Written questions by Dhesi.

What plans his Department has to increase the number of specialist Parkinson's nurses in Slough constituency.

The Department does not hold a central count of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses working in the Slough constituency. Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.We continue to work with NHS England through programmes like Getting It Right First Time to support improvements in access to specialist care for patients with Parkinson’s disease. We have also set up the United Kingdom‑wide Neuro Forum, which brings together the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations, and health services and Neurological Alliances of all four nations to share best practice and address system-wide challenges, including neurology workforce challenges.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.

The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Department officials regularly attend meetings to discuss the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan as well as matters of national security and defence. The Department is actively contributing to this work. This includes ensuring the health sector has flexible, adaptable, and scalable capabilities that can respond to a range of threats. These capabilities include equipment, for instance stockpiles and countermeasures, including medicines and medical equipment, skilled people, such as clinicians and public health staff, and infrastructure, for instance technology, diagnostics, testing.

Whether any money has been paid to the NHS as a result of NHS employees publishing content on personal social media platforms that was filmed during working hours, using NHS equipment or uniforms, and related to their work.

This information is not held centrally by the Department. However, NHS England has not received any payments from anyone in relation to National Health Service employees publishing content on their personal social media platforms.

When his Department intends to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of John Johnson.

We can confirm that a response to the coroner’s Prevention of Future Death report was issued on 6 March 2026.

If he will ask the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Luke Chatterton.

The Coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Luke Chatterton was first brought to the attention of The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 5 February 2026. The MHRA issued a response to the coroner on 2 March 2026.

When his Department intends to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Luke Chatterton.

The Prevention of Future Deaths report concerning the death of Luke Chatterton was not received by the Department when it was issued, resulting in a delay in it coming to our attention. The Department is now considering the report carefully before responding.

With reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence, and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on national defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing the Government, the private sector, and the public to play their part in strengthening the United Kingdom’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.The Department of Health and Social Care is actively supporting this work. The Emergency Preparedness and Health Protection Directorate works across the Department, the health system, and wider partners to strengthen our response on health security, which includes defence and officials having regular meetings with their defence counterparts.

When digital prescriptions will be available in all NHS hospitals.

NHS England does not have a target date for digital prescription availability in all National Health Service hospitals. The NHS Digital Maturity Assessment 2025 showed that 93% of NHS hospital trusts have gone live with an electronic prescribing and medicines administration system. The 2026 Digital Maturity Assessment will provide the latest data later this year.

What steps he is taking to (a) support NHS trusts with software needs and (b) unify software across NHS trusts.

NHS England supports National Health Service trusts with software needs in many ways, including through documentation, guides, support, a developer community, application programming interfaces, and mandatory standards.NHS England is unifying software across NHS trusts through application of interoperability and accessibility standards and national services such as NHS Notify.NHS trusts make their own decisions regarding the adoption and deployment of software and are expected to ensure that access to the tools they employ is safe, ethical, effective, and equitable for all within their remit.

With reference to paragraph 88 of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, how many meetings Ministers in their Department have attended related to the Home Defence Programme.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with officials, external experts, and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence, and resilience.The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the United Kingdom’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security, and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from Government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy, and Resilience Action Plan.The Department, with NHS England and health partners, is actively supporting this work. This includes working with partners to ensure the health sector has flexible, adaptable, and scalable capabilities that can respond to a range of threats such as equipment, for example stockpiles and countermeasures, medicines, and medical equipment, skilled people, such as clinicians and public health staff, and infrastructure, including technology, diagnostics, testing.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GP appointments in Slough.

We recognise the challenges in accessing general practices (GPs). That’s why we are expanding capacity across England, including in Slough. Since October 2024, we have invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support recruitment of over 2,000 GPs, exceeding our initial target of 1,000. Changes in the 2025/26 contract have also removed restrictions so individual primary care networks can hire more GPs. We are also introducing a practice‑level GP reimbursement scheme, worth £292 million, enabling practices to hire additional GPs or fund extra GP sessions. This will improve access, boost capacity, and support GP employment. Slough sits within the NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board, where the number of appointments delivered in GPs has increased by 6.7%, rising from 358,000 in December 2024 to 382,000 in December 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of dentist appointments in Slough.

Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Slough constituency, this is the Frimley ICB.The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care. We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

With reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.The Department, with NHS England and health partners, is actively supporting this work. This includes working with defence partners on Reception Arrangements for Military Patients into the health system.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of training available to healthcare practitioners on endometriosis.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.The Government also acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis.Women's health is included the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum for trainee general practitioners (GPs), including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers the healthcare needs of women across all diseases seen in primary care as it is important women are treated holistically. This ensures that all future GPs receive education on women’s health.The RCGP has also published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice to provide the best care for their patients.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a women’s and reproductive health topic suite, and updated guidelines on endometriosis in 2024 to make firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. These clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide care for women with endometriosis.Generally, employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

What recent steps he has taken to reduce endometriosis diagnosis times in (a) Slough and the (b) South East.

It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis, and we are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis.As announced in September 2025, we will establish an “online hospital”, via NHS Online, which will give people across the country, including in Slough and the South East, on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.In January 2026 we announced the nine conditions that NHS Online will initially focus on. Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis will be among the conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best.NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis sooner.In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their guideline on endometriosis, which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis, and which will help the estimated one in 10 women with endometriosis receive a diagnosis faster. NICE is working with NHS to ensure adoption of this best practice endometriosis care.

What recent steps he has taken to help reduce rates of obesity in Slough.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis to shift the focus from treatment to prevention and ease the strain on our National Health Service, including in Slough.We have fulfilled our commitment to restrict junk food advertising targeted at children on television and online. We have also implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drink, such as three for the price of two offers, and consulted on our proposals to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children aged under 16 years old.We will go further by introducing mandatory reporting on the healthiness of sales for all large food businesses and setting new healthier food targets. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’. We published the updated Nutrient Profiling Model in January, ahead of consulting on its policy application.To support people already living with obesity, we will double the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. From June 2025, the NHS began making weight loss drugs available through primary care. Approximately 220,000 adults will be considered in the first three years with access prioritised by clinical need. We are committed to expanding NHS access and will work closely with industry and local systems to identify innovative ways to do this.Officials in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ South East team work closely with local partners including local authorities and the NHS to support them with local initiatives to promote a healthy lifestyle and to tackle obesity.

What recent steps has he taken to increase bowel screening uptake in Slough constituency.

Improving cancer services is a priority for the Government. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. Slough is seeing an improvement in bowel screening uptake, although this remains below the national average.Commissioners and providers continue to work together to address this variation and to ensure that all eligible residents are supported to participate in screening at the earliest opportunity.The Berkshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and local partners have undertaken several initiatives to increase awareness and participation in Slough including:a presentation on bowel cancer screening delivered to the Cippenham Carers group;engagement with the 50+ Group at Kingsway United Reformed Church, promoting the importance of early detection; anda bowel cancer screening awareness poster circulated to general practices in Slough through the Frimley Health communications team.In addition, Slough Borough Council is actively supporting improvement in cancer screening uptake through communication and training measures.All partners remain committed to collaborative working to reduce inequalities, strengthen pathways, and support increased uptake among underserved populations.

What information his Department holds on the number of people that have been waiting over six months to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services support in Slough constituency.

There are currently six young people living within the Slough Local Authority area who have been waiting for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) intervention for over 26 weeks. There are no young people within Slough waiting for longer than 104 weeks to be seen by CAMHS.

What recent steps he has taken to help improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services referral times in Slough.

The Department has made no assessment of the adequacy of access to child and adolescent mental health services for children in the Slough constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for children and young people’s mental health services in the Slough constituency.As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need.We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people had access by this spring, which means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in spring 2024.More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of interim support available to children waiting for access to CAMHS support.

The Department has made no assessment of the adequacy of access to child and adolescent mental health services for children in the Slough constituency. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for children and young people’s mental health services in the Slough constituency.As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need.We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people had access by this spring, which means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in spring 2024.More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health.