20 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat factors his Department is considering before responding to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s November 2024 advice that the shingles vaccination programme should be expanded
ReplyThe Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on shingles vaccinations, examining factors including clinical benefits, affordability and cost effectiveness.No decision has yet been taken on any expansion of the...
20 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of shingles-related GP appointments, A&E attendances and hospital admissions among adults aged 80 and over between the Joint Committee o
ReplyThe Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on shingles vaccinations, examining factors including clinical benefits, affordability and cost effectiveness.No decision has yet been taken on any expansion of the...
20 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the clinical, operational, procurement and supply-side barriers to expanding the shingles vaccination programme to adults aged 80 and over.
ReplyThe Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on shingles vaccinations, examining factors including clinical benefits, affordability and cost effectiveness.No decision has yet been taken on any expansion of the...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat discussions his Department has had with the (a) Care Quality Commission, (b) General Medical Council, (c) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the Secretary of State for
ReplyThe Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use an...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the application of Regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to the supply of unlicensed cannabis-based products f
ReplyThe Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use an...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedHow many investigations the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has opened into the (a) advertising and (b) promotion of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use by priv
ReplyThe Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use an...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps his Department has taken to ensure the safe prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.
ReplyThe Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use an...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhether (a) statutory and (b) policy rules prevent NHS funding for an elective procedure being combined with a patient contribution to meet the cost of treatment by an independent-sector provider.
ReplyWhere a patient opts to pay for private care, their entitlement to services within the National Health Service remains and may not be withdrawn. However, the NHS should not subsidise private care. Therefore, it is important there is as clear a distinction...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps integrated care boards are required to take when a patient awaiting consultant-led elective treatment has waited longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.
ReplyPatients in England have a right to request their local integrated care board (ICB) find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.When notified, ICBs are required to t...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhether patients who have waited longer than 18 weeks for consultant-led elective treatment have a right to request transfer to an alternative NHS or NHS-funded independent-sector provider able to
ReplyPatients in England have a right to request their local integrated care board (ICB) find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.When notified, ICBs are required to t...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWith reference to the Answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 82954 on Surgery: Waiting Lists, what payments NHS England and his Department have made for waiting-list data validation exercises since
ReplyValidation is a routine part of providers’ waiting list management which ensures patient records are accurate, that patients are on the best pathway to meet their needs, and that they still need their appointments.Over 85% of removals from the Referral to...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedHow many Written Parliamentary Questions to his Department had not received a substantive answer by the end of the 2024–26 Parliamentary Session; and what the tabling date was of the oldest such Qu
ReplyInformation on the number of Written Parliamentary Questions the Department had not answered substantively before prorogation is available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions?SearchTerm=prorogation&DateFr...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat estimate his Department has made of the number of patient pathways removed from referral-to-treatment waiting lists following data validation exercises in each year since 2020.
ReplyValidation is a routine part of providers’ waiting list management which ensures patient records are accurate, that patients are on the best pathway to meet their needs, and that they still need their appointments.Over 85% of removals from the Referral to...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedHow many patient pathways in the net reduction in the referral-to-treatment waiting list since 1 September 2025 were removed as a result of (a) completed treatment, (b) patient-initiated cancellati
ReplyValidation is a routine part of providers’ waiting list management which ensures patient records are accurate, that patients are on the best pathway to meet their needs, and that they still need their appointments.Over 85% of removals from the Referral to...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat the average number of days overdue was for Named Day Written Parliamentary Questions to his Department which were overdue for a substantive answer at the end of the 2024–26 Parliamentary Sessi
ReplyInformation on the number of Written Parliamentary Questions the Department had not answered substantively before prorogation is available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions?SearchTerm=prorogation&DateFr...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedHow many Named Day Written Parliamentary Questions to his Department were overdue for a substantive answer at the end of the 2024–26 Parliamentary Session.
ReplyInformation on the number of Written Parliamentary Questions the Department had not answered substantively before prorogation is available at the following link:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions?SearchTerm=prorogation&DateFr...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat criteria his Department uses to determine whether a person has undertaken all or a majority of their medical training outside Ireland for the purposes of section 4 of the Medical Training (Pri
ReplyThe Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant Nat...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 on British citizens studying for UK-awarded medical degrees delivered outside the B
ReplyThe Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant Nat...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhether his Department plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students who enrolled before the passage of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 on UK-awarded me
ReplyThe Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant Nat...
18 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhen his Department plans to publish guidance on the eligibility criteria for priority status under section 4 of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 for students graduating with UK-award
ReplyThe Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant Nat...