Written questions by Lavery.

What support the Government intends to provide to individuals who have experienced mental harm as a result of social media use.

A national consultation is currently underway to seek views on measures to improve children’s online safety across social media, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader programme to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more can be done to help families strike the right balance. Insights from this consultation will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences.It is unacceptable that too many people, especially children and young people, are not getting the support they need for their mental health. We need a new approach to mental health that reduces waiting times, improves the quality of care, and strengthens prevention and early intervention.The Government has made progress to expand access to mental health support. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received support compared to the previous 12 months. This is helped by over 8,000 extra mental health workers being recruited since July 2024, against a target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament. The rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges is being accelerated so that 100% pupils in England will have access to this innovative early support by 2029. NHS England has also set clear expectations for integrated care boards to reduce the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services.

What steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to implement recommendation nine of the Infected Blood Inquiry's report.

It is crucial we protect the safety of haemophilia care and the Government is committed to implementing recommendation 9 of the 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as haemophilia. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include getting a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance these priorities.This includes peer review of UK comprehensive care centres, which has been an essential part of haemophilia services for many years. The triennial audit was replaced in 2019 with a more formal peer review process on a five-year cycle.The final peer review report is expected to be published imminently and once published, will be shared with the NHSE Specialised Commissioning Quality Oversight Group for consideration and action. This will be supported by a letter to Integrated Care Boards and Trust Boards, emphasising the valuable role of peer review and ask for confirmation of their commitment to review and implement the peer review findings.The Haemophilia Service Specification has been updated by the Blood Disorders Clinical Reference Group and is making its way through final approvals, having undergone public consultation. The new specification includes a contractual requirement for providers to participate in, and act upon peer review findings.

What assessment he has made of the UK’s preparedness for medicine shortages caused by future pandemics or international disruptions.

The resilience of United Kingdom supply chains is a key priority, and the Department and NHS England are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages.The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to further improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions. However, medicine shortages are a complex and global issue and everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in addressing them, and any action will require a collaborative approach.The Department also undertakes significant proactive risk evaluation to assess readiness against threats that could lead to potential disruption of medical supply chains. As part of this, the Department has participated in and led on a number of preparedness exercises, spanning across nationwide loss of power, cyber-attacks, and global pandemics, to test and improve our ability to respond to supply disruption.In early August, the Department published a policy paper, Managing a robust and resilience supply of medicines, which provides greater transparency of the supply chains we rely on, the actions we take to protect patients from medicines shortages when they occur, and the steps we are taking to enhance resilience in our supply chains. This paper is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-a-robust-and-resilient-supply-of-medicines/managing-a-robust-and-resilient-supply-of-medicines

What proportion of NHS medicines and medical devices depend on overseas supply chains, and what action is being taken to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity.

Given the complexity and global nature of medical supply chains, the Department does not collect definitive data on the proportions of products dependent on overseas supply chains. Many products rely on components sourced from overseas. For example many active pharmaceutical ingredients, the biologically active components that produce the intended therapeutic effect in medicines, have a license for manufacturing in India, Germany, China, Italy and the United States of America, and many of our finished medicine products have a license for manufacturing in India, and Germany, as per Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency licensing data in 2022. The Government is taking forward a package of measures to strengthen domestic life sciences manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains. This includes committing up to £520 million through the Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund to support capital investment in United Kingdom based manufacturing of human medicines, medical diagnostics, and medical technologies. Alongside this, the Life Sciences Transformational Research and Development Investment Fund supports large‑scale, innovative research and development projects that create new or expanded research and development capabilities and strengthen the UK’s research base. This sits alongside the Life Sciences Sector Plan, a ten‑year mission led jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which includes action to improve National Health Service innovation and adoption, clearer procurement routes into the NHS, reformed incentives to support innovation, and faster regulatory approval for new medicines and technologies. These measures are reinforced through the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which identifies life sciences as a priority growth sector and focuses on creating a pro‑business environment that supports investment and strengthens UK manufacturing capability.

What steps he is taking to mitigate patient safety risks arising from delayed delivery of NHS clinical correspondence through the postal system.

The Government recognises the importance of timely delivery of National Health Service clinical correspondence and the risks to patient safety because of delayed or lost correspondence.The monitoring of patient correspondence is the responsibility of individual NHS providers and integrated care boards (ICBs).Recognising the need to embrace digital solutions, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS is transitioning to a digital-first model for patient communications, with the NHS App becoming the primary channel for messaging. This will improve accessibility, efficiency, and overall patient experience. The 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-term-plan/#In the last year, over 88 million messages were read in the NHS App. By the end of March 2026, NHS England are aiming to send over 270 million messages digitally-first via the NHS App.Digital-first does not mean digital-only. Letters will continue to be sent to patients who need them. All providers of NHS funded care or adult social care must have regard to the accessible information standard. It means they should ensure that disabled people and people with impairments or sensory loss can access and understand information about NHS and social care services, and receive the communication support they need to use those services.

What estimate he has made of the number of patients who have experienced disruption to repeat prescriptions as a result of postal delays.

The Department does not collect data on the number of patients who have experienced a delay in receiving a prescription.Pharmacy contractors in England are required by the NHS Terms of Service to dispense medicines and appliances ordered on National Health Service prescriptions with reasonable promptness. Reasonable promptness is not defined by a fixed number of days or hours but requires pharmacies to consider clinical needs of a patient and what is operationally feasible. Where a delivery company is involved as a third party, it remains the responsibility of the NHS pharmacy contractor to ensure they continue meeting their NHS Terms of Service.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of repeat appointments, replacement sample kits and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on patients who rely on written communication from the NHS, including (a) older people, (b) disabled people and (c) patients without access to digital services.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on patients who rely on written communication from the National Health Service, including older people, disabled people, and patients without access to digital services.The NHS is shifting patient communications to a digital‑first model, with the NHS App becoming the primary channel for patient messaging. This modernised approach aims to reach patients quickly and conveniently, putting messages in a single place, and helping to reduce reliance on traditional posted letters.However, the digital‑first model does not mean digital‑only, as accessible formats like braille, easy read, and traditional letters will continue where appropriate to meet individual patient needs. Where patients are to continue receiving written communication, it remains important that these are received in a timely manner.

What guidance he has issued to (a) NHS trusts and (b) GP practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays; and what assessment he has made of its effectiveness.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

How many patient samples sent via Royal Mail have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post on the NHS.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

What estimate he has made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months.

The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This includes whether appointments have been missed specifically because a letter has not been received by the patient. Data is also not held on the number of patient samples sent via Royal Mail that have been rendered unusable due to late arrival at laboratories in each of the last five years. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of NHS appointments missed as a result of delays in the delivery of appointment letters by Royal Mail in the last 12 months, nor of the cost of repeat appointments, sample kits, and additional clinical activity caused by postal delays. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of routine cases becoming urgent as a result of appointment letters being delayed in the post. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of postal delays on the timely delivery of referral letters between primary and secondary care. No guidance has been issued to NHS trusts and general practices on the use of alternative communication methods in areas affected by Royal Mail delays.The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Usage has increased significantly, with the App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on national screening programmes, including bowel, cervical and breast cancer screening.

Our National Health Service screening programmes reduce mortality and morbidity from cancer and other conditions in the population who appear healthy and have no symptoms, by detecting conditions at an earlier, more treatable stage.Bowel cancer screening relies on the provision of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) home testing kits to those eligible people. The bowel cancer screening hubs have a contract in place which includes 48 hour tracked returns via Royal Mail. This allows participants to return completed FIT kits, which must then be tested within 14 days of completion. Adherence to the 48-hour return is monitored within the contract by NHS trusts. If a kit is returned after 14 days, it cannot be tested so a new kit is sent out to the participant.Multiple incidents of late returns by Royal Mail, some of up to a month, have been reported across England. However, there is no evidence from customer contact centre that enquiries and complaints on this issue have been increasing.Since June 2025, invitations have been digitised and we are using the NHS App and text messaging. The figures for January and February 2026 show that approximately 100,000, or 11%, of all invitations are sent via Royal Mail.Since October 2025, normal result correspondence has been digitised using NHS App. Figures for January and February 2026 show that approximately 207,000, 38%, of normal results are sent via Royal Mail.We will be digitising correspondence for results requiring referral for further assessment by the end of March 2026 using the NHS App. Currently, these results are sent out by first class business mail which is prioritised by Royal Mail, which will continue if it is not possible to send by the NHS App.Cervical screening sample takers, for example, general practice nurses, are flagging with patients that results may be sent to them via the NHS App and are encouraging them to switch on notifications on the app.Providers have reported delays in invitations for screening and assessment appointments being delivered. Where receipt has been very close to, or after the appointment date, another appointment has been made.Providers send out SMS text message reminders ahead of appointments, which should potentially reduce the impact of delayed post.Additionally, where providers are aware of local postal delays, they have been advised to telephone women ahead of appointment, particularly in the case of assessment appointments. Some services have also introduced digital invitation letters at a local level.

What research his Department has commissioned on the long‑term health effects, including reproductive health outcomes, of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products among nursing staff; and what estimate he has made of the costs to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.

The Government has not commissioned any research on the reproductive health outcomes or long-term health effects of the occupational exposure of nursing staff to hazardous medicinal products. No assessment has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of sickness absence related to this. The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the health of the NHS workforce. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of nurses and other healthcare professionals currently exposed to hazardous medicinal products; and if he will publish an estimate of how many workers would be covered by a definition of hazardous medicinal products.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for North Devon on 28 November 2025 to Question 92661.

If he will publish a new national strategy for palliative and end-of-life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England.The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.Further information about the MSF is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave on 24 November 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of renegotiating current private finance debt to reduce future payouts.

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department. Contracts are held between the local National Health Service trust and their respective private finance company. The contracts were let for a prescribed period of time, with the terms set at the outset and limited areas for renegotiation.The Department’s Private Finance Team together with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority provides expert support and advice to NHS trusts with PFI contracts on a case-by-case basis, considering all options available whilst maintaining contractual compliance. This includes, but is not limited to, improving the performance of existing contracts, assessing the costs of existing contracts and where efficiencies and savings can be realised, and managing hand back of the assets at the end of the contract term. The Department’s Private Finance team also continues to assess opportunities to refinance debt where possible and where it would be value for money.

If he will publish his Department’s business case on new private finance in the NHS.

The Department has no plans to publish the Neighbourhood Health Centre (NHC) Public Private Partnership (PPP) Feasibility Programme Business Case. Publication is not standard practice for business cases outside of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio. This was a strategic outline business case, the purpose of which was to scope and identify the preferred way forward for a new potential PPP model in line with the HM Treasury five case model.The Department and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will continue to work with the market to further develop the new PPP model for NHCs, with further engagement next year. The final design and development of this new PPP model for NHCs will be led by NISTA and will be co-designed by the Department.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding neighbourhood health centres through alternative, non-private finance means.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments, to expand and improve sites over the next three years, and new-build sites opening in the medium term.The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030, delivered through public private partnerships (PPPs) and public capital. 50 NHCs will be completed through the repurposing of the existing estate with public sector funding, and 70 through new builds by 2030. 80% of the new builds will be PPPs, with a further 20% coming from public sector investment.The Spending Review has seen the Government provide £426 million over four years through the Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, upgrading general practice estates and supporting delivery of 40 to 50 neighbourhood health centres this Parliament through the refurbishment of existing buildings.