Every parliamentary written question tabled by Munira Wilson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 68 · Department of Health and Social Care
Whether his Department plans to deliver universal thrombectomy services by April 2026.
NHS England has approved an additional £14.2 million of funding, targeted to areas where 24/7 access to thrombectomy is currently not available, in order to enable delivery from 1 April 2026.
If he will ensure that the Modern Service Framework on cardiovascular disease will include stroke rehabilitation as well as prevention.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, to accelerate progress on the ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework later this year.The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, consistent, high quality and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment and care. Stroke rehabilitation is being considered as part of this process.
How many people have been impacted by strokes in each of the last 5 years by a) age and b) region.
Information on the number of admissions to hospitals in England with a primary diagnosis of a stroke, disaggregated by region and by age in each year from 2020/21 to 2024/25, is shown in the attached table.
How many people have died from illness caused by exposure to sewage spills in rivers and seas by NHS Trust in each of the last 10 years.
Illnesses often have multiple possible sources, so individual cases cannot usually be attributed to a specific cause unless they are part of an epidemiologically confirmed outbreak. When outbreaks are identified, investigations assess potential sources such as lake or seawater exposure.Since 2020, no confirmed gastrointestinal outbreaks reported to the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have been directly attributed to river or seawater exposure. Annual outbreak data is published by the UKHSA, with the 2025 report expected in Summer 2026.
What steps he is taking to reduce diagnostic waiting times for endometriosis in (a) England and (b) Twickenham constituency.
Patients waiting for an endometriosis diagnosis may receive diagnostic tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, though the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis is by a laparoscopic procedure. A laparoscopy is also used to treat endometriosis.To improve diagnosis times, we are transforming diagnostic services and taking steps to increase diagnostic capacity. This includes expanding existing community diagnostic centres (CDCs), building up to five new ones as part of the £600 million of capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 and opening more CDCs 12 hours per day, seven days a week.The NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB), in which the Twickenham constituency sits, is commissioning additional diagnostic activity over the next three years, with an estimated 17% growth by 2028/29. This will be supported through the well-established CDC programme developed by the ICB. Four CDCs operate across south west London, including the Kingston CDC. These CDCs are delivering key diagnostic tests, including MRI and ultrasound.The ICB has also prioritised the development of women’s health hubs across south west London, based on a pilot in Kingston and Richmond Borough to improve use of community gynaecology services. This will reduce demand on acute hospital services and improve waiting times for those patients requiring access to specialists, including for endometriosis diagnostics and management.The Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust plans to carry out additional treatments in February and March for endometriosis, delivering 600 additional ultrasounds to reduce the waiting time for patients waiting for gynaecology services.
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on air pollution.
I have had discussions with ministerial counterparts on this issue.The Department engaged with departments across the Government in developing our 10-Year Health Plan for England, which sets out the steps the Government will take to improve the public's health, including actions to reduce the health harms of air pollution.
How many specialist nurses in Parkinson's there are.
While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
How many geriatricians with specialist training in Parkinson's there are.
While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
How many neurologists with special training in Parkinson's are there.
While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialities of neurology and geriatric medicine. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology and 6,284 in geriatric medicine in National Health Service trusts and other organisations in England. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists and 1,687 FTE consultant geriatricians.These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.The Department does not hold specific data on the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently working in the NHS in England. These roles are commissioned and managed locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards as part of neurology and movement disorder services.NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.
Whether NHS England is currently in negotiation with Servier regarding the price of Vorasidenib.
This topic has not yet been referred to NHS England for a commercial negotiation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This is because the NICE appraisal process has not yet concluded and the preferred assumptions of the independent NICE committee on the comparative benefits and health and care related costs of vorasidenib following consultation have not yet been confirmed. NHS England has signalled a willingness to engage in discussions with Servier pending further information following the second NICE appraisal committee meeting scheduled for 20 November, which will help to determine what, if any, approach to commercial arrangements, or managed access arrangements may be appropriate for this topic.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how 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 are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via ICBs. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
What steps he is taking to help tackle the misdiagnosis of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.
Services for people with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to provide a health service for the local population, subject to local prioritisation and funding, which includes access to specialist medical services for people with PoTS as appropriate.Providing a PoTS specialist service is a fundamental part of ICBs’ statutory functions to plan and deliver health services for their local populations, to improve service quality and reduce health inequalities. In commissioning specialist PoTS services, we expect ICBs to use their local knowledge and commissioning authority to consult with patient groups, work collaboratively with clinicians, and design care pathways that ensure patients receive coordinated evidence-based care.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformative vision for the National Health Service that will support efforts to reduce regional inequalities in access to services for people with PoTS. The shifts outlined in the plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting preventative measures to reduce the severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will help streamline referrals and reduce waiting times, enabling earlier diagnosis and more consistent management of PoTS across the country.We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029. This, in addition to the reforms outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, will help to accelerate accurate diagnoses and reduce patient delays.
What steps he is taking to ensure equitable regional access to services for people with postural tachycardia syndrome.
Services for people with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to provide a health service for the local population, subject to local prioritisation and funding, which includes access to specialist medical services for people with PoTS as appropriate.Providing a PoTS specialist service is a fundamental part of ICBs’ statutory functions to plan and deliver health services for their local populations, to improve service quality and reduce health inequalities. In commissioning specialist PoTS services, we expect ICBs to use their local knowledge and commissioning authority to consult with patient groups, work collaboratively with clinicians, and design care pathways that ensure patients receive coordinated evidence-based care.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformative vision for the National Health Service that will support efforts to reduce regional inequalities in access to services for people with PoTS. The shifts outlined in the plan will free up hospital-based consultants’ time by shifting care from hospitals to communities, utilising digital technology to reduce administrative burdens, and promoting preventative measures to reduce the severity of conditions that lead to hospital admissions. This includes expanding community-based services, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, developing integrated neighbourhood health teams, and investing in digital tools and data. These shifts will help streamline referrals and reduce waiting times, enabling earlier diagnosis and more consistent management of PoTS across the country.We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring waiting lists and times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment, by March 2029. This, in addition to the reforms outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, will help to accelerate accurate diagnoses and reduce patient delays.
What steps he plans to take through the modern service framework for cardiovascular disease to help (a) reduce disability caused by stroke and (b) improve the lives of stroke survivors living with (i) poor health and (ii) a disability post-stroke.
To accelerate the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF) in 2026. The CVD MSF will consider approaches to reducing poor health and disability caused by heart disease and stroke.The Department and NHS England are working together to deliver the CVD MSF and are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care. At the heart of this is engagement with people and communities, so that the modern service framework is shaped by and meets their needs. We will say more on these plans in due course.
Which Minister in his Department is responsible for children's health.
I am the Minister responsibility for children’s health, as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention. Children’s health remains a priority for the Department, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.
Whether the portfolio of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Mental Health includes (a) the mental health of (i) children and (ii) young people and (b) early intervention services.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Mental Health (Baroness Merron) has Ministerial responsibility for children and young people’s mental health and early intervention services.
What steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times for (a) strokes and (b) other category 2 calls.
Strokes can be potentially life-threatening and require a Category 2 response to ensure patients have access to timely care. The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidence-based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service models set out that high quality stroke care should include fast emergency response and better-informed ambulance service 999 calls, to reduce mortality and disability.The Government is determined to improve response times. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery Plan for 2025/26 commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, ensuring ambulances are released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.
What steps NHS England is taking to improve support for people who suffer from migraines.
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit. The GIRFT programme published a National Speciality Report, which makes several recommendations in relation to improving recognition and diagnosis of migraine by general practitioners. Additionally, the RightCare Toolkit sets out key priorities for improving care for patients with migraine, including those in Lincolnshire, which includes correct identification and diagnosis of headache disorders. The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed two e-learning modules about migraine and cluster headaches, which aim to raise awareness amongst primary care clinicians about the different types of migraine and their associated symptoms, and how to differentiate. NHS England has also established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with migraine. There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which have the potential to have a very positive impact on care for patients with migraine. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including migraine, closer to home. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. The My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through the My Specialist section on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.
If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the transition from hospital to community care for stroke survivors.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community. The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. Recent data shows that the percentage of patients discharged from hospital to community stroke services has now risen to 65.7%.
If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of stroke rehabilitation services.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to improving services for patients locally by increasing the provision of services outside of a hospital setting that are delivered closer to home in the community. The National Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation programme is helping to transform community-based care by increasing access to specialist stroke rehabilitation at home. Recent data shows that the percentage of patients discharged from hospital to community stroke services has now risen to 65.7%.