Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ian Lavery this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–45 of 45 · Department of Health and Social Care
What estimate he has made of the impact of (a) changes in patient need, (b) drug prices, (c) inflation and (d) changes in the level of private finance debt on the budget for the NHS in each of the next ten years.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on 1 December 2025 to Question 93637.
Whether his Department has commissioned research into the potential impact of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products among nursing staff on (a) reproductive and (b) other long‑term health; and what assessment he has made of the cost to the NHS of sickness absence related to such exposure.
As per our response to questions PQ87515, PQ84145, and PQ84445 on 11 November 2025, 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.
What steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of ADHD medication.
The Department has worked closely with industry stakeholders and, following extensive collaborative efforts, previous issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, guanfacine prolonged-release tablets, and methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets are now available. We are working to resolve a remaining issue for Equasym XL capsules, and anticipate that this issue to be resolved in August 2025. We continue to support the NHS England ADHD taskforce, which brings together expertise from the National Health Service, education, and justice sectors to coordinate a system-wide response to rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) data improvement plan, we are developing future growth forecasts to support improved demand planning. These forecasts will be shared with industry to help ensure a more responsive and sustainable supply of ADHD medicines. In parallel, we are also engaging with new suppliers for ADHD medicines to increase supply capacity and resilience.The Department also maintains and regularly updates a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website. This resource supports prescribers and dispensers in making informed decisions with patients. The list is available at the following link:www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd
What steps he is taking to help tackle shortages of medications due to supply issues in the North East of England.
The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within the North East of England is not held centrally.Most supply issues can be managed to avoid shortages, and while we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we do have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients.The resilience of the United Kingdom’s 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 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.
What the statistics are for poverty related death per local area in each of the last five years.
There are no official published statistics on poverty-related deaths. Statistics on deaths from specific causes are based on the medical causes of death recorded on a death certificate, which are coded using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Although poverty is included within the ICD it is rarely coded as a cause of death.Estimates of the number of deaths due to some factors that influence mortality but are not always stated as a cause of death, such as smoking, can be made. However, there is no agreed definition of a poverty-related death for use within Government, and no official statistics on potential numbers.