Written questions by Spencer.

What steps he is taking to ensure consistency of the supply of medication for (a) epilepsy and b) Parkinson's disease patients.

The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with some carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.There was a supply issue with all strengths of lamotrigine tablets, used to manage epilepsy, due to manufacturing issues. The supply issue has recently resolved, and supply is expected to return to normal levels through early December 2024.We are aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets, with the resupply date to be confirmed. Other manufacturers of topiramate tablets can meet the increased demand during this time.The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules, used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover this demand.The Department continues to work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock.

With reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, whether he has made an estimate of the number of dental practices that will close as a result of the proposed increase in the rate of employer National Insurance contributions.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The employer National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the rate of employer National Insurance contributions on (a) trends in the level of recruitment and (b) the provision of care in dentistry.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The employer National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

With reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, what discussions he has had with health and care charities on the potential impact of increased National Insurance contributions on their ability to (a) support and (b) provide NHS care.

No discussions have taken place with health and care charities on the potential impact of increased National Insurance contributions on their ability to support and provide National Health Service care.To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. On the impact on charities in particular, our tax regime for charities, including exemption from paying business rates, is among the most generous of anywhere in the world, with tax reliefs for charities and their donors worth just over £6 billion for the tax year to April 2024.

With reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, whether he has made an estimate of the number of GP practices which will close as a result of increased Employer National Insurance contributions.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The Employer National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025, with the Department setting out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of raising employer’s National Insurance Contributions on (a) trends in the level of recruitment and (b) the provision of care in the social care sector.

On 4 July, the Government inherited public finances that were in their worst state since the Second World War. We have considered the cost pressures facing adult social care as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process.In response to these pressures, the Government is providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care in 2025/26, as part of the broader estimated real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%. We will continue to work with the adult social care sector to understand the pressures on adult social care delivery and local authority budgets.

What steps he has taken to ensure the change.nhs.uk consultation is accessible to (a) people living with disabilities and (b) people without access to the internet.

The Change NHS engagement exercise will give the public, staff, and partners the opportunity to share their views and help develop the 10-Year Health Plan. This will be done through our recently launched online platform, change.NHS.UK, and through online and in-person events.The online platform provides a variety of formats and ways to respond, to meet the range of accessibility needs. British Sign Language and easy-read formats of the Change NHS surveys are available on the online platform as of 1 November. We are also working to ensure that the online platform is accessible for people using assistive technology. This in line with public sector accessibility requirements that we set out in the contract with the external supplier responsible for the platform.There is an option to respond via post with a printed copy of the survey content, for those who cannot respond online. Anyone having any difficultly responding can get in touch using the contact details available on the website to request assistance or an alternative way to respond.

Whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the potential merits of reviewing guidance for the (a) diagnosis, (b) care and (c) treatment of brain tumours.

Officials in the Department regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including proposals to review or update existing guidelines. NICE keeps its published guidelines under surveillance and decisions on whether they should be updated in light of new evidence taken independently by NICE’s prioritisation board. NICE currently has no plans to update its guideline on “brain tumours (primary) and brain metastases in over 16s”.We are aware of Siobhain McDonagh's campaign, in memory of the late Baroness McDonagh, and are committed to working together to explore options.

Whether he plans to publish a brain tumour strategy.

Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of cancer partners, including brain cancer charities and patient groups. Ministers also regularly meet with teams from the National Health Service, including clinical specialists where this is appropriate. These meetings are valuable opportunities to discuss raising awareness, screening, treatments, innovation, and the care experiences of people living with cancer.The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker.Further to this, in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.

What meetings he has had with (a) NHS clinical teams specialising in the care and treatment of brain tumours, (b) researchers, (c) patients and (d) patient group representatives on brain tumours.

Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of cancer partners, including brain cancer charities and patient groups. Ministers also regularly meet with teams from the National Health Service, including clinical specialists where this is appropriate. These meetings are valuable opportunities to discuss raising awareness, screening, treatments, innovation, and the care experiences of people living with cancer.The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker.Further to this, in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on support for research into the (a) care and (b) treatment for people with brain tumours.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer. The Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer being the largest area of spend, at over £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group, reflecting its high priority.In September 2024 we announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-funding-opportunities-novel-brain-tumour-research-launchedIn the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the NIHR spent over £11.3 million on research projects focussed on brain tumours. In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, including facilities, services, and the research workforce, further allows us to leverage research funding from other donors and organisations. These investments are estimated to be £31.5 million between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period.Brain tumour research will continue to be a priority into the future, and the Department, through the NIHR, will continue to fund high-quality science to expand lifesaving and life-improving research.

What professional accreditations will new mental health practitioners employed in schools be required to hold.

We are currently working with colleagues at the Department for Education and NHS England to consider the options.

What recent progress his Department has made on building a new healthcare facility to replace Weybridge Community Hospital.

Since the fire at Weybridge Community Hospital in 2017, the NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been working on plans to develop a replacement health centre. The planning application is due to be submitted shortly, following a public consultation to be held this month. Pending the approval of the planning application, the ICB will then submit a business case seeking approval for the funding for the new facility, which will be delivered by NHS Property Services. As with all schemes, this will need to be considered alongside other capital investment priorities, in the light of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies for the (a) care and (b) treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) of the report entitled Maeve Boothby O’Neill: Prevention of Future Deaths Report, published on 8 October 2024.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Maeve’s family and friends in this tragic case. Every patient deserves to have their condition understood and treated to the highest standard, and this is a heart-wrenching example of a patient falling through the cracks.The Department has received a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report, which we are currently reviewing. It is important that we learn the lessons from every PFD report, and we will consider the report carefully before responding appropriately.We are committed to improving the care and support for all those affected by myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is a priority to publish the response to the 2023 consultation on the ME/CFS interim delivery plan. The consultation responses, alongside continued stakeholder engagement, will inform the development of the final delivery plan, which we aim to publish in the winter of 2024/25.

Whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on reviewing guidance for the (a) diagnosis, (b) care and (b) treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

We have had no discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on reviewing its guidance for the diagnosis, care, and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).The NICE develops its guidance independently and keeps its published guidelines under active surveillance so that it is able to update its recommendations in light of any significant new evidence. Decisions on updates to existing guidance are made by the NICE’s Prioritisation Board in line with the NICE’s published common prioritisation framework. The NICE does not currently have plans to update this guideline.

Whether he has issued guidance to integrated care systems (ICS) on commissioning specialist care and treatment services for myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS); and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring ICSs to commission minimum levels of those services.

The Government has made a commitment to publish a final delivery plan for ME/CFS. The consultation responses, alongside continued stakeholder engagement, will inform the development of the final delivery plan, which we aim to publish in the winter of 2024/25. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the management and diagnosis of ME/CFS. The NICE’s guideline provides recommendations on principles of care for people with severe ME/CFS, including hospital care, and adapting a multidisciplinary approach with access to a range of health and social care professionals based on needs. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not yet had any meetings with National Health Service clinical teams specialising in myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), ME/CFS researchers, patients, or patient group representatives.

What meetings he has had with (a) NHS clinical teams specialising in the care and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), (b) researchers, (c) patients and (d) patient group representatives on ME/CFS.

The Government has made a commitment to publish a final delivery plan for ME/CFS. The consultation responses, alongside continued stakeholder engagement, will inform the development of the final delivery plan, which we aim to publish in the winter of 2024/25. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the management and diagnosis of ME/CFS. The NICE’s guideline provides recommendations on principles of care for people with severe ME/CFS, including hospital care, and adapting a multidisciplinary approach with access to a range of health and social care professionals based on needs. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not yet had any meetings with National Health Service clinical teams specialising in myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), ME/CFS researchers, patients, or patient group representatives.

Whether he plans to produce a national myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) strategy.

The Government has made a commitment to publish a final delivery plan for ME/CFS. The consultation responses, alongside continued stakeholder engagement, will inform the development of the final delivery plan, which we aim to publish in the winter of 2024/25. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance on the management and diagnosis of ME/CFS. The NICE’s guideline provides recommendations on principles of care for people with severe ME/CFS, including hospital care, and adapting a multidisciplinary approach with access to a range of health and social care professionals based on needs. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, the Government does expect healthcare commissioners to take the guidelines fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of their local population, and to work towards their implementation over time.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not yet had any meetings with National Health Service clinical teams specialising in myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), ME/CFS researchers, patients, or patient group representatives.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on support for research into (a) care and (b) treatment for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had any recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) specifically on research into myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Departmental officials are working with the NIHR on behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The NIHR and the Medical Research Council are committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment of long COVID and ME/CFS, and are actively exploring next steps for research in these areas.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the public information campaign for RSV vaccination uptake; and what further communication he plans for (a) people over 80 and (b) other ineligible groups.

To raise awareness of the potential vaccination benefits and increase awareness of the programmes amongst health professionals, parents, carers, and the wider public, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides a comprehensive suite of public facing resources and assets. This includes information leaflets in multiple languages and accessible formats, for instance easy read, British Sign Language, and braille. The UKHSA also provides comprehensive clinical guidance, including e-learning programmes and training for healthcare professionals.Following the public information campaign, as of 30 September 2024, 663,674 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations have been administered across England since the programme commenced on 1 September 2024. This includes 611,527 vaccines given to the older adult cohort and 39,223 to the maternity cohort. Statistics on the RSV vaccination programme for England will continue to be published weekly, and are available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/vaccinations-rsv/Consideration is being given to development and publication of an asset to inform people who are currently not eligible.