Written questions by Hamilton.

What information his Department holds on whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence plans to publish guidelines for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of chronic urinary tract infections.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has an established prioritisation process overseen by a prioritisation board, for the identification of priorities for guidance development. Anyone can suggest a topic through the NICE website at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/forms/topic-suggestionNICE has no current plans to develop guidance on chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) at this time and the topic has not been considered by its prioritisation board. However, NICE has produced a clinical guideline on antimicrobial prescribing for recurrent UTIs which provides recommendations on treatments and self-care for the prevention of recurrent UTIs. This guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112

What steps his Department is taking to reduce consumption of ultra-processed food among children.

United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 and 2025 position statements on processed foods and health, the SACN concluded that while there are limitations in the evidence, on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and low in fibre.In relation to foods and drinks that would be classified as high in calories, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, work on our health commitments is progressing through:implementing the television and online advertising restrictions for less healthy food or drink;consulting on plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old; andgiving local authorities stronger, clearer powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools and where young people congregate.There are a range of actions have already been taken to create a healthier environment to help children reduce their consumption of foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and these include:the Healthy Start scheme, which in April 2025 supported over 361,000 people;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.

What steps he is taking to help armed forces (a) veterans and (b) families to access NHS dental treatment.

We are working to ensure that everyone who needs to see a dentist will be able to do so. This includes our valued members of the Armed Forces community, including our respected veterans, who have spent their careers defending our country. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. Armed forces families and veterans will be able to benefit from the improved access these changes bring, like other civilian members of the public.Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:- under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;- pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;- being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;- receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; or- receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for an exemption or a full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Whether he plans to incorporate mental health training into midwifery education.

There are no such plans. Undergraduate midwifery education and training already incorporates aspects of mental health training. It is the responsibility of the Approved Education Institutions and practice partners to develop the specific content and design of midwifery programmes to meet the standards set by the midwifery regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of amputations for vascular and venous disease; and what discussions he has had with experts in this area on taking steps to reduce the number of amputations.

The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions. Disease prevention is crucial in reducing the number of amputations arising from vascular and venous disease.NHS England has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at improving the prevention and early diagnosis of conditions which increase the risk of needing lower-limb amputations. These include NHS Health Checks, for early detection of cardiovascular disease, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and expanding community diagnostic centres to improve early detection.NHS England commissions the National Vascular Registry (NVR) to provide information on the quality and outcomes of care for adults who have major vascular procedures. The NVR provides annual and quarterly reports for emergency and elective vascular procedures, including for those people with peripheral arterial disease who undergo either a lower limb angioplasty/stent, a lower limb bypass surgery, or a major lower limb amputation. From Quarter 1 of 2022 to Quarter 4 of 2024, NVR data demonstrated that vascular providers achieving the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation framework had increased from 47% to 55%. During this period, the number of providers submitting data to the NVR had increased by approximately 14%, and every National Health Service region showed an improvement in chronic limb threatening ischemia revascularisation quality.

If he will take steps to help increase (a) public and (b) medical education on vascular and venous disease; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on levels of early diagnosis.

Vascular and venous disease are often associated with risk factors, such as raised cholesterol, obesity, and raised blood pressure.The Department’s Better Health campaigns and resources include free evidence-based apps and tools to support people to make and sustain changes to improve their health, including the NHS Weight Loss app, the Food Scanner App, Couch to 5K, and Active 10.In addition, a national multi-media campaign to help people to stop smoking ran between December 2024 and March 2025, and a campaign to encourage people to check their blood pressure with their local pharmacy ran in March 2024. Campaigns such as these have helped raised awareness of risk factors.The evidence of the impact of both public and medical education is well established, and the Department will continue to look to the evidence to inform future policy decisions.

Whether he has considered appointing a clinical director for vascular and venous disease.

NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise the critical need to incorporate clinical expertise into our work. National clinical roles are a key part of this approach, and play an important role in policy development and implementation. We are currently scoping the programme to bring NHS England into the Department, to form a new joint centre which will deliver better value for taxpayers’ money, and a better service for patients. As part of this process, we are carefully considering the future role of national clinical roles. While no specific decisions have been made yet regarding their scope and responsibilities within the new organisation, their expertise and leadership will continue to be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare in our country.

If his Department will update the Processed Cereal–based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2003.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of well-being in later life.It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for patients with musculoskeletal conditions to be treated in Leeds North East constituency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling chiropractors to treat musculoskeletal conditions on the NHS.

There are no plans by either the Department or NHS England to review the use of chiropractors in the treatment of individuals with musculoskeletal conditions.Where there is demand, integrated care boards are able to make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ and may commission a limited amount of such treatment.Cutting waiting lists forms a key part of the Government’s mission to reform the National Health Service.

What recent discussions he has had with NHS England on improving access to speech and language therapy for people with Primary Progressive Aphasia.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with primary progressive aphasia.That is why we have funded the work of the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help to simplify best practice for busy system leaders and create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool, and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the revised edition. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool is available at the following link:https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the eligibility criteria for NHS-funded eye tests on people living with diabetes.

Everyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes is eligible for a free National Health Service eye test, as there is a higher prevalence of some eye conditions amongst people with diabetes. In addition, due to the risk of diabetic retinopathy, all people with diabetes, aged 12 years old and over, are offered Diabetic Eye Screening free of charge. It is offered every one or two years, depending on the level of risk. Those with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy are offered more frequent surveillance.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for integrated care boards on local healthcare (a) planning and (b) service delivery.

As part of the necessary changes to support the National Health Service to recover, NHS England has indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce in size. The Government is supportive of NHS England’s decision and will work with NHS England to make the necessary choices that are needed to get the NHS back on its feet. We expect ICBs to continue to deliver their responsibilities including the planning and delivery of health and care services.Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that the expected hundreds of millions of pounds savings made will be reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.Further detail on the future of ICBs was provided in a letter issued to all ICBs and NHS trusts and foundation trusts on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/

Whether he plans to introduce nationally commissioned services for the treatment of primary progressive aphasia.

There are no current plans to introduce such nationally commissioned services. We are committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the expectation that ICBs commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.

What steps he is taking to increase NHS patient choice within the field of ophthalmology.

The Government is committed to giving patients greater choice and control over their care and throughout their elective care pathway, including those referred to ophthalmology services.Patients have an existing legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment, when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of provider. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the work needed to empower patients with greater choice and control, in order to make informed choices. This includes improving the information available to patients to support their decisions, such as improved waiting time information.We also published a Partnership Agreement between the National Health Service and the independent sector, which sets out the support needed to drive patient choice, which can include choosing provision from independent providers.

With reference to the consultation entitled 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, published on 30 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking to seek views from people living with ADHD through that consultation.

NHS England is following standard procedure in its consultation on the NHS Payment Scheme. NHS England consults on changes to the payment scheme every year, as they are required to by law. While the legal requirement is just for NHS England to consult commissioners and providers, they do accept responses from other interested parties and members of the general public.

What steps he is taking to engage with UNISON to resolve disputes on the NHS pay structure.

The Government is committed to resetting relationships with the National Health Service workforce and its trade unions, and health ministers have met UNISON officials to discuss their concerns. The Government has been clear that it remains committed to providing a funded mandate to the NHS Staff Council to negotiate changes to the Agenda for Change pay structure.The Department intends to deliver this mandate in 2025/26, and we have asked the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) to provide a view on the level of funding that should be provided. Once we receive the NHSPRB’s report and the funding has been confirmed, the Department will work closely with the NHS Staff Council, including UNISON, to agree the changes to the pay structure.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8352 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to publish details of the meeting of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health with the Law Commission; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report.

Ministerial meetings attended by third parties are declared in the quarterly transparency publication on GOV.UK. The Government will publish a response to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in due course.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of qualified GPs working in the NHS; and if he will make an estimate of what the proportional change in the number of qualified GPs working in the NHS will be by 2036.

We are working to increase the general practice (GP) workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we will provide £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.