Written questions by Race.

What plans his Department has to hold discussions with the Reclassification Alliance on the future of medicines reclassification.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) chairs the Reclassification Alliance, a collaborative forum involving the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), pharmacy bodies and industry stakeholders.The Alliance was relaunched in July 2023 to explore opportunities for improving the reclassification of medicines in the UK. Although the next meeting has not yet been scheduled, the work of the Alliance remains ongoing. MHRA is working with industry to encourage the application of new therapies for consideration in the over-the-counter setting.As part of this work, the MHRA has developed an updated reclassification procedure and, in April 2024, published updated reclassification guidance. The MHRA also held a reclassification webinar for industry on 12 November 2024 which focused on the updated procedure and the recently published reclassification guidance.Further information on the Government’s priorities for reclassification, including the list of conditions and categories identified for potential reclassification, is available at the following link: https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2025/02/05/new-opportunities-to-reclassify-medicines-what-you-need-to-know

What steps his Department is taking to help increase referral rates to the Pharmacy First service.

In February 2025, approximately 75% of general practices (GPs) in England made at least one referral into the NHS Pharmacy First Service.There are regional differences in terms of GP engagement, NHS 111, and urgent and emergency care settings with the Pharmacy First service, with some integrated care boards (ICBs) performing better than others. To help increase the uptake, NHS England is working closely with ICBs, GP stakeholders, and the community pharmacy sector.We continue to promote the Pharmacy First service. This includes two targeted public communication campaigns with associated media materials, coordinated communications across the healthcare system, and sharing best practices where the service is already working well. Action is also being taken to drive further engagement and referrals from GPs, with targeted engagement through regional and ICB channels and regular data to support performance management. In addition to this, funding has been provided to ICBs to recruit primary care network engagement leads who will be well placed to support practice teams to refer into the service.NHS England is also improving digital systems to make the referral process better integrated, including further development of electronic referral systems. Most pharmacies can now also receive Pharmacy First referrals from GPs straight into their NHS England assured pharmacy IT systems.

What steps he is taking to align the General Practice and Community Pharmacy funding and operating frameworks.

General practice and community pharmacy have separate funding and operating arrangements, reflecting the differences in the way patients use these services.For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding for any part of the National Health Service, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.We are also investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. The 7.2% boost to the GP Contract in 2025/26 is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget overall, helping to reverse the decade-long trend of general practices receiving an ever-decreasing percentage of NHS funding.NHS England is improving digital systems to make the referral process better integrated between pharmacies and general practices, which includes further development of electronic referral systems. Most pharmacies can now also receive Pharmacy First referrals from general practitioners straight into their NHS England assured pharmacy IT systems.

What steps his Department is taking to promote the Pharmacy First service.

In February 2025, approximately 75% of general practices (GPs) in England made at least one referral into the NHS Pharmacy First Service.There are regional differences in terms of GP engagement, NHS 111, and urgent and emergency care settings with the Pharmacy First service, with some integrated care boards (ICBs) performing better than others. To help increase the uptake, NHS England is working closely with ICBs, GP stakeholders, and the community pharmacy sector.We continue to promote the Pharmacy First service. This includes two targeted public communication campaigns with associated media materials, coordinated communications across the healthcare system, and sharing best practices where the service is already working well. Action is also being taken to drive further engagement and referrals from GPs, with targeted engagement through regional and ICB channels and regular data to support performance management. In addition to this, funding has been provided to ICBs to recruit primary care network engagement leads who will be well placed to support practice teams to refer into the service.NHS England is also improving digital systems to make the referral process better integrated, including further development of electronic referral systems. Most pharmacies can now also receive Pharmacy First referrals from GPs straight into their NHS England assured pharmacy IT systems.

With reference to the report by the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association entitled Unlocking our communities diagnostic potential: the case for supporting the adoption of community diagnostics for an NHS fit for the future, published on 1 April 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of appointing a national diagnostics director.

The Department regularly reflects on and reviews the most appropriate structure for senior civil servant roles, to ensure it aligns with Governments priorities, including the delivery of the three big shifts, such as moving from hospital to community services.There currently exists a Director for Electives and Cancer in the Department, whose responsibility includes diagnostics, as well as a Director of Diagnostics and Transport in NHS England, and their respective teams work closely together. Ensuring the National Health Service can deliver the right amount of diagnostic care to deliver on the 18-week Referral to Treatment constitutional standard by March is a priority across both the Department and NHS England.We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver an NHS fit for the future. The plan will deliver three big shifts mentioned, including moving from hospital to community services. We will therefore see more tests and scans in the community, in high street settings, reducing the need for people to take multiple trips to hospitals to get diagnosed.

What proportion of GP surgeries have signposted patients to the Pharmacy First scheme.

Every month approximately 75% of general practices refer at least one patient to a pharmacy under Pharmacy First.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of cycle commuting on (a) mental health and (b) healthy behaviours.

Public Health England’s 2018 cycling and walking evidence review confirms positive impacts on both mental health and healthy behaviours. This review is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bf41840e5274a2af47c464e/Cycling_and_walking_for_individual_and_population_health_benefits.pdfEvidence shows that cycling can reduce stress and lower risk factors for mental health conditions. It can also encourage other healthy behaviours by integrating physical activity into daily routines.The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working with the Department for Transport and Active Travel England on an evidence review, which will further examine active travel’s effects on mental health, physical health, and health inequalities as well as effective behaviour-change techniques. Findings are expected by mid-2025.

What steps he plans to take to promote awareness of World Hepatitis Testing Week in November 2024.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be supporting the World Hepatitis Testing Week’s drive to increase testing for hepatitis by promoting the campaign materials through our social and stakeholder channels. This will follow the publication of the latest evaluation of the NHS England funded emergency department opt-out testing programme for bloodborne viruses, and will be accompanied by media activity.The UKHSA previously published a range of promotional material on awareness of viral hepatitis, including testing for hepatitis C and testing and vaccination for hepatitis B, on World Hepatitis Day in July this year.

What steps his Department is taking to plan for the sustainable maintenance of hepatitis C elimination in England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) supports and monitors progress towards the World Health Organisation’s goal of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health threat by 2030. As part of disease surveillance, the UKHSA monitors HCV prevention, testing, diagnoses and treatment, and longer-term outcomes in England.The UKHSA supports and monitors progress towards ending the transmission of HCV within England by 2030. The UKHSA will continue to publish HCV surveillance and monitoring reports during the maintenance phase. The UKHSA’s HCV reports and supporting documents are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk

Whether he plans to continue the Hepatitis C opt-out testing programme beyond March 2025.

Opt-out testing in emergency departments for bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C, is live at 34 sites in areas of extremely high prevalence of HIV, and is expanding to areas of high prevalence of HIV. A further 47 emergency department sites will be funded for a 12-month period across the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26.On 9 November 2023, the UK Health Security Agency published a report evaluating the first 12 months of the NHS England funded emergency department opt-out testing programme for bloodborne viruses. The initiative has so far been successful, with 499 people being diagnosed with hepatitis C in the first year of the testing. Further information on this programme is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bloodborne-viruses-opt-out-testing-in-emergency-departments