Written questions by MacCleary.

What assessment he has made of accessibility to NHS mental health services, including average waiting times for assessment and treatment for residents in Lewes constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What is the average wait time for an ADHD assessment in the Lewes constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for children and young people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the Lewes constituency.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department plans to reassess the current vitamin D recommendations for vitamin D (a) intake and (b) status.

There are currently no plans to reassess the current vitamin D recommendations for vitamin D intake and status for the whole population. United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)....

What steps is his Department taking to ensure those who have completed NHS funded trainee schemes studying taught doctorate programmes for Clinical Psychologists stay working in the NHS.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.NHS England and employers promote the retention of clini...

What is the total cost per NHS funded trainee studying a taught doctorate programme for Clinical Psychologists over their university career.

NHS England commissions taught doctorate programmes for clinical psychologists. NHS England pays for a contribution towards clinical placement costs as set out in the Education and Training Tariff guidance, 100% of salary support at Agenda for Change Band...

What was the total cost for all NHS funded trainees studying taught doctorate programmes for Clinical Psychologists in i) 2023, ii) 2024 and iii) 2025.

Based on NHS England management data, the total cost for all National Health Service funded trainee clinical psychologists studying a taught doctorate programme was £204.2 million in 2023, £235.6 million in 2024, and £251.7 million in 2025.

What is the total cost per NHS funded trainee studying a taught doctorate programme for Clinical Psychologists over their university career, including Government-funded (a) tuition, (b) travel and

NHS England commissions taught doctorate programmes for clinical psychologists. NHS England pays for a contribution towards clinical placement costs as set out in the Education and Training Tariff guidance, 100% of salary support at Agenda for Change Band...

How many of those who have completed NHS funded trainee schemes studying taught doctorate programmes for Clinical Psychologists remain working in the NHS i) after one year, ii) after two years, iii

Clearing house, the centralised application system for postgraduate clinical psychology courses, publishes data on graduate employment rates every year.For people completing National Health Service training in 2024, of those who returned data, 90.5% were ...

Whether his Department has considered New Zealand's retirement villages sector in developing policy on the future of the social care system in England.

We recognise the important role retirement villages play in providing high quality, safe, and suitable homes which can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision. The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support the development of suitable older people’s housing. We are aware of relevant international evidence in this area, including examples cited in the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report such as older people’s housing models in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

What steps is he taking to help ensure that low-dose dispersible aspirin is (a) readily available and (b) affordable for those with heart conditions.

Low-dose dispersible aspirin is normally widely available at a relatively low price, without a prescription, from pharmacies. For example, a packet of 100 75milligram tablets can be purchased for approximately £2.10. Where aspirin is prescribed, there are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure prescriptions are affordable for everyone, including for those with heart conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with chronic illnesses may be eligible.The Department is aware that a recent disruption in the supply of aspirin tablets occurred due to manufacturing problems and knock-on increased demand. These issues have now been addressed, and we are collaborating with suppliers to restore normal supply as soon as possible. Pharmacies are regularly able to order new stock as it becomes available.We continue to work with manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors to maximise supply to pharmacies and hospitals across the country. The Department is closely monitoring the situation and expects supplies to return to normal in the coming weeks.

What steps his Department is taking to support hospices in Lewes constituency.

While the majority of palliative care and end-of-life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play a vital part in providing support to people at the end of their life, as well as their loved ones.The Government is providing £125 million in capital funding for eligible adult, and children and young people’s, hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. Of this, St Peter and St James Hospice is receiving £392,580, St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne is receiving £793,464, and the Southern Hospice Group, which includes Chestnut Tree House Hospice and Martlets, is receiving £2,985,422, and together, these services support people in the Lewes constituency.Children and young people’s hospices in England are receiving an additional £26 million in revenue funding for 2025/26, of which Chestnut Tree House will receive £713,000.We have also recently announced the continuation of this funding, with approximately £80 million in revenue funding, to be provided over the next three years. I can confirm that Chestnut Tree House will receive £728,000 in 2026/27.Additionally, the Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. It will drive improvements in access, quality, and sustainability, and support integrated care boards to commission high-quality, personalised care. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services, and we will also consider contracting and commissioning arrangements.

What steps is his Department taking to help ensure hospices receive sufficient funding to carry out at home visits.

We have provided a £125 million capital funding boost for eligible adult, and children and young people’s, hospices in England.  This can be used by hospices to improve IT systems, making it easier for general practices and hospitals to share vital data on patients. It can also help hospices to develop and better their outreach services to support people in their own homes when needed. We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices in England over the next three financial years, giving them the stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients, whether that is on a hospice inpatient ward or in patients’ own homes. The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. We will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting integrated care boards to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead. Officials are working closely with a number of stakeholders from the hospice sector in the development of the MSF.The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift. The MSF will address the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community.

Whether he has had recent discussions with Sussex Integrated Care Board on its policy on access to fertility services.

No such discussions have taken place.Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether its current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate. The draft guidance was consulted on between 10 September and 21 October 2025, and final guidance is expected to be published in March 2026. We expect ICBs to consider and reflect the updated NICE fertility guideline in their commissioning decisions when it is published, and we are working with NHS England to support greater consistency in provision.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of limited spaces for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology on workforce diversity and access to the profession.

No assessment has been made. The Government is fully committed to attracting, training, and recruiting the mental health workforce of the future, including clinical psychologists.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

How many clinical psychology training places were commissioned in each of the last five years, and how this compares to the number of applicants.

The following table provides the number of training places across the 28 training providers of Doctorates in Clinical Psychology in England over the past five years:Year20212022202320242025Places9011,0651,0661,0641,073Source: Clearing House, available at the following link: https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/In addition, the following table shows the data on places and unique applicants, as applicants can apply to more than one course, that are available in total across all English, Scottish, and Welsh courses:Year20212022202320242025Places9791,1551,1661,1641,179Unique Applicants4,5444,6554,9905,6035,910Applicants per Place4.64.04.34.85.0Source: Clearing House, available at the following link: https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/

What steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for ADHD diagnoses.

The Government has recognised that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England established an ADHD taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing timely and equitable access to services and support. We are pleased that the taskforce's final report was published on 6 November, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Whether his Department is taking steps to implement the recommendations of the Independent ADHD Taskforce.

NHS England established an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce which brought together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing timely and equitable access to services and support. We are pleased that the taskforce's final report was published on 6 November, and we are carefully considering its recommendations.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential cumulative impact of changes to (a) the National Living Wage, (b) employers' National Insurance contributions and (c) the recruitment of overseas social care workers on independent adult social care providers.

The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care, including independent providers, into account as part of the wider consideration of local government funding at the Spending Review.The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement confirmed that the Government is making available approximately £4.6 billion of additional funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This includes £500 million for the first-ever Fair Pay Agreement, the most significant investment in improving pay and conditions for adult social care staff to date.

What steps is his department taking to raise awareness of the warning signs of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.

Under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is working to improve awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, including rare conditions that lead to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).NHS England has a published the national service specification Cardiology: Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions-all-ages/This outlines the service model and mandatory guidelines for commissioned providers in England to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or families affected by inherited cardiac conditions or sudden cardiac death. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification and is working with stakeholders as part of this review including NHS clinical experts and the British Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions Society. The NHS England Genomics Education Programme has also developed a range of educational resources for healthcare professionals.This includes a Knowledge Hub page on sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, including information on presentation, diagnosis, management, and links for clinicians to further resources. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genotes/knowledge-hub/sudden-arrhythmic-death-syndrome/