Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joshua Reynolds this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 69 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether his Department plans to review the value of the complex lens voucher supplements; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that support in meeting the cost of spectacles for patients with complex prescriptions.
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department plans to review the value of NHS optical vouchers; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing those values to reflect changes in the cost of spectacles and contact lenses since April 2024.
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department plans to undertake a review of ADHD diagnostic pathways, including the role of independent sector providers, to ensure assessments are evidence-based, clinically robust and consistent across England.
Awaiting answer.
Whether he has considered introducing a nationally recognised accreditation or registration scheme for providers undertaking ADHD assessments.
Awaiting answer.
Whether measures are in place to monitor adherence by ADHD assessment providers to NICE guidelines and UK Adult ADHD Network recommendations.
Awaiting answer.
Whether he has held discussions with the Care Quality Commission regarding the regulation and inspection of independent providers offering ADHD assessment services; and if he will make a statement.
Awaiting answer.
What is the evidence base for mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid; what consideration has been given to potential risks associated with long term population-wide exposure; and if
Government laid legislation in England on 14 November 2024 to introduce the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid. The policy is estimated to prevent approximately 200 babies being born with neural tube defects each year. Le...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling patients to attend any NHS phlebotomy services for blood tests requested by their GP irrespective of the pathology
Decisions on the organisation of phlebotomy and pathology services are made locally by integrated care boards and National Health Service providers, reflecting local clinical pathways, safety requirements, and operational arrangements. This includes ensur...
What assessment his Department has made of the resilience of digital appointment booking systems used by NHS phlebotomy and outpatient services; and what steps he is taking to ensure that patients
Each National Health Service provider is responsible for the procurement and operation of appointment booking systems, as well as communication with patients about their appointments. National guidance expects trusts to use the Digital Technology Assessme...
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that pathology test results can be transferred electronically between NHS pathology providers and GP practices that use different laboratory informatio
Historically, each National Health Service trust has had a separate Laboratory Information and Management System (LIMS), which precludes the seamless digital sharing of pathology results and reports between trusts.NHS England has provided funding and expe...
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of availability of respite care for unpaid carers of people living with dementia; and what steps he is taking to improve access to those serv
The Government recognises the vital role that unpaid carers play in supporting people living with dementia and is committed to ensuring that carers can access appropriate support, including respite services.Responsibility for commissioning respite service...
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 consisten
The Nursery Milk Scheme is a statutory scheme which allows early years childcare settings to reclaim the cost of providing one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five who attend a setting for two or more hours per day. Schools ca...
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 initiat
Through the National Institute of Health and Care Research, the Department invests in building research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, and support services to support research across all aspects of human health, including dementia, cancer,...
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
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 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.