Every parliamentary written question tabled by Pippa Heylings this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 85 · Department of Health and Social Care
What assessment he has made of the financial impact on community pharmacies of the current reimbursement and price cap arrangements for prescription medicines; and if he will review cases where pharmacies are required to dispense medicines at a loss because the reimbursement price paid by the NHS is lower than the acquisition cost charged by pharmaceutical suppliers.
Awaiting answer.
Whether he intends to consult NHS staff, professional bodies and trade unions on proposed guidance relating to political symbols and expression in NHS workplaces; and whether he will publish an impact assessment before such guidance comes into force.
Awaiting answer.
When he plans to respond to Question 546 from the hon. member for South Cambridgeshire.
Awaiting answer.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of NICE introducing a fast-track evaluation process for brain tumour drugs supported by early-stage evidence.
No such assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates all new licensed medicines, including for brain tumours, and aims wherever possible to publish guidance for the National Health Service on their use c...
What estimate he has made of the number of medicines approved for the treatment of brain tumours in the last 10 years; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the approvals process
The Government recognises how difficult a diagnosis of a cancerous brain tumour can be for patients, carers, and families, and that treatment options remain limited. All new licensed medicines, including those for brain cancer, are assessed by the Nationa...
Whether he is taking steps to ensure that personalised cancer vaccines for brain tumour patients will become available on the NHS.
There are currently no personalised cancer vaccines with a marketing authorisation for use in the United Kingdom. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published draft guidance to support developers of personalised cancer immu...
What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for MRI scans for patients with suspected brain tumours.
The Government recognises the impact that waiting for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can have on patients, including for patients with suspected brain tumours.We are taking a range of steps to improve access to imaging, including expanding capacit...
What the median time is from symptom onset to diagnosis for patients with brain tumours: and what steps he is taking to reduce that time.
The Government recognises the impact that waiting for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can have on patients, including for patients with suspected brain tumours.We are taking a range of steps to improve access to imaging, including expanding capacit...
What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of updating the EatWell guide to reflect the importance of healthy drinks choices.
Government recommendations for healthier drinks are already depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide includes an image of a glass of water and recommends that people should aim to drink six to eight cups o...
What recent progress he has made to (a) review and (b) reform mental health discharge policy and practice.
We recognise the importance of safe and well-planned discharge from mental health settings, and the need to ensure that people receive appropriate support as they move back into the community.The statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatien...
What steps his Department is taking to work with other NHS bodies, such as local integrated care boards, on the development of the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care.
We have been engaging with a range of stakeholders, from around 70 organisations, to inform the development of the Modern Service Framework for Palliative Care and End of Life Care. This includes the Ambitions Partnership and NHS Alliance. We are also und...
What assessment his Department has made of (a) trends in the level of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in England and (b) the adequacy of specialist support and treatment available for that c
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the regulatory framework for liquid paracetamol products, including the quantity that can be purchased at one time.
The majority of patients use and take paracetamol responsibly. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that paracetamol can be a favoured drug of choice for impulsive or intentional overdose. The MHRA takes these i...
What steps his Department is taking to reduce regional variation in IVF provision following publication of the updated NICE fertility guidelines.
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.On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).There are no plans to introduce statutory duties on ICBs to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.The Government published the Women's Health Strategy on 15 April which commits to ensuring that every woman can easily access fertility services, and we are currently working to assess the current provision of National Health Service commissioned fertility services as a baseline to inform supporting material for every ICB to implement the new NICE guidelines in full.
Whether he plans to introduce statutory duties on Integrated Care Boards to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles.
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.On 31 March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated fertility guideline, which recommends that women under 40 years old who meet the clinical eligibility criteria should be offered up to three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).There are no plans to introduce statutory duties on ICBs to deliver NICE fertility guidelines on IVF cycles. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.The Government published the Women's Health Strategy on 15 April which commits to ensuring that every woman can easily access fertility services, and we are currently working to assess the current provision of National Health Service commissioned fertility services as a baseline to inform supporting material for every ICB to implement the new NICE guidelines in full.
What (i) steps his department is taking to address regional differences in funding for Mirena coil fitting and (ii) if he plans to ensure this service is available at GP surgeries.
The funding and provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as the Mirena coil, is primarily a matter for local determination.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning contraception for both contraceptive and gynaecological purposes, including essential services under the GP Contract and LARC as a local arrangement.Contraception for contraceptive purposes, including LARC, is also a prescribed aspect of local authority sexual health commissioning. The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access to most sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant.It is for individual local authorities and ICBs to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need, and to commission the blend of service access that best suits their population.The renewed Women’s Health Strategy, which was published on 15 April, sets out how we will ensure that women have straightforward access to the full range of contraception, including LARC, that meets their individual needs and preferences.We will include contraception in the upcoming sexual and reproductive health framework to clarify current commissioning arrangements and to share opportunities and best practice for closer working and improved pathways.
What discussions his Department has had with the General Medical Council on the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of that organisation's guidance entitled Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, published on 5 April 2021, on shared care agreements for people with ADHD.
Building on the work of the independent ADHD Taskforce, on 4 December 2025 my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, which will inform our approach to ensuring appropriate support is in place.The independent review published an interim report on the 31 March 2026 which sets out key findings from the data and evidence reviewed so far, learning to date from discussions with people, including people with lived experience, and organisations as well as setting out plans for the next phase of the review and the key questions to address in more detail.The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of shared care agreements with independent sector providers for patients prescribed ADHD medication or held discussions with General Medical Council on their guidance.
When Section 16 of the NHS Staff Terms and Conditions (Agenda for Change) handbook was last reviewed in relation to the partial retirement scheme introduced in October 2023; and whether his Department has any plans to update this section to ensure fairness for staff who took partial retirement.
Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook, also referred to as Agenda for Change, sets out the contractual redundancy provisions for staff covered by these terms and conditions. These contractual redundancy provisions for staff in England were agreed and ratified in partnership by the NHS Staff Council, the collective bargaining structure made up of trade union and employer representatives. Section 16 was last reviewed by the NHS Staff Council in 2015. No changes to the contractual redundancy provisions in England have been made since.Any future changes to the handbook, including changes to this section, would require the Department to issue a mandate to allow negotiations to be undertaken by the NHS Staff Council.
What steps his Department is taking to respond to feedback from frontline GPs to the NHS 10-Year Health Plan consultation; and whether this feedback will result in changes to its policy approach to general practice.
Participants shared their experiences of using and/or working in or with the National Health Service and their views on what it should look like in the future, which were used to shape the 10-Year Health Plan. A report detailing the views of members of the public and health and care staff as gathered through the Change NHS engagement process that contributed to the development of the 10-Year Health Plan for England is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engagement-insight-report-10-year-health-plan-for-englandThe Department currently has no plans to respond to specific individual feedback from frontline general practitioners (GPs).The 10-Year Health Plan, shaped by engagement, set out the need for reform within GPs. This includes increasing capacity, delivering on the recommendations of the Red Tape Challenge, and rolling out the technology to enable more appointments and better continuity of care for those with complex needs.As part of the shift from hospital to community, the plan also sets out more fundamental reform that will see GPs lead new neighbourhood providers that convene teams of skilled professionals to provide personalised care for groups of people with similar needs.We have now concluded the 2026/27 GP Contract consultation. The final package reflects commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan, including ending the 8:00am scramble, improving timely access to care, tackling GP unemployment, and supporting a shift towards prevention. Overwhelmingly, participants in the public deliberative events identified access to care, and prioritising GP access, as the most immediate priority the 10-Year Health Plan should address.We are investing an additional £485 million into GPs, taking total contract investment to over £13.8 billion in 2026/27. This builds on last year’s £1.1 billion of investment.
What assessment he has made of the impact of new online consultation requirements on patient access to GP care.
General practices (GPs) are independent businesses contracted by the National Health Service to deliver essential services, and as part of these contracts they are required to provide modern telephony systems, online consultation tools, and ensure that receptions are open during core hours. In the 2025 contract negotiations with the General Practitioners Committee England, an agreement was reached to ensure online consultation systems are available throughout core hours. These changes are designed to improve access to GPs, end the 8:00am scramble, and ensure parity across all access options. In January 2026, there has been an increase of 4.1 million online consultation submissions compared to January 2025. Office for National Statistics data from January 2026 shows that 76.8% of patients found it “easy” to contact their GP, up from 60.9% in July 2024. In the year to January 2026, including COVID-19 vaccinations, an additional six million appointments were delivered compared with the previous 12 months.