Written questions by Griffiths.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that families affected by maternity care failings in Sussex can engage effectively with the independent review chaired by Donna Ockenden.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of disparities in maternity outcomes across Sussex by (a) ethnicity, (b) deprivation level and (c) geography.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of serious maternity incidents at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust since 2018.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of maternity staffing levels at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust since 2018.

Awaiting answer.

What mechanisms are in place to ensure that lessons identified by the Donna Ockenden review into maternity services in Sussex are implemented by NHS organisations.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117219 on NHS, whether changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital had been notified to his Department under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a proposed reduction in community inpatient capacity at Zachary Merton Hospital on the level of (a) the use of virtual wards, (b) care at home, and (c) provision at other community hospital sites in West Sussex.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Further to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117218 on NHS, whether his Department assessed the potential merits of exercising the call-in power under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 for proposed changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

What proportion of heart valve disease cases were diagnosed at an advanced stage in (a) England and (b) West Sussex; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the role of primary care in achieving early detection.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

Whether he has made an assessment of the variation in diagnosis times and access to treatment for heart valve disease by (a) region and (b) demographic group in England and West Sussex.

The Department recognises that variation in the provision of heart valve disease (HVD) services exists across England is taking action to address this.NHS England is strengthening consistency in the diagnosis and treatment to reduce variation in HVD diagnosis, including in West Sussex. This included echocardiography workforce initiatives to increase diagnostic capacity for HVD referrals for 2024/25. In 2025, the Getting It Right First Time programme published new and revised cardiology pathways to reduce delays and guide clinicians through diagnostic steps and treatment planning, and enhanced recovery protocols for Aortic Stenosis (advanced HVD).In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the British Heart Foundation are partnering for the £50m Inequalities, which will fund a five-year consortium to generate research focused on tackling inequalities in ethnic minorities, deprived communities and unequal cardiovascular disease outcomes between women and men. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-50m-funding-to-tackle-inequalities-cardiovascular-disease

What is the average waiting time for diagnostic tests, including echocardiograms, for suspected heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) NHS trusts serving West Sussex for which the latest data is available.

An echocardiogram is the primary diagnostic test for suspected heart valve disease. Waiting times for echocardiograms are published in the diagnostics waiting times dataset (DM01) at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/Data is not available in DM01 for other tests used in the diagnostic pathway, for example electrocardiograms, chest X-rays, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography scans, and/or stress tests.As of the end of February 2026, the latest available data, the DM01 data shows that the median time patients were waiting for an echocardiogram in England was 3.2 weeks. The median time for patients waiting for an echocardiogram at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was 2.2 weeks.

What was the average time between first presentation with symptoms and confirmed diagnosis of heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) West Sussex in the last five years.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

What was the average time between diagnosis and treatment for heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) West Sussex in the last five years; and whether he plans to set maximum recommended timeframes on this matter.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

When his Department and relevant public health bodies became aware of the recent meningitis outbreak; what guidance was issued to NHS bodies, schools, colleges and universities; and on what date that guidance was first communicated to each category of setting.

Throughout the outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has worked closely with the National Health Service, educational settings, and other partners. The UKHSA local Health Protection Team was notified of a cluster of cases on 14 March 2026. The team acted immediately, and communication to those at immediate risk took place on 14 and 15 March 2026. On 15 March a letter was sent to all University of Kent students and staff with warn and inform information to ensure rapid identification of symptomatic individuals and provided details on eligibility for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/outbreak-of-meningococcal-disease-linked-to-university-of-kent-and-the-area-of-canterbury/On 17 March, upon the identification of additional cases, advice was issued to affected schools. Integrated care boards and primary care in hours and out hours trusts were also informed of the evolving situation on 18 March. They were advised about messaging to University of Kent students, and that there were no changes to the national guidance on managing suspected meningococcal disease. They were also advised that if an individual had returned home and not received prophylaxis through UKHSA coordinated clinics this should be prescribed upon request. Guidance for public health management of meningococcal disease can be found at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c25a5bbb0dfe55b83e4c2a/UKHSA-meningo-disease-guidelines-dec2025.pdfIn addition, information for education settings in England regarding the meningococcal disease outbreak can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/information-for-education-settings-in-england-regarding-the-meningococcal-disease-outbreakInformation for people on what they need to do is updated regularly on the Meningitis outbreak information hub webpages, at the following link: https://www.kmhealthandcare.uk/meningitis-information/

Whether protocols for escalating suspected meningitis outbreaks to national public health authorities were followed in full in the recent outbreak.

Protocols for escalating suspected meningitis outbreaks were followed. The rapid emergence of cases in this outbreak was genuinely unusual, and the response reflected the pattern and pace of cases identified in this outbreak. National Health Service clinicians and the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) local Health Protection Team followed well established national guidance for management of cases and contacts of meningococcal infection. Further information is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c25a5bbb0dfe55b83e4c2a/UKHSA-meningo-disease-guidelines-dec2025.pdfNo delays in issuing public health advice have been identified. The UKHSA local Health Protection Team was notified of a cluster of cases on 14 March 2026. The team acted immediately and communication to those at immediate risk took place on 14 and 15 March 2026. In addition, on 15 March 2026, a letter was sent to all University of Kent students and staff with warn and inform information to ensure rapid identification of symptomatic individuals and also provided details on eligibility for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/outbreak-of-meningococcal-disease-linked-to-university-of-kent-and-the-area-of-canterbury/Throughout the outbreak, the UKHSA has worked closely with the National Health Service, educational settings, and other partners. Further information on meningitis B and this outbreak is available on the UKHSA’s blog, at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/18/meningitis-b-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=The%20rapid%20emergence%20of%20cases,variable%20immunity%20and%20other%20factors

Whether he has met with representatives of Meningitis Now since the recent meningitis outbreak; and whether he plans to meet them to discuss their recommendations.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly engages with charitable organisations on a variety of issues.A targeted vaccination programme has been introduced in direct response to the Kent outbreak, and he has asked the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to review the evidence on the scope of the meningococcal group B vaccine programme.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has engaged closely with meningitis and sepsis charities throughout the outbreak. This includes Meningitis Now, the Meningitis Research Foundation, and the UK Sepsis Trust. As part of this collaboration, Meningitis Now co-badged a signs and symptoms poster developed by the UKHSA, which has been shared widely to support public awareness.

If he will publish the findings and recommendations of the JCVI’s review of meningococcal B vaccination policy for adolescents and young adults.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.The JCVI holds three committee meetings a year, usually on the first Wednesday of February, June and October. The draft minutes of each meeting will be published within six weeks of the meeting. In some circumstances, when the frequency of meetings is increased, it may not be possible to upload meeting minutes within six weeks.On 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that the JCVI has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.

Whether his Department has identified any delays in issuing public health advice during the recent meningitis outbreak.

Protocols for escalating suspected meningitis outbreaks were followed. The rapid emergence of cases in this outbreak was genuinely unusual, and the response reflected the pattern and pace of cases identified in this outbreak. National Health Service clinicians and the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) local Health Protection Team followed well established national guidance for management of cases and contacts of meningococcal infection. Further information is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c25a5bbb0dfe55b83e4c2a/UKHSA-meningo-disease-guidelines-dec2025.pdfNo delays in issuing public health advice have been identified. The UKHSA local Health Protection Team was notified of a cluster of cases on 14 March 2026. The team acted immediately and communication to those at immediate risk took place on 14 and 15 March 2026. In addition, on 15 March 2026, a letter was sent to all University of Kent students and staff with warn and inform information to ensure rapid identification of symptomatic individuals and also provided details on eligibility for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/outbreak-of-meningococcal-disease-linked-to-university-of-kent-and-the-area-of-canterbury/Throughout the outbreak, the UKHSA has worked closely with the National Health Service, educational settings, and other partners. Further information on meningitis B and this outbreak is available on the UKHSA’s blog, at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/18/meningitis-b-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=The%20rapid%20emergence%20of%20cases,variable%20immunity%20and%20other%20factors

How many sites were recorded in the NHS Surplus Land data collection in each year since 2020; and how many of those sites have subsequently been disposed of.

We routinely collect National Health Service surplus land data and currently publish it on a bi-annual basis. The following table shows the NHS surplus land statistics by year, sorted by recorded surplus or potentially surplus land plots, and disposed plots, from 2020/21 to 2024/25:YearRecorded surplus or potentially surplus land plotsDisposed plots2020/21610822021/22441672022/23368542024/2535669 For further information on how we define our data, the specific sites and type of infrastructure, including community hospitals, that were sold during these years is available at local integrated care boards and at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-surplus-land

How many sites recorded in the NHS Surplus Land data collection since 2020 were previously used as community hospitals; and how many of those have subsequently been disposed of.

We routinely collect National Health Service surplus land data and currently publish it on a bi-annual basis. The following table shows the NHS surplus land statistics by year, sorted by recorded surplus or potentially surplus land plots, and disposed plots, from 2020/21 to 2024/25:YearRecorded surplus or potentially surplus land plotsDisposed plots2020/21610822021/22441672022/23368542024/2535669 For further information on how we define our data, the specific sites and type of infrastructure, including community hospitals, that were sold during these years is available at local integrated care boards and at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-surplus-land