theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication entitled Health Technical Memorandum 04-01: Safe water in healthcare premises, updated on 27 August 2024, what processes are in place to help support the (a) NHS and (b) healthcare sector with the implementation of the NHS Estates Technical Bulletin No.2024/3. \p Karin Smyth: The Health Technical Memorandum 04-01: Safe water in healthcare premises was last updated in 2016, and is currently being reviewed for the publication of an update in 2026.

The NHS Estates Technical Bulletin (NETB) No.2024/3: Designing safe spaces for patients at high risk of infection from nontuberculous mycobacteria and other waterborne pathogens was created in response to a recent outbreak of mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), a nontuberculous mycobacterium, and the resulting risks for vulnerable patients in specialised wards/units. The NETB was created in response to a Regulation 28 report from the coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

National Health Service organisations are responsible for reviewing their own organisational risks, in line with the guidance, for this specialist group, and for managing its implementation at a local level.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of epilepsy drugs. \p Karin Smyth: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues have been resolved.

We are currently aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets from one manufacturer. This supply issue is expected to resolve by the end of August 2025. Alternative suppliers have sufficient supply to support patients. We have issued management guidance to the National Health Service.

We are also aware of a shortage of phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets and phenobarbital 15 milligram/5 millilitre elixir from two different manufacturers. Resupply dates are yet to be confirmed for phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets, and the elixir issue is expected to resolve by late June 2025. Management guidance has been issued to the NHS for both formulations. In both cases, alternative suppliers are in stock with sufficient supply to support patients.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address regional disparities in the prescribing of gluten-free foods for people with coeliac disease. \p Karin Smyth: Decisions about the commissioning and funding of local health services are the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs need to consider the needs of all their population when making decisions on how best to use their budget. NHS England’s guidance should be taken into account when ICBs formulate local policies, and prescribers are expected to reflect local policies in their prescribing practice.

NHS England’s guidance on Prescribing Gluten-Free Foods in Primary Care states that commissioners restrict the prescribing of gluten free foods to bread and mixes only. Under the current legislation, ICBs may choose to further restrict product choice, or end the prescribing of gluten free foods altogether, if they feel this is appropriate for their population, and whilst taking account of their legal duties to advance equality and having regard to reducing health inequalities.

The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten free bread and mixes can be provided to coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s severity modifier on the availability of cancer medicines. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) carried out a review of the severity modifier in 2024 and found that it is operating as intended. Since its introduction, the severity modifier has resulted in a higher approval rate for cancer medicines than under the NICE’s previous methods, and has also allowed greater weight to be applied to non-cancer medicines.

The NICE has commissioned research to gather further evidence on societal preferences that will inform future methods’ reviews, but the severity modifier is unlikely to change in the near future, and any future changes would need to be consistent with the principle of cost neutrality.

In 2024, the NICE reported that where the new severity weighting had been used, there had been a higher proportion of positive recommendations, 84.4%, compared with the end-of-life modifier, 82.7%.

The proportion of positive cancer recommendations was also higher, at 80%, than with the end-of-life modifier, at 75%, and the proportion of positive recommendations for advanced cancer treatments was also higher, at 81% compared to 69%.

Further information on the severity modifier and the impact that it has had on the health and care system is available at the following link:

https://indepth.nice.org.uk/what-is-nices-severity-modifier/index.html
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of NICE recommendations that are optimised. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically effective and cost-effective use of resources.

NICE is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop its recommendations and concluded a comprehensive review of the methods and processes it uses for health technology evaluation in January 2022. NICE carried out the review through extensive engagement with stakeholders, including Departmental officials. NICE introduced several changes that make its methods fairer, faster and more consistent, and appropriate to the evaluation of emerging new technologies, such as cell and gene therapies.

NICE is monitoring the impact of the changes following the methods review and has committed to considering modular updates to its methods and processes in the future.

NICE has also developed a Health Technology Assessment Innovation Laboratory that aims to address challenges that may arise in the assessment of innovative health technologies. Recent projects include looking at the use of artificial intelligence in health technology assessment and identifying the potential issues that may emerge in the evaluation of disease-modifying dementia treatments.

Optimised recommendations are used when the case for the adoption and potential benefits of a treatment are partially supported, for example, it is supported for specific circumstances or populations. As such, the treatment would be recommended for a smaller or sub-group of patients than if recommended within its marketing authorisation.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients received support from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each quarter since January 2023. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England does not hold this information. Over its lifetime, the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme has supported over 219,000 people.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what are the retention rates for NHS staff for each year since 2020. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes quarterly information on the turnover of National Health Service staff within their NHS Workforce Statistics publication, with further information available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

This covers the rate of staff joining and leaving active service in English NHS trusts and other core organisations over annual periods. Rates include staff going on, or returning from, periods of unpaid leave, such as career and maternity breaks, and will also include staff remaining in their professions but undertaking roles in other sectors such as primary care, social care, or independent provision. This data is available at national and regional levels, as well as for individual staffing groups. The latest release, which covers the year to December 2024, can be found at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/december-2024

The Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, to ensure we retain more of our skilled and dedicated staff. NHS England is leading work nationally through its retention programme to drive a consistent, system-wide approach to staff retention across NHS trusts. This ensures trusts have access to proven retention strategies, data-driven monitoring, and can foster a more stable, engaged, productive, and supported workforce.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency hospital admissions for (a) infectious diseases and (b) infections among Jewish people were recorded between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The data is not available in the format requested as it is not collected centrally.
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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 NHS staff (a) working conditions and (b) wellbeing. \p Karin Smyth: The Government inherited a broken National Health Service with an overworked and demoralised workforce.

We hugely value all NHS staff and are committed to improving working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain valuable skills. That is why one of our first actions was to give NHS staff an above inflation pay rise.

Local employers across the NHS have in place arrangements for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS England has made available additional emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support. They have also set out a roadmap for the NHS and partner organisations to work together to develop and invest in occupational health and wellbeing services for NHS staff.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on pay uplifts for NHS staff for the 2025-2026 financial year; and what steps he is taking to engage with UNISON to resolve disputes to NHS pay structure. \p Karin Smyth: On 22 May 2025, the Government announced that it was formally accepting the 2025/26 headline pay recommendations for National Health Service staff in England from the NHS Pay Review Body, the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration, and the Senior Salaries Review Body. These awards will be backdated to 1 April 2025, and staff can expect to receive their awards from August.

All Agenda for Change (AfC) pay points in England will be uplifted by 3.6% for 2025/26. We have also accepted the recommendation to provide the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to deliver changes to the AfC pay structure. We will work with the NHS Staff Council so that we can implement the changes by 1 April 2026.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase levels of (a) prescribing rights and (b) public health advisory services for qualified (i) pharmacists, (ii) nurse practitioners and (iii) paramedics. \p Karin Smyth: The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicine responsibilities for non-medical professionals, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Paramedics, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists can all train as independent prescribers, allowing them to prescribe a wide range of medicines, including some controlled drugs, within their professional scope of practice.

All health and care professionals play an important role in delivering evidence based public health interventions. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has already developed resources and tools under a programme called All Our Health, which supports professionals to increase their focus on public health interventions. The 10-Year Health Plan will set out further actions which will support the shift from treatment to prevention.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England plans to include (a) diver safety organisations and (b) medical experts in future consultations on the national contract for recompression services. \p Karin Smyth: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation on a revised service specification and changes to commissioning arrangements for hyperbaric oxygen services. This included consideration of the impacts on geographical access to services and traveling times.

As a formal public consultation, responses were invited from all those with an interest in these services, and responses were received from a range of experts.

Further information regarding the feedback received was published in November 2024, and is available at the following link:   Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-engagement-report-November-2024.pdf

The updated service specification was published in January 2025, and is available at the following link:   Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-services-all-ages-Service-specification-January-2025.pdf
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are employed by (a) NHS England, (b) Health Education England, (c) NHS Digital, (d) NHS Improvement, (e) Health Research Authority, (f) Human Tissue Authority, (g) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (h) NHS Business Services Authority, (i) NHS Counter Fraud Authority, (j) NHS Blood and Transplant, (k) NHS Resolution, (l) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (m) UK Health Security Agency, (n) Care Quality Commission and (o) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the period for which the latest data is available. \p Karin Smyth: Several of the bodies mentioned in the question no longer exist. Health Education England, NHS Digital, and NHS Improvement have all been merged into NHS England in recent years. With regards the remaining bodies, the latest published figures on headcount and full time equivalent employees can be found on GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dhsc-workforce-management-information#2025
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of access to hyperbaric treatment for people in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has not undertaken an assessment for the Surrey Health constituency specifically.

A revised service specification for hyperbaric oxygen services in England was subjected to stakeholder testing in July 2024, and public consultation took place during September 2024.

NHS England published the feedback received in November 2024, which is available at the following link:

Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-engagement-report-November-2024.pdf

The updated service specification was published in January 2025, and is available at the following link:

Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-services-all-ages-Service-specification-January-2025.pdf
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children aged between five to 11 years of age have been prescribed Montelukast in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) holds patient identifiable data relating to drugs prescribed in England and dispensed within a community setting, and which are submitted to the NHSBSA for processing.

The following table shows the total number of identified children in the requested age bands that were prescribed Montelukast for the financial years 2020/2021 to 2024/2025:

Financial year

Age band one to five years old

Age band five to 11 years old

2020/2021

31,448

57,057

2021/2022

44,675

62,587

2022/2023

47,301

69,837

2023/2024

41,346

74,859

2024/2025

30,849

70,903

Data Source: NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

It should be noted that the age ranges requested overlap for children aged five years old, so the given age bands should not be added or combined.

Care should be taken when interpreting the patient counts, as some patients could appear in the results for multiple time periods. For example, a single patient could appear in the results for multiple financial years. Therefore, the patient numbers should not be combined and reported at any other levels other than as provided in the dataset.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children aged between six to 10 years of age have been prescribed Clenil in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) holds patient identifiable data relating to drugs prescribed in England and dispensed within a community setting, and which are submitted to the NHSBSA for processing. The following table shows the total number of identified children in specific age bands that were prescribed Clenil Modulite for the financial years 2020/2021 to 2024/2025:

Financial year

Age band one to five years old

Age band six to 10 years old

2020/2021

84,498

149,296

2021/2022

127,765

160,142

2022/2023

138,224

171,323

2023/2024

124,551

179,865

2024/2025

105,336

172,698

Data Source: NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

Please note that care should be taken when interpreting the patient counts as some patients could appear in the results for multiple time periods and age bands. For example, a single patient could appear in the results for multiple financial years, or at both ages five and six years old within the same year. Therefore, the patient numbers should not be combined and reported at any other levels other than as provided in the dataset.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support internationally educated nurses in financial hardship who are ineligible for public funds. \p Karin Smyth: National advice and guidance on financial wellbeing is available for National Health Service employers and staff, including those experiencing financial hardship. The NHS Employers’ financial wellbeing webpage helps employers to develop a robust approach to support their staff, including those from overseas, with ﬁnancial wellbeing in the workplace. The financial wellbeing webpage is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/financial-education-and-wellbeing

NHS England also provides resources and signposting to support NHS workers with financial wellbeing, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/financial-support/
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing British students who obtain a medical degree abroad to be treated the same as domestic students when applying for jobs in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: Subject to their registration status, British students who have obtained a medical degree abroad are able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as United Kingdom medical graduates.

Following completion of a medical degree, in order to be eligible for full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC), UK medical graduates must undertake and complete the first year of the UK Foundation Programme, a work-based training programme that will be their first job as a doctor in the NHS.

Some individuals who have obtained a medical degree abroad, which may include British citizens, will already hold or expect to hold full registration with the GMC due to the level of experience working in clinical settings that they have obtained. These individuals would not need to, and would not be eligible to, apply to the UK Foundation Programme, and instead can consider applying for jobs as a fully registered doctor. In these instances, they should liaise with the GMC to confirm which jobs they are eligible to apply for.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including NHS Professionals employees in the NHS Pension Scheme. \p Karin Smyth: No such assessment has been made. NHS Professionals is a private limited company operating in a competitive environment to secure contracts with National Health Service trusts, and as such it makes its own assessment of the terms upon which it attracts and retains its employees.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if they will make it their policy to not provide (a) translation and (b) interpretation for speakers of non-UK languages for services provided by their Department. \p Karin Smyth: General Medical Council guidance states that all possible efforts must be made to ensure effective communication with patients. This includes arrangements to meet patients’ communication needs in languages other than English.

Where language is a problem in discussing health matters, NHS England’s guidance stipulates that a professional interpreter should always be offered, rather than using family or friends to interpret. NHS England’s guidance for interpreting and translation services in primary care is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/guidance-for-commissioners-interpreting-and-translation-services-in-primary-care/

Working with professional interpreters will:
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Urgent Question on the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service on 19 May 2025, what estimate he has made of when the new national programme will be in operation. \p Karin Smyth: Volunteers continue to support health and care in hospitals, ambulance services, and communities. The new NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is due to fully launch later this year. Prospective volunteers can already access the portal via the volunteer pages of the National Health Service’s website to search for nearby volunteering opportunities and contacts in local NHS organisations.

Although the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders contractual arrangement is ending, volunteers will be signposted to other available opportunities across the sector. The new NHS Volunteer recruitment portal will help to ensure that the active pool of volunteers registered with the Volunteer Responders programme can continue to support the NHS.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the capacity of local NHS services to provide safe home births in the context of the closure of Yeovil Hospital’s maternity unit. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is aware of the temporary changes to services at Yeovil District Hospital that have been made in response to a number of factors, including a recent Care Quality Commission inspection and not being able to currently meet the staffing levels required to provide safe services for babies and families.

The temporary closure is for an initial period of six months. Home births will continue to be offered, based on discussions with parents-to-be about preferences and risks. All births and expectant mothers are also being offered pain relief and safe birthing at surrounding hospitals in Taunton, Dorchester, and Bath.

Choice is a core part of maternity care. We are working with NHS England to improve personalised care, and the quality of information mothers receive about their choices, so they feel empowered throughout their pregnancy journey into motherhood.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by his Department within the required timescale in (i) January 2025, (ii) February 2025, (iii) March 2025 and (iv) April 2025. \p Karin Smyth: The Department takes its obligations to parliamentary accountability seriously, including the answering of written parliamentary questions. We continue to receive the highest number of written questions of any Government department in Whitehall.

The following tables show the information requested as recorded internally within the Department:

Named Day:

Month

Proportion answered within required timescale

January 2025

76.7%

February 2025

47.3%

March 2025

49.6%

April 2025

74.4%

Ordinary Written:

Month

Proportion answered within required timescale

January 2025

86.4%

February 2025

62.6%

March 2025

63.1%

April 2025

76.3%
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New DHSC Permanent Secretary Appointed, published on 22 April 2025, whether the new Permanent Secretary was appointed by (a) open and fair competition, (b) temporary appointment and (c) exception. \p Karin Smyth: Samantha Jones has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care following an open and fair competition, overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner. Samantha Jones will be taking up the role on a fixed term appointment, and this appointment is not an exception.
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Saqib Bhatti: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 recommendations on the minimum age for treatment for gender dysphoria in the Cass Review, published in April 2024. \p Karin Smyth: Last year, NHS England held a public consultation regarding an updated referral pathway policy for children and young people to access NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review.

The public consultation was supported by a detailed Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment. A detailed report on the outcome of the consultation process, alongside guidance for secondary care health professionals, was published by NHS England on 7 August 2024.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of emergency back up generators in rural (a) hospitals and (b) GP surgeries. \p Karin Smyth: No national assessment has been made of the provision of emergency backup generators in hospitals and general practice surgeries. It is the responsibility of each National Health Service provider to have resilience plans and procedures in place.

Guidance is provided to the NHS within the Health Technical Memorandum 06 series, namely Health Technical Memorandum 06-01: Electrical services supply and distribution, Health Technical Memorandum 06-02: Electrical safety guidance for low voltage systems, and Health Technical Memorandum 06-03: Electrical safety guidance for high voltage systems, which are all respectively available at the following three links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-services-supply-and-distribution-htm-06-01/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-safety-guidance-for-low-voltage-systems-htm-06-02/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/electrical-safety-guidance-for-high-voltage-systems-in-healthcare-premises-htm-06-03/

This guidance is for healthcare organisation, defined as an organisation that provides or intends to provide healthcare services, and is therefore applicable to primary and secondary care providers.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve health outcomes for people with a UTI in Devon. \p Karin Smyth: Information is published nationally on the National Health Service website outlining the symptoms, treatment, self-care, causes, and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/

In addition, there is also local patient-facing information on the MyHealth Devon website, which is available at the following link:

https://myhealth-devon.nhs.uk/my-condition/condition/utis/

The local NHS service in Devon has a series of referral and treatment guidelines for UTIs. These include:

- UTIs in females;

- UTIs in males;

- suspected UTIs in children; and

- UTIs in general.

These guidelines include information on assessment, red flags, investigations, management, and referral, and further information on each of the topics above is available at the following link:

https://southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/referral-guidance/south-devon-torbay/urology

There is also a new clinical referral guideline for recurrent UTIs that is currently in development with local specialists. These guidelines cover the management of many UTI related topics, including:

- the management of asymptomatic bacteriuria;

- the management of catheter-associated urinary tract infection;

- the management of chronic pelvic pain syndrome;

- the management of community multidrug-resistant urinary tract infection;

- the management of lower urinary tract infections;

- the management of prostatitis, acute;

- the management of pyelonephritis, acute;

- the management of recurrent urinary tract infection; and

- resources for urinary tract infections.

Further information on each of the above is available at the following link:

https://southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/formulary/chapters/5-infections/urinary-tract-infections
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_92

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of an increase in staffing costs in voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations on their ability to provide services for the NHS through integrated care systems. \p Karin Smyth: Within integrated care systems, integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to arrange and provide healthcare services that meet the needs of their populations. Additionally, ICBs work closely with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VSCE) sector, which includes the commissioning and delivery of services and, in some cases, by appointing representatives from the VSCE sector to their boards.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of an increase in staffing costs in VSCE organisations. VCSE organisations, as independent organisations such as charities and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, which includes pay scales.

It is for those organisations to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of National Health Service staff on the Agenda for Change contract.

NHS England has issued guidance on the implementation of the 2024/25 pay awards, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/revenue-finance-and-contracting-guidance-for-2024-25/

The Government has also more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that more than half of businesses, including charities, with National Insurance contribution (NIC) liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. The Government is also expanding the eligibility of the Employment Allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, to simplify and reform employer NICs so that all eligible employers now benefit. Employers will also continue to benefit from employer NIC reliefs, including for hiring those that are under 21 years old and apprentices under 25 years old, where eligible.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_93
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_93

Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50992 on NHS: Contracts, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers; and whether his Department monitors differences in the terms and conditions of staff working (a) directly for the NHS and (b) in the NHS for non-NHS providers. \p Karin Smyth: Neither the Department or NHS England intend to centrally collect data on the number of staff working in the National Health Service for non-NHS providers, or information on the differences in terms and conditions between NHS and non-NHS providers, due to the additional resources involved in such an exercise. Independent, non-NHS organisations are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use, the extent to which pay awards are made, and when those awards are paid. We expect such employers, providing NHS services, to offer a total reward package that supports recruitment and retention and reflects the skills and experience of their staff.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_94
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_94

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the impact assessment for the Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025, published on 25 February 2025, whether the calculations used to estimate MHRA future costs included an estimated amount to take into account the (a) rise in employer national insurance contributions and (b) lowering of the lower earnings limit for employers national contributions, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is subject to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget. For their current fees uplift, the MHRA modelled their future costs, using historic volumes, to ensure that the uplift will deliver cost recovery until April 2027. If there are any shortfalls, the MHRA will find efficiency savings to appropriately manage them.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_95
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_95

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 52225 on Hospitals: Basingstoke, what is the timescale for the short form business case for the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3. \p Karin Smyth: The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has confirmed the budget allocation for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s land purchase in this financial year. This does include a budget cap which is based on an estimate of what is expected to be required to complete the land acquisition. The actual funding amount will only be confirmed once the short form business case is approved as per the business case process set out in HM Treasury Green Book.

The trust is currently in the process of developing their short form business case in relation to the purchase of land near Junction 7 of the M3 with support from the NHP.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_96

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) scans, (b) medical records and (c) treatment plans are transferred effectively between medical centres in (i) Hampshire and (ii) Surrey. \p Karin Smyth: Ensuring that information on diagnoses and treatment can be shared between services is vital to the provision of safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients, and better informed clinical and care decision-making empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

The Connecting Care Records programme joins up information based on the individual, rather than through a single organisation. Through targeted investment, local Connecting Care Record systems have been established in all integrated commissioning board areas. 97% of trusts and 92% of primary care networks are now connected. Across the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System there is extensive sharing to support care between acute providers and general practitioners through the patient record systems. Local transformation activities are underway that will support local ambulance providers in being able to access shared records in the coming weeks, and which will support more comprehensive sharing of care plans over the coming months.

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

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

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the development of a single patient record to provide a comprehensive patient record and to end the need for patients repeating their medical history when interacting with the NHS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_97

Alistair Strathern:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 50325, what his planned timeline is for publishing the update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several government departments and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity however we are not currently able to give a timeline for a response.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_98
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_98

Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has allocated to medical research into Parkinson's disease in each of the last three financial years. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department delivers research into Parkinson’s disease via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between the financial years 2022/23 and 2024/25, the NIHR has allocated over £24 million to medical research into Parkinson’s disease through its research programmes. The following table shows a breakdown of the allocated funding to medical research into Parkinson’s disease via the NIHR for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

Year

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Total

Allocated funding

£1,900,000

£21,000,000

£1,400,000

£24,300,000

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. 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 Parkinson’s disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_99
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_99

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35647 on Coronavirus: Research, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority case rulings with reference to (a) AUTH/3835/10/23 and (b) 0316/10/24 on the governance of the Government’s mRNA research and development partnership with Moderna. \p Ashley Dalton: In April 2025, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was made aware that Moderna was to be issued a public reprimand by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) appeal board. Moderna would be subject to an audit following two recent cases where they had been ruled to have breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Code.

The Government has conducted an initial assessment of the PMCPA’s ruling, and has determined that it will not impact the delivery of the Moderna-United Kingdom Strategic Partnership.

The UKHSA will work with Moderna to ensure any recommendations from the report are duly considered and implemented, and to obtain assurance that these will be upheld for the duration of the partnership.
wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_100
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-02 conversation_100

Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate the uptake of non-animal New Approach Methodologies in (a) regulatory testing and (b) scientific research. \p Ashley Dalton: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding is focused on translational, clinical, and applied health and care research. We therefore do not fund basic research or work involving animals, animal tissue, or both. However, the NIHR does work in close partnership with the Medical Research Council, which funds animal research in carefully defined circumstances and recognises the need for the robust application of the 3Rs, the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in research.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation, and uptake of alternative methods in basic, applied, translational, and regulatory research and testing later this year.