Every parliamentary written question tabled by Edward Morello this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 397 · Department of Health and Social Care
What steps his Department is taking to improve GP access in West Dorset.
We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to GPs to improve access, support better health outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction. We are investing an additional £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing total spend on the GP Contr...
What steps his Department is taking to improve NHS dentistry provision in West Dorset.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas. The Government is committed to ensuring that people across the country can access urgent dental care when they need it. In 2025/26, integrated care boards (ICBs...
What incentives his Department is providing to recruit and retain NHS dentists in West Dorset constituency.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas. The Government is committed to ensuring that people across the country can access urgent dental care when they need it. In 2025/26, integrated care boards (ICBs...
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of waiting times for children’s NHS dental appointments in West Dorset.
Awaiting answer.
What support his Department is providing to increase the number of NHS dentists treating children in West Dorset.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry for children in West Dorset.
Awaiting answer.
What support his Department is providing to pharmacies serving rural communities in West Dorset.
The Government has increased funding for the community pharmacy sector by £340 million in 2026/27, which supports all pharmacies in England, including those serving patients in West Dorset. This builds on the 19% uplift to the community pharmacy budget ac...
With reference to his Department's press release entitled Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments, published on 21 February 2025, how many urgent dental appointments were
No assessment has been made on the impact of the urgent dental appointments announced on 21 February 2025 on levels of severe tooth problems.The Government is committed to ensuring that people can access urgent dental care when they need it. The Chief Den...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments announced on 21 February 2025 on levels of severe tooth problems.
No assessment has been made on the impact of the urgent dental appointments announced on 21 February 2025 on levels of severe tooth problems.The Government is committed to ensuring that people can access urgent dental care when they need it. The Chief Den...
What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) awareness, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of meningitis in West Dorset constituency.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed three cases of meningococcal disease among young people in Weymouth, Dorset. These three cases have been confirmed as meningitis B and are the same sub-strain serotype P1.19, P1.15. The UKHSA has confirmed that these cases are not linked to the recent outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent.As a precautionary measure, antibiotics and the Bexsero vaccine are being offered to young people currently in school years 7 to 13, or the equivalent in terms of age, or anyone not in full time education who would be in one of these year groups, who study or live in the Weymouth, Portland, and Chickerell areas of Dorset. The UKHSA and Dorset Council have issued advice to staff, parents, and carers at all educational settings in the area.The UKHSA is providing support to education settings, in close partnership with the Department for Education. All affected education settings in Weymouth remain open and events involving children and young people should continue as normal. The UKHSA has published up to date information to ensure parents and concerned members of the public can find the latest information on how the incident is being managed and who can access antibiotics and vaccines, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/antibiotics-and-menb-vaccination-to-be-offered-to-young-people-in-dorsetChildren and young people should attend their education setting normally, unless specifically told otherwise by a health professional. Attendance supports the education, health, and wellbeing of children and young people.As my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
What assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of meningitis in West Dorset constituency.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed three cases of meningococcal disease among young people in Weymouth, Dorset. These three cases have been confirmed as meningitis B and are the same sub-strain serotype P1.19, P1.15. The UKHSA has confirmed that these cases are not linked to the recent outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent.As a precautionary measure, antibiotics and the Bexsero vaccine are being offered to young people currently in school years 7 to 13, or the equivalent in terms of age, or anyone not in full time education who would be in one of these year groups, who study or live in the Weymouth, Portland, and Chickerell areas of Dorset. The UKHSA and Dorset Council have issued advice to staff, parents, and carers at all educational settings in the area.The UKHSA is providing support to education settings, in close partnership with the Department for Education. All affected education settings in Weymouth remain open and events involving children and young people should continue as normal. The UKHSA has published up to date information to ensure parents and concerned members of the public can find the latest information on how the incident is being managed and who can access antibiotics and vaccines, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/antibiotics-and-menb-vaccination-to-be-offered-to-young-people-in-dorsetChildren and young people should attend their education setting normally, unless specifically told otherwise by a health professional. Attendance supports the education, health, and wellbeing of children and young people.As my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.
What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the needs of people with Down Syndrome.
Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The Department engaged extensively with stakeholders, including people with lived experience of Down syndrome, to inform the development of the draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025.The consultation on the draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026. The Government will consider the responses received through the consultation to inform the final guidance to be published.
What steps his Department is taking to engage people with Down Syndrome in policy development following the consultation entitled Down Syndrome Act 2022 draft statutory guidance, published on 5 November 2025.
Through the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022, the Government is striving to improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome, raise awareness and understanding of their needs, and break down barriers to opportunity that they, and other disabled people, face.Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The Department engaged extensively with stakeholders, including people with lived experience of Down syndrome, to inform the development of the draft guidance, which was published for public consultation on 5 November 2025.The consultation on the draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026. The Government will consider the responses received through the consultation to inform the final guidance to be published.
What steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the NHS.
Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
What average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the last 12 months.
Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
What average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in the South West in the last 12 months.
Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
What average waiting times were for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus in West Dorset constituency in the last 12 months.
Neurology waiting times are coming down. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the average waiting time for neurology services was reduced from 16.2 to 15.2 weeks. Additionally, 57.0% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 54.2% at the same point last year. However, there is more to do. We are continuing efforts to improve this, recognising this is a challenged specialty.Diagnosis data of normal pressure hydrocephalus is not collected in the Waiting List Minimum Data Set. The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is unable to define waiting times for a specific diagnosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions, which was last updated in October 2023. This guideline covers the initial assessment of symptoms and signs that might indicate a neurological condition, such as hydrocephalus. It helps non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered referral for specialist investigation.At the national level, there are ongoing initiatives to support service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions, including NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation and share best practice across services. The GIRFT Programme has also produced a Further Faster handbook for neurology, which provides resources and best practice guidance to help support clinical teams to go faster and further in reducing neurology waiting times, including for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
What research funding the Government is providing for conditions such as Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus.These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on conditions such as normal pressure hydrocephalus to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.Between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years, through the NIHR, the Department committed £1.72 million for 11 new research projects, supported by NIHR infrastructure, into normal pressure hydrocephalus and hydrocephalus more broadly. This includes committing £0.59 million in the 2024/25 financial year alone.Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the Open Data page of the NIHR website, at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including normal pressure hydrocephalus.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Do Not Resuscitate decisions have adequate safeguards in place.
A Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision is made on an individual, on a person by person basis, and should, wherever possible, involve the person concerned or, where the person lacks capacity, their families, carers, guardians, or other legally recognised advocates. Professional guidance on cardiopulmonary resuscitation is provided by clinical bodies such as the British Medical Association, The Resuscitation Council UK, and Royal College of Nursing, to support consistent decision-making, and reflect these principles.In 2021, the Department established a Ministerial Oversight Group, responsible for the delivery and required changes to ensure adherence to guidance across the system about how DNACPRs are used. As part of this work, a set of Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning were jointly published in March 2022 by a coalition of partner organisations across health and social care. The principles can be applied in all settings to provide safeguards and support people and their families, and professionals share the same understanding and expectations for DNACPR decisions.NHS England has also published patient-facing information on DNACPRs and where to get support if they are concerned about a DNACPR. This information can be found at the NHS.UK website.The Care Quality Commission continues to take action to ensure providers understand their responsibilities if allegations of inappropriate application of DNACPR decisions are brought to their attention, as well as raising cases with the relevant bodies, including the General Medical Council, as appropriate.
What guidance his Department provides to ensure consistency and oversight in the use of Do Not Resuscitate orders.
A Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision is made on an individual, on a person by person basis, and should, wherever possible, involve the person concerned or, where the person lacks capacity, their families, carers, guardians, or other legally recognised advocates. Professional guidance on cardiopulmonary resuscitation is provided by clinical bodies such as the British Medical Association, The Resuscitation Council UK, and Royal College of Nursing, to support consistent decision-making, and reflect these principles.In 2021, the Department established a Ministerial Oversight Group, responsible for the delivery and required changes to ensure adherence to guidance across the system about how DNACPRs are used. As part of this work, a set of Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning were jointly published in March 2022 by a coalition of partner organisations across health and social care. The principles can be applied in all settings to provide safeguards and support people and their families, and professionals share the same understanding and expectations for DNACPR decisions.NHS England has also published patient-facing information on DNACPRs and where to get support if they are concerned about a DNACPR. This information can be found at the NHS.UK website.The Care Quality Commission continues to take action to ensure providers understand their responsibilities if allegations of inappropriate application of DNACPR decisions are brought to their attention, as well as raising cases with the relevant bodies, including the General Medical Council, as appropriate.