Written questions by Adam.

What steps his Department is taking to increase capacity in hospital eye services by expanding the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.

The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.We recognise the importance of making better use of the optometry sector and the capabilities to support eyecare capacity in the community, in order to reduce pressures on hospital services whilst also providing care closer to home. In line with our 10-Year Health Plan, we are working to develop neighbourhood health services so that more care takes place in the community, including optometry.Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their population and for commissioning primary and secondary care, such as eye and optometry services, to meet the populations’ needs.NHS England is working with eyecare providers to consider how eyecare services should be commissioned to ensure future sustainability. This includes looking at how more patients can be triaged and managed in the community, freeing up capacity for those that need face to face specialist care.

What recent discussions he has had with representatives of the optometry sector on the future delivery of primary eye care services.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their population and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them.Over the last 12 months I have met with a number of representatives across the eye care sector including The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee, The Eyes Have It Partnership, as well as members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Eye Health and Visual impairment, which included the Hon. Member for Leicester South, to discuss primary eye care services. Officials in the Department also regularly meet with optometry stakeholders.

Whether his Department plans to provide NHS email accounts to (a) optometrists and (b) other NHS contractors to support more (i) efficient and (ii) secure communication across services.

NHS.net, formally NHSmail, provides licences for optometry practices in England, specifically for General Ophthalmic Services contractors with 10 or fewer sites. Eligible practices can receive one shared mailbox and up to three individual NHS.net accounts per site, enabling the secure communication of patient data. NHS.net also provides secure communication to other commissioned partners delivering healthcare across pharmacy, dentistry, social care, and other neighbourhood community providers.

What progress he has made on improving digital connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services through NHS England digital accelerator sites.

NHS England’s digital accelerators pilots have provided the evidence to demonstrate the value of the digital integration of primary and secondary care through a refined single point of access model. The digitally enabled single point of access uses IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services to improve the referral and triage of patients, with patient data and images being assessed by clinicians to determine if patients need an appointment in secondary care. This was found to reduce unnecessary hospital appointments, the time from referral to treatment, and supports more patients being managed in the community. The learning from the pilots has been shared with integrated care boards.

If he will meet with the hon. Member for Leicester South to discuss the role of the optometry sector as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan.

We recognise the vital contribution the optometry sector plays in the early detection of sight threatening conditions. The 10-Year Health Plan will support more eye care services being delivered in the community.

What recent progress his Department has made on the rollout of the new NHS special schools eye care service.

NHS England has been supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) with the roll out of the special schools’ sight testing service. NHS England hosted a series of webinars to talk ICBs through the nationally developed service specifications. Each ICB received a comprehensive information pack outlining the level of interest expressed by both educational settings and service providers.NHS England has established reporting on ICB progress in commissioning services, and all have indicated that they are either actively commissioning services, preparing for procurement activities, or planning engagement with local schools. Whilst services are being commissioned, the proof of concept contractors continue to provide services across 83 special schools.

Who is responsible for developing the business case for public-private partnerships in Neighbourhood Health Centres.

The Government announced in the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy document on 19 June 2025, as well as in the 10-Year Health plan published on 3 July 2025, that it will explore the feasibility of using new Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to deliver certain types of primary and community health infrastructure, including neighbourhood health centres. The business case is being co-developed by the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. The decision on whether to proceed with the use of PPPs for neighbourhood health centres will be made by HM Treasury and relevant ministers by the 2025 Autumn Budget.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people with secondary breast cancer can access (a) new and (b) effective treatments; and if he will review National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessment processes for such treatments.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been monitoring the impact of the severity modifier since it was implemented in 2022. Data up to March 2025 shows that the proportion of positive cancer recommendations is higher (85%) than with the end-of-life modifier it replaced (75%) and the proportion of positive recommendations for advanced cancer treatments is also higher (81% compared to 69%).Since January 2022, NICE has recommended all but one of the treatments for breast cancer that it has assessed, including treatments for advanced breast cancer (such as Truqap and Korserdu), which are now available to eligible National Health Service patients.The severity modifier is therefore working as intended and there are currently no plans to adjust or change it in the near future. However, NICE has commissioned research on people’s attitudes to how the severity modifier should be applied that will inform future reviews of NICE’s methods.

What steps his Department is taking to support households (a) with children and (b) on a low income to (i) reduce their consumption of ultra-processed foods and (ii) use more minimally processed and nutritious foods.

The Government’s Eatwell Guide already advises that people should eat more fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less processed meat, and less food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt.The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the NHS.UK website and Government social marketing campaigns. For example, the Better Health Healthier Families website and the Healthy Steps email programme, which aims to help families with primary aged children in England to eat well and move more.The range of actions that have already been taken to create a healthier environment to help children reduce their consumption of processed foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and to improve access to affordable, minimally processed foods, include:- the Healthy Start scheme, which supported over 361,000 people in April 2025;- the Nursery Milk Scheme, which provides a reimbursement to childcare providers in England and Wales for a daily 1/3 pint portion of milk to children and babies; and- the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which provides approximately 2.2 million children in Key Stage 1 with a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables per day at school.In relation to foods and drinks high in calories, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, work on our commitments is progressing through:- implementing the television and online advertising restrictions for less healthy food or drink;- consulting on plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old; and- giving local authorities stronger, clearer powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools and where young people congregate.

What baseline figure his Department will use to measure progress on reducing the number of (a) people with a learning disability and (b) autistic people in mental health hospitals by 10 per cent within 2025-26.

National Health Service planning guidance for 2025/26 includes a focus on improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people and contains the objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people in 2025/26. The baselines being used to measure progress against operational planning guidance are: adults with a learning disability, including those who may also be autistic, in mental health inpatient care as of 31 March 2024, based on Assuring Transformation data extracted from 31 March 2024; and adults who are autistic, with no learning disability, in mental health inpatient care as of 31 March 2024, based on Assuring Transformation data extracted from 31 March 2024.The expectation is that integrated care boards will have been working towards achieving a 10% reduction from the 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2025, and will build on this during 2025/26. They are therefore expected to achieve a 20% reduction from the 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2026.

Whether each Integrated Care System is required to reduce the number of (a) people with a learning disability and (b) autistic people from their area in mental health hospitals by 10 per cent within 2025-26.

National Health Service planning guidance for 2025/26 includes a focus on improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people and contains the objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people in 2025/26. As part of operational planning, each integrated care board (ICB) is expected to: reduce the number of adults with a learning disability, including those who may also be autistic, in mental health inpatient care by 20% from a 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2026; and reduce the number of autistic adults, with no learning disability, in mental health inpatient care by 20% from a 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2026.The baseline is from Assuring Transformation data and was extracted from 31 March 2024. The expectation is that ICBs will have been working towards achieving a 10% reduction from the 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2025 and will build on this during 2025/26. They are therefore expected to achieve a 20% reduction from the 31 March 2024 baseline by 31 March 2026.

What steps his Department is taking through the NHS 10-Year Health Plan to improve glaucoma care.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to preventing and managing conditions such as glaucoma in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community and better joint working between services will support the management of conditions, including glaucoma, closer to home. The plan will draw directly from the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including in the eye care sector. We are in the final stages of working on the plan and will publish it shortly. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will continue to play a crucial role in evaluating new medicines, medical devices, and other technologies, to determine their clinical and cost-effectiveness, before recommending them for NHS use.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the use of innovative technologies to treat glaucoma through the 10-Year Health Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to preventing and managing conditions such as glaucoma in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community and better joint working between services will support the management of conditions, including glaucoma, closer to home. The plan will draw directly from the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including in the eye care sector. We are in the final stages of working on the plan and will publish it shortly. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will continue to play a crucial role in evaluating new medicines, medical devices, and other technologies, to determine their clinical and cost-effectiveness, before recommending them for NHS use.

What steps his department is taking to help prevent irreversible blindness due to glaucoma progression.

Regular sight tests play a crucial role in the early detection of glaucoma, which is often symptomless in the early stages. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including individuals diagnosed with glaucoma or those aged 40 years old and over with a close family history of glaucoma. Patients with suspected glaucoma will be referred for further investigation, any clinically necessary treatment, and ongoing monitoring, which can delay its progression. NHS England has been testing how IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services and the development of a single point of access could improve the referral and triage of patients, reducing the time from referral to treatment. It could also allow for more patients to be managed closer to home, within community optometry. This could benefit all patients with eye care needs, including those with suspected or diagnosed glaucoma.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of combined cataract and trabecular bypasses on glaucoma progression.

The best treatment options for any individual patient will be decided by the treating clinician in discussion with the patient, taking into account relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. NICE guidance on trabecular stent bypass microsurgery for open-angle glaucoma sets out that trabecular bypass surgery can be combined with a cataract operation and has shown its ability to reduce intraocular pressure.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting time for access to mental health services.

The Government is delivering new and innovative models of care in the community. As part of this, we have launched six neighbourhood adult mental health centres to bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care; these are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.NHS England’s Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivityWe are also improving data quality so we can support providers in understanding demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting times metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication to help services target the longest waits.Our 10-Year Health Plan will inform the future vision and delivery plan for mental health services in England. Earlier intervention remains a key focus of the plan with the aim of reducing pressure on mental health services.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of eye problems as part of its 10-Year Plan.

As part of the work to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, we have launched a significant public engagement process, and we would encourage all those with an interest in eye care services to take part in that process so that we can fully understand what is not working as well as it should and what the potential solutions are. More information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/Alongside the development of the 10-Year Health Plan, NHS England has been testing how integrating primary and secondary eye care services, through IT connectivity and the development of a single point of access, could improve the referral, triage and management of patients with eye care needs and reduce the time from diagnosis to treatment.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of poor dietary health on the UK economy.

The Government recognises that poor diet and obesity are major drivers of physical and mental ill health and early mortality. Ill health leads to increased sickness absence and early death which reduces workforce productivity, putting a burden on businesses and the wider economy.Frontier Economics estimates that the total cost of obesity to society was approximately £74.3 billion per year in the United Kingdom in 2021, expressed in 2023 prices. Included in these costs is an £8.9 billion per year cost to businesses and the economy from productivity losses due to obesity related diseases.

What steps he has taken to maximise take up of the Healthy Start scheme.

The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Those on the scheme have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old.The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.The NHSBSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHSBSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them to promote the scheme. In January 2025, Healthy Start supported over 353,000 people.

What plans he has to extend eligibility for the NHS Learning Support Fund to include pharmacy students.

There are no immediate plans to make changes to the NHS Learning Support Fund scheme design. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review. At all times, the Government must strike a balance between the level of support students receive and the need to make best use of public funds to deliver value for money.