Written questions by Naish.

What steps he is taking to support small business owners with their mental health.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his department is taking to support those with coeliac disease with rising costs of gluten-free products.

Awaiting answer.

What steps the Government is taking to support research and funding for treatments for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

The Government is committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and...

What steps is his department taking to support new graduate dieticians into work.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has t...

What steps his Department is taking to help increase use of the NHS app.

The National Health Service is taking a coordinated approach to increase NHS App use by supporting frontline promotion, and is addressing barriers particularly in deprived communities. Although 29% of people over 13 years old in England access the NHS App...

Whether his department tracks current levels of NHS app usage across different patient groups.

We track current levels of NHS App usage through the NHS App Management Information monthly publication. This is broken down by integrated care board and region, rather than demographic or patient group.Future work will explore how to get more detailed da...

A) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the needs of women are reflected in national and local HIV strategies, policies and decision-making structures, b) what action his Department i

The HIV Action Plan for England, 2025 to 2030, sets out five core priorities needed to reach our ambition to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. One of these priorities is to address stigma and improve the quality of life for people living w...

Whether his Department plans to take steps to expand the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber programme in 2026-27 financial year.

The Government recently announced a £340 million uplift to community pharmacy funding, a 10% increase, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider National Health Service. As part of this, we are funding the rollout...

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber trials in Nottinghamshire.

The Government recently announced a £340 million uplift to community pharmacy funding, a 10% increase, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider National Health Service. As part of this, we are funding the rollout...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the level of transparency and accountability in the distribution of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme funding at the local level.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for the allocation and distribution of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding to primary care networks (PCNs). This system is applied consistently across the National Health Service ...

What steps his Department are taking to reform Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme funding.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for the allocation and distribution of Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding to primary care networks (PCNs). This system is applied consistently across the National Health Service ...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure all new pharmacy graduates from September 2026 are able to independently prescribe.

The Government recently announced a £340 million uplift to community pharmacy funding, a 10% increase, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider National Health Service. As part of this, we are funding the rollout...

What steps his Department is taking to support nursing associates.

Decisions on the employment of nursing associates are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe ...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued availability of prescription medicines which do not contain artificial sweeteners for patients with adverse reactions to those substances

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not issue specific guidance mandating the reduction or removal of sugar from prescription medicines. Decisions on formulation, including the use of sugars or artificial sweeteners as exci...

Whether his Department has issued guidance or instructions relating to the reduction or removal of sugar from prescription medicines; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of such

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not issue specific guidance mandating the reduction or removal of sugar from prescription medicines. Decisions on formulation, including the use of sugars or artificial sweeteners as exci...

What assessment his Department has made of employment outcomes for newly qualified nurses and nursing apprentices graduating in 2026 seeking NHS posts following completion of their training.

No specific assessment has been made of the National Health Service employment outcomes for newly qualified nurses and nursing apprentices graduating in 2026.

What steps his Department is taking to support NHS trusts to recruit newly qualified nurses.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified nurses are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. Trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver...

Whether the updated NHS workforce plan will include measures to improve access to permanent NHS employment for newly qualified nurses and nursing associates.

We will not pre-empt the publication of the plan which will be published shortly and will set out how the National Health Service workforce will be put on a sustainable footing so it can deliver the service model set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The pl...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that prisoners with mobility impairments can access appropriate mobility aids, including wheelchairs, within the prison estate.

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community, to include range, access and quality of service. Access to specialist consultants and referrals into specialised support is available in ...

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision for prisoners with progressive neuromuscular conditions.

NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community, to include range, access and quality of service. Access to specialist consultants and referrals into specialised support is available in ...