theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of lowering the age at which women are offered their first smear test. \p Ashley Dalton: The cervical screening age in the United Kingdom was officially changed from 20 to 25 years old in 2003. This decision was made by the Advisory Committee on Cervical Cancer Screening which advised the NHS Cervical Screening Programme to raise the starting age due to evidence that screening younger women could do more harm than good. This is because: cervical abnormalities are common in women under 25 years old, but they usually resolve naturally; screening could lead to unnecessary treatments, which carry risks such as increased chances of pre-term delivery; and cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under 25 years old.

Since then, the human papillomavirus vaccination programme has been introduced, which means the vast majority of women under 29 years old have been offered the vaccine that protects against most forms of cervical cancer.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering additional resources to neighbourhood teams to provide targeted interventions enabling equitable access to (a) HPV vaccination and (b) cervical screening. \p Ashley Dalton: As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we have recently launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, to support systems with the roll-out of neighbourhood health services which will bring together teams of professionals, including pharmacists, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community.

The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to encourage high uptake of all immunisation and screening programmes, including in areas where coverage has historically been low, by exploring new, accessible, and innovative delivery models.

The Department is also working with partners to develop options for human papillomavirus (HPV) catch-up vaccination through community pharmacies from 2026, with the ambition to increase the accessibility and uptake of HPV vaccinations among younger adults who have left school, supporting our aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

For cervical screening, primary care networks collaborate across their local neighbourhoods to offer additional appointments to improve access and convenience. Regional commissioners and providers also undertake targeted outreach campaigns. For example, the Living Well initiative in Cheshire and Merseyside offers mobile cervical screening to eligible individuals. The service can reach more individuals by being closer to where people live, work, and shop.

NHS England has also increased the provision of cervical screening sample taking services in integrated sexual health settings, which in turn has helped to improve access for people eligible for screening, especially individuals who would not access general practice or are not registered with a general practice.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a winter preparedness analysis for 2025-26 defining eligibility for covid boosters. \p Ashley Dalton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI published advice for future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in autumn 2025 and spring 2026 in November 2024, and published advice for autumn 2026 and spring 2027 in July 2025. The Government accepted JCVI advice for autumn 2025 in June 2025. The Government is considering the JCVI’s advice for 2026 and spring 2027 carefully and will respond in due course.

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious disease, involving hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. The JCVI assessment indicates that the oldest age cohorts and individuals who are immunosuppressed are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease.

Therefore, in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in a care home for older adults;

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

The National Health Service is preparing earlier and more robustly for winter this year, with rigorous stress testing of local plans, closer working with local partners, and a far earlier kick-off of winter preparations. Vaccinations have been ramped up across the board for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus so families can protect themselves and others. This includes the surge capacity and escalation plans in place across all NHS and urgent care services. As set out in the 2025/26 Urgent Emergency Care Plan, the NHS is focusing on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter. The 2025/26 Urgent Emergency Care Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential merits of using geofence technology to tackle the use of vaping devices by children in schools. \p Ashley Dalton: It is concerning that youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years and that one in four children aged between 11 and 15 years old tried vaping in 2023. That is why we are committed to bringing about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. To do this, we are acting to reduce the appeal, availability, and accessibility of these products to children whilst not impacting on their use as a quit aid for adult smokers.

The Government’s policy, as set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, is that all products are age verified at the point of sale rather than the point of use.

We are examining the role of certain technology in vapes as part of our secondary legislation programme, and we are currently running a call for evidence on vapes which explores this area, and which we would encourage stakeholders to respond to. In addition, next year we will run a consultation on introducing smoke-free and vape-free places, restrictions on vape packaging, and on changing how and where vapes are displayed in shops.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure adequate financial support for the full range of specialist palliative care services provided by hospices. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs, including the NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, which covers the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations also play.

The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by ICB area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth of palliative care, including specialist palliative care, and end of life care provision within each ICB catchment area. It is important to note that hospices, like the NHS, provide both specialist and generalist palliative care and end of life care. Not all patients will require specialist palliative care.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10- Year Health Plan.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via ICBs. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve GP (a) awareness and (b) understanding of (i) dementia and (ii) other neurodegenerative conditions. \p Stephen Kinnock: Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/

The Dementia Care Pathway: Full implementation guidance emphasises the need to ensure that general practitioners are supported in providing dementia diagnosis with education and training programmes.

There are also a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that palliative care services are equally accessible to all ethnic groups in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs, including the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, the Surrey Heartlands ICB, and the Frimley ICB, must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, including the ability to filter the available information, such as by deprivation or ethnicity, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department has invested £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve children's palliative care services in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: Palliative care services, including children’s palliative care services, are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs, including Frimley ICB and Surrey Heartlands ICB which cover the Surrey Heath constituency, in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification for children and young people.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, which serve children in the Surrey Heath constituency, are receiving £679,148 and £191,824 respectively from this funding.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice have received £1,879,000 and £300,000 respectively from this funding.

We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on (a) diver safety and (b) emergency access for people in the West Midlands of the proposed closure of the Midland Dive Chamber in Rugby. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England has no immediate plans to decommission the hyperbaric oxygen therapy services in the Midlands. The responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a specialised service commissioned by NHS England.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce annual English language reassessments for NHS staff trained overseas. \p Karin Smyth: Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside of the UK must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge of English. This process varies according to regulator, the healthcare role, and the circumstances of applicants

The healthcare regulators are independent of the Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants.   General practitioners, dentists, and opticians delivering NHS primary care must also be on the relevant NHS performers list. Applicants’ ability to communicate effectively and safely with patients and colleagues is assessed as part of the performers list application process.

For the performers lists in England, it is NHS England policy that the required level of English language competence for admission to the list is the same as that required by the relevant healthcare regulator. If there are concerns about an applicant’s English language competence, they will be required to demonstrate competence by further assessment. This may be an oral exam with an NHS England assessor or with satisfactory completion of the International English Language Test System or the Occupational English Test.

In regard to care workers, since February 2022, the main route for care workers wishing to come to the UK has been through the Health and Care visa. To qualify for this visa, individuals must demonstrate that they meet the B1 standard of English language. On 14 October 2025, the Home Office laid rules changes to increase the English Language requirement to Level B2. These changes will come into effect from 8 January 2026.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS staff have not met minimum English language proficiency standards in the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside of the UK must demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge of English as part of the regulator’s assessment of their healthcare qualifications, knowledge, and skills. The process and accepted evidence for demonstrating English language proficiency varies according to regulator.

The healthcare regulators are independent of the Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants. There may also be tests undertaken as part of the process of visa applications where these are applicable to staff. The Department does not hold information on the rate of success or failure of any of these tests.

Roles undertaken in the National Health Service by staff who are not required to be registered healthcare professionals may have language and communications skills defined and assessed locally as part of recruitment processes.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help improve access to public transport for disabled patients at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board recognises that accessible transport is a key enabler for patients to attend hospital appointments independently and safely. To that end, the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust works closely with local transport providers and system partners to manage transport accessibility for disabled patients.

Hospital car parks are the responsibility of individual National Health Service trusts, with no central Government involvement. Where it is possible to accommodate parking, local trusts are responsible for determining the ratio of car parking for patients, hospital users, and staff.

We know access to hospital car parking is important for all patients, including disabled patients. All NHS trusts that charge for car parking provide free hospital car parking in England for those most in need. This includes Blue Badge holders, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of sick children staying overnight in hospital, and NHS staff working night shifts. The Department has issued guidance to NHS trusts on the implementation of this commitment. Further information about this policy can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not record remote workdays. Data on office attendance is published on the Civil Service HQ occupancy data - GOV.UK page.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of HMRC mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits. \p Karin Smyth: No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of HM Revenue and Customs’ mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits. The Department of Health and Social Care looks at pressures on health and care services in the round, both at fiscal events such as budgets and spending reviews, and on an ongoing basis.

The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their terms and conditions independent of the Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine fee rates, which should take account of employment costs, based on local market conditions.

Agenda for Change staff and resident doctors in England are reimbursed for travel which is incurred in the performance of their duties in line with their respective terms and conditions. These staff currently receive 59 pence per mile for the first 3,500 miles travelled in a year, before the rate drops to 24 pence per subsequent mile. The NHS Staff Council, which is responsible for maintaining the National Health Service terms and conditions of service, is currently negotiating a new mechanism that will determine a fair reimbursement rate for miles incurred by these staff. Further updates on their work will be made in due course.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will publish further guidance on the regulation of NHS managers. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.

As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s (GMC) regulatory framework in early 2026 and to lay this legislation before Parliament in the same year. We also plan to deliver legislation for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council within the current parliamentary period.

We will take forward legislative change within this Parliament to introduce a statutory barring system for senior National Health Service leaders and will set out further detail regarding this when we consult on the GMC Order in early 2026.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people who were seen by a GP in (a) September and (b) October 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: NHS England collects and publishes statistics on the total number of general practice (GP) appointments delivered each month. This data is published one month in arrears in order to allow for sufficient time for all appointment records to be collated, validated, and quality assured. As a result, data for October will be available at the end of November.   For context, in September 2025, 32 million appointments were delivered, 14 million of which were delivered by GPs, or 43%. In August 2024, 27 million appointments were delivered, with 12 million provided by GPs, also 44%.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect the (a) cost of the services they provide and (b) needs of their local populations. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. 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 ICB area.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10- Year Health Plan.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.
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Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to monitor the provision of emergency hormonal contraception under Patient Group Directive as part of the Pharmacy Contraception and Pharmacy First Services. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), under which community pharmacists can initiate and manage the supply of oral contraception, was due to expand to allow the supply of emergency hormonal contraception on 29 October 2025.

The number of pharmacies registered to provide PCS and actively delivering the service has increased since service launch in April 2023. The latest available data for registrations and activity shows that in September, 9,932 pharmacies were registered to provide the PCS, and in June 7,160 pharmacies delivered at least one contraception consultation. 15 pharmacies have deregistered from the PCS since March 2025.

NHS England will keep the clinical scope of this service under review, and the NHS Business Services Authority will publish activity data in line with the approach for other clinical services in community pharmacy.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a compensation scheme for people adversely affected by Covid-19 vaccinations. \p Ashley Dalton: I would like to reiterate my deepest sympathies to all those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

The long-standing Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) provides a one-off, tax-free payment of £120,000 to claimants who have been found, in rare cases and on the balance of probabilities, to have been severely disabled by certain vaccines for a disease listed in the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979. The VDPS is not designed to be a compensation scheme and does not prejudice the right of the individual to pursue a claim for damages through the courts.

The Government recognises that concerns have been raised regarding the VDPS, including by some of those who have suffered harm following COVID-19 vaccination. Ministers continue to consider options for reforming the scheme.
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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has been the cost to the public purse of the indemnity to pharmaceutical companies in the context of Covid-19 vaccines. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government cannot comment on the terms on which COVID-19 vaccinations were procured, which are confidential.
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Adrian Ramsay: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 report from the Royal College of Anaesthetists entitled Anaesthetic Workforce Census 2025: Key Interim Findings, published on 29 October 2025. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made. Officials have noted the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ report. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is shared with third parties. \p Ashley Dalton: The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.

For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.

Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.

The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/

Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.

PQ88074 - Guidelines (pdf, 353.9KB)
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of risk-stratified screening on improving early detection of prostate cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, commissioned an evidence review modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. This included different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.

The modelling and evidence review reports are now complete, and the UK NSC plans to open a three-month public consultation towards the end of the year. After this, the UK NSC will make a recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase the number of early interventions for prostate cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: Early cancer diagnosis remains a key priority for the Government, and we recognise the importance of implementing early interventions to provide faster diagnoses and quicker access to treatment, including for patients with prostate cancer.

To help develop early interventions for prostate cancer, the Government has invested £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which aims to identify more effective approaches for detecting prostate cancer earlier. The UK National Screening Committee, which independently advises ministers, is also reviewing the evidence for both population-wide and targeted prostate cancer screening.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the Neurology Transformation Programme. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme will be concluding at the end of this financial year. By this time, we will have delivered all of the products, tools, and best practice guidance to support integrated care boards and local pathfinders to transform neurology services at a local level. Expert clinical advice and support will continue to be available during 2026/27 to support local transformation.

As we bring together the Department and NHS England to form a new joint centre, we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, including for people with neurological conditions, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down. By the end of the process, we estimate that these changes will save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services.

We continue to take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, which will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving neurological care for people in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, closer to home.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_153

Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allocate funding to innovative diagnostics to tackle antimicrobial resistance. \p Ashley Dalton: The United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan (NAP) highlights the importance of accurate diagnostic testing to guide effective antibiotic use.

Outcome six of the NAP commits to cross-sector working to develop diagnostics as a tool to tackle AMR. The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has invested over £16 million into programme funding for AMR diagnostics research. The Department also funds the NIHR HealthTech Research Centres, which accelerate development of healthcare technologies, including diagnostics.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_154

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of sexually transmitted infections on the future fertility of people. \p Ashley Dalton: Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are a recognised cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can in some cases lead to tubal factor infertility.

Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STI. It often has no symptoms but, if left untreated, can have serious health complications in women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal factor infertility. It has been estimated that 0.5% of untreated chlamydia infections can lead to tubal factor infertility.

The National Chlamydia Screening Programme is a public health programme aimed at reducing the reproductive harm caused by untreated chlamydia infections. The programme involves making opportunistic offers of a chlamydia test to young women aged 15 to 24 years old without symptoms, with the primary aim of reducing the health harm caused by untreated chlamydia infection.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_155

Gill Furniss:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure earlier (a) detection and (b) treatment of heart valve disease is prioritised within NHS long-term planning. \p Ashley Dalton: In line with the goals of the 10-Year Health Plan, NHS England has already undertaken measures to improve the early detection of heart valve disease (HVD). These include:

In 2025, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme published new and revised cardiology pathways to support evidence-based, efficient, and consistent care across primary and secondary settings, including for aortic stenosis for patients with severe symptomatic heart valve disease.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_156

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to develop a modern services framework for (a) arthritis and (b) musculorskeletal disease. \p Ashley Dalton: As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, mental health, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_157

Mrs Sureena Brackenridge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the National Cancer Plan for England includes measures that improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) outcomes for people with (i) myeloma and (ii) other blood cancers not covered by staging-based targets. \p Ashley Dalton: Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including myeloma and other blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.

To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating them faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_158

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the level of risk of vaping on (a) fertility and (b) pregnancy. \p Ashley Dalton: The current evidence is clear that vaping is safer than smoking, including the impact on fertility and pregnancy. Smoking affects the ability to conceive for both men and women, with all stages of reproductive function affected by tobacco toxicants. Pregnant women are especially advised to quit smoking, due to the two-fold increased risk of low birthweight, 27% increase in premature birth, 32% increase in miscarriage, and 47% increase in stillbirth.

Whilst research in this area is limited, a study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that vaping can be a more effective cessation aid for pregnant women than traditional nicotine replacement therapies, with almost twice as many women in this study quitting smoking with vapes rather than with nicotine patches. Importantly, this study concluded that the safety of vapes for use during pregnancy was similar to that of nicotine patches.

However, the long-term harms of vaping are not fully known. Therefore, non-smokers should not vape.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the incidence of (a) genetic and (b) congenital disorders associated with parental consanguinity in England and Wales since 1997; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of incidence on public health; and if he will publish that assessment. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the goals for to older people's mental health services in the 10-Year Plan for the NHS are met in relation to (a) prevention, (b) early intervention, (c) access to community-based support and (d) in general. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_161

Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will host the Global Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2028. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_162

Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) review and (b) update the guidance entitled Children and young people’s continuing care national framework, published on 22 January 2016. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_163

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, what steps he is taking in November 2025 to promote inclusive (a) wig and (b) prosthetic services. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-12 conversation_164

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse for NHS of treating (a) congenital and (b) genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.