Written questions by Martin.

Whether the Kent and Medway ICB has submitted Neighbourhood Health Centre proposals for (i) Lonsdale, (ii) Grosvenor & St James, (iii) Kingswood and (iv) Speldhurst & Greggswood GP surgeries.

Awaiting answer.

How many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department held with representatives of NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board in the 2025-26 financial year; and how many of those meetings related to the provision of GP services.

Awaiting answer.

How many extra GP appointments were delivered in Tunbridge Wells constituency in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.

Awaiting answer.

What the current ratio of GPs to patients is in Tunbridge Wells constituency; how this compares to five years ago; whether a threshold exists for the ratio of GPs to patients above which additional GP provision is required; and what criteria are used to determine when GP services should be expanded.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department provides guidance to GPs on the suitability of premises for the delivery of GP services.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of available section 106 funding has been spent on improving GP services in the last 12 months, and what this equates to in pounds sterling, in (i) England, (ii) Kent and (iii) Tunb

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on plans to upgrade GP provision and access in the Tunbridge Wells constituency, specifically at the (i) Lo

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department have had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on the use of section 106 funding from new housing developments to expand access to GP services and improv

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on commissioning building upgrades at Woodlands Health Centre in Tunbridge Wells constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has been made of the quality of GP premises in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This commitment will continue over the next five years. The Department has had no direct communication with the Kent and Medway Integrated ...

What discussions his department has had with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on the expansion of access to GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This commitment will continue over the next five years. The Department has had no direct communication with the Kent and Medway Integrated ...

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of the provision of GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency over the next five years.

We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This commitment will continue over the next five years. The Department has had no direct communication with the Kent and Medway Integrated ...

What assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a neighbourhood health centre in the Tunbridge Wells constituency to meet demand for GP services.

Neighbourhood health centres will be seen as the place to go for most health needs in every community. Delivery will be locally led and designed to reflect the specific needs of local populations. On 15 April 2026, we published Neighbourhood Health Centre...

What assessment has been made of the performance of NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board in improving access to GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This commitment will continue over the next five years. The Department has had no direct communication with the Kent and Medway Integrated ...

How many women's health hubs have been established in NHS Kent and Medway ICB; and what services they provide.

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What discussions his Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the use of encorafenib in combination with cetuximab and chemotherapy as a first‑line treatment for patients with BRAF V600E‑mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, in light of the results of the phase III BREAKWATER trial.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that neurodevelopmental assessments for children, including assessments for autism and ADHD, are carried out to an adequate and consistent standard across England, in line with NICE guidance, and that such assessments involve appropriate multidisciplinary input and sufficient direct observation of the child.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to autism and ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and following a recent diagnosis of autism. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. 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.The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for ADHD and autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism. This independent review will inform our new approach to mental health so people receive the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Likewise, the review will inform our approach so that people with ADHD and autistic people have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding NHS IVF funding criteria to cover individuals whose infertility results directly from medically necessary procedures, such as hysterectomy.

No recent assessments have been undertaken by the Department.Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether its current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. The draft guidance was consulted on between 10 September and 21 October 2025, and final guidance is expected to be published in March 2026. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions when it is published, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.

Whether he plans to extend NHS eligibility for the Shingrix shingles vaccine to older adults who previously received Zostavax.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent departmental expert committee which advises the Government on matters related to vaccination and immunisation. In November 2024, the JCVI provided advice to the Government on eligibility for the shingles vaccination programme. This included advice that the Government should consider expanding the shingles vaccination offer to include older adult cohorts aged 80 years old and over, regardless of whether these older individuals have previously been eligible for, or have been vaccinated with, Zostavax. The Department is carefully considering this advice as it sets the policy on who should be offered shingles vaccinations.