Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
5 contributions
Electronic Patient Record Systems
My hon. Friend will know that trusts have responsibility for securing—using the approved procurement framework—an appropriate electronic patient record system that delivers all the core capabilities set out in the digital capabilities framework. Since 2022, £1.9 billion has been invested in digital …
I commend my hon. Friend, and our hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham), for their diligent work with their trust and local system. Progress is being made on that EPR, which will have huge benefits. I will ensure that he has a clear outline of progress to the final planned operating of …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
4 contributions
10-Year Health Plan: Perinatal Mental Health
The 10-year health plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for women during the perinatal period. During the year to April 2025, a record 64,805 women accessed maternal mental health services or specialist community perinatal mental health services,…
I recognise my hon. Friend’s great work in this place to support women on this issue. We recognise that newly qualified midwives are experiencing challenges in gaining that first role. That is partly due to the record number of midwives in post and to better retention rates. NHS England is working w…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
17 July 2025
10 contributions
NHS Pensions: Frontline Patient Care
As the House knows, the NHS pension scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, which is facing challenges, as are all public sector pension schemes, as a result of the coalition Government’s public sector pension reforms in 2015, which in 2018 were found to have been discriminato…
As I outlined in my initial response and further to the written ministerial statement, we have asked for an independent review of the process and will report back as soon as possible with a realistic deadline for that. With regard to the strikes, we will continue to be open to discussing the avoidan…
+8 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 July 2025
5 contributions
Women and Girls with Autism: Mental Health Support
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West (Jessica Toale) for securing this debate and raising this extremely important topic. We know that, sadly, autistic people are at the wrong end of statistics on a range of me…
The hon. Lady raises another terrible case concerning a teenager on behalf of her constituent. We must of course be mindful of that provision for children and young people. My hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West spoke of her constituent’s campaign to retrain mental health staff, to improve u…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 June 2025
2 contributions
IVF Egg Donation: Young Women
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate on egg donation in young women. He raises a number of important points, which the Government take seriously. I absolutely assure him that there are rules and re…
I have addressed the issue of compensation. It rose in response to inflation, for the first time since 2011. We have no further plans to start a study specifically on health. As I said in my remarks to others, we understand that broader outcomes in women’s health is an under-researched area. Bringin…
Commons
Debate
24 June 2025
Department of Health and Social Care
I thank the interim Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton), for securing this debate, and all colleagues for taking part. I have been asked to condense my comments, so I hope that I can address her questions, but if I do …
Commons
Debate
19 June 2025
Incontinence
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Deputy Speaker; you have done an excellent job of making sure that all Back Benchers get to contribute to this afternoon’s important debate. I will have to cut some of my comments, but hopefully I will get to address everybody’s points. We are having this…
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Prostate Cancer Treatment
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq) for securing the debate, and I thank the other Members who have spoken.
As my hon. Friend has said, more than 50,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, and one in eight will be diagnosed with it during their lif…
We talk regularly with our colleagues in Northern Ireland, and I am always happy to do so. As the hon. Lady knows, this matter is devolved, so it is a matter for Northern Ireland, and we respect the devolution settlement.
Our elective reform plan, published in January 2025, builds on the investment…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
4 contributions
Topical Questions
I thank my hon. Friend for that important question. The Government are carefully considering the work of the patient safety commissioner and her report, which sets out the options for redress. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government Departments. We will provide a further up…
Such contraceptives are an emerging technology that will be subject to clinical and other relevant assessment before being considered for use in England. The Government remain committed to ensuring that women can access their preferred method in a timely manner. A range of contraception is available…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
5 contributions
Cancer Diagnoses
Reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis remains a key priority. Under this Government, an extra 99,000 patients have had cancer diagnosed or ruled out. This has been supported by investment, including in Cancer 360—a digital innovation that brings patient data into one central platform—and in NH…
I am delighted that my hon. Friend’s constituents will benefit from the £70 million investment. These machines are game changing and will reduce the number of visits for his constituents. They are also more reliable, which gives more capacity to the system. That is better for staff, as there will be…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Biopsy Waiting Times
More patients are now getting world-leading testing technology in the NHS as part of our mission to revolutionise cancer care in this country. The Government are spending £600 million a year in capital on diagnostics, including for the first time funding for the automation of histopathology laborato…
The hon. Member raises an awful case on behalf of his constituent. Of course, our targeting of waiting lists includes diagnostics. What happened in that case should not happen anywhere, and I will ensure that he gets a response as soon as possible.
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Under-18s Sunbed Ban
The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 banned the use of commercial sunbeds for under-18s, requiring businesses to prevent under-age use. The Department has commissioned the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment to review the Act, including the effectiveness of the under-18 ban.
As someone who was diagnosed myself with an earlier stage melanoma, I really commend the work of my hon. Friend’s constituent. I never used sunbeds and I spent holidays in my youth in Ireland, so I never saw much sun either—sorry to the Irish tourism board. As my hon. Friend says, it is an overwhelm…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
4 contributions
Medicine Supply Chain: Community Pharmacies
Increasing the resilience of the UK medical supply chain is a key priority. I regularly meet the team to routinely take action to mitigate supply issues, including requesting additional stock, identifying alternative global sources and issuing management advice. Although the Department has no plans …
I congratulate my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour on his dedicated career in community pharmacy, and thank him for the expertise that he brings to the work of the all-party parliamentary group to help Members understand the impact of this issue on patients and pharmacies. I am planning to hol…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
3 contributions
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
It is a real pleasure to respond to this moving debate. I know that many people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families will have wanted to tune in to hear what was said this afternoon. I thank Members who have contributed in different ways to the debate. In particular, I thank my hon. F…
I thank my hon. Friend for that constructive suggestion. We need to wait to see how the NICE recommendation goes in July. With this disease and so many others, it is important to share learning and information, and trusts should be encouraged and supported in doing so. We will work with him on that …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
12 June 2025
Covid: Fifth Anniversary
I am short of time, but the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), who leads on this issue, has hotfooted it from Committee and will take up any issues that I do not address. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for West …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
33 contributions
Spending Review: Health and Social Care
With permission, I would like to make a statement on the outcome of the spending review for the Department of Health and Social Care.
This Government were elected on a manifesto to fix our broken NHS and make it fit for the future. Our job is twofold: first, to get the NHS back on its feet and trea…
I am entirely unclear, after that run-through of a number of different issues, whether the Conservatives welcome the extra investment in the NHS or oppose it. We know they oppose the means of funding it, but after that, I have no idea. At some point, they have to make up their mind whether they supp…
+31 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
2 contributions
NHS Funding: South-west
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I thank the hon. Member for Torbay (Steve Darling) for securing the debate. We could have had more time, as this is an important issue for us all across the whole south-west. I thank colleagues for taking part.
The hon. Gentleman is right t…
I am going to just complete these points, so that I can try to address as many points as possible.
In the constituency of the hon. Member for Torbay, the local ICB, NHS Devon, receives £2.5 billion of the £11.5 billion for the south-west. The allocation per capita for Devon is higher still, and abo…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 June 2025
4 contributions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine.
I thank the hon. Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) for securing this important debate on support for people with ADHD, and for sharing the experiences of his constituents in Oxfordshire. I know that the hon. Gentleman and…
I will come on to shared care agreements. As the hon. Member says, this is a devolved matter, and I am focusing on support for issues facing ADHD services in England and what we are doing to support trusts to get back on top of waiting lists and improve access to services.
First, NHS England has co…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
9 June 2025
Breast Cancer Screening: Bassetlaw
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Jo White) for bringing forward this debate on a really important topic that is close to my heart and, I know, the hearts of so many other hon. Members. It is really important to ensure that as many women as possible take up the offer of screening. The…
Commons
Debate
3 June 2025
3 contributions
Yeovil Hospital: Maternity Unit
I thank the hon. Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) for securing this important debate about the temporary closure of maternity services at Yeovil district hospital. I know, having given birth to three myself, that choosing where to give birth and the planning of that journey, as has been outlined, is i…
I am not aware of the operational details of how the decision was communicated, but I am happy to come back to that. As I have said, when decisions are made for reasons of safety—which is of primary importance—sometimes staff will not be able to be consulted in the usual way. Of course, some staff w…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
22 May 2025
Access to NHS Dentistry
I thank the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson); I could not have asked for a better set-up. I pay great tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn). This is an issue she has pursued for some time, and I am grateful for her securing this i…
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 May 2025
4 contributions
GP Services: Christchurch
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for Christchurch (Sir Christopher Chope) for raising GP surgeries, which is a vital matter to so many of our constituents. That is because GP surgeries are the front door to our NHS, and visiting a GP re…
I will not, because the hon. Member for Christchurch wants me to answer his questions.
We are working closely with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to address the issue of additional demand in national planning guidance and ensure that all new and existing develo…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
19 May 2025
16 contributions
NHS and Care Volunteer Responders Service
I thank the hon. Member for giving me the opportunity to speak about this topic and highlight the important role that volunteering plays in our health and social care system. The NHS has always benefited from the generous contribution made by volunteers, who play a vital role in supporting our patie…
The hon. Lady is right to highlight the tremendous effort that went into establishing the programme very quickly at a time of great crisis, and to thank the hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country who took part and stepped up. It was a huge effort to get the scheme running and we were…
+14 more contributions in this session
Commons
Statutory Instrument
12 May 2025
3 contributions
Draft Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. Before I turn to the detail of the statutory instrument, I would like to highlight the importan…
I thank the hon. Members for Sleaford and North Hykeham and for Chichester for their comments, which I will try to address.
As I think everyone agrees, the MHRA provides essential services that play a crucial public health role, and it is important that it recovers its costs, which is what these fe…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
6 May 2025
3 contributions
Topical Questions
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that this is exactly the sort of thing that is being rolled out across the country, and that we are committed to delivering care closer to where his residents live.
I am absolutely willing to give the hon. Member that commitment, and I know he worked on this programme in his previous role in Northern Ireland. It is delivering results, and we want to see results. We want to take the best to the rest of the NHS, and we absolutely want to work together across the …
+1 more contribution in this session