Written questions by Paul.

With reference to his Department's response to the consultation on hub and spoke dispensing, last updated on 13 May 2024, what his planned timetable is for introducing the legislative amendments outlined in his Department's response.

The policy proposals, consultation, and response were published under the previous administration. Following the General Election, the Government has reviewed the proposals. The Department is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities this year. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation, and is subject to the usual Parliamentary processes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7682 on Cancer: Medical Treatments, when he plans to publish the updated NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines.

NHS England published its updated Commercial Framework for New Medicines on 29 January 2025. The publication can be found here: NHS England » NHS commercial framework for new medicines

If his Department will take steps to ensure that all defibrillators installed at train stations are (a) registered and (b) visible on The Circuit national defibrillator network website.

The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department does not hold data on AEDs installed in train stations or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit, a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.However, AEDs procured through the Department’s AED fund, once installed, are required to be registered on The Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian or guardians who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or SMS text message notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check. The Circuit records the potential use of each registered defibrillator. The registered guardian of the defibrillator will automatically be contacted if their AED is potentially used, and may therefore require replacement pads. In addition, The Circuit will also send out an automatic notification to the guardian approximately three months before the AED battery or pads expire.

If his Department will take steps to help ensure that emergency services are provided with up to date information on the (a) location and (b) status of defibrillators installed at train stations.

The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department does not hold data on AEDs installed in train stations or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit, a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.However, AEDs procured through the Department’s AED fund, once installed, are required to be registered on The Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian or guardians who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or SMS text message notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check. The Circuit records the potential use of each registered defibrillator. The registered guardian of the defibrillator will automatically be contacted if their AED is potentially used, and may therefore require replacement pads. In addition, The Circuit will also send out an automatic notification to the guardian approximately three months before the AED battery or pads expire.

Whether any funding previously allocated to the Dental Recovery Plan has been withdrawn.

We are currently reviewing the Dental Recovery Plan that was published on 7 February 2024 and the policies that can be taken forward effectively and within National Health Service budgets. It is clear the plan did not go far enough and so we are also working on further measures, prioritising initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to NHS dental care.Dental budgets remain ringfenced as per the 2024/25 revenue and contracting guidance, and integrated care boards should continue to seek to invest the full amount in dental activity.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to encourage further negotiation between (a) NICE, (b) Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and (c) AstraZeneca on the supply of Enhertu.

Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following an evaluation of a treatment’s co...

If he will introduce regulations to ensure that a pharmacist is always present in an open pharmacy to facilitate the sale of pharmacy medicines,

Pharmacy regulations already require that a registered pharmacy business can only operate and be open to the public, to sell or supply prescription only medicines or pharmacy medicines, when a responsible pharmacist, the pharmacist legally responsible for...

What short-term steps his Department is taking to help support hospices to maintain levels of service; and whether his Department is taking long-term steps to reform funding for hospices.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding from the National Health Service. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This wi...

What steps he plans to take to ensure all women across England with ovarian cancer get access to the best possible treatment.

NHS England runs the Help Us Help You campaigns to raise public awareness, increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, and address barriers to acting on them to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. Previous ph...

Whether he plans to launch a campaign to raise public awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

NHS England runs the Help Us Help You campaigns to raise public awareness, increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, and address barriers to acting on them to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. Previous ph...

For what reason his Department's Notification of Child Death Form asks about the gender with which the child identified at the time of their death in cases where the child was over 10; and whether

The Notification of Child Death Form, part of the National Child Mortality Database, continues to capture the sex of the child for anyone under the age of 18 years old, in line with sex being a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.Although...

If he will take steps to ensure that the new NHS Commercial Framework allows for increased use of indication-specific pricing agreements to support patient access to future cancer innovations.

As part of the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth, NHS England committed to undertake two consultations on amendments to the NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines. The first of these launched on 31 July 2024 for ei...

If his Department will publish a strategy for ensuring people living with (a) Crohn’s disease and (b) other forms of inflammatory bowel disease are able to access treatment in a timely manner.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist...

Whether he plans to review the list of conditions for exemption from prescription charges; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including cystic fibrosis on that list.

There are no current plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide ra...

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Serious Shortage Protocols in place for?Creon?10,000 and 25,000 capsules limiting prescriptions to one months’ supply; and what steps he is t

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, to help ensure patients, including children with cystic fibrosis, have access to this medicine. The supply ...

What plans he has to improve the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust Estate; and whether he plans to build a new Specialist and Emergency Care hospital in Sutton.

We recognise the need for investment in National Health Service estates across the country, including at Epsom and St. Helier. We will provide the investment and reform needed to get patients the care they deserve.As my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced, and as subsequently confirmed in my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on 29 July 2024, we will be undertaking a full and comprehensive review of the New Hospital Programme to provide a realistic and costed timetable for delivery.