Every parliamentary written question tabled by Peter Swallow this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–6 of 6 · Department of Health and Social Care
What assessment he has made of the accessibility of TG6 blood tests for diagnosis of gluten ataxia.
While National Health Service specialised services commissions care for some rare ataxias, gluten ataxia is commissioned within integrated care board-commissioned neurology services. Decisions on the provision of diagnostic tests, including blood tests, a...
What progress he has made on providing the NHS staff council with a funded mandate to make improvements to the Agenda for Change pay structure.
The NHS Staff Council was provided with a mandate to negotiate changes to the Agenda for Change pay structure for their agreement on 5 March 2026.Pay structure changes that are agreed by the NHS Staff Council under the mandate will deliver additional pay increases for some staff in 2026/27 on top of the 3.3% increase to all pay points that was announced on 12 February 2026.
What steps he is taking to improve patient experience of the NHS App.
The NHS App is at the forefront of a major digital transformation and will revolutionise access to healthcare by putting patients at the centre of a modern, personalised, and data-driven service. One of the key aims is to empower individuals with greater choice, transparency, and control over their care.The NHS App is co-designed with patients from a wide range of background and needs, with 14,000 users involved in user research in 2025 alongside 42,000 survey completions. Our research teams also have a rule of always doing rounds of research with often excluded or disadvantaged groups. This is often facilitated by partners like the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Mencap who help us to involve the appropriate people.The NHS App is already helping people manage their health more easily, whether that’s viewing records, booking appointments, ordering prescriptions, or accessing test results. In the past year alone, the app has sent over 181 million messages, supported over 32 million vaccination invites, and offered more than 16 million vaccination appointments, many in local pharmacies. These numbers show how the app is not just supporting care but actively shifting it closer to home.By 2030, patients will be able to manage their care remotely, contribute to their health records, and navigate the system with confidence, driving better outcomes and a more integrated, responsive National Health Service.
What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients in Bracknell Forest can access clinical trials.
There is a revolution taking place in medical science, and we want the next generation of treatments to be discovered, developed and distributed here in Britain. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will fast-track clinical trials set up times to 150 days by March 2026.The Department is supporting National Health Service patients in Bracknell Forest to access clinical trials through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
What steps his Department is taking to help increase supplies of ADHD medication.
The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of this intensive work, some issues have been resolved. Many strengths of lisdexamfetamine and all strengths of atomoxetine capsules and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available. We are working to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate. These are anticipated to resolve by August and October 2024, respectively.We are asking suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop management advice for National Health Service clinicians, to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance to offer rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further, we have widely disseminated our communications, and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd/
What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of Creon to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used by patients with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provide advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.We understand how distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and help mitigate risks to patients.