Written questions by Slade.

What steps he is taking to maximise the use of available technologies used to establish the available capacity of NHS dental practices to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Awaiting answer.

If he will establish provisions for people with stomas in public toilets within NHS establishments.

Awaiting answer.

What data his Department holds on the (a) number of children between 5 and 10 admitted to hospital for dental procedures in each of the last five years and (b) average cost of such instances from admission to discharge.

Awaiting answer.

If he will take steps to extend free parking provision for all NHS staff on NHS sites.

Awaiting answer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting a pharmacy-led gluten free service in England, with annual health checks and collaboration between pharmacies, GPs and dieticians

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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of the policy that a individual must have three miscarriages before being offered routine, specialist recurrent miscarriage care on (a) the (i) m

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not made a formal assessment on the impact of repeated miscarriage on women. However, we recognise that miscarriage can have a devastating impact on women and their families, and we...

What steps he is taking to improve miscarriage prevention care for people who have experienced fewer than three miscarriages.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not made a formal assessment on the impact of repeated miscarriage on women. However, we recognise that miscarriage can have a devastating impact on women and their families, and we...

What analysis he has undertaken of the factors contributing to the availability of Latanoprost and Timolol combination eye drops; and what steps he is taking to (a) help increase that availability

The Department is aware of a supply issue with Latanoprost 50 micrograms/millilitre and Timolol five milligram/millilitre eye drops 0.2 millilitre unit dose preservative free. We are currently working with the impacted manufacturer, suppliers of alternati...

If he will take steps to increase funding for research into Parkinson's disease.

Government responsibility for delivering Parkinson’s disease research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department of Science, Innovat...

Whether he will take steps to provide free NHS prescriptions to younger onset Parkinson's patients.

There are currently no plans to provide free National Health Service prescriptions to younger onset Parkinson's patients.People with younger-onset Parkinson’s may be eligible for exemption from NHS prescription charges for another reason. Eligibility depe...

Whether he plans to develop a formal care pathway for Parkinson's disease.

NHS England’s updated adult specialised neurology service specification sets clear, standardised expectations for integrated neurology pathways, helping integrated care boards (ICBs) design services that provide timely, comprehensive, and coordinated care...

What assessment he has made of the equity of access to cancer treatment options for patients with the same cancer diagnosis, who are differentially classified as (a) first-line, (b) second-line and

The Government remains committed to improving access to innovative cancer treatments through the National Cancer Plan for England and to reducing inequalities in cancer outcomes and patient experience. Treatment decisions for individual patients are made ...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential benefits of making clinically beneficial cancer treatments available to patients according to (a) patient need and (b) clinical effectiveness and

The Government remains committed to improving access to innovative cancer treatments through the National Cancer Plan for England and to reducing inequalities in cancer outcomes and patient experience. Treatment decisions for individual patients are made ...

What steps his Department is taking to expand places for neurology at medical school.

The Government keeps the total number of medical school places under close review to ensure it meets England’s workforce requirements.Neurology is a medical specialty, with doctors undertaking speciality training in neurology following medical school, fou...

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the (a) diagnosis rate and (b) treatment of migraines.

The Government recognises the significant impact that migraines can have on individuals’ quality of life and is committed to improving care for people living with neurological conditions like migraine.The Government is working across departments to addres...

What steps he is taking to support people with Addison's disease, in the context of the discontinuation of the manufacture of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield on 21 April 2026 to Question 127384.

Whether she plans to take steps to ensure consistent (a) diagnosis, (b) clinical management and (c) dietary support for coeliac patients.

People with coeliac disease should have access to timely diagnosis, appropriate clinical management, and clear dietary advice to support long‑term health. Diagnosis and management of coeliac disease in England are informed by national clinical guidance, including recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which set out best practice for testing, referral, and follow‑up care. Following NICE guidelines helps integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver care that is proven to work, use National Health Service resources wisely, and provide fair and consistent services for patients.ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations, including gastroenterology and dietetic services, and are best placed to consider how care pathways are delivered locally. The NHS continues to focus on improving earlier diagnosis and more coordinated care for long‑term conditions through integrated, personalised approaches, supported by wider improvement programmes to reduce unwarranted variation in care.The Department will continue to work with NHS England to support consistent, high‑quality care for people living with coeliac disease, within existing NHS frameworks and evidence‑based guidance.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating (a) Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and (b) hypermobility spectrum disorders with overlapping conditions such as (i) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, (ii) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and (iii) Long Covid in (A) NHS service specifications, (B) long-term condition strategies and (C) clinical frameworks.

The Government recognises that hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and overlapping conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and Long Covid can have a significant impact on people’s health and quality of life, and that symptoms may be complex, multisystem, and fluctuate over time.In England, services for these conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which have a statutory responsibility to meet the needs of their populations. Care is typically delivered through existing primary, community, and secondary care pathways, including musculoskeletal, rehabilitation, pain, cardiology, neurology, and mental health services.There is no single national service specification or clinical framework covering these conditions, reflecting the variability of presentations and the absence of definitive diagnostic tests for some conditions. These conditions are best managed through personalised, multidisciplinary care across existing services rather than a standardised national specification or framework.More broadly, the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out reforms to improve care for people living with long‑term and complex conditions, including greater use of multidisciplinary teams, improved coordination between services, and a shift towards more personalised, community‑based care, which will benefit people with hEDS, HSD and related conditions.

Whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has any newly available (a) evidence or (b) modelling related to carriage studies and the potential impact of routinely offering Meningitis B vaccinations for people aged 13-25 on their health.

The Department makes decisions on vaccination programmes following careful consideration of independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults. The JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 17 March that the JCVI has been asked to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. However, decisions on routine vaccination programmes are taken on the basis of independent scientific advice from the JCVI. As ever, we will carefully consider their advice.In the meantime, a targeted vaccination programme has been extended to everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment as part of this outbreak.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in (a) overtime pay for full-time nurses working additional hours, (b) bank shift rates and (c) pay rates for unfilled shifts by NHS trusts on the (i) morale and (ii) retention of NHS nursing staff.

These specific assessments have not been made. The national provisions for the payment of unsocial hours premia and overtime are set out in the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. These provisions are specific to Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, which includes nurses. Overtime payments for substantive AfC staff on national contracts in England can only be paid to individuals once they have worked more than 37.5 hours per week. The NHS Staff Council is responsible for maintaining the handbook, and we are not aware of any current discussions around reducing overtime rates.Where an additional agreement exists between staff and their employing organisation on payment of any additional hours, including hours worked in excess of 37.5 hours per week, for example via a bank contract, then this is considered a local matter.National Health Service bank contracts are local contracts, the terms of which the employer has discretion over. The expectation is that the terms offered under a bank contract are agreed in partnership between employers and trade unions via local negotiating committees.The Department does not hold information on locally negotiated arrangements that individual NHS organisations offer as incentives to cover staff shortages.It is the responsibility of local organisations to ensure they have the right numbers of staff with the right skills to deliver services, supported by guidelines by national and professional bodies, including the management of any staff shortages.