Every parliamentary written question tabled by Julian Lewis this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 34 · Department of Health and Social Care
If he will make it his policy to promote the drafting of NICE guidelines on early intervention by clinicians to treat infants diagnosed with Hemiplegia; and what recent assessment his department has made of the relative effectiveness of treatment for this form of brain injury or deformity if attempted (a) prior to and (b) only after an infant's first one thousand days of life.
Awaiting answer.
If he will take steps to increase awareness of naloxone as an effective emergency treatment among (a) people at risk of opioid overdose and (b) people who may witness an opioid overdose.
Naloxone forms a key part of the Government’s plan to reduce drug‑related deaths, and we are committed to raising awareness of, and expanding access to, naloxone across the country.In 2024, the Government amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. This legislation enables more services and professionals to supply naloxone, which in turn makes it easier for people at risk, and those close to them, to access it. We are continuing to work with the other United Kingdom nations and front-line services to ensure naloxone reaches all those who need it.In addition to the changes made in 2024 to expand access, we recently launched a ten-week UK-wide public consultation on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone.Increasing awareness of naloxone, and ensuring frontline services are trained to use it, is vital to reducing deaths from opioid overdoses. Last year, the Department published guidance on the GOV.UK website that sets out essential practical information such as who can supply naloxone, the products available, how to use naloxone and other basic lifesaving tools, and the training required.
What plans he has for financial support for patients required to travel very long distances to access (a) stem cell transplants, (b) CAR-T immunotherapy and (c) other specialist treatments; what recent assessment he has made of the financial impact on such patients of claiming reimbursement of substantial travel costs retrospectively under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme; and if he will make it his policy to amend that scheme to allow payment in advance to patients having to undertake expensive journeys to and from treatment centres.
No such assessment has been made, and there are no current plans to amend the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).It is already the case that where required and appropriate, advance payments may be made to patients on low incomes to allow them to attend their appointments. Further information can be found on the HTCS webpage, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/
Whether the recent review by the UK National Screening Committee of evidence on prostate cancer screening considered the potential value for money of adopting (a) shorter and (b) simplified MRI protocols, including biparametric MRI, to reduce unit costs of prostate cancer screening in NHS settings.
The evidence considered by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is available in the consultation on their prostate cancer recommendation page at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/prostate-cancer/The pathway considered the use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging as per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.It is important to note that cost effectiveness is only one of the criteria that the UK NSC uses to assess the case for screening. Benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility, and test characteristics are all important.
What the average national unit cost is to the NHS for a local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsy, used in prostate cancer detection; and how that cost is calculated.
The information requested is not held centrally. The cost of a local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsy can vary between National Health Service providers, depending on local commissioning arrangements, workforce models, and operational costs.
With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the Westminster Hall debate on Parkinson's disease on 17 November 2025, col. 230WH, what steps he will take to encourage medical researchers to propose more projects for National Institute for Health and Care Research funding to help cure that disease.
The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the 2024/25 financial year, the NIHR committed £6 million to Parkinson’s disease research through its research programmes and capacity building schemes.As well as funding research itself, the NIHR invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England. Collectively this forms NIHR infrastructure. NIHR infrastructure enables the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research into Parkinson’s disease.In order to inform priorities and guide future research commissioning by funders of Parkinson’s research, the NIHR Dementia and Neurodegeneration Policy Research Unit at Exeter has undertaken a mapping exercise of the current evidence landscape.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.Welcoming applications on Parkinson's disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
What steps he has taken with the Secretary of State for Defence to ensure that NHS practitioners are informed of the vulnerability to suicidal ideation of veterans impacted by Lariam; and what steps veterans can take with his Department to help improve awareness within the NHS of the nature and effects of mefloquine toxicity.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has updated its safety advice on mefloquine to reflect the risk of neuropsychiatric side effects, advising that it should not be used for chemoprophylaxis in individuals with a history of psychiatric disturbance.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance states that mefloquine should not be prescribed to people with current or past psychiatric disorders, suicidal ideation or behaviour, or with epilepsy or any form of convulsion.The clinical management of suspected mefloquine intoxication has recently been reviewed with the NHS England Armed Forces Clinical Reference Group. This review advised that clinicians should assess patients individually and are expected to take a full drug and alcohol history, including any previous mefloquine use.NHS England is considering adding screening for prior mefloquine use and any associated adverse events to initial Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE assessments. Additional clinical guidance on mefloquine and its potential adverse effects is being developed and through the Five Eyes partnership discussions are being arranged with the United States to support continuous learning and best practice in the management of suspected mefloquine intoxication.
When he will answer Question 85056 on Prostate Cancer: Medical Treatments, tabled on 26 October for named day response by 30 October.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 November 2025 to Question 85056.
If he will develop a plan to organise children’s palliative care services on a similar basis to the Operational Delivery Networks in use for neonatal care.
The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
What recent assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the difference in availability of Omaveloxolone (Skyclarys) as a treatment for Friedrich's ataxia in (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales; and if he will make it his policy to require the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to set out the reasons for which new drugs that (i) have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (ii) are available in Scotland are not available in England and Wales.
The Department has made no assessment of the reasons for the difference in the availability of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys) as a treatment for Friedrich's ataxia in Scotland, England, and Wales.Decisions on the availability of medicines are taken by the respective health authorities in each nation of the United Kingdom. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for making recommendations on the use of new medicines in England, while Scotland has its own processes through the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).NICE publishes the reasons for its decisions on its website, and the Department has no plans to require NICE to set out the reasons for differences between its recommendations and the SMC’s. NICE was unable to make a recommendation on the use of omaveloxolone for treating Friedreich's ataxia in people aged 16 years old and over because the manufacturing company, Biogen, withdrew its evidence submission. NICE will review this decision if Biogen decides to make a new submission.
What recent representations he has received from ENT UK on the decision by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to refuse all future referrals for (a) septoplasty and (b) other septal surgery, apart from exceptional cases; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of this decision on the quality of life of people living with a structural nasal obstruction.
The Department has received correspondence about the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) recent decision from ENT UK along with the British Rhinological Society, the Association of Otolaryngologists in Training, the British Society for Facial Plastic Surgery, and the patient charities SmellTaste and Sinus UK.ICBs commission local services as part of their role in managing and improving healthcare for their populations. ICBs commission services to meet identified local needs and are responsible for planning how services will be delivered in their area. This includes making decisions about the routine procedures that are offered, based on evidence for how clinically effective they are. This means that nine clinical procedures, which have been available only in specific circumstances, will no longer be routinely funded.Given this is an ICB policy, it would be their responsibility to undertake any impact assessments. The Clinical Professional Leadership Group leading on this clinical policy used expert guidance provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and a national evidence-based interventions programme. This decision reflects the group’s commitment to prioritising interventions that deliver the greatest equity and overall benefit to the health needs of the entire population. All patients with a nasal blockage and/or deformity will be offered alternative advice and treatment, and only in exceptional cases can clinicians apply for funding for these procedures if the treatment is felt to be appropriate.
On what evidential basis the minimum age for free covid-19 inoculations to be offered by the NHS, other than for people with particular vulnerabilities, was set at 75; and what information his Department holds on (a) the number of deaths there have been from covid-19 in (i) vaccinated and (ii) unvaccinated age groups below 75 and (b) the likelihood of (A) vaccinated and (B) unvaccinated people aged between 50 and 75 of contracting a long-Covid infection in the last 12 months.
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025, and on 26 June 2025, the Government accepted the JCVI’s advice. The JCVI’s advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to monitor COVID-19 through a variety of indicators and surveillance systems. Data over the last 12 months is not available by vaccination status. Information regarding the number of deaths from COVID-19 is available on the UKHSA data dashboard, at the following link:https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses/covid-19#deathsThe UKHSA does not hold information regarding the likelihood of vaccinated and unvaccinated people aged between 50 and 75 years old contracting a long-covid infection.
Whether he has received evidence on the potential clinical use of psilocybin under controlled conditions to treat serious psychiatric illness; whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of its use; and what procedures his Department has to (a) initiate and (b) undertake such an assessment.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.Clinical trials are underway in the UK to investigate psilocybin's use for various mental health conditions, with the open trials being in phases 1, 2, and 3, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction. The MHRA is aware and is supporting the trials in this area to determine benefit versus risk. The MHRA is ready to review any data submitted to ensure an assessment of the quality, safety, and efficacy is completed rapidly upon submission.
With reference to the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre's report entitled National Prostate Cancer Audit State of the Nation Report 2025, published in October 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the geographical variation in men being (a) over-treated and (b) under-treated for prostate cancer; and what steps he is taking to address these issues.
The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing prostate cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive.The National Cancer audits are an essential tool in understanding variation in access to treatment across England and Wales. The NHS Cancer Programme’s workstream on treatment variation takes the recommendations from the ten cancer-focused audits and works with Cancer Alliances and the audit teams each year to assess and prioritise recommendations for focused action each year. Cancer Alliances work closely with their local specialty networks to identify and address opportunities to improve across their local areas. This includes taking action to address variation in over-treatment and under-treatment across the country.Reducing inequalities and geographical variation in cancer care is a top priority for the Government. The National Cancer Plan, due for publication early next year, will set out further details on how we will improve outcomes for prostate cancer patients in all part of England.
How many and what proportion of PSA tests have (a) accurately diagnosed, and (b) given false (i) negative and (ii) positive diagnoses for prostate cancer in the most recent year for which figures are available.
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England collects diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. NDRS does not hold information on the specific results of the prostate specific antigen test in the format requested.
What his policy is on (a) routine PSA testing for males in specific age categories and (b) the reimbursement of GP practices by the NHS for providing PSA tests; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of existing funding arrangements for PSA tests on the willingness of GP practices to provide routine testing.
There is no age limit on prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests.Advice for general practitioners (GPs) called the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme provides information and guidance for GPs to counsel asymptomatic men about the potential benefits and harms of PSA testing so they can make an informed decision about whether to have the test. There is no routine testing of men using PSA. They are advised to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance for men who they think may have symptoms that could be prostate cancer. This includes the use of PSA as a diagnostic rather than screening test.More information on the programme is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overviewWith regards reimbursement of GP practices by the National Health Service for providing PSA tests, local enhanced services, such as blood tests, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by integrated care boards to fit the needs of the local population. GP practices can choose whether they would like to participate in providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country. We have not assessed the potential impact of this funding arrangement for PSA tests on GP willingness to provide testing.Where a man is symptomatic of prostate cancer, NICE guidance is clear about using the PSA test in these men. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng12/chapter/Recommendations-organised-by-site-of-cancer#urological-cancers
If he will designate a Minister in his Department to (a) have responsibility for the field of cell and gene therapies and (b) chair his Department's Advanced Therapies Medicinal Products Coordination Group.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health, Baroness Merron, is the Minister with responsibility for life sciences and innovation, and cell and gene therapies are included in this remit.In September 2024, the Department stood up an advanced therapies co-ordination group which aims to create a joined-up ecosystem that will support the development, regulation, and delivery of advanced therapy medicinal products in the United Kingdom. This group is chaired at the Senior Civil Service Grade 1 level. We note the recent report from the Cell and Gene Collective, titled Tomorrow’s Science, Today’s NHS, including the ask for a Minister to chair the group, and we will consider the report’s recommendations in due course.
If he will take steps to (a) increase awareness of, (b) improve screening for and (c) develop research into lobular breast cancer; and what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the (i) prevalence and (ii) detectability of this type of breast cancer.
Improving the early diagnosis of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. The National Health Service will improve cancer survival rates and hit all NHS cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should. To increase awareness of lobular breast cancer, NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Further information can be found on the NHS.UK website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/The NHS Breast Screening Programme offers all women in England between the ages of 50 and 71 years old the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, to help detect abnormalities and intervene early to reduce the number of lives lost to breast cancer. However, lobular breast cancer is difficult to detect using imaging scans, such as mammogram.The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24 reflecting its high priority. The Department has invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer. The Department continues to work closely with NHS England on the development of the National Cancer Plan to achieve the overall goal of fewer lives lost to cancer, including to lobular breast cancer. The plan will be published later this year.
If he will take steps to facilitate the circulation of material to General Practitioners advising how to (a) recognise and (b) treat with (i) antibiotics and (ii) anti-inflammatory medications the conditions of (A) Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and (B) Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS).
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent, expert body that develops evidence-based guidelines for the National Health Service on best practice. While the NICE currently has no plans to issue guidance on paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus (PANDAS), should the evidence base develop further, we would look to the NICE to update clinical policy. In the meantime, integrated care systems are responsible for planning care for their populations’ conditions, and clinicians will want to take account of any new research and developments in guidance, such as those being overseen by the PANS PANDAS Steering Group, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to their patients.
What (a) mechanisms exist and (b) steps he is taking to ensure that integrated care boards are accountable for their commissioning of children’s palliative care.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, including for children and young people, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each ICB in respect of each financial year, and to publish a summary of its findings. This assessment must include how well the ICB has discharged its functions.