Lords
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
Weight Loss Medication
Quite a few points were made there. I think the noble Lord is referring to reports about acute pancreatitis, for example. The MHRA has done a thorough review of the suspicions around these medicines. No new safety concerns were identified but, every time something comes up, it will be looked into. T…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 July 2025
Specialty Medical Training
My Lords, I apologise to the Committee; I should have declared my interests. I am an observer on the Medical Schools Council, I chair the Bevan Commission in Wales and I hold the chair at Cardiff University.
Lords
Proceedings
16 July 2025
Resident Doctors: Industrial Action
My Lords, I begin by paying tribute to those conscientious resident doctors who have decided not to take industrial action so that they can continue their vital work and care of their patients. From these Benches, we find it deeply regrettable that a minority has decided to take this unjustifiable a…
Lords
Oral Questions
15 July 2025
Housebuilders: Information Sharing
The issue of skills and capacity in planning departments has been a real focus of this Government since last July when we were elected. We know that that is one of the areas in which we need to support local authorities. We have put large sums of money into creating 300 new skilled planning roles in…
Lords
Oral Questions
14 July 2025
Advertising Restrictions on Less Healthy Food
I completely agree with the noble Lord and I have personal experience from my background. It is empowering when a parent presents at a community organisation with a child who has an eating disorder or who is becoming obese, and they work together through cooking, education and shopping. All those th…
Lords
Proceedings
9 July 2025
2 contributions
NHS 10-Year Plan
My Lords, before I begin, it is the first opportunity for me from these Benches to wish the noble Baroness, Lady Merron, a speedy but restful recovery over the summer. I look forward to seeing her back after recess. I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement. As she will appreciate, for many q…
It will be next year.
Lords
Oral Questions
18 June 2025
Care Workers: Foreign Worker Visas
While I absolutely agree about the value of volunteering, as we have discussed before, I should make clear that volunteering is not a substitute for employment on the right pay, the right terms and conditions and with the right status. I also absolutely agree with the noble Lord about the contributi…
Lords
Committee Stage
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Hub and Spoke Dispensing etc.) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I thank noble Lords on all sides of the Committee for their helpful contributions to today’s debate. I get a sense of support for where we are going and questions about how it will happen, which I completely accept. This instrument is part of a package of measures to relieve pressure in co…
It would be fair to say that the review will be on how well this is working rather than an attempt to move to model 2. In all the modelling, we believe this is the best way to go. Patient safety is paramount, as it always should be, as is the expansion of services to individuals, but we will keep th…
Lords
Committee Stage
17 June 2025
Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025
I am most grateful to both noble Lords for their constructive contributions and their support for these measures. I welcome their questions and will do my best to respond to them.
I will first make a few general points that may assist. Noble Lords acknowledged the role of the MHRA, the essential se…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 June 2025
Learning Disabilities Nursing
This is indeed a vulnerable group, as the noble Lord says, and it is probably best that I refer to the upcoming 10-year plan, which will deal with inequalities throughout a number of sectors, including the most vulnerable and including this group.
Lords
Oral Questions
16 June 2025
Adult Social Care
As the noble Lord rightly outlines, this is a move, over a number of years, to reduce the reliance on international recruitment. I am really glad that just a couple of weeks ago the Department for Education announced the launch of a health and social care foundation apprenticeship, set to begin in A…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 June 2025
Cardiovascular Illnesses
My Lords, I associate myself with the congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Booth, on securing such an important debate. I am very grateful to him for doing that on the back of his personal experience. It shines a light and, while I realise that it is difficult, what he has done is worthwhile. Man…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 June 2025
2 contributions
Creon
The supply situation has improved since last year and there is now sufficient stock of lower-strength Creon to meet normal demand. There are still some supply constraints, as I have said, with the higher-strength product stock, but stock is regularly being delivered to pharmacies. As we have discuss…
It would not be possible to prescribe them if they were not fit and safe for use. I am grateful to the noble Lord for allowing me to make that reassurance. There is very clear information on ordering and prescribing unlicensed imports on the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service website, should the noble …
Lords
Oral Questions
5 June 2025
Primary and Community Care
Our commitment to moving towards a neighbourhood health service obviously allows for attention to be given to different circumstances, including in rural areas. It will mean that more care can be delivered locally and that problems can be spotted earlier, including any problems with rollout. We will…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 June 2025
Young Children: Convenience Foods
On the three ways forward that the noble Lord identified, the approach often has to be a mix of all three. It is the balance that is the point under debate, and it has to be informed by evidence. I certainly share the noble Lord’s view about the importance of civil society and working with community…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 June 2025
Health: Ultra-processed Food
The important point that the noble Lord raises is that our role is to encourage people to ensure that they are choosing a healthy diet and can achieve a healthy diet. As the noble Lord said, the word “could” is a bit of a problem. That is why we continue to invest in research and, as I say, work clo…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 May 2025
Doncaster Royal Infirmary
On that point, I feel that the Government taking the backlog very seriously, against the background of what we have inherited, will make conditions far better for staff, which will make it a far more attractive place to work. That will be reflected when we report on the workforce plan. To the point …
Lords
Oral Questions
8 May 2025
Care Quality Commission: Mental Health Care Waiting Times
As the noble Lord is aware, I regard the contribution of the community sector—the third sector—as absolutely crucial here. I personally work very closely, like the department more generally, both to improve our practice and to recognise the difference that the creative arts, for example, can add to …
Lords
Committee Stage
6 May 2025
Medical Devices (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025
I am grateful to noble Lords for their valuable contributions and the way in which they have raised issues relating not just to the statutory instrument before us but this whole area of important work. I am also grateful for the support more broadly on the need to get the legislation right in order …
Lords
Oral Questions
1 May 2025
Prosthetics for Amputees
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Mackinlay, for securing this debate and for giving your Lordships a tremendous opportunity for a very informed and meaningful debate. Having listened as the Minister, which I did very closely—I assure noble Lords that I will also review the points that were rai…
Lords
Oral Questions
1 May 2025
NHS: Single-sex Spaces for Staff
Before the Minister stands up, we have the benefit of having the chair of the EHRC in the Room with us. I wonder whether it is your Lordships’ wish that we hear from her.
Lords
Oral Questions
1 May 2025
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Treatments
We are very open to all sorts of creative ways of dealing with the matter, but it is important to say on the drugs that we are discussing that lecanemab and donanemab can only slow the progression of the disease by between four and six months. The challenge is not just whether it is available on the…