Written questions by Thomas.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the list of medical conditions which provide exemption from the prescription charges to include aplastic anaemia.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of rare cancer patients unable to access treatment options due to standard NHS funding limitations; what steps he is taking to address treatment barriers, and what steps he is taking to increase funding into rare cancer research.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of processing times for DBS on the trends in the number of carers in the sector.

As part of the Department’s commissioned research, Understanding recruitment to the adult social care workforce, undertaken by the King’s Fund, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are referenced in relation to recruitment and retention challenges....

If his department will consider introducing a short respite service for unpaid carers that they can access yearly.

Responsibility for commissioning respite services rests with local authorities and it is based on their assessment of the needs of their local populations. Through the Better Care Fund, integrated care boards and local authorities are encouraged to work ...

With reference to the Westminster Hall debate led by the hon. Member for Bromsgrove on 11 September 2025, what progress has been made on the introduction regulations for non-surgical cosmetic and a

In August 2025 the Government announced its plans to introduce legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are brought into Care Quality Commission regulation and can only be performed by specified regulated healthcare p...

(a) what assessments have been carried out on the potential health risks of BPS-coated receipts for workers handling large volumes, including hospitality and retail staff, and (b) what measures are

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the level of current appointment waiting times for community paediatric referrals for neurodiverse children in Bromsgrove and the villages; and what steps he is takin

We have set clear ambitions for community health services through our Medium Term Planning Framework and for the first time, we have set a target for systems to reduce long waits for community health services. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health ...

What steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to testing for prostate cancer in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people with prostate cancer and reducing inequalities in access to diagnosis across England, including in Bromsgrove.The National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, sets out action to...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for ADHD medication reviews in Bromsgrove constituency; what steps he is taking to reduce those waiting times to ensure patients are not

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services.In respect of AD...

What steps he is taking to ensure that healthcare (a) standards in rural and semi-rural towns and villages meet the same standards as in cities and (b) in Bromsgrove constituency meets the highest

The Government is restoring the founding promise of the National Health Service, to bring quality healthcare to all, regardless of how much you earn or where you live. Local integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the design and commissioning of...

(a) what steps he is taking in response to Tommy's recommendation of an implementation Graded Model of Miscarriage Care across England, and (b) what steps he is taking to increase support for peopl

Miscarriage can have a devastating impact on women and their families, and we are determined that they receive the support they need. As part of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, we have committed to closely reviewing the findings presented in the Tomm...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including anaesthetists on the National Maternity and Neonatal Task Force; what consultation was taken with representative bodies of anaesthet

The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has been designed to be agile and make decisions at pace, whilst still representing a breadth of perspectives, experiences and professions across the maternity and neonatal system. Women’s representation on th...

What steps he is taking to (a) improve ADHD diagnosis timeframes, (b) reduce the waiting list for ADHD medication and (c) improve support for patients and their families whilst undergoing the diagnostic process in Bromsgrove and the Villages.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB is committed to wait times for ADHD assessment of less than 18 weeks, however, there are known waits for children and young people to access ADHD diagnostic assessment services due to an increase in demand. There are currently 1,600 children and young people waiting for an assessment via an NHS provider, with an average wait time of 60 weeks. For adults, ADHD assessments are conducted by Right to Choose providers only and these services typically have a waiting time below the 18-week standard.All patients, including children and young people, can access the Right to Choose pathway for ADHD assessments through their general practice, allowing them to select an alternative provider if the waiting time for NHS services exceeds 18 weeks at the point of referral. The ICB has put in place a number of contracts under Right to Choose to improve choice for patients and is working with its NHS commissioned services to reduce long waits. It has also commissioned additional capacity for those children waiting over 104 weeks in the NHS service in 2025/26 and will continue this in 2026/27.For children, medication is provided by the NHS commissioned service, and the waiting time is six to eight weeks for first medication reviews, and four to six months to initiate medication following diagnosis. It should be noted that NICE guidelines expect non-pharmaceutical interventions to be considered before medication for all children. The ICB is investing in the local NHS commissioned service to increase medication treatment capacity. For adults, the only pathway available for ADHD assessments is Right to Choose. The ICB advises that there is no waiting list for these patients as they will automatically be initiated and titrated for medication, where that is identified as an appropriate treatment.Furthermore, the ICB is at the end of a tendering process for a Neurodivergence Support Service for zero to 25 year olds and their families, and this should go live from September 2026. The ICB is considering commissioning a service for adults age 25 years old and over from April 2027.More broadly, NHS England issued advice to systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation on 7 October 2025. This advice includes guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support. The advice can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/adhd-service-delivery-and-prioritisation-advice-to-systems/Through the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October 2025, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity. The framework was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

Whether his department is taking steps to develop a dedicated lung health plan for respiratory conditions and lung disease.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, we are rolling out lung cancer screening, and the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom. We are also expanding access to spirometry tests in community diagnostic centres to enable faster diagnosis of lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle kidney disease nationwide and (b) help raise awareness of kidney disease in Bromsgrove and the Villages.

NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease through the renal services transformation toolkit published in 2023. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing the toolkit in collaboration with providers. Integrated care boards (ICBs) in the Midlands, including those covering Bromsgrove, are working to improve pathway flows for renal services. Integrated commissioning will make it easier to deliver upstream interventions in primary care around diagnosis and early treatment of kidney disease, that can potentially prevent or delay the need for dialysis and transplants. In addition, renal care is a core component within the Midlands Clinical Strategy for Acute Specialised Services.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing training for hospital and care home staff on aspiration pneumonia.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.Care providers are also required to ensure staff receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisal necessary to carry out their duties safely and competently.To support providers to do so, the Department provides reimbursement towards the cost of training and qualifications through the Adult Social Care Learning and Support Scheme, backed by up to £12 million in funding this financial year.

What steps he is taking to free up hospital beds and support individuals whose families delay hospital discharges to avoid paying for health care costs.

Enabling people to be discharged from hospital promptly with the right care and support contributes to better outcomes and a speedier recovery for patients, as well as preventing the loss of independence.As set out in the statutory guidance on hospital discharge and community support, people do not have the right to remain in an acute or community hospital bed if they no longer have a clinical need to be in hospital. When a person is medically fit for discharge, local areas should, as far as possible, offer choice for individuals on the care and support they receive, and National Health Service bodies and local authorities have a duty to involve patients, carers, and their families, where considered appropriate, in this process. Further details can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidanceIn instances where a person’s preferred care package or placement is unavailable, an appropriate alternative should be offered whilst a person awaits availability of their preferred choice.

What steps he is taking to ensure that societal groups, such as young women and girls, who present a-typical symptoms do not receive delayed diagnosis because standard symptoms are based on other societal groups.

The General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice Guidance sets out that “good medical professionals recognise that patients are individuals with diverse needs, and don’t make assumptions about the options or outcomes a patient will prefer. They listen to patients and work in partnership with them”.The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the GMC. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and medical schools to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the GMC’s outcome standards. The GMC also approves the training and curricula for post-graduate specialty training.All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the GMC’s Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.

What assessment he has made potential impact of the number of ICU beds on trends in the level of cancellations of scheduled and vital surgeries; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that surgeries that have been rescheduled for this reason are not cancelled.

No specific assessment has been made on the specific impact of intensive care unit (ICU) bed unavailability on levels of cancelled surgeries. However, tackling waiting lists is a top priority for the Government, and this includes ensuring that patients requiring inpatient treatment will have access to high quality post-operative care.Between July and September 2025, 0.91% of elective admissions were cancelled last minute by the provider for non-clinical reasons, with 20,189 last minute cancellations, an improvement of 0.06% from the same period the previous year when 0.97% of elective admissions were cancelled last minute, with 21,249 last minute cancellations.The Department does not hold data broken down by the reason for cancellation, but the rescheduling rate has also improved. If an NHS hospital cancels a patient's operation for non-clinical reasons on the day of admission or day of surgery, the NHS Constitution states it must be rescheduled within 28 days. Between July and September 2025, 21.2% of cancelled elective operations which were not treated within 28 days, so, whilst there is still work to do, this is an improvement from 22.7% in the previous year.This winter, local systems have been asked to place a particular focus on reducing bed occupancy and improving patient flow. More broadly for 2025/26, we have asked NHS trusts to focus on eliminating discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by issues within the hospital, and to work with local authorities to eliminate the longest delays, starting with those of over 21 days. This will mitigate against the risk of cancelled or rescheduled operations due to intensive care bed unavailability. Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, also set out actions to enhance perioperative care, which can shorten patients’ length of hospital stay and minimise postoperative complications, freeing up hospital beds for those who need them.Wider elective care reforms will also help make the best use of clinical capacity, so that if a patient’s surgery is cancelled on the day due to ICU bed unavailability, they can be offered a new date for their procedure without delay. This includes new and expanded dedicated surgical hubs to deliver common procedures, thereby freeing up capacity for more complex patients, tackle missed appointments, introduce more straight-to-test pathways, and reduce unnecessary follow up appointments through widening remote monitoring and patient-initiated follow-ups.

What steps he plans to take to provide adequate facilities and funding for hospital staff to ensure they are able to do their work effectively.

The Government is investing in services and facilities to help National Health Service staff provide high quality care. The 2025 Spending Review (SR25) has prioritised health, with an increase of £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24, and delivered the largest ever health capital budget, rising to £15.2 billion by the end of the Spending Review period for 2029/30.We have set out our ambition for the NHS in the 10-Year Health Plan, backed up the 10 Year Infrastructure Plan. This will deliver:over £6 billion of additional capital to be invested in diagnostic, elective, and urgent and emergency capacity in the NHS over five years, including £1.65 billion in 2025/26 to deliver new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners, and beds to increase capacity for elective and emergency care;£30 billion in capital funding over five years, from 2025/26 to 2029/30, in day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, and a £6.75 billion investment over the next nine years to target the most critical building repairs;£1.6 billion to continue supporting NHS England’s national Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete programme across the SR25 period;250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme supporting the neighbourhood health service, with local multidisciplinary hubs reducing reliance on hospital outpatients and expanding access to primary care. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 funded through a mixture of public private partnerships and public capital; andover £400 million over four years for improvements in the primary care estate, with half of this funding supporting the upgrades of the existing estate to deliver NHCs. This investment, together with the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan, will continue to ensure that NHS staff, both in hospitals and in the community, can provide care at the right time and in the right place in line with our 10-Year Health Plan ambitions.