemia and (b) other non-stageable cancers; and whether he plans to introduce measures in the National Cancer Strategy to track progress on those rates. \p Ashley Dalton: We are determined to take all the necessary steps to improve early diagnosis for all cancers, including leukaemia and other non-stageable cancers. To accomplish this, the National Health Service is implementing non symptom specific pathways for patients who present with non-specific symptoms or combinations thereof that can indicate several different cancers. This includes leukaemia, which can present non-specific symptoms, such as unexpected weight loss and night sweats. NHS England’s national evaluation showed that blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, including diagnosis. We are currently exploring interventions to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer and on 4 February we launched a Call for Evidence, in which the views of people across the country will inform our plan to improve cancer care. Those who wish to share their views can do so on the new online platform, via the following link:  https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan
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Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accessibility of health centres in (a) rural and (b) remote areas. \p Ashley Dalton: In line with the Government’s Health Mission, our goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind. The Government recognises the health inequalities faced by rural communities in England, particularly around access to healthcare services. In response, we are working closely across the Department, with NHS England, and the regional Directors of Public Health to develop approaches that address these inequalities.

The Department supports statutory integrated care systems (ICSs) in delivering National Health Services across England. ICSs are partnerships of organisations which come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and this includes considering adequate healthcare provision for populations in rural and remote areas.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis to help improve health outcomes for people with pulmonary fibrosis. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Technology Appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.

In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the link between life expectancy and trends in the level of poverty. \p Ashley Dalton: Health inequalities in the United Kingdom are stark, with life expectancy differing dramatically between and within communities. People living in the most deprived areas are likely to die earlier and spend more years in ill health than those living in the least deprived areas.

We are taking a cross-Government mission-led approach to tackle the root causes of health inequalities, including addressing the social determinants of health, which include housing, poverty, fair opportunities, and education.
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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will revise guidance on the maximum alcoholic strength at which a drink should be described as alcohol free from 0.05% to 0.5% ABV. \p Ashley Dalton: Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives.

The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including exploring the potential opportunities presented by No and Low alcohol alternative drinks. While the department has not made a specific assessment of the economic impact of the United Kingdom’s 0.05% alcohol by volume (ABV) threshold on British brewers we will continue to consider how alcohol labelling can be improved to support consumers make informed decisions about the products they are purchasing, whilst also promoting responsible consumption.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has he made of the adequacy of NHS support for people with liver disease in Lincolnshire. \p Ashley Dalton: The commissioning of services for liver disease is the responsibility of integrated care systems. Integrated care systems are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services and reviewing those services to ensure they best meet the needs of their local population.

NHS England has a Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group which provides clinical advice to NHS England in support of the commissioning of specialised services. By working in partnership with key stakeholders, the Clinical Reference Group helps drive improvements in the quality, equity, experience, efficiency, and outcomes of specialised services. The Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing its service specification in relation to liver and pancreatic care, which is scheduled for completion before the end of the current financial year.

In Lincolnshire, the United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has a gastroenterology department that manages support and services for people with chronic liver disease, with tertiary care services for Nottingham, for non-transplant services, and Cambridge, for liver transplantation. The United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been part of the Nottingham Operational Delivery Network since 2015 and provides a team of specialist nurses and treatment co-ordinators to work in partnership with community agencies, with the object of eradicating hepatitis C. Hepatology services at the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust are based at Peterborough City Hospital and receive patients from Lincolnshire areas, with referrals aligned with the tertiary referral centre.

The North-West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is seeing an increased demand for services for liver disease. The hepatology service has recently appointed two additional consultant hepatologists to improve patient experience and support, as well as the timeliness of outpatient appointments.

Liver disease is a broad term for several conditions affecting the liver and pancreas, but the most prevalent cause of liver-related ill health and death is alcohol-related liver disease. In 2024/25 the Department invested an additional £3,620,918 in alcohol and drug treatment and recovery systems in Lincolnshire.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential correlation between the number of fast food outlets opening and recent trends in the level of obesity in Ilford South constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department has not made an assessment of the potential correlation between the number of fast food outlets opening and recent trends in the level of obesity in the Ilford South constituency. However, children living in the most deprived areas see five times more fast food outlets on their high streets and are also over twice as likely to be living with obesity compared with the least deprived areas

The food environment can influence dietary choices. Meals eaten outside of the home tend to be associated with higher calories, and portion sizes tend to be bigger. In addition, people who eat more food from the out of home sector tend to have a poorer quality diet and a higher weight for height. The food environment is an important modifiable determinant of dietary behaviour and obesity, and the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government published last December gives stronger, clearer powers to block new fast food outlets near schools and where young people congregate

The Department publishes breakdowns of child and adult obesity prevalence and the number of fast food outlets per 100,000 population at a local authority level. Information is not available for Ilford South, but it is available for the London Borough of Redbridge, which includes Ilford South. In 2024, Redbridge had 127 fast food outlets per 100,000 population, which is an increase from 69.9 per 100,000 in 2017, as per the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ (OHID) 2025 Public Health Profiles. The following table shows the obesity prevalence in the London Borough of Redbridge, from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) academic year 2006/07 to 2023/24:

NCMP academic year

Obesity prevalence for children in Reception, from age four to five years old

Obesity prevalence for children in Year 6, from age 10 to 11 years old

2006/07

10.6%

20.4%

2007/08

11.3%

20.9%

2008/09

11.3%

21.3%

2009/10

11.8%

21.3%

2010/11

12.0%

23.5%

2011/12

11.4%

23.6%

2012/13

10.1%

21.5%

2013/14

10.4%

22.9%

2014/15

10.8%

23.3%

2015/16

9.8%

23.5%

2016/17

11.6%

23.7%

2017/18

11.4%

25.0%

2018/19

9.9%

24.1%

2019/20

11.2%

25.0%

2020/21

No data

No data

2021/22

11.5%

27.9%

2022/23

9.9%

26.7%

2023/24

8.9%

24.6%

Source: National Child Measurement Programme.

In addition, the following table shows adult, those aged 18 years old and over, obesity prevalence in the London Borough of Redbridge, from 2015/16 to 2022/23:

Year

Adult obesity prevalence

2015/16

18.1%

2016/17

20.4%

2017/18

20.9%

2018/19

23.9%

2019/20

18.3%

2020/21

22.6%

2021/22

24.1%

2022/23

25.3%

Source: Active Lives adult survey, OHID analysis of data from Sport England.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of defibrillators in public spaces in England; and whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the number of defibrillators in public spaces across the UK. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. The requirements are to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance in remote communities with extended ambulance response times, and places with high footfall and high population.

There have been no recent discussions with my counterparts in the devolved administrations on the number of defibrillators in public spaces. As of 1 March 2024, there were 86,337 defibrillators in the United Kingdom, with 68,509 in England, registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator map operated independently by the British Heart Foundation.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the standard of care available in the NHS for those suffering with liver conditions in (a) England and (b) Beckenham and Penge constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: The commissioning of services for liver conditions is the responsibility of integrated care systems. Integrated care systems are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services and reviewing those services to ensure they best meet the needs of their local population.

NHS England has a Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group which provides clinical advice to NHS England in support of the commissioning of specialised services. By working in partnership with key stakeholders, the Clinical Reference Group helps drive improvements in the quality, equity, experience, efficiency, and outcomes of specialised services. The Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing its service specification in relation to liver and pancreatic care, which is scheduled for completion before the end of the current financial year.

Residents with liver conditions across the London Borough of Bromley, including those residing in Beckenham and Penge, are supported by the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust offers a leading Liver Unit which treats a diverse range of liver conditions as well as rare diseases, alongside a tertiary treatment service for liver cancer. The trust also hosts the Institute of Liver Studies, which is a partnership between King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College London.

Liver disease is a broad term for several conditions affecting the liver and pancreas, but the most prevalent cause of liver-related ill health and death is alcohol-related liver disease.

The Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. The London Borough of Bromley was allocated £338,703 of targeted funding in 2024/25 for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the difference in diabetes rates amongst the (a) white and (b) BAME population in Ilford South constituency. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England has given £3 million of funding to systems to provide clinical leadership to ensure that clinical diabetes metrics, such as the eight key diabetes care processes and treatment targets, are reviewed at an integrated care board level and unwarranted variation identified. A resource hub of materials has been set up on Future NHS, including examples of innovation and best practice for improvement of care process delivery, and achievement of treatment targets.

NHS England has established a focused engagement campaign, using social media and more traditional approaches, to raise awareness and boost uptake from these groups as part of its approach to address the poorer outcomes for those of south Asian and black ethnicity.

NHS England is aware that standard approaches to diabetes prevention and care can miss high risk individuals or be less effective for those who do not fit the demographic profile that these interventions were originally designed for. Redbridge Place Partnership, near Ilford, is an example of the local National Health Service taking a culturally sensitive and tailored approach to improve outreach in communities that have historically shown lower engagement with mainstream health services.

Redbridge Place is collaborating with system-wide partners, including the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, to identify South Asian residents and other high-risk groups vulnerable to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and renal conditions. The aim is to reduce risk factors and ensure early intervention through optimised care pathways and national prevention programmes by improving access, integrating community engagement, and creating culturally sensitive health promotion strategies that reduce the diabetes gap.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of Child Death Overview Panels cited consanguinity as the (a) primary and (b) secondary cause of death of children in each of the last 30 years. \p Karin Smyth: The Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance (England) sets out as a statutory requirement that, ‘When a child dies, in any circumstances, it is important for parents and families to understand what has happened and whether there are any lessons to be learned.’ The guidance is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/637f759bd3bf7f154876adbd/child-death-review-statutory-and-operational-guidance-england.pdf

These reviews are conducted by child death overview panels (CDOPs), who have a statutory obligation to notify the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) within 48 hours of a child’s death using a child death notification form, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-death-reviews-forms-for-reporting-child-deaths

The form includes a question about ‘Further family background’ which asks whether the children’s parents are related to each other. The forms are submitted to NCMD who collate the data to produce reports, including its annual data report. Its latest annual report summarised information about child deaths in England up to 31 March 2024 and the findings of reviews carried out by a CDOP on or before 31 March 2024. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.ncmd.info/publications/child-death-review-data-release-2024/

For the first time, this report included information on the number of reviews where specific contributory or modifiable factors were identified. Contributory factors may have contributed to vulnerability, ill health or death, while modifiable factors may have contributed to the death of the child and might, by means of a locally or nationally achievable intervention, be modified to reduce the risk of future deaths. Of 3,176 reviews taking place in the year ending 31 March 2024 where contributory factors were identified, 128 reviews, or 4%, identified consanguinity as a contributory factor. Of 1,120 reviews taking place in the year ending 31 March 2024 where modifiable factors were identified and data was available, 16 reviews, or 1%, identified consanguinity as a modifiable factor.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nursing shifts went unfilled at acute NHS trusts in each month since January 2020. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information requested. The Government is committed to ensuring that the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many asylum seekers have received medical treatment in Bromsgrove constituency in the last two years. \p Karin Smyth: Due to the way in which the data is held, across multiple agencies, it is not possible to provide a total number of people seeking asylum who have received medical treatment by constituency during the last two years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Global Compact for Migration on (a) demands for NHS services and (b) the provision of healthcare for migrants. \p Karin Smyth: The term 'migrants' encompasses a diverse group of individuals, including authorised and unauthorised migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, each with varying legal statuses that impact their entitlement to healthcare services in the United Kingdom. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the Global Compact for Migration on the provision of healthcare for migrants.

The National Health Service in England is a residency-based system and free at the point of use for those ordinarily resident. Overseas visitors are required to pay for NHS services, where chargeable, unless otherwise exempt. Exemptions from NHS charges include refugees and asylum seekers. Some NHS services are free to all, including primary care, accident and emergency services, and the diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19779 on Health Professions: Regulation, what his timetable is for announcing his priorities in relation to the applicability of the five year rule by professional regulators on fitness to practise in cases which involve allegations of historic sexual abuse. \p Karin Smyth: The Government has been considering its priorities for professional regulation and will be setting these out shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-18 conversation_101

Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of (a) cardiac health and (b) physical activity increasing risk of strokes in young people in (i) schools, (ii) universities and (iii) sports facilities. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National Screening Committee last reviewed screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old in 2019 and concluded that screening should not be offered, with further information available at the following link:

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

Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms, and that treatments and interventions were not based on good scientific evidence to prevent SCD.

To stop SCD in young people, the current consensus is to focus on rapid identification and care of people who are likely to be at risk of SCD due to a family link or because they have had symptoms, and to train people to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to use defibrillators.

NHS England has published a national service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions, that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease, or families requiring a follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for specialised Inherited Cardiac Conditions services to investigate suspected cases. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. NHS England is working with a broad range of stakeholders as part of this review, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. Further information on the service specification for Inherited Cardiac Conditions is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf

These documents describe the service model and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They cover all paediatric cardiac activity, specifically surgery and cardiology, taking place in the Specialist Children’s Surgical Centres, or Level 1 services, the Specialist Children’s Cardiology Centres, or Level 2 services, and the Local Children’s Cardiac Centres, or Level 3 services, including activity undertaken by the specialist centres on an outreach basis where it is delivered as part of a provider network, with the aim of ensuring that all patient care is of a consistently high quality.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he expects ICBs to take to support people with long covid. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England’s commissioning guidance from December 2023 presents guidance for the commissioning and oversight of post-COVID services by integrated care boards (ICBs) in England for adults, and children and young people from April 2024. Since then, in line with the National Health Service operating framework and the establishment of integrated care systems, the commissioning of post-COVID services has been the responsibility of ICBs. This is being supported by ongoing funding, and the expectation is that dedicated services should continue to be offered to support people with long COVID. The Government is also currently developing a delivery plan for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of levels of capacity in phlebotomy services on the time taken for leukaemia cases to be diagnosed. \p Ashley Dalton: We are taking meaningful steps to improve cancer diagnostic performance for all cancers, including leukaemia. The 2025/26 NHS Planning Guidance sets a stretching target for cancer diagnosis that will see approximately 100,000 more people every year having cancer confirmed or ruled out within 28 days.

This will be supported by our commitment to improve diagnostic performance. We are delivering an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks. As of December 2024, community diagnostic centres are now delivering additional tests and checks on 168 sites across the country and have delivered over 12.2 million additional tests since July 2021, including phlebotomy service tests.

We have also announced plans for a revised NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in summer 2025 to ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Finally, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including leukaemia.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-18)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve the education of (a) frontline healthcare staff and (b) the public on the (i) symptoms and (ii) signs of sepsis. \p Ashley Dalton: Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary, making it challenging to identify and diagnose.

The Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies are focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, so that unwell and deteriorating patients are identified promptly and started on life-saving treatment. NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as updated national sepsis guidance is implemented. Individual National Health Service trusts may also choose to implement additional initiatives on sepsis locally.

The UK Health Security Agency provides public facing campaigns and resources for professionals’ focus on various aspects of infection. These include resources on infection prevention and control, antibiotic stewardship, managing common infections, diagnostic decision making, and patient information leaflets, including safety advice on sepsis.