Every parliamentary written question tabled by Adam Dance this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 155 · Department of Health and Social Care
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Food Standards Agency official control charges on costs faced by medium-sized abattoirs in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) Engla
We have made no specific assessment of impacts at the constituency or county level. Information on the 2026/27 charge rates for official controls (inspections) conducted in meat premises is available at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of time-bound, measurable targets to reduce the time taken for diagnosis of (a) endometriosis and (b) adenomyosis.
It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis and adenomyosis diagnosis and we are committed to improving waiting times for diagnosis and treatment so patients can get the care they need sooner. We are committed to returning by March...
What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of avoidable severe allergic reactions in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved two sublingual immunotherapy treatments for moderate to severe allergic rhinitis.National Health Service partners in Somerset encourage all patients with a diagnosis of severe allergy to have prescribed and to carry with them an adrenaline injection device which when used early enough in a severe allergy response can prevent patient harm and admission.Over the past five years, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has delivered a substantial programme of work to improve allergy safety in restaurants and food businesses, including in Yeovil. The FSA published new best practice guidance in March 2025 to improve allergen information when eating out. The FSA has also expanded its free online allergen training, which has now been taken by over one million people since 2020. Through this work, the FSA is aiming to enable people with food allergies to make informed and safe choices and trust the food that they receive.The Department for Education is developing new statutory guidance which will significantly strengthen how schools support pupils with allergy. The Government has also amended the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to place a new statutory duty on schools to develop and publish an allergy safety policy, and to give powers to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to make regulations relating to allergy safety, including requiring schools to stock adrenaline devices, to secure allergy awareness training, and to record and report incidents of near misses. These measures should help to prevent instances of children experiencing severe allergic reactions while at school.
What steps he is taking to help improve data on the (a) severity of, (b) functional impact of and (c) outcomes among those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
NHS England does not currently collect data on the severity and functional impact of and outcomes for people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). NHS England first published management information on ADHD waits nationally in May 2025 as part of the ADHD data improvement plan. Additionally, technical guidance has been released to integrated care boards (ICBs) to enhance the recording of ADHD data, aiming to improve the quality of ADHD waits data and enable more localised reporting. We are currently refreshing the ADHD data improvement plan and remain committed to publishing data at ICB level, which is currently planned for the May 2026 publication. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs. Through the Medium-term planning framework, published 24 October, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.
What steps his Department is taking to help address variations in access to care for people with atrial fibrillation in England.
NHS England commissions the CVDPREVENT audit, which publishes routinely held general practice data to support planning and tackle unwarranted variation at national, regional, integrated care board, primary care network, and practice level. This includes information on atrial fibrillation treatment.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of trail riding on people's health and wellbeing through active recreation.
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of trail riding on people's health and wellbeing through active recreation. The Department recognises that participation in outdoor activities using trails, such as cycling, walking, wheeling, and running, can have a range of physical and mental health benefits through movement, social engagement, and access to green and blue spaces.The Government and the National Health Service recognise that reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives. As committed to in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will address physically inactivity and help build movement into everyday lives through investing in grassroots sports, developing a new Physical Education and school sports partnership network to support children reap the benefits of movement, and supporting cycling and walking infrastructure.
What steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for atrial fibrillation ablation procedures in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Catheter ablation for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation for adults is a prescribed specialised service commissioned in accordance with a published national clinical commissioning policy. Consequently, NHS England’s regional specialised commissioning teams and integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Somerset ICB, are responsible for monitoring activity, reviewing equity of access for their populations, and addressing unwarranted variation through local oversight arrangements and clinical networks.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of rolling out lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes nationally, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.
There has not been a specific national assessment of the roll out of lateral flow tests to detect large-vessel-occlusion.The Government is committed to achieving a 25% reduction in premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke across England. To accelerate progress and tackle variation across the country, a new CVD Modern Service Framework will be published in 2026. This framework will support improvement, reduce inequalities and foster innovation where it is needed most.
What improvements he anticipates to stroke services as part of the forthcoming Modern Service Framework for cardiovascular disease.
The cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (MSF) will prioritise ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% within the next decade. The MSF will be published in spring.
What assessment he has made of the level of need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, particularly in rural areas such as Somerset.
NHS England continues to support the improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, including strengthening pre-hospital triage, inter-hospital transfer pathways, and emergency referral arrangements.These actions are intended to reduce unwarranted variation and improve equitable access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, including those living in rural areas such as Somerset, while ensuring services remain clinically safe and sustainable.Mechanical thrombectomy is an evidence-based treatment for eligible patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and is recognised as a national clinical priority.The service is commissioned by NHS England as a specialised service, with aspects of planning and delivery supported locally through specialised commissioning delegated arrangements, working closely with integrated care boards and systems.NHS England has assessed the need to improve access to mechanical thrombectomy through national clinical policy, audit, and service monitoring. NHS England routinely monitors access and outcomes through the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, which has demonstrated variation in access across England, including challenges related to geography and travel times.In response to this assessed need, work continues to develop and strengthen services. In addition to NHS England’s aforementioned improvement of stroke pathways through Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks, work is also ongoing to support the expansion and sustainability of thrombectomy capable services where clinically and operationally appropriate, within the framework of specialised commissioning delegated services. For instance, 24/7 services to serve stroke patients are available at Bristol and Plymouth.
What steps he is taking to help (a) reduce regional disparities in access in access to left atrial appendage closure and (b) the potential impact of such disparities on Yeovil constituents.
NHS England has not undertaken a formal national assessment of regional variation in access to left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). LAAO is a prescribed specialised service and is commissioned in accordance with NHS England’s published national clinical commissioning policy, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-commissioning-policy-left-atrial-appendage-occlusion-for-patients-with-atrial-fibrillation-and-relative-or-absolute-contraindications-to-anticoagulation-adults/ NHS England’s regional specialised commissioners and integrated care boards are responsible for the monitoring of activity, the reviewing of equity of access for their populations, and for addressing variation through local oversight and clinical networks.
What progress his department has made in implementing the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommendation to reduce barriers to research into promising treatments for cluster headaches.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working with officials in the Home Office to support the changes agreed to in the letter from the Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health from July 2025. The group has met with stakeholders from the clinical trials community who gave advice and assurance on the proposed changes to the legislation.The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and delivering better patient care, to make the United Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research. We are working to fast-track clinical trials, reducing barriers and unnecessary bureaucracy to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, including treatments for cluster headaches. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and to yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK.The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with cluster headaches, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.
What steps he is taking to improve the accuracy and consistency of coding practices for young onset dementia across health systems.
To strengthen both local and national insight into dementia care, enable clearer benchmarking, and support the delivery of more timely, targeted, and person-centred support, NHS England continues to monitor the monthly dementia diagnosis rate and analyse trends at national, regional, and integrated care board level. The commitment to recover diagnosis rates to the national ambition, of 66.7%, remains in place, ensuring identification and appropriate support for people living with dementia.The national ambition to ensure that two-thirds of people estimated to have dementia receive a formal diagnosis includes ensuring provision of a validated diagnosis of dementia subtype.In addition, NHS England is actively looking to improve the clinical utility and relevance of dementia data reporting. This includes:enhancing primary care reporting through ongoing refinement of indicators and coding approaches. Notably, a new measure was introduced in April 2025 capturing the number of people with dementia who have experienced delirium in the past 12 months. This will support systems and providers to better understand variation in care provision, improve risk stratification, and strengthen care planning; andexploring improvements in the Mental Health Services Data Set to ensure activity within Memory Assessment Services is more fully reflected in available data. Work is underway with the NHS England analyst team to scope options for developing more meaningful coverage and consistency in memory service reporting.
What steps he is taking to co-ordinate the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia with the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care.
We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Frailty and Dementia. This will be complemented by an MSF for Palliative Care and End of Life Care. Together these MSFs will drive rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We are committed to publishing an interim product for the MSF for Frailty and Dementia in September this year to feed into National Health Service and local government planning cycles, and will aim to publish the full MSF by the end of this calendar year as recommended by Baroness Casey.The MSF for Palliative Care and End of Life Care, with a planned publication date of Autumn 2026, will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life, including those living with dementia, and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. We are committed to publishing an interim product for the Palliative Care and End of Life Care in Spring.We intend to engage with a range of partners over the coming months to enable us to build frameworks which are both ambitious and practical, to ensure we can improve system performance for people with dementia both now and in the future. The teams responsible for the MSFs are working together to ensure alignment and co-ordination.
How many people with young onset dementia have received a care plan review in the most recent period for which data is available in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.
We do not hold data for the Yeovil constituency centrally. In England, 369,635, or 72.4%, of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 28 February 2026 received a care plan or care plan review in the preceding 12 months. This information is found in the Primary Care Dementia Data, published at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned reductions in share of NHS spending going to mental health services for three consecutive years on rural communities in Yeovil constituency.
As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement published on 12 March, National Health Service mental health expenditure is forecast to reach £16.1 billion in 2026/27, representing a real‑terms increase of £140 million compared with 2025/26. The proportion of overall NHS spending allocated to mental health in 2026/27 is forecast to be 8.4%, just 0.28% lower than in 2025/26. This reflects significant additional investment across the wider NHS, including in technology and digital transformation, strengthening general practice, and establishing neighbourhood health centres. The headline share‑of‑spend metric also does not capture the full range of mental health investment. This includes £473 million of capital funding over the next four years to support the roll‑out of capital projects such as Community‑Based Mental Health Centres and Mental Health Emergency Departments. Further detail on integrated care board (ICB) allocations is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2026-27-to-2027-28/ In addition, the Government continues to require all ICBs to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the next three years, which sets a minimum rate of growth in local mental health spending. As a result, NHS Somerset will continue to increase investment in mental health services across Somerset. The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambitious reform agenda to transform the NHS and make it fit for the future. In line with this, we will go further to ensure that NHS mental health services deliver the care that people deserve. We know that there is much more to do to improve outcomes, tackle unacceptable waiting times for care and fully meet the needs of the population in a tailored, personalised and timely way. NHS Somerset recognises the additional challenges associated with delivering services in rural areas. Through its transformed community mental health offer, Open Mental Health, a partnership between the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise partners, access to high‑quality mental health support has been expanded for people in rural communities, including through face‑to‑face provision, digital services, and telephone‑based support.
What assessment he has made of the role community pharmacy could play in providing a Meningitis B vaccine catch-up service to students and young people from Yeovil constituency at risk.
The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started, with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old as well as the year-round pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two- and three-year-olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.On the 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend as soon as practicable.
What steps he is taking to raise public awareness of bowel cancer in Yeovil constituency.
NHS England has run national campaigns, most recently in early 2025, to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, address barriers to acting on them, and to encourage people to see their general practitioner as soon as possible if they notice a change in their health. The campaigns cover bowel cancer and have focused on increasing awareness of a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging general body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.The National Health Service in England encourages everyone aged 50 to 74 years old, including in the Yeovil constituency, to take part in bowel cancer screening. The UK Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is undergoing several updates to its standards aimed at improving coverage, accessibility, and early detection. This includes updated performance thresholds, and improved accessibility of bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kits.NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including bowel cancer. This information can be found at sources including the NHS website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, and reducing the gap in screening uptake between the most and least deprived areas, with particular efforts to reach ethnic minority and underserved communities.
What steps he is taking to support NHS Somerset to increase participation in bowel cancer screening in Yeovil constituency.
Coverage of bowel cancer screening has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, 60.5% of people took the offer up. Now, it is 71.8%.To further increase coverage across England, including Yeovil, NHS England is doing the following:delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure that people get information in the way they want, and that adjustments are made to support people at appointments;has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and is updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility; andhas made the bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with Cystic Fibrosis in Yeovil constituency.
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with cystic fibrosis in the Yeovil constituency. Pursuant to the answer of 27 January, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of reviewing the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.