Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding access to the MenB vaccine to cohorts who missed vaccination following its introduction into the routine schedule.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress towards improving consistency of access to Fracture Liaison Services; and what steps he is taking to support the development and implementation of plans to achieve comprehensive national coverage by 2030.

Awaiting answer.

When his Department plans to publish the interim statement on the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.

The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services, with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.We will publish an interim update on the MSF shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that local integration care boards implement the modern service framework for palliative and end of life care.

The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services, with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.We will publish an interim update on the MSF shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a funded domestic adult social care workforce plan, in the context of levels of (a) demand for NHS services and (b) recent trends in healthy life expectancy in local areas.

Awaiting answer.

What the capacity is of NHS specialist menopause services; and what average waiting times are for women accessing these services.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of patients in England awaiting specialist menopause services, although we do hold data on the broader gynaecology specialism, of which menopause services are a part. As of the end of January 2026, the median average waiting time for specialist gynaecology services is 15.3 weeks, with 56.9% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks, up 1.8% from January 2025.The Department does not hold detailed information on the capacity of National Health Service specialist menopause services.The Government acknowledges that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships, and participation in the workplace. Menopause and menstrual problems will be among the priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year, providing faster access to specialist care.

What plans the Government has to introduce mandatory, up-to-date menopause training for all general practitioners; and whether there will be measures to ensure consistency in diagnosis and treatment across NHS services.

We know that more needs to be done to support women experiencing the menopause. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service.General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on menopause, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the GMC.NICE published their updated guideline in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for menopause symptoms. The updated guideline aims to support healthcare professionals by providing them with the information they need to support evidence-based decisions about treatment choices, as well as information and support about menopause. The guideline recommends hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms, and also recommends that for people over 40 years old healthcare professionals should consider menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy as an option for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause in addition to HRT. HRT is the main treatment for menopause symptoms, and NICE recommends that for most women it is safe and effective.The new women’s health data dashboard released last week reports on HRT use in different areas of the country and provides one measure of how consistently services are being provided.NHS England will shortly publish an equity framework which will help systems identify and tackle inequalities in access to menopause care and regularly report on differences in HRT use for women of different ethnicities and of different socio-economic status.

What steps the Government is taking to update NHS prescribing guidance for menopause, including first-line use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms.

The Government is committed to improving women’s health outcomes, including through better awareness and support for menopause, and we will continue to work with NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to ensure patients and clinicians have access to clear, evidence-based guidance.NICE guideline on menopause was last updated in November 2024. It provides guidance on best practice that prescribers are expected to take fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.NICE intends to update its recommendations on starting and stopping hormone replacement therapy, including managing unscheduled bleeding. There are no current plans to update other recommendations at this time, including the use of transdermal oestrogen gel and access to testosterone for women with confirmed low blood levels and significant cardiovascular symptoms. This guideline will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to NHS Trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of charges associated with obtaining fit-to-fly certificates during pregnancy on patients.There are currently no plans to issue guidance to National Health Service trusts on the provision of fit-to-fly certificates for pregnant women.

What steps he is taking to support people with very severe ME following the decision to pause development of a national specialist service until April 2027.

The Government published the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-planThe plan focuses on three main areas to improve care and support for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.The Department worked closely with ME/CFS patients, carers, clinicians, charities, research funders and researchers throughout the development of the plan. This engagement has helped to shape new and more ambitious actions that deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.Due to transformation in NHS England, the decision has been made to delay the action to review a case for a specialised service commission until April 2027. Until this time, integrated care boards (ICBs) should continue to commission appropriate services for patients with very severe ME/CFS as needed. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of services for all severity levels of ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department are developing a new template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS which will include reference to severe and very severe ME/CFS. Officials, alongside stakeholders, are considering interim measures to support people with very severe ME/CFS.The Department and NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders across and beyond government and the NHS to progress the agreed actions set out in the plan and to ensure the best possible care for people with ME/CFS.

If his Department will engage with the ME community to develop an interim plan for supporting people with very severe ME until suitable long-term provision is in place nationally.

The Government published the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-planThe plan focuses on three main areas to improve care and support for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.The Department worked closely with ME/CFS patients, carers, clinicians, charities, research funders and researchers throughout the development of the plan. This engagement has helped to shape new and more ambitious actions that deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.Due to transformation in NHS England, the decision has been made to delay the action to review a case for a specialised service commission until April 2027. Until this time, integrated care boards (ICBs) should continue to commission appropriate services for patients with very severe ME/CFS as needed. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of services for all severity levels of ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department are developing a new template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS which will include reference to severe and very severe ME/CFS. Officials, alongside stakeholders, are considering interim measures to support people with very severe ME/CFS.The Department and NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders across and beyond government and the NHS to progress the agreed actions set out in the plan and to ensure the best possible care for people with ME/CFS.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the timing of the start of the rollout of fracture liaison services on whether there will be full coverage of those services across England by 2030.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

What recent steps his department has taken to roll-out the Men-B vaccination to vulnerable people.

The risk of infection to the wider population remains low. This is because transmission of meningitis B (MenB) requires close and prolonged contact to spread. Examples of this include living in the same household and intimate contact such as kissing or sharing drinks or vapes. The bacteria are not as contagious as other infections such as measles and COVID-19.Decisions on routine vaccination programmes are taken on the basis of independent scientific advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on vaccination and immunisation matters.In response to the outbreak of meningitis in Kent on 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced to the House of Commons, that he has asked JCVI to review its advice on eligibility for vaccination for MenB.As ever, the Government will carefully consider their advice.

What actions have been delivered under the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS to improve access to healthcare and support for people with severe and very severe ME.

The Department is currently developing a template service specification for mild and moderate myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which also references severe ME/CFS. Further work will need to be undertaken to strengthen support for people with severe ME/CFS, reflecting that people may move between moderate and severe. Future iterations of this document will build on ongoing considerations and emerging insights of severe and very severe ME/CFS.Departmental and NHS England officials have been working carefully through the steps needed to make a decision on the prescription of a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for a decision on the prescribing of specialised services, which requires consultation with NHS England.To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals. The final module of this e-learning programme is focussed on managing severe ME/CFS.Additionally, as set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. We delivered 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025. This will help people with severe ME/CFS to get support sooner. The Plan for Change is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/missionsThe 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for elective care by 2035, where most interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually or via neighbourhood services. This will enable patients with severe or very severe ME/CFS who are housebound or bedbound to access support more easily.

How he is ensuring accountability for delivery of commitments made in the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS affecting people with severe and very severe ME; and what timelines and funding have been set for specialist provision.

Each action in the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), has a designated lead department or organisation, with the Department of Health and Social Care being ultimately responsible for overseeing the delivery of the plan as a whole, including holding other organisations to account for delivering actions.At this stage, Department and NHS England officials have been working carefully through the steps needed to make a decision on the prescription of a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for a decision on the prescribing of specialised services, which requires consultation with NHS England.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions that qualify for exemption from NHS prescription charges.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

When the list of medical conditions eligible for exemption from NHS prescription charges was last reviewed; and whether he plans to conduct a further review of that list.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 January 2026 to Question 107568.The last review of the prescription charge exemptions for people with long term conditions was conducted in 2009, by Professor Ian Gilmore, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. His report was published in 2010 and is available on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-report

What discussions his Department has had with the EU regarding access to doctor malpractice data through the Internal Market Information system.

Government officials recently met with the United Kingdom professional regulator of doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC), to discuss what more could be done to strengthen and improve the exchange of information between the GMC and other UK healthcare professional regulators, and their European Union counterparts. We are committed to a constructive relationship with Europe and will continue to identify areas where closer collaboration is mutually beneficial, including improving information sharing and strengthening health security. The UK has not had recent discussions on the Internal Market Information system with the EU, although the Department is exploring options to further support UK healthcare professional regulators to unblock data sharing barriers.

What steps his Department has taken to negotiate a data sharing agreement with the EU to access doctor malpractice data held on the Internal Market Information system.

Government officials recently met with the United Kingdom professional regulator of doctors, the General Medical Council (GMC), to discuss what more could be done to strengthen and improve the exchange of information between the GMC and other UK healthcare professional regulators, and their European Union counterparts. We are committed to a constructive relationship with Europe and will continue to identify areas where closer collaboration is mutually beneficial, including improving information sharing and strengthening health security. The UK has not had recent discussions on the Internal Market Information system with the EU, although the Department is exploring options to further support UK healthcare professional regulators to unblock data sharing barriers.