theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to encourage pharmacies to register for the Real Time Exemption Checking Service. \p Karin Smyth: The Real Time Exemption Checking Service in England (RTEC) helps pharmacy teams confirm whether a patient holds a valid exemption from National Health Service prescription charges quickly. The Department supports the use of the RTEC and recognises the benefits this assurance provides in assuring patients and pharmacy teams that exemptions are being claimed correctly.

As of 8 May 2025, the total number of active Electronic Prescription Service Pharmacies using the RTEC is 10,254, which equates to 90.94% of all such pharmacies.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), who manages the RTEC system, promotes its use through their website, webinars, and communications to contractors, including via their Hints and Tips bulletin, which is available to pharmacy contractors, dispensing doctors, prescribing-only general practitioners, and appliance contractors. The NHSBSA also promotes uptake by engaging with integrated care boards, pharmacy groups, and individual pharmacies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that qualified (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists are (i) supported and (ii) distinguished from (A) psychiatric and (B) diagnostic services. \p Karin Smyth: It is essential that all National Health Service staff, including counsellors and psychotherapists, can work in a supportive and compassionate environment that recognises and prioritises health and wellbeing. NHS England has a wide-ranging package of mental health and wellbeing support for all staff.

All healthcare professionals should follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, which state that healthcare professionals directly involved in a patient's care should introduce themselves and explain their role to the patient.

Counsellors and psychotherapists are not statutorily regulated in the United Kingdom. Health professionals that are not subject to statutory regulation can join voluntary registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA), such as the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, who also provide support to their members.

The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight, and therefore any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of ambulance handovers at hospitals exceeded (a) 30 minutes, (b) one hour and (c) two hours in the South West in each month since January 2024. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes official statistics for ambulance handover times. The following table provides the number and proportion of ambulance handovers that were over 30 minutes and over one hour for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, each month since January 2024:

Number of handovers

Proportion of all handovers

Period

Over 30 minutes

Over 60 minutes

Over 30 minutes

Over 60 minutes

January 2024

18,444

11,207

48.5%

29.5%

February 2024

16,590

9,878

46.8%

27.9%

March 2024

16,990

10,049

44.5%

26.3%

April 2024

15,237

8,510

41.3%

23.1%

May 2024

16,303

9,098

42.4%

23.7%

June 2024

16,234

9,183

43.8%

24.8%

July 2024

15,474

8,001

40.1%

20.7%

August 2024

13,538

6,300

34.8%

16.2%

September 2024

17,102

9,523

45.4%

25.3%

October 2024

18,363

10,959

49.5%

29.5%

November 2024

17,194

9,788

47.0%

26.8%

December 2024

20,165

12,182

52.2%

31.5%

January 2025

19,617

11,802

53.0%

31.9%

February 2025

17,012

9,353

49.1%

27.0%

March 2025

17,993

9,678

46.2%

24.9%

Source: data is from NHS England’s Ambulance Quality Indicators, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Official statistics for the number and proportion of ambulance handovers that exceed two hours is not available.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many 999 calls were received by ambulance services in the South West in each month since January 2024; and what the staffing levels were for paramedics in those services over the same period. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England publishes official workforce and ambulance 999 call statistics. The following table provides data on the number of full time equivalent (FTE) paramedics employed at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust between January 2024 and January 2025, as well as data on 999 calls answered by the trust from January 2024 to March 2025:

Period

Calls answered

FTE Paramedic staff levels

January 2024

85,328

2,042

February 2024

80,259

2,049

March 2024

87,566

2,101

April 2024

77,971

2,104

May 2024

87,446

2,096

June 2024

86,928

2,100

July 2024

88,371

2,111

August 2024

84,196

2,114

September 2024

86,195

2,160

October 2024

98,506

2,178

November 2024

94,658

2,194

December 2024

101,223

2,189

January 2025

88,531

2,206

February 2025

77,595

N/A

March 2025

84,825

N/A

Source: data is from NHS England’s NHS workforce statistics and Ambulance Quality Indicators data sets, with further information about both available, respectively, at the following two links:

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

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of repatriating patients with antimicrobial resistance from conflict zones on (a) UK citizens and (b) the NHS. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department recognises conflict as a major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing significant risks to populations in fragile and conflict-affected states, the wider global community, and the United Kingdom. In response, the Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to raise global awareness and understanding of this growing threat. The Government does not routinely repatriate patients from conflict zones, and where these have taken place, it has been under exceptional circumstances, or at the individual's expense to reduce avoidable burdens on UK taxpayers.

Evidence indicates that inward migration from countries with a high prevalence of AMR is likely contributing to the rising AMR burden in the UK, which includes the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB). To address this risk, there is a UK pre-entry screening programme for migrants coming for more than six months from countries with high incidence of TB. This will include countries with high incidence of MDR disease. Further information on the evidence is available at the following link:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6032478/

The UK Health Security Agency does not currently undertake routine surveillance of AMR specifically in patients repatriated from conflict zones, but remains committed to strengthening surveillance of drug-resistant infections more broadly regardless of source, to ensure early detection and to enable a rapid response to emerging threats

The National Health Service is a residency-based system, which means that people who do not live here on a lawful, settled basis must contribute to the cost of their care. However, some of the most vulnerable people arriving in the UK, including refugees and some asylum seekers, do not pay for NHS treatment.
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Dr Jeevun Sandher:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a National Mesothelioma Clinical Audit to (a) identify gaps in mesothelioma care, (b) optimise allocation of resources and (c) help tackle regional inequalities in care. \p Ashley Dalton: Reducing unwarranted variation in cancer care and treatment is a priority for the Government. In December 2024, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care committed to developing a National Cancer Plan.

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, and will apply to all cancer types, including mesothelioma. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, including experiences and outcomes and addressing inequalities in care. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years.

In October 2022, the NHS Cancer Programme commissioned the Royal College of Surgeons to deliver six new cancer clinical audits on primary breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancer. These were in addition to four ongoings clinical audits on lung, bowel, prostate and oesophago-gastric cancer. The new audits, commissioned in 2022, released their first annual State of the Nation report in Autumn 2024, which is available at the following link:

https://www.natcan.org.uk/audits/
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the provision of female-only health services. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has not made an assessment of the merits of female-only health services. It is for integrated care boards and trusts to commission and deliver services suitable to their local population.

Services within the National Health Service are patient centred, and the NHS Constitution is clear that patients have the right to receive care and treatment that is appropriate to them, meets their needs and reflects their preferences.

Patients are able to request that intimate care is provided by someone of the same sex. This is recognised through accompanying Care Quality Commission statutory guidance to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. In line with this guidance, we expect that providers will make every reasonable effort to respect patient preferences.

The Government remains committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS fit for the future.
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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating chiropractic care into the National Musculoskeletal health strategy. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England does not nationally commission chiropractic care as it is a complementary and alternative medicine. There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating chiropractic care into centrally commissioned National Health Service care.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the neuroscience workforce. \p Karin Smyth: Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the National Health Service’s neuroscience workforce, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.

This summer, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Alistair Strathern:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on support available for medical students. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education on an on-going basis, covering a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting medical students.

For the 2025/26 academic year, the Government will increase the NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants, and all allowances by 3.1%. For the 2025/26 academic year, the Government has also announced that maximum loans for living costs from Student Finance England, including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students in NHS Bursary years, will increase by 3.1%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to provide funding to increase the availability of medical equipment in local communities. \p Karin Smyth: At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over the financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025.

Local authorities and National Health Service procuring authorities are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment suppliers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission and the Government supports businesses to invest, grow, and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support the growth mission, the Government is driving forward work to implement a modern Industrial Strategy, reset trade relations, support small business, and deliver a new deal for working people.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date he expects the NHS to have a virtual ward capacity of 40 beds per 100,000 people. \p Karin Smyth: The NHS England 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance asks systems to improve access to urgent care services, including virtual ward, also known as hospital at home, services.

No national population target has been set centrally for 2025/26 and it is for local systems to take decision on how best to increase capacity and utilisation as part of the range of urgent care services that can be accessed locally. Progress has continued to be made, with 12,825 virtual ward beds open in March 2025 compared to 11,856 in March 2024.

The Government is committed to transforming the National Health Service from analogue to digital, and this shift will be central to our 10-Year Health Plan.
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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 air ambulance services are supported during seasonal spikes of serious accidents in Surrey. \p Karin Smyth: Air ambulances provide services through a longstanding and successful independent charitable model. It is for National Health Service commissioners to work in partnership with local providers, including those providing ambulance services, to best meet the health and care needs of the local population in Surrey.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients with valid NHS prescriptions for (a) molnupiravir and (b) similar antivirals were unable to obtain their medication within the recommended treatment window in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not have information about the date of the onset of patient symptoms, which is the start of the five-day treatment window. The service level from the distributor in the last 12 months was 99.2% for molnupiravir and paxlovid, another COVID-19 antiviral, with the standard delivery being either the same day or the day after, in more remote locations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that pharmacies can access high-cost, short shelf-life medications rapidly. \p Karin Smyth: In the United Kingdom, community pharmacies are private businesses which provide National Health Services, and therefore, for the majority of medicines which they supply in accordance with a prescription, they have their own buying arrangements. Not all manufacturers supply to all wholesalers and not all pharmacies use the same wholesalers, so there may be some specific manufacturer’s products that a pharmacy may not easily be able to source.

Professional guidance advises that where a pharmacy is unable to supply a medicine promptly, if they have established there is not a shortage, then they should talk to the patient to discuss the possible options available to them. These can include:
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 42145 Community Health Services: Medical Equipment, what data his Department holds on the number of contracts agreed between local NHS procuring authorities with community equipment providers in the last five years. \p Karin Smyth: Neither the Department or NHS England hold data on contracts agreed between local National Health Service procuring authorities and community equipment providers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's advisory bodies have made comparative assessments of the efficacy of (i) natalizumab Tysabri and (ii) natalizumab Tyruko for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. \p Karin Smyth: Tyruko and Tysabri are United Kingdom licensed medicines. Tyruko is a biosimilar to the originator Tysabri. A biosimilar is a biological medicinal product that contains a version of the active substance of an already authorised original biological medicinal product. The guiding principle of authorising a biosimilar is to establish similarity between the biosimilar, Tyruko, and the originator, Tysabri, based on a comprehensive comparability exercise, ensuring that the previously proven safety and efficacy of the originator also applies to the biosimilar. This is assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) during the process of obtaining a marketing authorisation.

Following the introduction of Tyruko to the UK, the MHRA has investigated reports of increased disability associated with suspected allergic reactions, known as immunogenicity, following treatment with Tyruko, mainly in patients who were switched from Tysabri. The majority of these reports originated from a single National Health Service centre and only a few patients had residual symptoms after stopping Tyruko or transferring back to Tysabri. The assessment noted that more reassuring real world data has been described by other centres, which indicates some heterogeneity in the experience. The MHRA’s review was considered by the Commission on Human Medicine’s Neurology, Pain and Psychiatry Expert Advisory Group, which concluded that there was no corroborative evidence that allergic reactions are associated with progressive disability or any lack of efficacy for Tyruko when compared with Tysabri. The group recommended enhanced pharmacovigilance measures, including a specific follow up questionnaire, and that the marketing authorisation holder should review the risk of allergic reactions every four months or so and submit their data to the MHRA for monitoring, until greater experience with Tyruko is gained. The MHRA communicated the findings and outcomes of this review to clinicians at an NHS England webinar on 2 May 2025.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered introducing mandatory training for health professionals on PANS and PANDAS. \p Karin Smyth: General practitioners and other healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This includes taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the relevant medical royal college and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice.

Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients. Whilst the Department, through NHS England, is able to influence the content of training courses, we consider that the curricula are best set by the regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies working together.
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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association entitled Unlocking our communities diagnostic potential: the case for supporting the adoption of community diagnostics for an NHS fit for the future, published on 1 April 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of appointing a national diagnostics director. \p Karin Smyth: The Department regularly reflects on and reviews the most appropriate structure for senior civil servant roles, to ensure it aligns with Governments priorities, including the delivery of the three big shifts, such as moving from hospital to community services.

There currently exists a Director for Electives and Cancer in the Department, whose responsibility includes diagnostics, as well as a Director of Diagnostics and Transport in NHS England, and their respective teams work closely together. Ensuring the National Health Service can deliver the right amount of diagnostic care to deliver on the 18-week Referral to Treatment constitutional standard by March is a priority across both the Department and NHS England.

We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver an NHS fit for the future. The plan will deliver three big shifts mentioned, including moving from hospital to community services. We will therefore see more tests and scans in the community, in high street settings, reducing the need for people to take multiple trips to hospitals to get diagnosed.
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Adam Thompson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national healthcare worker register including training records to protect vulnerable clients. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans to establish a national healthcare worker register. All health and care professional regulators have a statutory duty to maintain a register of the professionals they regulate. The health and care professional regulators’ registers are publicly available on their websites.

Health professionals that are not subject to statutory regulation can join voluntary registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA). The Accredited Registers Programme provides assurance to the public when choosing and using health and care services by independently assessing organisations who register practitioners who are not regulated by law.

The Government would encourage anyone accessing health and care services to use a practitioner who is subject to statutory regulation or voluntary registration accredited by the PSA. Members of the public can check online to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 of April 2025 to Question 46588 on Abiraterone, what discussions she has had with NICE on its engagement with health authorities on the (a) appraisal and (b) use of abiraterone acetate for high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer. \p Karin Smyth: The Department has had no such discussions. Abiraterone does not have a marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer and has not been evaluated for that indication by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NICE makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the vast majority of new and significant licence indications, but does not evaluate medicines that are used outside their marketing authorisations or “off-label”.

NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication, but it has not been possible to identify the necessary recurrent funding to support the commissioning of abiraterone for this purpose, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. Should the funding position change and a further prioritisation round take place, abiraterone for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer will be reconsidered.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to FOI2025/00320, for what reason the Adjuvanted Zoonotic Influenza Vaccine was authorised via UK Regulation 56. \p Karin Smyth: Adjuvanted Zoonotic Influenza Vaccine (Surface Antigen, Inactivated) Seqirus suspension for injection in a pre‐filled syringe (PLGB 47991/0013) was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency via UK Regulation 56 of The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 on 6 October 2023. This created a duplicate unbranded licence that was identical to Aflunov suspension for injection in a pre-filled syringe (PLGB 47991/0004), which was authorised in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2010 by a European Commission decision, following a centralised procedure by the European Medicines Agency (EMA; EMEA/H/C/002094). Subsequent to the granting of this duplicate unbranded licence, further lifecycle management actions were authorised for this licence.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on funding for fire and rescue services assisting ambulance services with emergency entry to properties. \p Karin Smyth: There have been no recent discussions about such funding.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve the standard of care for people with Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Newbury constituency. \p Karin Smyth: Dermatology services are being transformed to make sure that patients are seen on time. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme for dermatology is working with National Health Service trusts to deliver rapid clinical transformation. The work brings together clinicians and operational teams to work collectively to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients, including for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

A clinical transformation group for dermatology was established in summer 2023, focusing on sharing and learning from best practice. Topics for collaboration have included innovative clinic models, for instance super clinics, best practice in the use of technology for telemedicine, best practice in reducing did not attends, reducing unnecessary follow ups through patient initiated follow-up, the role of artificial intelligence, how to develop nurses into advanced roles, and factors to help motivate and retain staff.

GIRFT is also planning a programme to support primary care colleagues, offering training for new staff to recognise harmless skin lesions such as moles and warts, with the aim of reducing unnecessary referrals to hospital and freeing up capacity for other patients on the waiting list.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published technology appraisal guidance recommending two biologics, adalimumab and secukinumab, for the treatment of moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa, opening the way for patients with this condition to access these medications on the NHS.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the impact of providing a one per cent increase in pay to all NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts in the 2025-26 financial year on (a) total costs, (b) pension contributions, (c) National Insurance contributions and (d) spillover costs. \p Karin Smyth: The following table shows the total cost of uplifting the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales by one percent in 2025/26, as well as the costs of employer pension contributions (EPC), employer National Insurance contributions (ENIC), and spillover elements from that total:

Full cost to the Department, including spillovers

EPC

ENIC

Spillover costs

£950,000,000

£110,000,000

£80,000,000

£240,000,000

These estimates represent the gross cost per one percent uplift payable from National Health Service funding for AfC staff only. The exact cost will vary depending on the workforce size and composition, and these estimates are based on current assumptions. ENIC costs include the cost of the 2025/26 increase in ENIC rates. EPC and ENIC costs relate to the substantive workforce only. Spillover costs allow for full system costs, including EPCs and ENICs, beyond the substantive workforce.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_50

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with low-grade brain tumours are included in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. \p Ashley Dalton: The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with brain tumours.

Low-grade brain tumours are considered non-cancerous, and they grow more slowly and are less likely to spread. This means treatment may not be needed right away.

Although low-grade brain tumours are generally non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat. The Government has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.

The plan will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_51

Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent inquiry into the death of Robbie Powell in 1990. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government offers its deepest sympathy to the parents of Robbie Powell for the tragic loss of their son in 1990.

Robbie Powell’s death has been the subject of a number of investigative and judicial processes over the last 30 years. The intense scrutiny of Robbie’s case, provided through these reviews, suggests that it is unlikely that a further inquiry would reveal anything which has not been uncovered already, or would identify further significant lessons to be learned.

Even though the events occurred prior to the devolution of the National Health Service, this should not prevent the National Assembly for Wales from considering this case.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_52

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the shortfall in breast cancer specialists. \p Ashley Dalton: We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it, including for breast cancer.

Clinical radiologists play a key role in the breast clinician workforce, by supporting breast screening and symptomatic services. To help address shortfalls in the breast cancer workforce, NHS England is expanding specialty training places in clinical radiology to grow the future pipeline of clinicians involved in breast cancer care. Recruitment of trainees to the clinical radiology specialty has increased from an average of 234 trainees per year, between 2016 and 2020, to an average of 300, between 2021 and 2025, an expansion of 75 specialty trainee places per year.
wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_53

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to review the effectiveness of diagnostic pathways for brain tumours. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department is working with NHS England in taking steps to improve diagnostic processes in the National Health Service for all patients with cancer, including those with brain tumours.

We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes and their experience throughout their treatment pathway. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments as the first step to ensuring earlier and faster diagnosis.

In developing the National Cancer Plan, we will consider how we can streamline cancer pathways, including for diagnosis and treatment. The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those with brain cancer.
wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_54

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the (a) ethnicity and (b) gender of blood donors turned away during (i) outreach and (ii) prescreening in the latest period for which data is available; and what the main reasons were for people being turned away. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.  NHSBT does not hold data on deferrals resulting from an appointment booking call. It is possible that donors mention a reason which then may result in a deferral during the call, for instance if they have recently travelled or had a tattoo, and are therefore told to wait for an exclusion period, however this information is not recorded.

NHSBT holds information on the number of donors deferred during the donor health check. From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, a total of 322,189 donors were deferred. Of these donors:
wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_55

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing mandatory reporting requirements for retirement homes on staff departures and replacements. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department does not currently mandate reporting requirements for retirement homes on staff departures and replacements.

The Care Act 2014 sets out local authorities’ legal duties when assessing people’s care and support needs. For workforce capacity, there is a duty to ensure that sufficient services are available for meeting the care and support needs of adults and their carers in the area.

Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 states that providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. The CQC can take regulatory action if providers registered with them are in breach of any parts of this regulation, including if providers have an insufficient number of suitably qualified, skilled, and experienced persons deployed.

The Department continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_56

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support retirement homes in maintaining continuity of care during staffing changes. \p Stephen Kinnock: Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 states that providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), including residential care homes, must deploy “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times”. The CQC can take regulatory action if providers registered with them are in breach of any parts of this regulation, including if providers have an insufficient number of suitably qualified, skilled, and experienced persons deployed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_57

Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with local authorities on enabling direct payment to care workers where providers have collapsed or ceased operations. \p Stephen Kinnock: Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate services which offer quality and value for money.

Where individuals are in receipt of local authority funded support, they may choose to receive their personal budget as a direct payment, which can be used to employ carers, or other staff, directly.

Care providers entering and exiting is a normal part of a functioning market, and local authorities should have appropriate contingency plans in place, depending on the services being provided. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities also have a temporary duty to ensure continuity of care in the event of business failure. This means that people continue to receive the care and support they need if their adult social care provider is no longer able to carry on delivering services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_58

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to assess care provisions for people with (a) autism and (b) learning difficulties. \p Stephen Kinnock: Local authorities are best placed to assess, understand, and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes encouraging a wide range of service provision to ensure that people have a choice of appropriate services, including in relation to autism and learning disabilities.

As the regulator for health and social care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) plays a role in ensuring the quality and safety of services through inspection and registration. The CQC expects services for autistic people and people with a learning disability to meet the requirements of the statutory guidance Right support, right care, right culture, in which the fundamental principle is to provide person centred care that includes choice, independence, and integration into community life. The CQC also uses an enhanced approach for assessing these services to ensure they understand people’s experiences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_59

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) the allocation of resident funds and (b) other aspects of the regulatory framework governing financial accountability in retirement homes. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Care Quality Commission has regulatory powers to compel providers to be financially viable when delivering regulated activities and to protect service users from financial misappropriation.

In addition, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is the independent complaints lead for adult social care and investigates complaints from those receiving social care, including on financial issues.

Whilst there are no immediate plans to make an assessment of resident funds, the independent commission chaired by Baroness Louise Casey will have the scope to consider all aspects of adult social care, including financial matters, and will make recommendations on impactful reform as part of the first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.
wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_60
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_60

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of GP waiting times in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephen Kinnock: The following table shows the percentage of all practice appointments that were delivered on the same day as booking, the percentage of practice appointments which were not usually booked in advance that were delivered within two weeks of booking, and the percentage of practice appointments which were not usually booked in advance that were delivered within four weeks of booking, in the Surrey Heath constituency, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:

Surrey Heath practices

Appointments delivered on the same day as booking

Appointments not usually booked in advance delivered within two weeks of booking

Appointments not usually booked in advance delivered within four weeks of booking

Bartlett Group Practice

32.8%

92.3%

99.1%

Camberley Health Centre

51.4%

91.6%

99.1%

Chobham and West End Medical Practice

58.8%

87.1%

93.8%

Lightwater Surgery

47.2%

95.9%

99.6%

Park House Surgery

48.0%

88.8%

92.2%

Park Road Group Practice

62.1%

84.3%

96.9%

Pirbright Surgery

35.0%

75.8%

92.4%

Station Road Surgery

35.4%

74.2%

95.6%

Upper Gordon Road Surgery

47.9%

85.2%

96.0%

Surrey Heath constituency

48.1%

86.9%

96.9%

England average

43.5%

88.1%

96.8%

The Surrey Heath constituency outperformed the national average when it comes to delivering appointments on the same day that they are booked, but slightly underperforms when it comes to the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking.