Every parliamentary written question tabled by Siân Berry this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 41 · Department of Health and Social Care
To provide details of the distribution so far of funding from the December 2025 announcement from the National Institute for Health and Care Research of £13.7 million for brain tumour research, including (a) the funding allocated to research to date, and (b) the funding actually paid out for research to date.
Awaiting answer.
What estimate he has made of the resources required to deliver his commitment to open-access mental health support for children and young people in every community.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of social care service delays, including (a) the availability of supported housing, (b) the availability of home care or community care packages, and (c) access to mental health beds, on delays to discharges from the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, and what steps is his Department taking to address any impacts identified.
Awaiting answer.
What estimate he has made of the number of patients in England in the last five years who have not received a meals on wheels service after leaving hospital, after they have been assessed as needing this service upon discharge, broken down by patients who were a) nourished, and b) malnourished upon discharge.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of early support hubs in increasing access to timely mental health support for children and young people aged 11 to 25, and whether he plans to support the rollout of this model in Brighton and Hove.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to question UIN 9801, answered in June 2026, what proportion of the £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028-29 will be allocated to the provision of meals on wheels services.
Awaiting answer.
By what date does he estimate that minimum pay will reach £15 per hour for domiciliary care workers through the work of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment he has made of the impact of social care delays, the availability of supported housing, the provision of home care packages, and access to mental health beds and community care pack
No assessment has been made on the impact of social care on discharge delays as we do not hold the data. Data on reasons for discharge delays are published by NHS England and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statist...
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of meals on wheels provision in (a) the Brighton and Hove local authority area and (b) other areas; and what steps he is taking to improve provision.
No assessment has been made of the adequacy of meals on wheels provision in Brighton and Hove or other areas. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are taske...
Whether his Department intends to put forward the draft new Surrogacy Bill as prepared by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission when legislative time allows, and w
The Government supports surrogacy as a part of assisted conception options and recognises the important part it can play in supporting people seeking to start a family.We will respond to the Law Commission’s legislative proposals on surrogacy as time allo...
If he will confirm that his Department recognises surrogacy as a legitimate form of family creation; and whether his Department is committed to considering the recommendations of the Law Commission
The Government supports surrogacy as a part of assisted conception options and recognises the important part it can play in supporting people seeking to start a family.We will respond to the Law Commission’s legislative proposals on surrogacy as time allo...
With reference to the December 2025 report on surrogacy from the SurrogacyUK Working Group on Legal Reform, whether his Department will confirm that surrogacy remains a supported form of family bui
The Government supports surrogacy as a part of assisted conception options and recognises the important part it can play in supporting people seeking to start a family.We will respond to the Law Commission’s legislative proposals on surrogacy as time allo...
What steps he is taking to increase access to NHS specialist mental health care following (a) pregnancy and (b) baby loss for people in Brighton Pavilion constituency.
We recognise that the experience of losing a baby or pregnancy loss can be very difficult for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to mental health support.Significant progress has been made to ensure women experiencing moderate to severe and complex perinatal mental health conditions can access specialist perinatal mental health services. This includes 165 mother and baby unit beds which have now been commissioned to provide inpatient care to women who experience severe mental health difficulties during and after pregnancy.Maternal mental health services are also available in all parts of England, including Brighton. These services provide care for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or loss in the maternity/ neonatal context.The National Health Service has expanded specialist perinatal mental health support, and access has more than doubled from 31,163 in March 2020 to 66,468 in October 2025.The Sussex Perinatal Mental Health Service, which covers the Brighton area, includes a specialist bereavement counselling offer, available to anyone who was pregnant with a baby that died after 24 weeks of pregnancy or up to 28 days after birth. This includes stillbirth, neonatal death, and termination for medical reasons after 24 weeks. This service can be accessed at any point within the first year of the bereavement. The offer includes counselling and therapies for individuals and couples. More information is available at the following link:https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/our-services/specialist-services/perinatal-services
Whether he plans to widen eligibility for hybrid closed loop (HCL) pump devices for people with diabetes; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of the rollout of HCL pumps to eligible groups; and what estimate he has made of the cost of expansion.
The eligibility criteria for hybrid closed loop (HCL) devices for people with diabetes are set in guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943NICE is an independent body with their own processes for reviewing and updating their guidance, taking account of the best available evidence of both clinical and cost effectiveness.As part of NHS England’s HCL implementation, HCL has been provided to over 600 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Further details on NHS England’s five-year national implementation strategy are published online, at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/hybrid-closed-loop-technologies-5-year-implementation-strategy/
How many GP practice (a) closures and (b) mergers there have been in (i) Brighton Pavilion constituency and (ii) the Brighton and Hove local authority area since 2016.
The Department does not hold data on the number of general practice closures and mergers that there have been in the Brighton Pavilion constituency and the Brighton and Hove local authority area since 2016. This data is held by the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board.
What recent changes there have been in funding for hospice services in (a) England, (b) the South East region and (c) Sussex.
In December 2024, we announced that we were providing £100 million of capital funding for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England. I am pleased to say that we can now confirm we are providing a further £25 million in capital funding for hospices to spend in 2025/26. From this additional £25 million of capital funding, hospices in the South East region will receive over £5 million. The Southern Hospice Group in Sussex, which is formed of St Barnabas House, Chestnut House, and Martlets, will receive £500,000. Sussex Beacon in Brighton will receive £88,920.We also recently announced that we are providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices in England over the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients. Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in Sussex and a number of other children’s hospices in the wider South East region, including Demelza Children’s Hospice, Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, Naomi House and Jacksplace Hospice, Helen and Douglas House, and Ellenor Hospice will all benefit from this funding.The Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is taking steps to support the long-term sustainability of hospices in its area. This includes 10-year grant agreements for adult hospices, providing financial certainty and strengthening their ability to maintain services during a period of rising demand.The ICB is also funding a Sussex Hospice Alliance Programme Director to support collective planning, clinical integration, and workforce development. The ICB currently spends £13.3 million a year with hospices.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. As part of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.
What employment protections and transition arrangements are in place for long-serving NHS clinical staff being moved into civil service contracts through the NHS England restructuring process.
Employment protections and transition arrangements will form part of consultation under a legal transfer mechanism. Detail on this will be provided to recognised trade unions and staff when consultation commences.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS England restructure on equalities, particularly on disabled, neurodiverse, female and non-British staff members.
NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of transition through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, its Health and Safety Committee, staff networks, and recognised trade union forums, as well as through sickness absence and direct feedback mechanisms. This approach is underpinned by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion framework, which proved effective in assessing the potential impact of restructuring on staff with protected characteristics.NHS England has designed and implemented an enhanced support package for its staff during transition which has been shaped and informed with its staff networks who are representative of the diversity of its workforce, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;a mix of wellbeing workshops to support staff with career planning, financial planning and stress management;inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities;targeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during transition; anda commitment to undertake additional Equality Impact Assessments as the programme moves into more detailed design phases, ensuring that equality considerations remain central to decision-making.
What steps are being taken to monitor and mitigate the mental health impact of changes being made during the NHS England restructuring process on affected staff.
Safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues while delivering the changes needed for the future of NHS England is a key priority for NHS England. NHS England has designed and implemented an equity-focused support package which has been shaped and informed jointly with staff networks, representative of the diversity of the organisation, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities; andtargeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during this transition.NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of change through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, Health and Safety Committee staff network, and recognised trade union forums.
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Kingdon review of children's hearing services; and if he will set out a timetable for the implementation of (a) actions and (b) additional funding and resources required.
We are grateful to Dr Kingdon for the review into children’s hearing services published on 4 December 2025. No assessment has yet been made of the potential implications on policies. We are progressing an early analysis of implementation requirements for each of the 12 recommendations made by Dr. Kingdon. We will provide further updates once this initial assessment has been completed and a detailed timetable has been established.