Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gregory Stafford this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 165 · Department of Health and Social Care
What safeguards are in place within the NHS Federated Data Platform to help ensure that external contractors and third-party suppliers are not able to access identifiable patient data.
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP ...
Whether the Section 254 direction under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 will be published and laid before Parliament for full scrutiny.
All directions made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, are published at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-d...
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the cross-party parliamentary committee report on the role of Palantir in the NHS Federated Data
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP ...
Whether his Department will develop and publish a fully costed strategy for the NHS Federated Data Platform contract.
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP ...
What steps his Department has taken to ensure that changes to data access arrangements within the NHS Federated Data Platform have been subject to a Data Protection Impact Assessment and appropriat
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients. The NHS FDP ...
What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) awareness and (b) training among GPs on the (i) diagnosis and (ii) management of balance disorders.
General practitioners 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 activity should include taking account of new research and dev...
What guidance his Department provides to NHS organisations on signposting patients with balance disorders to relevant voluntary sector support organisations.
The Department has made no specific central assessment of the overall availability and adequacy of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders. The planning and commissioning of these services is the responsibility of integrated car...
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders.
The Department has made no specific central assessment of the overall availability and adequacy of specialist diagnostic and treatment services for balance disorders. The planning and commissioning of these services is the responsibility of integrated car...
How many children diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy since the approval of gene therapy treatment have been assessed as ineligible for treatment because diagnosis occurred after symptoms d
Libmeldy, the gene therapy treatment for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) has been funded nationally by NHS England since 2022 and is delivered exclusively through the specialist children’s service at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Information on...
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) to the NHS newborn blood spot screening programme.
Members of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) have agreed that metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) would be a good candidate for the inclusion in a multi-condition in-service evaluation (ISE) within the United Kingdom’s newborn blood spot (NBS) s...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding access to the MenB vaccine to cohorts who missed vaccination following its introduction into the routine schedule.
Awaiting answer.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that local integration care boards implement the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.
The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variatio...
When his Department plans to publish the interim statement on the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.
The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variatio...
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress towards improving consistency of access to Fracture Liaison Services; and what steps he is taking to support the development and implemen
Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) across every part of the country by 2030.Integrated care boards (ICBs) remain well-placed to make decisions according to local need.The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy sets ...
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a funded domestic adult social care workforce plan, in the context of levels of (a) demand for NHS services and (b) recent trends in healthy l
Decisions regarding any potential workforce plan publication for social care remain under consideration and no final position has been reached. In line with the manifesto, the Department is committed to ensuring the publication of regular, independent wor...
What plans the Government has to introduce mandatory, up-to-date menopause training for all general practitioners; and whether there will be measures to ensure consistency in diagnosis and treatment across NHS services.
We know that more needs to be done to support women experiencing the menopause. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service.General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on menopause, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the GMC.NICE published their updated guideline in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for menopause symptoms. The updated guideline aims to support healthcare professionals by providing them with the information they need to support evidence-based decisions about treatment choices, as well as information and support about menopause. The guideline recommends hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms, and also recommends that for people over 40 years old healthcare professionals should consider menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy as an option for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause in addition to HRT. HRT is the main treatment for menopause symptoms, and NICE recommends that for most women it is safe and effective.The new women’s health data dashboard released last week reports on HRT use in different areas of the country and provides one measure of how consistently services are being provided.NHS England will shortly publish an equity framework which will help systems identify and tackle inequalities in access to menopause care and regularly report on differences in HRT use for women of different ethnicities and of different socio-economic status.
What the capacity is of NHS specialist menopause services; and what average waiting times are for women accessing these services.
The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialist menopause services, although we do hold data on the broader gynaecology specialism, of which menopause services are a part. As of the end of January 2026, the median average waiting time for specialist gynaecology services is 15.3 weeks, with 56.9% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, up 1.8% from January 2025.The Department does not hold detailed information on the capacity of National Health Service specialist menopause services.The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace. Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.
What steps the Government is taking to update NHS prescribing guidance for menopause, including first-line use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms.
The Government is committed to improving women’s health outcomes, including through better awareness and support for menopause, and we will continue to work with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to ensure patients and clinicians have access to clear, evidence-based guidance.NICE guideline on menopause was last updated in November 2024. It provides guidance on best practice that prescribers are expected to take fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.NICE intends to update its recommendations on starting and stopping hormone replacement therapy, including managing unscheduled bleeding. There are no current plans to update other recommendations at this time, including the use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms. This guideline will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
Whether his Department has issued guidance to NHS Trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.
The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.