theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of HPV vaccine uptake in different local authorities. \p Ashley Dalton: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage is presented for England at national, National Health Service commissioning region, and local authority levels. HPV vaccine uptake is known to vary by local authority, and assessments of trends by locality are ongoing.

Vaccine coverage data for the routine school-aged HPV immunisation programme in England, including for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#hpv-vaccine-uptake
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to include universal type 1 diabetes screening in the forthcoming 10-year plan for preventing chronic disease. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan 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 preventing and managing conditions such as diabetes in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community and better joint working between services will support the management of conditions, including diabetes, closer to home.

The plan will draw directly from the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including those in the diabetes care sector. We are in the final stages of working on the plan and will publish it shortly.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he had had with stakeholders on the potential impact of poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene in low- and middle-income countries on the spread of antimicrobial resistance. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government continues to deliver the United Kingdom’s second five-year National Action Plan on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The Action Plan recognises the need to support international action on AMR alongside domestic activity, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) which bear a disproportionate burden of infectious disease and AMR.

At the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in September 2024, the UK championed global agreement on a political declaration that commits member states to reduce global AMR attributed deaths by 10% by 2030. Following extensive consultation with member states and wider stakeholders, the political declaration also commits to international action on improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in LMICs through improved stewardship, monitoring and surveillance. These commitments were revisited at the 2025 World Health Assembly, where the UK co-chairs the annual Alliance of Champions against AMR meeting with international Health Ministers to discuss shared priorities for addressing AMR.

Globally, we work with partners including the World Bank, UNICEF and WHO to provide data on WASH services in health care facilities to support governments prioritising, planning and mobilising finance to improve WASH.

In November 2024, the UK co-chaired the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategic Network on water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management and electricity in health care facilities, bringing together a range of country officials, health, WASH and energy sector stakeholder to share actions to reduce service gaps in lower-middle- and low-income countries. The Government will continue to hold discussions on AMR and WASH, including with WaterAid UK.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on late stage cancer diagnoses, by ethnic group. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects and analyses diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. Further information on the National Disease Registration Service is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs

The following estimates are taken from the data used in Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registration for 2022, the most recent diagnosis year available, with further information available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2022

The estimates apply the 2021 census ethnic groups for England and Wales, namely:

Further information on the ethnic groups used is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021

Where an ethnicity is not stated on the data sources that are used to compile the cancer registration statistics, these are given the label “Unknown (not stated)”.

The proportions given are on a complete case basis, which compares known stage at diagnosis, and stageable diagnoses for which insufficient data has been reported to the National Disease Registration Service are not included. The definition of early and late stage diagnoses are those used in the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for cancer, specifically that diagnoses at stages 1 and 2 are considered to be early, and diagnoses at stages 3 and 4 are considered to be late. Further information on the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for cancer is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/cancer/strategy/

The following table shows the number and proportion of cancers diagnosed early and late for all stageable diagnoses combined, by ethnic group, in 2022, in England:

Ethnic group

Number of early stage diagnoses

Proportion of early stage diagnoses

Number of early stage diagnoses

Proportion of late stage diagnoses

Asian or Asian British

4,126

57%

3,122

43%

Black, Black British, Caribbean, or African

3,499

57%

2,612

43%

Mixed or multiple ethnic groups

804

58%

571

42%

White

112,391

55%

93,085

45%

Other ethnic group

2,035

55%

1,654

45%

Unknown (not stated)

11,697

58%

8,345

42%

All ethnicities combined

134,552

55%

109,389

45%

Not every cancer is stageable, and some types of cancer do not have a staging system, so the tabulations above are for a subset of the reported total number of diagnoses of cancer.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve timely access to innovative treatments for women with ovarian cancer. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is committed to improving cancer care for patients across England, including those with ovarian cancer. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across the country, including patients with ovarian cancer, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. It will ensure that more patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

The Government is supporting Scott Arthur’s Private Members Bill on rare cancers. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials into rare cancers, such as ovarian cancer, to take place in England by ensuring the patient population can be easily contacted by researchers.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the (a) physical and (b) mental health outcomes of women who act as surrogates. \p Ashley Dalton: Ensuring that women are healthy during their pregnancy is important for ensuring good outcomes for women and babies. This includes surrogates, also known as gestational carriers. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including surrogates. The last 10 years of evidence were recently reviewed, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:

https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/our-authority-committees-and-panels/scientific-and-clinical-advances-advisory-committee-scaac/#hidden-text-79513bc0-43bb-4f5d-8aa7-fb3fe2c792e0-1

General practitioners are contractually required to offer a maternal consultation between six and eight weeks postnatally which all women, including surrogates, are entitled to. This consultation should be holistic and balance how physical and mental issues can impact each other. The consultation’s focus includes a review of the mother’s mental health and general wellbeing, and the return to physical health following childbirth and pregnancy.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the National Cancer Plan prioritises improving patient (a) experience and (b) quality of life. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, and research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer.

The plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.
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Mr James Frith:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timetable is for distributing interim payments for people affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is carefully considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve patient safety in hospitals. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government’s commitment to advancing patient safety in the National Health Service is demonstrated by various measures.

This includes delivery of the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, which is overseen by NHS England. The strategy is now achieving its aims of saving an extra 1,000 lives per year. By April 2025, the strategy’s patient safety improvement programmes had led to over 1,500 neonatal lives saved, over 500 fewer cerebral palsy cases in premature babies, and more than 1,900 deaths prevented overall through medicine safety improvements, including work to reduce long term opioid use. Further information on the NHS Patient Safety Strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/the-nhs-patient-safety-strategy/nhs-patient-safety-strategy-progress-so-far/

The strategy includes other key programmes, such as the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, the Learn From Patient Safety Events service, the NHS Patient Safety Syllabus, and the Framework for Involving Patients in Patient Safety, that are focussed on improving the NHS’ systems, capability, and capacity to improve safety. Further information on the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, the Learn From Patient Safety Events service, the NHS Patient Safety Syllabus, and the Framework for Involving Patients in Patient Safety is available, respectively, at the following four links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/incident-response-framework/engaging-and-involving-patients-families-and-staff-following-a-patient-safety-incident/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-insight/learning-from-patient-safety-events/learn-from-patient-safety-events-service/

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/patient-safety

https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/patient-safety-involvement/framework-for-involving-patients-in-patient-safety/

Other measures include implementing Martha’s Rule in 143 hospital sites, which has led to hundreds of life-saving interventions and changes to care that have avoided harm, and implementation of scrutiny by medical examiners of all deaths that are not investigated by a coroner, in order to facilitate learning and improvement at a local level.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the government is taking to implement the provisions agreed in the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in May 2025. \p Ashley Dalton: After three years of negotiations, the Government welcomes the historic adoption of the Pandemic Agreement by the World Health Assembly (WHA), the World Health Organization’s (WHO) main decision-making body. The agreement should ensure that member states of the WHO take comprehensive action, together, to better prevent pandemics and improve disease surveillance so we can detect and respond to emerging pandemic threats promptly. The Government has worked hard to secure it. The sovereignty of member states is one of the guiding principles of the Pandemic Agreement. It does not include any provisions that would give the WHO powers to impose domestic public health decisions on the United Kingdom, such as potential lockdowns.

The Pandemic Agreement will not be binding on the UK as a matter of international law until the Government has ratified it in accordance with our own constitutional process. This would involve laying the agreement as a treaty before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual way. As part of that process, the Government would consider what domestic implementation is required ahead of ratification. The Pandemic Agreement will not be open for signature and ratification until follow-up negotiations on the annex to the agreement, on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system, have successfully concluded and it has been adopted by the WHA. These negotiations will soon begin and member states of the WHO have agreed to report on the outcome within one year.
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Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy that publicly-funded medical trials (a) must be balanced by sex and (b) results must be sex-disaggregated. \p Ashley Dalton: Medical trials, wherever possible, should always be balanced by sex, however, certain clinical trials are designed to investigate conditions that are only specific to one sex, so enforcing a balance would not make sense on those occasions.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As outlined in the Research Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027, the NIHR is committed to exploring an approach which enables and encourages the research community to integrate sex and gender into their research design, including in the disaggregation of research findings. The Research Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027 is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/research-inclusion/strategy-2022-27

On 10 March, the NIHR launched its sex and gender policy, which is expected to come into force later in 2025, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/integrating-sex-and-gender-health-and-care-research

Implementing such a policy will ensure that research accounts for sex and gender across every stage of the research cycle, thus facilitating both funding into topics that impact males and females, and a greater understanding of how they might be impacted differently by the same health condition.
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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 primary care services are adequately resourced in Surrey. \p Stephen Kinnock: Every year we consult with each primary care profession about what services they will provide, and the funding providers are entitled to in return under their contracts.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services within their regions. This includes ensuring service providers are able to meet the reasonable needs of their patient population. Where necessary, ICBs can commission local enhanced services which can vary in scope and funding, to fit the needs of the patient population.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the GP-to-patient ratio was in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024. \p Stephen Kinnock: As of December 2024, the number of full time equivalent doctors in general practice (GP) per 10,000 registered patients was:

- 6.9 in the Broxtowe constituency;

- 6.5 in Nottinghamshire;

- 5.9 in the East Midlands; and

- 5.6 in England.

Data from before September 2015 is not comparable. Each GP is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The demands each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much capital funding has been allocated to GP practices in Wiltshire in each of the last three years; and how many bids for premises improvement funding were (a) submitted and (b) approved. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice surgeries across England this year. This includes nine schemes in the Bath, Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BNSSW ICB), totalling a capital investment of £1.5 million. This is the first dedicated national capital fund for primary care since 2020.

The following table shows the operational capital allocated to the BNSSW ICB for the last three financial years, which was subsequently prioritised at their discretion:

Financial year

Allocation

2025/26

£40,800,000

2024/25

£59,300,000

2023/24

£43,400,000

This covers maintenance and other capital spend across the BNSSW ICB, and it is at local discretion whether an element is allocated to primary care.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press notice entitled GP surgery refurbs to enable over 8 million more appointments, published on 6 May 2025, if he will publish a list of the 1000 GP surgeries receiving upgrades. \p Stephen Kinnock: On 6 May 2025, we announced which primary care schemes are in line to receive funding from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund. A full list of the schemes being prioritised for funding this year can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-care-utilisation-and-modernisation-fund-2025-to-2026
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce wait times for orthodontic appointments for Fylde residents. \p Stephen Kinnock: Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry and orthodontic services, to meet the needs of the local population. For Fylde residents, this is the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. To support ICBs in their duties, NHS England has published a number of documents, including a clinical policy to support the commissioning of orthodontic activity, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-standards-for-dental-specialties-orthodontics/

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term 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.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to discontinue the electronic Bed and Capacity Management Systems initiative on (a) A&E waits and (b) patient transfers. \p Karin Smyth: The decision not to proceed with stand-alone investment into electronic bed management systems was based on value for money with other investments offering greater benefits for patients.

The Government is committed to returning accident and emergency services to the standards patients rightly expect. Our new urgent and emergency care plan, published on 6 June 2025, sets out a fundamental shift in the approach to urgent and emergency care. It will drive collaboration across the system to deliver improvements for patients this year, backed by nearly £450 million of capital investment.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is to respond to the consultation on potential further regulation in the non-surgical cosmetic procedure sector. \p Karin Smyth: In considering options for further regulation of the non-surgical cosmetics sector, the Department has had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders. This includes representatives from professional associations of practitioners operating in the sector, representatives from statutory professional regulatory bodies overseeing healthcare professionals, officials from the Care Quality Commission, representatives from the Professional Standards Authority accredited registers programme, and representatives from local government and legal professionals. The Department has also liaised with officials in the Devolved Administrations and other Government departments.

The Government has considered how the current regulatory landscape of the cosmetics sector operates and what additional levers are available to increase safety in this area. This includes a consideration of the powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022 to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England and the previous government’s proposals for licensing, which were consulted on in 2023.

We will set out the details of what action we will take in the response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we intend to publish in due course.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) data protection and (b) ethical implications of commercial DNA testing services used by minors without age verification. \p Karin Smyth: All companies providing DNA testing kits or DNA testing services must comply with the provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004 relating to consent. This provides the ethical framework for DNA testing. Under the Act, a person who has not attained the age of 16 years old cannot give consent for a DNA test. Any company failing to appropriately verify that a person using a DNA testing service is legally able to give consent, may be liable for prosecution under the act.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people came off an NHS waiting list without receiving treatment since September 2024; and what new (a) care pathways and (b) triaging policies his Department has introduced since July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: A breakdown of the reasons for coming off the waiting list is not available in the aggregate monthly official statistics.

There are a number of reasons why a patient may come off an NHS waiting list without receiving treatment including: the patient or their clinician initiating active monitoring; a decision being reached that no treatment is needed or no further contact required; the patient declining treatment; and the patient dying before treatment, including deaths unrelated to the condition the referral was made.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, set out key commitments to reform elective care, return to the constitutional standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks, and build a sustainable National Health Service. This includes the commitment to transforming pathways, including: delivering at least 10 straight-to-test pathways by March 2026; opening CDCs 12 hours a day, seven days a week; ensuring all patients with long term conditions, who are on appropriate pathways, are offered Patient Initiated Follow-Up by March 2026; and undertaking pathway reform in five challenged specialties.

The Plan also set a focus on increased delivery of Advice & Guidance and effective triage, with a new incentivised model for pre-referral Advice & Guidance going live in April 2025; and a commitment to develop an implementation toolkit for triage services by March 2026.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of providing free prescriptions for people with cystic fibrosis. \p Karin Smyth: No estimate has been made on the cost of providing free prescriptions for people with cystic fibrosis.

Almost 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in England and there are arrangements in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. Those with cystic fibrosis or another long-term condition may therefore meet the eligibility criteria for prescription charge exemptions and be in receipt of free prescriptions.

To support those who do not qualify for an exemption of prescription charges, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.
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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overheating incidents have been logged in Musgrove Park Hospital in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the number of overheating incidents logged at Musgrove Park Hospital, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Year

Overheating incidents

2023/24

20

2022/23

15

2021/22

9

2020/21

Data not collected

2019/20

Data not collected

Source: Estates Returns Information Collection, from January 2025.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making all NHS-provided emergency asthma inhalers free of charge. \p Karin Smyth: There are no current plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there are a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with asthma may be eligible.

Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three month and 12-month certificates available, and PPCs can be paid for in instalments.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NICE on its decision not to recommend the use of donanemab and lecanemab for Alzheimer's patients by the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including the progress of specific appraisals. NICE develops its guidance independently in line with its established methods and processes, and the Department is not able to direct NICE as to the substance of its recommendations. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is right that they are taken by an independent committee on the basis of the available evidence.

NICE has not yet published final guidance on either lecanemab or donanemab. NICE published final draft guidance on 19 June 2025, and stakeholders now have an opportunity to lodge an appeal. NICE currently expects to publish final guidance in July this year.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with Actinic keratoses in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a recorded primary diagnosis of 'actinic keratoses', for the years 2019/20 to 2023/24, in English National Health Service hospitals:

Year

FAEs

2019/20

13,675

2020/21

9,278

2021/22

12,570

2022/23

13,459

2023/24

15,346

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.

Notes:

The majority of cases of actinic keratoses are treated by a general practitioner or elsewhere in the community, with only a small minority of cases, typically the most serious, requiring hospital admission. The data presented here will, therefore, only represent a small proportion of the total number of cases that were treated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_140

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the document entitled Reforming elective care for patients, published on 6 January 2025, whether his Department's plans to (a) expand non-surgical community-based ear, nose and throat services and (b) develop clinical models to support patients needing ear care will include the provision of ear wax removal services. \p Karin Smyth: Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services are one of five priority specialties identified in the Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, for significant transformation, due to the waiting times for ENT services. Given that a significant number of ENT referrals can be managed earlier and in a more convenient setting, we are exploring ways to expand community-based services so that patients receive quicker and more local care whilst reducing pressure on hospitals. The provision of earwax services will form part of this.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_141
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_141

Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulatory standards for the marketing of consumer DNA testing kits. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is aware that there are a number of DNA test kits on the market. The majority claim to provide information on ancestry, and in general these would not be regarded as medical devices.

However, those that make medical claims in relation to predisposition of medical conditions would be regarded as in vitro diagnostic medical devices and would require the relevant CE mark or a UK Conformity Assessed marking.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_142

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered mandating UK-based technology providers for the management of NHS data. \p Karin Smyth: In accordance with United Kingdom procurement law, legally established and eligible suppliers cannot be excluded from bidding in a procurement to deliver a contract. Contracts may specify arrangements for how and where data can be stored.

The Procurement Act 2023 has introduced a power for the Government to exclude suppliers from public sector contracts if they pose a national security risk.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_143

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the average (a) capital and (b) revenue funding that is required to maintain a newly built hospital over the next fifteen years. \p Karin Smyth: The capital and revenue funding required to maintain a newly built hospital varies widely depending on the size and type of the facility, and is subject to a number of further uncertainties around operational costs and demand. There is no standard cost that reflects this variation.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_144

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider asking the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to (a) revise their guidance on and (b) respond to the concerns of (i) patient groups and (ii) other people who are affected by restless legs syndrome. \p Karin Smyth: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not published guidance on restless legs syndrome but has commissioned a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS), which covers diagnosis and management. The CKS is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/

As NICE is an independent body, it would not be appropriate for the Department to interfere in the development of NICE’s advice or guidance.

NICE has an established prioritisation process overseen by a prioritisation board, for the identification of priorities for guidance development. Anyone is able to suggest a topic through the NICE website, at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/forms/topic-suggestion
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_145

Chris Webb:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) hospital admissions and (b) reported illnesses associated with exposure to (i) Vibrio, (ii) Campylobacter and (iii) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in UK bathing waters in each of the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of admissions with a primary diagnosis related to vibrio, campylobacter, and pseudomonas, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Primary diagnosis

2023/24

2022/23

2021/22

2020/21

2019/20

Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar cholerae

1

1

-

-

-

Campylobacter enteritis

5,520

4,341

4,685

3,719

3,994

Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas

1,145

1,009

863

586

990

Congenital pneumonia due to Pseudomonas

2

1

0

0

1

Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity

The above data does not record the underlying causation, including any illness associated with United Kingdom bathing waters.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_146

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) the number and (b) the percentage of people over 60 presenting at A&E who waited over 12 hours to be (a) transferred, (b) admitted or (c) discharged in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes data on the number of accident and emergency attendances and admissions by age. Data is also published on 12-hour accident and emergency attendances, although this is not available by age.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_147

Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Trusts uphold their legal obligations under the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) duty of care for staff returning from serious illness such as cancer. \p Karin Smyth: We hugely value all National Health Service staff and are committed to improving organisational culture and working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain their valuable skills.

A cancer diagnosis is regarded as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means that employers have a duty of care to consider any reasonable adjustments to help the employee to return to work in a timely and safe way, and with their health needs in mind.

NHS trusts are expected to have local policies and procedures in place to support staff who have long-term health conditions, including cancer.

The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook sets out interventions that should be considered under the Employment Rights Act 1996 when managing an employee’s return to work. There are tools and resources available to employers to assist their employees returning to work, and this includes NHS England’s NHS Health and Wellbeing framework, and the Sickness Absence toolkit published by NHS Employers. Further information on the NHS Health and Wellbeing framework and the Sickness Absence toolkit is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/health-and-wellbeing-programmes/nhs-health-and-wellbeing-framework/

https://www.nhsemployers.org/toolkits/sickness-absence-toolkit
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_148

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of patients aged over 75 presenting at A&E in England were screened for general frailty in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: The information requested is not available centrally.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_149

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish his Department's risk assessments of (a) the abolition of NHS England and (b) the 50% cost reductions required by Integrated Care Boards. \p Karin Smyth: It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These assessments will inform our programme as appropriate. Furthermore, the Government is committed to transparency and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes and impact of both the abolition of NHS England and the reduction in workforce.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, with the expectation of achieving a reduction in their running cost allowance.

NHS England has shared a draft of the Model ICB Blueprint to help ICBs shape future plans. An update on the development of the Model ICB Blueprint, and the draft Model ICB Blueprint are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/update-on-the-draft-model-icb-blueprint-and-progress-on-the-future-nhs-operating-model/

https://www.digitalhealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Model-Integrated-Care-Board-%E2%80%93-Blueprint-v1.0.pdf

The blueprint confirms their critical role as strategic commissioner, with their core functions centred in population health management, including understanding local context, developing a long-term strategy, allocating resources, and evaluating impact.

Ministers and the Department will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure ICBs continue to fulfil their future functions effectively within the running costs cap and unlock the benefit of working at scale to deliver better care for patients.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_150

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on the level of (a) capital and (b) revenue funding required to maintain (i) Bedford and (ii) Luton and Dunstable hospitals in the next fifteen years. \p Karin Smyth: The Estates Returns Information Collection survey collects data from National Health Service trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including backlog maintenance, and the projected cost of bringing all buildings into acceptable condition. The latest backlog maintenance figures, including for Bedford and Luton and Dunstable hospitals, are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2023-24

The Government is committed to improving our hospital estate, and that is why my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that £30 billion in capital funding will be invested over five years in the day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, with over £5 billion specifically allocated to address the most critical building repairs.

At a local level, individual NHS organisations are responsible for maintaining their estates within their capital and revenue budgets, as set out in NHS Planning Guidance.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_151
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_151

Mark Sewards:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing levels of access to hormone replacement therapy treatment on the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: While menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life course, we recognise that menopause symptoms can be wide-ranging and debilitating, affecting a woman’s physical and mental health.

Women should not have to suffer in silence and any woman concerned about menopause symptoms should seek advice from their general practitioner or other healthcare professional. It is important that women are provided with accurate information and are able to make informed choices about their care, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

HRT is the main treatment for menopause symptoms, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that for most women it is safe and effective. In November 2024, NICE published their updated guideline which recommends more treatment choices for menopause symptoms. NICE guidelines are not mandatory, but healthcare professionals are expected to take NICE guidance fully into account in their prescribing decisions.
wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_152
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-01 conversation_152

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many air ambulance organisations hold contracts with NHS organisations. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold this information.