Written questions by Chadwick.

If he will take steps to ensure that there is a single, simple and comprehensive scheme providing up-front support with the running costs of medical devices provided by the NHS.

Within NHS England, financial support is already provided for certain specialist National Health Services to offset increased energy costs faced by patients using medical equipment at home. This includes patients using home haemodialysis or home oxygen concentration. In line with the commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help ensure more health vulnerable households also receive assistance with costs associated with their care.The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is leading the development of an ambitious new Warm Homes plan and Fuel Poverty Strategy to help make homes warmer, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. The Department of Health and Social Care is working hard to ensure that expanding support for patients who use NHS-provided electrical medical devices in their own home is included in the Fuel Poverty Strategy.

What steps he is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect the (a) costs of provision and (b) needs of local populations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.The Government and the NHS will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

If he will take steps to ensure that hospices receive the necessary funding to increase staff pay in line with nationally agreed NHS pay scales.

We are immensely grateful for the critical role healthcare workers, including hospice staff, play in our health service and the high-quality, compassionate care they deliver.The impact that National Health Service pay uplifts will have on the hospice sector will depend on the structure of the charity, including the number of employees and salary levels.Independent organisations, such as charities and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including pay scales. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract.NHS England has issued guidance on the implementation of the 2024/25 pay awards. Providers of NHS-commissioned services should direct questions to their commissioners, from either the local integrated care board or NHS England regional team, on the application to their specific contract arrangements.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local integrated care board on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

If he will take steps to ensure that people living in each region have equal levels of access to palliative care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a new Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit launched in January 2024 and is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.On ICB accountability, NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each ICB in respect of each financial year and to publish a summary of its findings. This assessment must assess how well the ICB has discharged its functions.Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that charitable hospices play as well, which is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs and on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of fully funding specialist palliative (a) care, (b) advice and (c) assessments provided by hospices.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life, as well as their loved ones. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by ICB area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth of palliative care, including specialist palliative care, and end of life care provision within each ICB catchment area. It is important to note that hospices, like the NHS, provide both specialist and generalist palliative care and end of life care. Not all patients will require specialist palliative care. We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs and on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

With reference to the recent review of the Disabled Facilities Grant upper limit, when his Department will publish (a) the results of the review and (b) a report on next steps; and what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the DFG system for people living with motor neurone disease.

In England, the Government continues to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes. This includes people living with motor neurone disease.We have provided an additional £172 million across the current and previous financial years to uplift the DFG, which could provide around 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.We continue to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. Recently, we carried out a review of the upper limit for the DFG. This was an internal review and will not be published. We are currently considering the findings.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving teachers an emergency covid booster.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to serious disease from COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).The JCVI has advised that since 2020, population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since the disease first emerged. The currently available COVID-19 vaccines provide limited protection against transmission and mild disease.On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025, and spring 2026. This advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026On 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice that in autumn 2025, a COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months old and over.There are no plans to offer an emergency COVID-19 vaccination to any group. In line with JCVI advice, teachers as a group will not be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Teachers who are otherwise eligible, for example because of their own health conditions, will be offered the vaccine as part of the autumn 2025 vaccination programme.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce levels of consumption of highly processed foods.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. In relation to reducing the consumption of foods and drinks high in calories, saturated fat, salt, and sugar, many of which would be considered as highly processed, work is progressing through the following:in a world-first, all large food businesses will be mandated to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales by the end of this Parliament. Using that reporting, we will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities;current food, advertising, and promotion restrictions use the 2004 Nutrient Profile Model to categorise which foods are more or less healthy. This is plainly out of date, and we will update these standards. We will consult on implementation in 2026; andwe will also fulfil our commitments to restrict junk food advertising targeted at children and will ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16 year olds. We have already given local councils stronger powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools and are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drink Industry Levy remains fit for purpose.To support those in greatest need, we will uplift the value of the weekly payments delivered by the Healthy Start scheme by 10%, boosting the ability to buy fruit and vegetables for those families who need it most.The Government’s Eatwell Guide already advises that people should eat more fruit and vegetables and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less processed meat and food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt.The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Government social marketing campaigns. For example the Better Health Healthier Families website and the Healthy Steps email programme, which aims to help families with primary aged children in England to eat well and move more.A range of actions that have already been taken to create a healthier environment to help reduce consumption of processed foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars include:the Healthy Start scheme, which supported over 358,000 in June 2025;the Nursery Milk Scheme, which provides a reimbursement to childcare providers in England and Wales for a daily 1/3 pint portion of milk to children and babies; andthe School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which provides approximately 2.2 million children in Key Stage 1 with a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables per day at school.

With reference to NHS England awarding contracts for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) services to three of six planned regional centres, if she will undertake a review of NHS England's recompression service contract; if she will take steps to ensure equitable geographic access to hyperbaric chambers across the UK; and if she will make it her policy to include (a) diver safety organisations and (b) medical experts in future consultations on HBOT services.

We are committed to ensuring equitably accessible, high-quality services, for any patient who requires Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. NHS England set out their assessment of service requirements in their commissioning intentions during the public consultation which took place in September 2024. The reconfiguration of services ensures service provision which meets optimal time to treatment guidelines, in which providers must be located no more than four hours, based on 200 miles radial distance, from the coast and four hours from the next nearest commissioned provider. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/reviewing-hyperbaric-oxygen-services-consultation-guide/We actively encourage individuals and organisations to register as stakeholders to ensure a full range of views are included in any service developments. Stakeholders can register their interest in services commissioned by NHS England on their website, which includes a special interest group for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. The website is available at the following link:https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/application/crg-stakeholder-reg-april-2019/Any individuals or organisations who sign up are kept informed when NHS England engages on potential changes to the way that these services are commissioned. NHS England also encourages stakeholders to cascade invitations to provide feedback across their networks.NHS England consulted with a range of stakeholders in the update of the service specification in line with the published Full Methods Process which requires clinically led design, full public consultation and targeted stakeholder engagement. The methods process is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/methods-national-service-specifications/The engagement report for this service includes the range of stakeholders who provided feedback on the specification and the service model, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-engagement-report-November-2024.pdf

Whether he has had discussions with NICE on the potential use of PEMGARDA to protect clinically vulnerable people against covid-19 in emergency situations.

It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and efficacy. Pemivibart, sold under the brand name Pemgarda, for use in the prophylaxis of COVID-19 does not yet have a marketing authorisation. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for the relevant marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers all newly licenced medicines, those that have received a marketing authorisation, to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of Pemgarda seeks a licence from the MHRA, then the NICE may consider it through its technology appraisal programme.

What steps the Government is taking to support ongoing research into Alzeimher's.

The Government’s responsibility for delivering research into Alzheimer’s disease is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).The NIHR is delivering a wide range of research initiatives into Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the NIHR is investing nearly £50 million over five years into the Dementia Trials Network, which seeks to significantly expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities for dementia.The NIHR also invests significantly in building the next generation of dementia researchers, which includes partnering with Alzheimer’s Society to fund and support a cohort of post-doctoral health and care researchers.UKRI funds research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, across a broad portfolio of investments, including research projects, fellowships, and programmes of work within our institutes. Key recent investments in neurodegeneration research include the Dementia Research Institute, use of the Science Technology and Facilities Council’s facilities in Alzheimer’s research, an Innovate UK contribution to the Longitude Prize on Dementia, and £10 million of funding through the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund for a Neurological and Psychiatric Imaging Research and Therapeutics Hub at Kings College London.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that female-only medical conditions are included in medical training and research.

The General Medical Council (GMC) sets and enforces the standards that all doctors, Anaesthesia Associates, and Physician Associates must adhere to. The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the GMC, who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level. Individual medical schools set their own curricula, which must meet the standards and expected outcomes set by the GMC. The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment for the majority of doctors, including all medical students graduating from the 2024/25 academic year and onwards. Within this assessment are a number of topics relating to women’s health, including fibroids, endometriosis, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common health problems for women among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR expects to implement its sex and gender policy in spring 2025. Implementing such a policy will ensure that research accounts for sex and gender across every stage of the research cycle, thus facilitating both an assessment of the funding into topics that impact men and women and, crucially, a greater understanding of how women might be impacted differently.

What assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of seeking unlicensed products as an alternative to Creon to mitigate ongoing pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy shortages on pharmacies.

There has been no assessment on the potential economic impact of seeking unlicensed products as an alternative to Creon.The Department is continuing to engage with suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and special importers of unlicensed medicines to increase the availability of PERT to mitigate the supply issue. The supplier of Creon expects to receive increased quantities for 2025. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public-facing page which includes the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice, including advice on preserving available stock of alternative PERT for certain patient cohorts.

If he will make an assessment of the effect of access to nutritious, appetising hospital food on patient's health, recovery and time spent in hospital; and what plans he has to introduce policies to improve access to that food.

The Independent Review of Hospital Food, applicable to hospitals in England only, and published in October 2020, made a suite of recommendations for improving hospital food. The review made clear the positive effect on patient recovery and wellbeing of access to nutritious, healthy food.In response to the Independent Review of Hospital Food, NHS England published their updated Food and Drink Standards in November 2022. These set out the expectations for National Health Service trusts regarding the food they provide to patients and staff. Emphasis is placed on providing healthy, nutritious food options.

What steps he is taking to ensure that immunocompromised people with conditions that render them more vulnerable to covid-19 have timely access to effective (a) protective drugs and (b) support measures.

Since June 2023, the pathway for COVID-19 treatments has been delegated from the former national pandemic-specific arrangements to more routine local arrangements for assessment and treatment. Integrated care boards are now responsible for ensuring that local health systems understand local pathways and how to refer patients for assessment and treatment. Information on treatments for COVID-19 is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/treatments-for-covid-19/This autumn, individuals who are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk will receive booster vaccinations, following the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The UK Health Security Agency supports engagement within its remit with the voluntary and community sector, including through the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Health and Wellbeing Alliance, the Immunocompromised Coalition, and organisations representing inclusion health groups.