Written questions by Mierlo.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of Integrated Care Boards taking steps to help general practitioners set up new practices.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a delegated responsibility for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible. ICBs should evaluate the needs of the populations for which they are responsible, including for general practice services, and plan service provision as required.ICBs’ annual commissioning plans for general practice (GP) services will consider requirements for new GP practices, for example, in response to population growth, planned contract expiry and management of unplanned closures, as well as the additional local services they wish to commission. The commissioner must decide on the contracting route for new core general practice services and select providers that will deliver the best quality and outcomes. Commissioners sometimes provide additional funding to new practices while they are growing their list sizes to enable them to recover their fixed costs, as most of the funding GP providers receive is related to the number and type of patients they have on their registered list and growing list size may take time.At the Autumn Budget 2024, we established a dedicated capital fund of £102 million for the next financial year to deliver around 200 upgrades to GP surgeries across England, which will support improved use of existing buildings and space, boosting productivity and enabling delivery of more appointments. This funding represents a first step in delivering the additional capital the primary care sector needs.

What steps he is taking to help prevent the illegal sale of ADHD medication for recreational use.

The illegal sale and supply of human medicines is recognised as a significant challenge for regulators across the world. Medicines purchased from websites that are illegally trading can be harmful to health, as the products received are generally unlicensed in the United Kingdom. They can contain too little, too much, or incorrect active ingredients. The global trade is substantial, with offences often taking place beyond the geographical reach of UK legislation.The Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) within the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) works with law enforcement partners and others to tackle the illegal trade, and to prevent products from entering the UK. Where offences are identified in the UK, the CEU can investigate and, where appropriate, bring those involved to justice. In parallel with enforcement action, the MHRA also operates the #FakeMeds campaign, offering safety advice and providing practical tools to help the public stay safe when buying medicines online.

If he will make it his policy to extend Start for Life and Family Hub funding to include Oxfordshire.

The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change outlined that there will be investment to continue to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. In 2025/26, this investment will fund the 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation tha...

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of NICE methodology in appraising innovative medicines for licensed for Alzheimer's Disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop recommendations on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. The N...

What steps he is taking to support NHS Trusts to speed up access to innovative therapies before MHRA approval through Early Access Programmes.

NHS England has issued national policy guidelines on free of charge schemes, which are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/The only fre...

How many patients were in receipt of Givinostat through the Early Access Programme on 10 December 2024; and if he will make an assessment of the potential barriers to accessing the Early Access Pro

The information on how many patients were in receipt of givinostat through the Early Access Programme (EAP) on 10 December 2024 is not held centrally, as the scheme was set up by the manufacturer.We have made no assessment of access to the EAP for givinos...

With reference to the New Hospital Programme review, when the (a) options and (b) recommendations for the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading will be published; and when he plans to announce which ho

The new hospital scheme for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust at the Royal Berkshire Hospital is in the scope of the review into the New Hospital Programme.We are finalising the outcome of the review so we can be honest and upfront with everyone on...

What steps he is taking to increase the uptake of (a) digital innovation and (b) patient data systems within the NHS.

NHS England is working closely with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Accelerated Access Collaborative to improve the process for uptake of innovative digital health technolo...

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) patient knowledge of the training physicians associates receive and (b) information available in general practice for patients on physician

On 20 November 2024, the Government announced that it is establishing an independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions. It will consider the safety of the roles, and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare ...

If he will review the (a) incentives and (b) funding for physician associates.

There is no current plan to review the funding for Physician Associates’ (PAs) training or pay. The Government has commissioned an independent review on the PA and Anaesthesia Associate professions. This review will consider the safety of the roles, and t...

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the recommendation from the French health authority that the RSV vaccine should be provided to (a) 75-80 a

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is the United Kingdom’s expert committee that advises the government on immunisation programmes.In line with JCVI advice, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme for adults tur...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of testing newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy.

Work is already underway to assess the potential merits of testing newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).This is following the UK National Screening Committee’s two-fold recommendation in 2023, to simultaneously develop a new cost-effectiveness...

When he plans to publish real world evidence on the effectiveness of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine in the 75-80 cohort; how much such evidence has been collected; and whether such evidenc

The UK Health Security Agency is working on vaccine effectiveness analysis within the 75 to 80-year-old age group for this winter season 2024 to 2025. We are collating data on respitatory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalisations in England and general pract...

Whether he plans to take steps to help support people with Coeliac disease with the cost of food; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of widening access to gluten free product

We recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living. Our extensive arrangements to help people afford National Health Service prescription charges mean that almost 89% of prescription items in England are already provided free of c...

What progress he has made on dementia care in his plans for social care workforce reform; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making dementia training mandatory for adult s

Providers must provide sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisals t...

When he plans to respond to the letter of 22 July 2024 from the hon. member for Henley and Thame about step down beds at Chiltern Court, Henley on Thames.

I received the hon. Member’s letter and replied on 6 November 2024.

If he will take steps to (a) increase (i) capacity and (ii) coordination among mental health services to ensure people receive treatment close to home, (b) provide free prescriptions to people with

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we are committed to shifting care out of hospitals and into the community, close to people’s homes. NHS England is currently piloting neighbourhood based, open access community ...

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations on the composition of (a) toddler and (b) other so-called growing up formula milks.

The Government has not made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation on the composition of ‘toddler’ or ‘growing up’ milks. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) 2023 report, called Feeding young children ag...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking steps to improve the nutritional content of commercial baby food.

A 2019 evidence review showed that babies and young children are exceeding their energy intake requirement and are eating too much sugar and salt. Some commercial baby foods, particularly finger foods, had added sugar or salt, or contained ingredients tha...

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of shortages of ADHD medication on (a) children and (b) their families.

No assessment has been made. To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website...