Every parliamentary written question tabled by Paula Barker this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 37 · Department of Health and Social Care
What evaluation his department has made of the effectiveness of assessment by the NHS of the appropriateness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for patients through NHS Talking Therapies.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
What assessment his department has made of trends in levels of completion of courses of NHS Talking Therapies treatment in (i) England and (ii) the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board are
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
If he will amend the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 to include public health medicine.
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with s...
What assessment his Department has made of the role of home dialysis in supporting the shift from hospital to community care set out in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease, through its renal services transformation programme. This includes a specification for renal services which sets out the s...
What steps his Department is taking to improve access to home dialysis for patients with kidney failure.
NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease, through its renal services transformation programme. This includes a specification for renal services which sets out the s...
When the updated Renal Service Specification is expected to be published.
The specification is being worked on by NHS England in line with their national service specification methods process, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/methods-national-service-specifications/Stakeholder test...
If he will consider commissioning a standalone Modern Service Framework for chronic kidney disease, including dialysis, transplantation, paediatrics, frailty, rare kidney disease and genetic kidney
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs). The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the q...
Whether he intends to take steps through the fair pay agreement process for the adult social care sector to reduce the take-home pay gap between social care support workers and equivalent NHS Band 3 roles.
We plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.The Fair Pay Agreement process will see a new body formed to negotiate changes to pay and terms and conditions for care workers, improving recruitment and retention, and giving staff better recognition for their vital work. Both employers and trade unions will sit on the body, and this initial investment will mean that by 2028, care workers will expect to see a boost in their yearly wages.The details of individual Fair Pay Agreements for the care sector, including who it applies to, and the resultant impacts on an individual’s pay in a given social care role, will be subject to this negotiation process, and is for the negotiating body to decide.
What assessment his Department has made of (a) the effectiveness of the monitoring of early foetal development in patients by trusts and (b) trends in the level of variations in that monitoring by those trusts.
Monitoring and reviewing Foetal Growth Restriction is a key safety component of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle (Care Bundle) which includes the Foetal Growth standard. NHS Resolution monitors this through the Maternity Incentive Scheme as part of the financial incentive for National Health Service trusts to improve safety in maternity and neonatal services. We are expecting the final evaluation of Maternity Incentive Scheme this year.In December 2025, NHS England wrote to NHS trusts advising them to stop using intergrowth growth charts to estimate foetal weight and move to other alternatives by 31 March 2026. This is supported in guidance from the Royal College of Gynaecologists and implementation of this change will be monitored locally.
What national guidance is in place for cases of aspirin-allergic women at high risk of placental complications.
NHS England’s guidance states that there are a few absolute contraindications, that being, conditions that mean a certain treatment should not be used, to aspirin therapy. Pregnant women with a history of aspirin allergy, for example urticaria, or hypersensitivity to other salicylates are at risk of anaphylaxis and should not receive aspirin. Clinicians should undertake a personalised risk assessment and agree appropriate care and surveillance of maternal and foetal health in line with national guidance, local protocols, and the woman’s circumstances. NHS England’s guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/saving-babies-lives-version-3-2/#appendix-b-medication-to-reduce-the-risk-of-pregnancy-complications:~:text=There%20are%20a%20few,case%2Dby%2Dcase%20basis
What information his Department holds on the proportion of boys and men aged between 10 and 50 that have suffered from mental health issues.
The following table shows the percentage of male children and young people with a probable disorder, sorted by age group: Age group in years8 to 1617 to 1920 to 25Male children and young people with a probable disorder20.8%15.4%13.4%Source: Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey 2023. In addition, the following table shows the percentage of male adults with a common mental health condition, sorted by age group: Age group in years16 to 2425 to 3435 to 4445 to 55Male adults with a common mental health condition13.5%20.8%14.9%18.4%Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2023/24.
What estimate his Department has made of the number of children aged between 12 and 16 years inclusive that have taken illegal drugs.
There are two official national surveys on illicit drug use among children. NHS England’s Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People surveys pupils aged between 11 and 15 years old in England. In 2023, 13% of pupils reported that they had taken drugs.The Crime Survey for England and Wales, published by the Office for National Statistics, reported that in the year ending March 2024, 15% of young people aged 16 to 19 years old reported using any drugs in the past 12 months.
What estimate he has made of the proportion of children aged 12-16 who are vaping.
NHS England publishes estimates of the prevalence of vaping in children in the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England Survey. This survey covers children in years 7 to 11 in secondary school, the majority of whom will be aged 12 to 16 years old, although some 11 year olds will also be included.The latest figures for England are from the 2023 survey, which showed that 5% of children were regular vapers, 4% were occasional vapers, and 25% reported having ever tried vaping. The report is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/smoking-drinking-and-drug-use-among-young-people-in-england/2023
With reference to the Answer of 7 May 2024 to Question 24352 on Dietetics: Prescriptions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the report by the University of Surrey entitled Innovation in the Allied Health Professions: Evaluation of supplementary prescribing by dietitians and independent prescribing by therapeutic radiographers, published in December 2024, on the (a) safety and (b) efficacy of dietitians prescribing; and whether he plans to extend independent prescribing rights to dietitians.
The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicines responsibilities for non-medical professionals. This will support the aim that patients are cared for, and treated by, the most appropriate healthcare professional to meet their needs, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Many regulated healthcare professionals have already received extended medicines responsibilities and prescribing rights, and the Department is committed to assessing the impact that these changes have had on patient care.Regarding the extension of prescribing rights to dietitians, there is a process in place for making changes to prescribing responsibilities to ensure proposals are safe and beneficial for patients. Officials are carefully considering proposals relating to a range of healthcare professionals, including dietitians, as part of wider work concerning non-medical prescribing. This will include consideration of literature relevant to the profession being assessed.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) NHS England and (b) Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust respond to Sir Adrian Fulford's prevention of future deaths report following the Forbury Ga
It is the responsibility of the individual organisations named within a Report to Prevent Future Deaths to take action to address any identified failures. Following Sir Adrian Fulford's report, each organisation, including NHS England and the trusts, has ...
What he is taking to ensure effective intelligence sharing between mental health services and (a) the police and (b) other relevant services when a patient is deemed to pose a risk to the wider pub
Mental health services work and engage with a range of services to manage patients identified as a potential risk. The nature of this engagement will vary depending on the nature and level of the risk. For example, this may be through formal processes suc...
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that mental health patients who could pose a risk to the wider public have their cases managed appropriately.
The Mental Health Act 1983, now and when reformed, has the necessary powers to enable clinicians to manage high risk mental health patients. The planned reforms will not change the fundamental powers and purpose of the Act, which is to detain and treat pe...
With reference to the guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence entitled Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness, published on 16 March 2022,
The Department recognises the importance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, and is working across the Government and the health system, and with local government, commissioners, and the voluntary sector, to continue to ...
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that home care workers are paid correctly for their travel time.
All workers, including social care workers, must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the work that they do. Time spent travelling between appointments counts as working time for minimum wage purposes. If anyone thinks th...
What steps his Department is taking to help prevent street discharge from hospital settings for people rough sleeping.
The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to appropriate accommodation. Every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub to manage discharge for people with more complex n...