Written questions by Naish.

Whether his Department has considered introducing mandatory training for health professionals on PANS and PANDAS.

General practitioners and other healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This includes taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the relevant medical royal college and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice.Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients. Whilst the Department, through NHS England, is able to influence the content of training courses, we consider that the curricula are best set by the regulators, royal colleges, and professional bodies working together.

With reference to the Department of Health's document entitled Statutory guidance for Local Authorities and NHS organisations to support implementation of the Adult Autism Strategy, published in March 2015, what plans his Department has to update the Autism Act 2009 statutory guidance.

The House of Lords has established an Autism Act 2009 Committee, which is holding an inquiry to look at the Autism Act, the autism strategy, and the autism statutory guidance, and which will make recommendations to the Government by 30 November 2025. This will inform the Government’s future approach.

What steps he is taking to ensure that newly-qualified (a) nurses and (b) other healthcare professionals trained in the UK have sufficient job opportunities.

Decisions on the availability of job opportunities for newly qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals trained in the United Kingdom are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that pathfinder sites in the NHS Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme are able to provide services without interruption from December 2025 onwards.

The Pathfinder programme will conclude in December 2025. NHS England is working with system leaders and stakeholders, using learning from the Pathfinder to design independent prescribing in future community pharmacy clinical services.NHS England aims to publish a commissioning framework for systems to integrate independent prescribing into community pharmacy post-pathfinder. Any national funding for a prescribing service in community pharmacy will be considered as part of the Spending Review for 2026/27 to 2028/29.

What steps he plans to take to reduce waiting times for autism assessments.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published in September 2024, highlighted the severe delays for accessing autism assessments and that demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments and diagnosis, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. In doing so, ICBs should take account of waiting lists, considering how local funding can be deployed to best meet the needs of their local population.The House of Lords has established an Autism Act 2009 Committee, which is holding an inquiry to look at the Autism Act, the autism strategy, and the statutory guidance, and which will make recommendations to the Government by 30 November 2025. The Government will consider any relevant findings from the House of Lords’ autism inquiry.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for musculoskeletal services in Rushcliffe constituency; and if he will consider the use of chiropractors as regulated healthcare professionals to reduce those waiting times.

NHS England does not nationally commission chiropractic care as it is a complementary and alternative medicine. There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating chiropractic care into centrally commissioned National Health Service care.Where there is demand, integrated care boards are able to make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ and may commission a limited amount of such treatment.Cutting waiting lists forms a key part of the Government’s mission to reform the NHS.

Whether he is taking steps to ensure that the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme and independent prescribing generally will continue to be supported to maximise direct prescribing capability in England.

The NHS England Pathfinder programme is running across England with the aim of developing a commissioning framework for community pharmacy clinical services with independent prescribing (IP) for National Health Service patients. We are working with integrated care boards and pathfinder sites, community pharmacies, to understand the key enablers for IP to be incorporated into community pharmacy. The programme learning will be across five key domains: clinical; digital; governance and safety; people; and funding and contracts. We hope to complete our evaluation by Autumn 2025, and to use this to inform planning for the incorporation of prescribing into community pharmacy clinical services. Further information on the NHS England Pathfinder programme is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-integration-fund/independent-prescribing/

Whether he has had discussions with Independent Sector Providers on ensuring that staff (a) who deliver NHS services and (b) whose contracts do not include automatic pay uplifts receive any agreed pay uplifts as soon as possible.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any discussions with independent providers on this topic.Independent organisations, such as social enterprises and general practices, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use, the extent to which pay awards are made, and when those awards are paid.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support for pharmacies to dispense medication in multi-compartment compliance aids to vulnerable patients.

The Equality Act 2010 requires pharmacies to make reasonable adjustments for patients with protected characteristics. Multi-compartment compliance aids are one of many reasonable adjustments available, however, they are not always the most appropriate option. Patients should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to find the right intervention for them.Pharmacies are expected to fund reasonable adjustments required under the Equality Act 2010 from the fees they receive for essential services as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible.

If he will review the use of NHS Shared Business Services by non-NHS services for (a) payroll, (b) pension, (c) procurement, (d) tax accounting and (e) other financial services.

The NHS Shared Business Services provides corporate and back-office services, including payroll, pensions, procurement, and accounting services, to National Health Service organisations and health-related social enterprises only.

Whether his Department has plans to review allergen labelling requirements for non-prepacked foods and beverages; and whether he plans to take steps to implement the Food Standards Agency's recommendations for improving allergen information at the point of sale.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has policy responsibility for food safety, including food allergen labelling, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and is working to improve the availability and accuracy of allergen information for non-prepacked foods, which includes foods made to order in restaurants.In December 2023, the FSA Board agreed that businesses selling non-prepacked foods, such as cafes and restaurants, should provide allergen information to consumers in writing, and that this should be supported by a conversation. Following the Board’s decision, FSA officials are working to assess the impact of different legislative options for improving the provision of allergen information for non-prepacked foods.Officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health and Social Care are being kept closely informed on the progress of this work.In parallel, taking a steer from the Board, the FSA has created best practice guidance for businesses to provide written allergen information and support this with a conversation, which has recently been through a public consultation. This guidance, along with tools to assist businesses in following it, will be published shortly.

What NHS guidance and training is available to ensure Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is understood by medical professionals across England; and whether his Department plans to issue further guidance.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information about the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence–based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway.There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment pathway, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What research is being conducted on the (a) causes, (b) symptoms and (c) suitable treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information about the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence–based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway.There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment pathway, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What data is collected on the prevalence of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in England; and how this data is being used to understand the condition.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information about the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence–based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway.There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment pathway, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What research his Department is undertaking on the (a) causes, (b) symptoms and (c) treatment for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information on the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence-based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway. There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis and treatment pathway, available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and the GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What data is collected on the prevalence of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in England; and how this data is being used to understand the condition.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information on the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence-based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway. There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis and treatment pathway, available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and the GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What NHS guidance and training is (a) in place and (b) being put in place to ensure Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is understood by medical professionals across England.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) is part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), and NHS England. The NCARDRS aims to collect, curate, quality-assure, and analyse data from patients in England diagnosed and/or treated with rare conditions. Further information on the NCARDRS and the NDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrshttps://digital.nhs.uk/ndrsOver the last five financial years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated £189,109 for research on complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Research has focused on establishing evidence-based management of CRPS to improve clinical outcomes throughout the care pathway. There is a National Health Service conditions page dedicated to CRPS, detailing the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis and treatment pathway, available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme and the GeNotes resource provides concise information to help healthcare professionals make the right decisions at each stage of a clinical pathway. GeNotes also includes resources on non-genetic rare diseases, and work continues to expand the programme's coverage.

What support is available for dental practices to (a) relocate to and (b) open new practices in underserved areas.

Dental practices are private businesses and therefore able to decide how they operate. It is their own responsibility to secure dental premises. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Rushcliffe constituency, this is Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.Integrated Care Boards have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 February 2025, in England, 35 dentists were recruited and in post, a further 33 dentists were recruited but yet to start in post, and a further 249 posts are currently advertised.

What steps his Department is taking to help to care for the estimated 47,000 people affected by polio in the UK.

Although there is currently no cure for post-polio syndrome, a range of treatments and support is available to help manage the symptoms and improve quality of life.Once post-polio syndrome is identified, patients with the condition can usually be managed through routine access to primary or secondary care provided via a general practitioner or consultant. Treatment will depend on the severity of a patient’s condition, but may involve pain-relieving medication, physiotherapy, dietary and exercise advice, and counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.Commissioners, providers and clinicians, supported by relevant clinical practice, determine the best treatment for people with post-polio syndrome.

Whether he plans to review the use of NHS Shared Business Services for finance services such as (a) payroll, (b) pensions, (c) procurement and (d) taxation.

NHS Shared Business Services provides these services though contract framework agreements which it hosts. In late 2023, NHS England launched an Accredited Framework Host programme and successfully accredited 20 Procurement Framework Host organisations, of which NHS Shared Business Services is one, all of whom have subscribed to enhanced standards. These standards cover a range of areas, from minimum contractual terms & conditions, robust supplier appointment and value for money assessment processes, through to sharing of commercial and commission data with NHS England.Further details and the list of accredited host organisations such as NHS Shared Business Services are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/system-guidance-for-the-implementation-of-framework-host-management/