Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joshua Reynolds this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 57 · Department of Health and Social Care
What the annual expenditure by the National Institute for Health and Care Research on research workforce development programmes, including fellowships, training awards and capacity-building initiatives, was in each financial year from 2019–20 to 2024–25; and what proportion of that expenditure was allocated to (a) dementia, (b) cancer, (c) stroke and (d) coronary heart disease research, where such categorisation is held.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment his Department has made of the effect on reception year pupils of the age based eligibility threshold for the Nursery Milk Scheme; and whether he is taking steps to ensure consistent access to subsidised milk for all children within the same reception class.
Awaiting answer.
Whether he plans to introduce updated clinical (a) guidance and (b) training for healthcare professionals on the identification and management of Topical Steroid Withdrawal.
Topical corticosteroids are an important and effective treatment for inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, when used appropriately. It is essential that healthcare professionals are aware of both the benefits and potential risks associated with their use, particularly where treatment is prolonged or involves higher‑potency products.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has taken steps to strengthen awareness of topical corticosteroid safety, including public drug safety updates and clearer product information to highlight the risk of adverse effects, including withdrawal reactions, when use has been prolonged or inappropriate. These measures are intended to support informed discussions between clinicians and patients and safer prescribing practice.Clinical guidance for healthcare professionals is already in place through National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical knowledge summaries, which set out best practice on the appropriate potency, duration, and frequency of topical corticosteroid use, and emphasise the importance of regular review. Decisions about diagnosis and management, including recognition of adverse reactions, remain clinical matters for individual healthcare professionals, who are expected to apply this guidance alongside their clinical judgement and the patient’s circumstances.The Department will keep emerging evidence under review and will work with regulators, the National Health Service, and professional bodies to support ongoing education, promote safe use of medicines, and improve awareness of potential adverse effects among clinicians, including general practitioners and dermatologists.
What steps his Department is taking to improve awareness and clinical recognition of Topical Steroid Withdrawal among GPs, dermatologists and other healthcare professionals.
Topical corticosteroids are an important and effective treatment for inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, when used appropriately. It is essential that healthcare professionals are aware of both the benefits and potential risks associated with their use, particularly where treatment is prolonged or involves higher‑potency products.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has taken steps to strengthen awareness of topical corticosteroid safety, including public drug safety updates and clearer product information to highlight the risk of adverse effects, including withdrawal reactions, when use has been prolonged or inappropriate. These measures are intended to support informed discussions between clinicians and patients and safer prescribing practice.Clinical guidance for healthcare professionals is already in place through National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical knowledge summaries, which set out best practice on the appropriate potency, duration, and frequency of topical corticosteroid use, and emphasise the importance of regular review. Decisions about diagnosis and management, including recognition of adverse reactions, remain clinical matters for individual healthcare professionals, who are expected to apply this guidance alongside their clinical judgement and the patient’s circumstances.The Department will keep emerging evidence under review and will work with regulators, the National Health Service, and professional bodies to support ongoing education, promote safe use of medicines, and improve awareness of potential adverse effects among clinicians, including general practitioners and dermatologists.
Whether his Department is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to introduce a stand‑alone clinical rule for suspected bowel cancer, including for patients under 50, to allow timely referral for (a) further investigation and (b) a second opinion at first presentation.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for making decisions on whether its published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence or emerging issues not in the scope of the original guideline. NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance, and decisions on whether guidelines should be updated are taken by a prioritisation board chaired by its Chief Medical Officer.NICE has no current plans to update the guidance it has issued on Suspected cancer: recognition and referral, code NG12, or to introduce a standalone clinical rule for suspected bowel cancer, including for patients under 50 years old, to allow timely referral for further investigation and a second opinion at first presentation.
What steps are being taken to ensure patients prescribed topical corticosteroids are informed of potential risks, including withdrawal reactions.
Clinicians are expected to work with patients to make decisions about their care and treatment as part of shared decision-making, including discussing risks, benefits, and possible consequences of different options through information-sharing. Further information on shared decision-making can be found on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s website:https://www.nice.org.uk/about/what-we-do/our-programmes/nice-guidance/nice-guidelines/shared-decision-making
What assessment the UK Health Security Agency has made of the public health risk associated with poliovirus detections in wastewater surveillance systems in the last 12 months.
The UK Health Security Agency, working with the World Health Organization Polio Global Specialised Laboratory and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, conducts routine environmental surveillance for polio in England as part of our commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The purpose of the sewage surveillance is to provide an early warning system of poliovirus importations which may then lead to community transmission. More information on this surveillance system and reports of detections of note can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/polio-global-eradication-nac-and-environmental-surveillance/environmental-surveillance-for-polioIn 2025 there were three detections of Vaccine Derived Polio Virus type 2 (VDPV2), one in the Shoreham Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and two from the Sheffield Blackburn Meadows STW. In 2026, up to 26 March 2026, there have been two unrelated VDPV2 detections from the London Beckton STW. Evidence strongly suggest that all these detections are due to multiple independent importation events from unidentified sources and there is no evidence of local transmission. Accordingly, the overall risk to the public remains low.
What level of recurrent funding has been identified by NHS England to fund the recommendations of new treatments considered by NHS England’s next Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation meeting in Spring 2026.
NHS England is not able to provide the level of recurrent funding identified at this point to support the next Clinical Priorities Advisory Group prioritisation meeting. This would risk disclosing commercially confidential information.
If NHS England Specialised Commissioning will consider a second prioritisation meeting this year of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group to reduce the 20 treatments currently being considered, in addition to the meeting in Spring 2026.
NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) prioritisation meetings are held annually and are aligned to NHS England's annual financial planning cycle.The next prioritisation meeting is planned for spring 2026, where policies that are ready and require investment decisions will be considered. It is expected that up to 20 such policies will be considered at that meeting. CPAG also meets monthly to consider clinical policies and service specifications that are categorised as cost saving or cost neutral, enabling progress to be made outside of the annual prioritisation round.There are currently no plans to hold an additional prioritisation meeting this year beyond the meeting scheduled for spring 2026.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of women's health pathways in providing structured nutritional and metabolic support to women experiencing early endocrine and metabolic symptoms before they meet the thresholds for diabetes prevention programmes and secondary care referral; and what steps he is taking to improve early intervention within those services.
The Department has not made a specific assessment. However, the Government is committed to tackling preventable ill health such as type 2 diabetes. Referrals to digital weight management services are offered where appropriate, and lifestyle advice, diet, and weight management are offered to all women with prediabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. And, for women who have had diabetes or hypertension in pregnancy, an annual review of blood tests and blood pressure is encouraged to monitor and ensure the earliest interventions, if required.
How many directors with responsibility for human resources are employed across their department and its executive agencies; and how many of those directors hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent professional bodies.
The Department and its executive agencies currently employ three people at director-level with responsibility for human resources (HR). All three hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that endometriosis is adequately covered in the education and training of healthcare practitioners.
The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.
What level of recurrent funding has been identified to fund new treatments through NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation meeting.
The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group is an advisory committee that makes recommendations on the relative priority of treatments to be commissioned subject to the available discretionary funding. It is not a decision-making body and does not allocate funds or have a budget for approving new treatments. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/cpag/
How many times NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation meeting happens each year; and when the next meeting will be.
NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) meets monthly to consider policy and service specifications that are categorised as cost saving or cost neutral. CPAG prioritisation meetings are held annually. The next prioritisation meeting is planned for spring 2026.
What steps he is taking to reduce the backlog for NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation meeting.
The next Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) prioritisation meeting is planned for spring 2026, where policies that are ready and require investment decisions to be taken will be considered. It is expected up to 20 such policies will be considered at the next meeting.CPAG also continues to meet monthly to consider policy and service specifications that are categorised as cost saving or cost neutral.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-US Pharmaceuticals Deal concluded in December 2025 on (a) NHS procurement costs and (b) consumer access to affordable medicines before any provisions of that Deal take effect.
There are no current plans to publish an impact assessment or modelling on the United Kingdom and United States’ pharmaceutical trade deal. Further detail on the deal will be shared in due course.Tens of thousands of National Health Service patients will benefit from this deal, which will secure and expand access to vital drugs, and thereby safeguard our medicines supply chain.Costs will start smaller but will increase over time as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approves more life improving and lifesaving medicines. Total costs over the Spending Review period are expected to be approximately £1 billion. The final costs will depend on which medicines NICE recommends and the actual uptake of these.This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our NHS and world leading life sciences sector, without taking essential funding from our frontline NHS services.
What the process is for evaluating new medical devices for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain conditions for use in the NHS.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusions on the market in the United Kingdom are safe, effective, and manufactured to the highest standards of quality. The Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (MDR 2002) established the statutory framework that medical devices must meet in order to comply with these standards. All medical devices, including those used for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain conditions, must comply with the MDR 2002, which include bearing the UKCA or CE marking on the packaging or labelling of the device. Manufacturers or their United Kingdom based representatives must monitor use of these devices when used in the UK. The MHRA does not grant clearance or approval for medical devices, outside of exceptional circumstances. The manufacturer holds the legal responsibility for obtaining the necessary certification and registering their medical devices with MHRA, the UK competent authority. Higher risk medical devices are assessed and approved by Approved Bodies in the UK or Notified Bodies in the European Union. The MHRA is not responsible for the procurement aspects of the NHS organisations, as that is outside the MHRA’s remit.
Whether NICE has been asked to evaluate Scrambler Therapy for the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not been asked to evaluate scrambler therapy for complex regional pain syndrome. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process and under this process, decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational Prioritisation Board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer. The Prioritisation Board has been made aware of scrambler therapy, and the topic is likely to be considered by the board in the first quarter of 2026. Any decision or updates will appear on the prioritisation pages of the NICE website in due course, with further information available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/what-nice-does/our-guidance/prioritising-our-guidance-topics
What steps he plans to take to ensure that the final statutory guidance issued under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 includes explicit requirements for Down syndrome-specific training for professionals in health, education and social care sectors.
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give statutory guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025 and will remain open until 30 March 2026.Relevant authorities, as defined in the schedule to the act, have a duty to have due regard to the final guidance once it is published. The act does not create any new functions beyond this duty. Rather, it brings together existing statutory requirements and guidance that relevant authorities must and/or should already be complying with to support people with Down syndrome and people with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs.Under existing legislation, Care Quality Comision registered providers must ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development which is necessary for them to carry out their duties and must receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, as per Section 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Section 181(7) of the Health and Care Act 2022 and Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We expect that providers should be considering whether specific training on Down syndrome is required for their staff, and the draft guidance under the Down Syndrome Act sets out that some staff who work frequently with people with Down syndrome may require additional training on Down syndrome.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Scotland's proposed regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures on England's regulatory framework; and, with reference to his Department's document entitled The licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England: consultation response, updated on 7 August 2025, what the timeline is for implementing the measures in that document.
On 7 August 2025, the Government announced its plans to introduce measures to improve the safety of the cosmetics sector. This included prioritising the introduction of legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are brought into Care Quality Commission regulation and can only be performed by specified regulated healthcare professionals.In addition, the Government also committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme in England for lower risk procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under this scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed. To protect children and young people, the Government is also committed to mandating age restrictions for cosmetic procedures.The proposals will be taken forward through secondary legislation and therefore will be subject to the parliamentary process before the legal restrictions, or licensing regulations, can be introduced. We are now working with stakeholders to develop detailed plans and intend to consult on proposals for restrictions around the performance of the highest risk procedures in the spring.We are aware that the Scottish Government is bringing forward its own legislation to introduce measures to protect the public in Scotland from unsafe cosmetic practises. We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to foster opportunities for further collaboration and alignment.