Written questions by Brewer.

What steps his Department is taking to improve national awareness, research, and coordination of work relating to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

We recognise the devastating impact of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities. I addressed this issue during a recent Westminster Hall Debate, underlining the Government’s commitment to strengthening pathology services, ensuring high-quality bereavement support, and growing the evidence base.To help reduce waitlists for death certification and access to screening, in 2022 NHS England launched a national programme to strengthen National Health Service perinatal and paediatric pathology services.SUDC is an under-researched area. Through the National Child Mortality Database, we have a growing body of data on child deaths to support high‑quality research that can improve understanding. The Government welcomes research applications on any aspect of child health, including SUDC, through the National Institute of Health and Care Research.Parents who have lost a child to SUDC should be able to access the advice and support that they need. Bereavement support can be found on the NHS help page, Get help with grief after bereavement or loss, and the GOV.UK page, What to do after someone dies: Bereavement help and support, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-supportNHS Bereavement support is commissioned locally, allowing services to be shaped around the needs of local communities. For anyone seeking help after a bereavement, we encourage them to speak to their general practitioners, who can advise on and refer into local bereavement support services. Department officials are also exploring opportunities to include signposting on the NHS website to SUDC UK, to ensure families have access to information when they need it most.

What the timetable is for patients in areas currently without a fracture liaison service to gain access to one; and what milestones his Department has set to track progress towards universal provision.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need. 13 new DEXA scanners were announced in May 2025. Beyond that, 20 new DEXA scanners funded in 2025 to 2026 were announced on 1 March 2026, as set out in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

What progress his Department has made on developing and publishing a detailed national implementation plan for the rollout of fracture liaison services to achieve 100% coverage across England by 2030.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need. 13 new DEXA scanners were announced in May 2025. Beyond that, 20 new DEXA scanners funded in 2025 to 2026 were announced on 1 March 2026, as set out in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

What recent assessments has the department made of the potential benefits of extending the meningitis B vaccination programme to teenagers.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults. From 2015, the MenB vaccine has been available on the National Health Service as part of routine childhood immunisations, but most students would not be vaccinated.Decisions on vaccination programmes follow 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, however the JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will ask them to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines.The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency, co-branded with the National Health Service, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation.

What evaluation has been undertaken of the use of artificial intelligence and enhanced NHS App tools in supporting patients with complex needs; how progress is being monitored towards the commitment that 95% of people with complex needs will have a personalised care plan by 2027; and what the current estimate is of progress towards meeting that target.

NHS England is in the early stages of exploring how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) can improve patient access to services through the NHS App, including patients with complex needs. We are currently piloting AI triage in the NHS App in one area and plan to extend to three more areas by the end of the 2026/27 financial year to inform best approach.Work is also underway to define an approach to enable patients with long term conditions to co-manage their care with clinical teams via the NHS App. Priority use cases will be agreed in the first half of the next financial year to take forward into delivery.The Government is fully committed to the 10-Year Health Plan ambition that 95% of people with complex needs will have an agreed care plan by 2027, and the work required to deliver this commitment is in active development.This includes how emerging technologies, including enhanced NHS App functionality, can support people with complex needs to be active participants in their own care. Through the Transforming People and Patient Facing Services programme, we are exploring how care plans can be made visible to patients via the NHS App. This work is currently in the discovery phase, examining priority use cases and the safest and most effective ways to present care plan information digitally.We have also developed proxy access for the NHS App and are building and piloting the National Proxy Service to make it easier for people to manage healthcare on behalf of others, including those with complex needs.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase uptake of the measles vaccination, and what plans are in place to support the rollout.

The Department continues to work with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to promote vaccine uptake by providing diverse delivery methods to make getting vaccinated easier, increasing outreach efforts to under-served groups, and raising awareness of the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases.The launch of the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccination programme in January 2026 saw a press campaign to inform and educate the public on the benefits of vaccination, with key bursts of activity on all childhood immunisations to continue throughout the year. In February 2026 the Department launched a national childhood vaccination campaign targeting parents and guardians of children aged zero to five years old to encourage uptake of all childhood vaccinations. This includes television and video on demand advertising, online video, social media, and digital display advertising, and partnerships with parenting forums, with activity prioritised to low uptake communities and geographical areas.From January 2026, the age at which the second MMRV dose is offered was brought forward to 18 months from three years and four months old, based on evidence that this earlier appointment could improve uptake and provide earlier protection against measles.In line with the 10-Year Health Plan, pathfinders are underway in 12 locations across the country, delivering childhood vaccinations, including MMRV, during health visits to pre-school children from underserved groups.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question 94138, what steps her Department is taking to achieve the 18‑minute Category 2 ambulance response target in North East Hampshire; and when she expects that target to be met.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework states that by 2028/29, nationally Category 2 incidents will be responded to in an average of 18 minutes, with 90% of responses within 40 minutes. These targets will ensure patients in urgent need receive care more quickly, wherever they are. We expect all ambulance trusts, including the South Central Ambulance Service, to contribute to meeting this ambition, with more specific targets set out in individual planning returns.National Health Service performance figures for the South-Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS), which serves North- East Hampshire, show that this financial year to date, from April 2025 to February 2026, Category 2 incidents were responded to in 30 minutes 18 seconds on average. This is over two minutes faster than the same period last year.SCAS has set out a range of improvement initiatives, closely aligned with actions in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, to improve ambulance response times, such as expanding hear and treat.

What steps his Department is taking to support newly qualified allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and radiographers, in securing employment following the completion of their training placements.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified allied health professionals are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers and educators to improve transition into the workforce.

What steps are being taken to help ensure that individuals who commit assaults and may require mental health assessment are managed safely; and how the Department is working to prevent them returning to commit further assaults.

Where, due to someone’s mental disorder, an individual poses a risk to others, mental health services have a role to play in identifying and managing that risk, including treating the person’s disorder, maintaining safety whilst the treatment starts to work, for however long this may take, engaging in safeguarding, and multi-agency liaison as required.Mental health services can only treat individuals who have a diagnosable mental disorder. Where an individual does not have a diagnosable mental health need, mental health services will discharge the individual to their general practice and if other needs are identified, the appropriate multi-agency referrals should be made.The police have powers under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act to remove someone from, or keep them at, a “place of safety” for the purpose of enabling them to be examined by a registered medical practitioner and to be interviewed by an Approved Mental Health Professional and of making any necessary arrangements for the person’s treatment or care. Police can use this power if a person appears to a constable to be suffering from mental disorder and to be in immediate need of care or control, and if they think it is necessary in the interests of that person or for the protection of others. Arrangements for the person's treatment of care can include an application to detain for assessment or treatment under the Mental Health Act, or for ongoing community mental health support.People in prison and on remand may be also detained under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act where they meet the relevant threshold for detention, which allows them to be diverted to hospital for treatment instead of prison.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) improve procedures to tackle kidney disease and (b) to help prevent a future rise in cases.

NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. NHS England has published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of chronic kidney disease and more joined up services. These changes are intended to make it easier to deliver improvements along the whole patient pathway including earlier diagnosis and treatment, that can potentially prevent or delay the need for dialysis and transplants.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are closely linked, with shared risk factors, as well as being risk factors for each other. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework. As part of its development, officials are also considering opportunities for earlier identification and diagnosis of CKD and are engaging widely to identify the best evidenced interventions.

What financial support the Department is providing to families of children affected by trauma; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the Adoption Support Fund (ASGSF) on individuals that would benefit from that Fund.

The Department of Health and Social Care provides support through funding a range of health services, including targeted services, that can support children who are affected by physical and mental trauma.For example, in December 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced a three-year pilot project to improve mental health support for children in care and their families. “Adoption support that works for all”, published in February, confirmed that this pilot will be designed so that it includes support for adoptive families.The Department for Education revised criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in April 2025 to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF funding. An equalities impact assessment was published in July 2025. My Hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Families and Wellbeing, recently announced the continuation of the ASGSF for 2026 to 2028, and a consultation on the longer-term future of adoption support, including a call for evidence on what works for children and families.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of provision of hoists and other accessibility equipment in GP surgeries to enable disabled and wheelchair‑using patients to undergo routine screening, including cervical smear tests; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such equipment is available locally so that patients are not required to travel long distances to access routine NHS services.

We want disabled people’s access to, and experience of, healthcare services to be equitable, effective, and responsive to their needs.Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.Commissioners are responsible for ensuring any necessary equipment or environmental adaptations are delivered within general practices.NHS England is rolling out a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag which enables the recording of key information about a disabled patient or client and the reasonable adjustments to care and treatment that they need, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately and equitably.Guidance and free training on the Flag is available for health and social care staff.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of frontline NHS staff, including receptionists working in GP surgeries.

Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work without fear of violence or abuse.Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including, security, training, and emotional support for staff affected by violence, abuse, or harassment.At a national level there are several policy measures being implemented and developed to help keep staff safe and to prevent and reduce violence in the workplace. This includes measures to improve data and reporting, strengthen risk assessment, and improve training and support for victims. This will be bolstered by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan. The standards will be included in the NHS Oversight Framework and act as an early warning signal for the Care Quality Commission.Additionally, the You and your general practice guidance makes clear that general practice staff should be treated with respect. A practice also reserves the right to remove patients from their list if they are violent or abusive to staff. The You and your general practice guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/

Whether his Department plans to provide additional funding for safety measures for NHS staff.

Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work. Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including security, training, and emotional support for staff affected by violence, abuse, or harassment. There are currently no plans to provide additional funding for safety measures for NHS staff.At a national level there are several policy measures being implemented and developed to help keep staff safe and to prevent and reduce violence in the workplace. This includes measures to improve data and reporting, strengthen risk assessment, and improve training and support for victims. This will be bolstered by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan. The standards will be included in the NHS Oversight Framework and act as an early warning signal for the Care Quality Commission.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce outpatient waiting times for neurology appointments in North East Hampshire constituency.

Modernisation of outpatient care is a top priority for the Government so that waits for outpatient appointments are shorter and elective pathways are more productive. The majority of people on the waiting list, including for neurology, are waiting for outpatient care. Through our Elective Reform Plan (ERP), we have expanded the Advice and Guidance (A&G) scheme, which helps ensure patients get care in the right place and only see a specialist if it’s really necessary, freeing up capacity in secondary care for those who need it, including certain patients with neurology conditions or symptoms. The ERP also commits to reducing missed appointments and unnecessary follow ups to further free up capacity. This will benefit patients across England, including in North East Hampshire.The 10-Year Health Plan builds on the ERP with a more sustainable vision for elective care where, by 2035, most outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS App, where it’s more convenient for patients.The Medium-Term Planning Framework outlines targets for the National Health Service from 2026/27 to 2028/29 to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambitions. This includes an ask of systems to transform pathways to give patients more control over their follow up care to reduce unnecessary appointments and expand the use of Advice and Guidance from April so that, by October, all requests/referrals across the 10 specialties providers deemed to have the most potential for this model to be effective go via an elective Single Point of Access. This will mean a more efficient approach to triaging patients, where all appropriate requests and referrals, excluding urgent suspect cancer, will flow through a single ‘front door’ to support clinical triage to the most appropriate service or outcome, meaning timelier, more joined up care for patients.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including clear information on the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in the Personal Child Health Record.

While the Personal Child Health Record (PCHR) does not currently contain a dedicated section on diabetes, it includes signposting to National Health Service online information on serious childhood illness, including symptoms of diabetes.NHS England is working with clinical experts, royal colleges, and wider stakeholders to review whether further opportunities exist to improve awareness of the key signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes among both healthcare professionals and the public. This includes, as I set out in the Westminster Hall debate on this issue last week, looking carefully to see what further improvements might be made to the red book.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of job evaluation scores for pharmacy assistants.

This specific assessment has not been made.Agenda for Change pay is underpinned by the Job Evaluation Scheme (JES). This scheme was developed through collaboration between National Health Service leaders, NHS trade unions, and independent job evaluation experts. The JES is a structured method of comparing job demands and seeks to ensure that staff receive equal pay for work of equal value.The JES focuses on the demands of the role as set out in the job documentation, for example the job description and person specification, and not the skills and knowledge an individual has. The requirements, as set out in the job documentation, are then analysed using the JES to determine the relative job demand, or weight, of the role which in turn determines which pay band the role sits in. This model of weighting has been legally tested and proven to be robust.All local employing organisations are responsible for correctly and consistently implementing the JES to ensure staff are paid correctly for the work they are asked to deliver.The NHS Staff Council’s Job Evaluation Group is responsible for maintaining the national role profiles that are used to support job evaluation practice.

Whether he is taking steps to introduce pay progression for Change Band 2 roles.

As part of the 2023 Agenda for Change (AfC) pay deal between the Government, employers, and trade unions in England, it was agreed to uplift the value of the bottom pay point of Band 2 to the same value as the top pay point of that band. This position was ratified by the NHS Staff Council, a partnership body made up of trade unions and employers that has overall responsibility for the AfC pay system and terms and conditions of service.The Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations for 2024/25 and 2025/26 in full, which included a recommendation to provide the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to make improvements to the AfC pay structure. Any changes to the AfC pay structure, including for Band 2 staff, will be for the NHS Staff Council to agree.The Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council to agree changes to the pay structure which will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

What steps he is taking to ensure (a) pay progression and (b) career development opportunities for the lowest-paid NHS staff.

Section 1 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service, also referred to as Agenda for Change (AfC), sets out the principles for pay progression in the National Health Service in England. It states that pay progression for all AfC pay points, within each pay band, is conditional upon employees demonstrating that they have the requisite knowledge and skills and competencies for their role and that they have demonstrated the required level of performance and delivery during the review period.The Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations for 2024/25 and 2025/26 in full, which included a recommendation to provide the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to make improvements to the AfC pay structure.Improvements to the AfC pay structure, including any band progression for the lowest paid NHS staff, will be for the NHS Staff Council to agree. The NHS Staff Council is a partnership body made up of trade unions and employers and has overall responsibility for maintaining the AfC pay system and associated terms and conditions of service.The Department intends to issue this mandate as soon as possible. Once the mandate is confirmed, the Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council to agree reforms to the pay structure which will be backdated to 1 April 2026.It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure career development opportunities for their lowest paid staff through investing in the future of their workforce and ensuring appropriate ongoing training and continuing professional development.

What assessment his Department has made of regional differences in the (a) availability, (b) accessibility and (c) resourcing of NHS Long COVID assessment and treatment services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are independently responsible for the commissioning of long COVID services which meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. While this may result in regional and local variation of long COVID services, NHS England has published updated commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out a blueprint for best practice in supporting people with long COVID and is designed to be adapted to local needs. The updated commissioning guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-commissioning-guidance-for-post-covid-services/As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England along with an additional ten children and young people’s hubs. Further information about these services is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/In addition to the support provided in primary care, published data from April 2024 shows over 100,000 people have been seen by a specialist post-COVID service, with a further 350,000 follow up appointments taking place. The data is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-post-covid-assessment-service/