Ashley Dalton
MP for West Lancashire · Labour · United Kingdom
“My right hon. Friend is being very generous; I thank him for giving way. It was my sombre privilege to work with him on this matter when I was a Minister in the Department of Health.”
“I recently visited the Liberty Centre in my constituency, a fantastic charitable organisation that supports individuals and families who have been affected by domestic abuse and violence. It told me that it could fill its refuge places three times over, but it does not have the resources.”
“It can be diagnosed after a primary diagnosis—primary breast cancer is potentially curable—or the first time that a person is diagnosed with breast cancer. That is called a de novo diagnosis. That is what secondary breast cancer is and, as we have heard, I have it, along with many, many other people.”
“There is also a myth that the treatment for your primary cancer was somehow wrong or had failed if you get metastatic breast cancer. Again, that is absolute nonsense. Breast cancer can still spread, even after successful treatment for a primary cancer, and even with the best treatments in the world.”
“As ever, it is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I first acknowledge the campaigners from Make 2nds Count, METUP UK and Breast Cancer Now and the fellow MBC patients who are joining us in the Public Gallery.”
“I do not say that to terrify people, but to say that it is absolutely imperative that they are aware of the signs and symptoms of secondary breast cancer in case they ever have them, no matter how long it has been since their primary diagnosis—or indeed, if they have ever had one.”
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“The UK National Screening Committee is an independent scientific advisory committee that advises Ministers and the NHS in all four countries on all aspects of population and targeted screening, and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes, economic evaluation, expert stakeholders and consultation, the UK NSC assesses the evidence for national screening programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria. These cover the condition, the test, the treatment options, the effectiveness, the ethics and the acceptability of the screening programme. It is only where the offer to screen provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the case for screening for genetic haemochromatosis in adults in 2021.”
“This genetic condition, which allows iron levels to build up in the body, particularly affects people of white northern European backgrounds. It is estimated that as many as one in 150 people in England and Wales, one in 113 people in Scotland and one in 10 people in Northern Ireland are affected. Health is a devolved matter, and I am delighted to see Members from the devolved nations represented in this debate. I note the interventions from the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), and from my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson), who is the Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee. All four nations in the UK are advised on screening matters by the same independent scientific advisory committee.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton) for securing this debate and for sharing his personal connection as someone who has haemochromatosis. In honour of World Haemochromatosis Week earlier this month, from 1 to 7 June, I pay tribute to the important work that my hon. Friend and our colleagues on the all-party parliamentary group are doing to raise awareness of genetic haemochromatosis. As we have heard, genetic haemochromatosis can have debilitating consequences, including arthritis, joint pain, diabetes, fatigue, psychological or cognitive difficulties, skin conditions, menstrual problems, impotence, breathing and heart problems, abdominal pain, liver problems and hair loss.”
“That figure has been stable since September 2022. However, we also know that there are times when it is necessary for movement in and out of care settings to be temporarily restricted.”
“Those restrictions were in response to clinical advice and were designed to protect people living in care or in hospital, who were often among the most vulnerable to the virus. Visiting and accompanying is one of the fundamental standards against which the Care Quality Commission assesses quality of care. The Government recognise how important visiting is for the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes and patients in hospitals and hospices. We have monitored the position since the new fundamental standard was introduced in 2023. We know that the majority of health and care providers are facilitating visits and recognise their importance. The capacity tracker, a digital tool where adult social care providers self-report data, shows that 99.3% of care home providers are facilitating visits.”
“I can say without hesitation that the Minister for Care and I agree with my hon. Friend on the importance of visiting in care settings. Contact with family and friends is a crucial part of a person’s care. Indeed, there is evidence that supporting people to be actively involved in their own care, treatment and support can improve outcomes and experiences for people receiving care. No one should be denied reasonable access to visitors when they are in a care home, a hospital, or a hospice. That includes receiving assistance from a care supporter or simply going for a walk with a family member or friend. Before the covid-19 pandemic care homes, hospitals and hospices set visiting policies based on their specific local circumstances. During the pandemic, restrictions on visiting were implemented to prevent the spread of covid-19.”
“Thank you, Ms Butler, for chairing this important debate at such short notice, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton (Dan Carden) for securing it. The Minister for Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock), has asked me to pass on his apologies; he is unable to represent the Government in this debate as he is currently in session on the Mental Health Bill Committee. However, he joins me in thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton not only for securing this debate, but for all the work he has done in advocating for relatives and friends to have the right to visit care home residents and patients in hospitals and hospices. I also thank all those who have shared their personal stories and those who are in the Public Gallery today.”
“Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts) talked about her experience with her mother, and brought to life the value that family and friends bring to the emotional wellbeing of the person being cared for and how, as partners in care, they play a key role in delivering that care.”
“I do not have that data to hand, but I will make sure that it is provided to the shadow Minister afterwards. While there is sometimes the need for temporary restrictions or modifications to minimise significant risks, the Government hope that such instances are a rarity. It is our aspiration to ensure that visiting policy and practice strike the best possible balance between individual wellbeing and public health needs. I have been really moved by, and taken note of, the evidence put forward by many Members that that may not always be the case. The right hon.”
“That law requires care providers to facilitate visits to care home residents and to identify an essential care supporter for each resident. I can assure hon. Members that we will reflect on the points made here as we conduct the review. We will move fast and ensure that we do justice to this important issue. We need to understand the problems and gaps if we are to draw the right conclusions from the review. We are pressing on with evidence gathering and focus groups right now. We plan to publish the outcome of the review and any further steps in the autumn.”
“To ensure that we get a wide range of views, we have also opened a call for evidence and are running focus groups, with the first one taking place later today. The representations made in today’s debate will help to inform the review. I further thank all contributors, and assure them that their contributions have been noted. We are determined to understand whether the expectations set by the regulation are right and that its application in practice works in the best way across care homes, hospitals and hospices, and in relation to visiting and accompanying. I can confirm for the hon. Member for Strangford that we will look at the experience of all UK nations, including Northern Ireland and Scotland, where the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill, which includes Anne’s law, was approved on 10 June.”
“Can the CQC monitor an Act? What are the exceptional circumstances of regulation 9A? Who is making those decisions? What principle is being followed and how is it being properly monitored? The Government are committed to understanding the current position and considering how it can be improved. That is why in April we launched a review of CQC regulation 9A: visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices. All the issues raised today will be explored as part of that review. We want the review to be thorough and will consider the experiences of those receiving care, their families and loved ones, providers and health experts, as well as information from the Care Quality Commission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.”
“I thank the right hon. Lady for that intervention, and it is noted. The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) told the powerful story of his own mother-in-law and his experiences there, and spoke about the importance of family contact, specifically for children in health and social care settings. For the sake of clarity, regulation 9A does not cover children’s homes—there are other regulations for that. We are talking specifically about health and social care settings. We heard powerful interventions from other Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Mr Rand). The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett), and the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson), asked a series of questions: is regulation 9A sufficient?”
“We hope that our focus on the three shifts to develop a modern NHS will help to address many of the challenges in navigating the health service faced by those with long-term conditions, including chronic UTIs. Our shift from hospital to community will help to drive more joint working between neighbourhoods in primary care, pharmacies, community health and social care, in order to help people to manage their conditions. As I have said, shortly we will publish our 10-year plan for health, which will set out how we will make our NHS fit for the future. I thank the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam once again for securing this debate to raise awareness of this important but often overlooked issue.”
“Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson), talked about research programmes and guidance. I think I have referred to most of those things in my speech. If I have not, I am more than happy to write to her after this debate. She also touched on prevention. The UKHSA is working with NHS England to run a targeted campaign around UTI prevention in older adults. The campaign will include messages and materials that can be used to support older adults to adapt behaviours, which should reduce the risk of developing a UTI, including messages that suggest they talk to clinicians about treatment options if they have recurring UTIs. In conclusion, I want to highlight our work to make a health service that is fit for the future.”
“The StOP UTI project at the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration in Wessex sought to identify effective strategies for preventing and recognising UTIs in care homes and has done some work to embed activities into care routines. It concluded that a systems-wide approach was necessary. In July 2024 the NIHR published a call for research applications to improve diagnosis of UTIs in older adults. Stage 2 applications are being considered by the funding committee this month. The Lib Dem spokesperson also talked about community pharmacy and the 10-year plan, which will cover all conditions and is a strategic overview of how we will improve the NHS for everybody. I can confirm that the 10-year health plan is on track to be published next month. The shadow Minister, the hon.”
“Diagnosing UTI can be especially difficult in older people who often present with atypical or non-specific presentations, and it can be difficult to assess lower urinary tract symptoms in older patients with dementia. In care home settings the resident might not initially present as acutely unwell. They might present with increased lethargy, diminished appetite, reluctance to drink or just not be their usual self. Tools such as RESTORE2 can support care homes to alert a primary care clinician that the resident might be unwell and would benefit from an early clinical review. Care home staff encourage residents to keep hydrated, although that can be challenging in residents with dementia, as we know. The Department is funding research into dementia and chronic urinary tract infections via the National Institute for Health and Care Research.”
“A further five-year plan was published in March 2024. The UK Health Security Agency has also been working with colleagues from NHSE, primary care settings and patients to develop resources to support clinicians through the TARGET antibiotics toolkit. This toolkit training is currently being rolled out in multiple NHSE regions as part of an intervention to improve the management of common infections, including UTIs, in primary care. We need to build on these successes and ensure that antibiotics use is supported by evidence. AMR is a significant health threat, and an estimated 7,600 deaths were attributable to AMR in the UK in 2019. The Lib Dem spokesperson, the hon. Member for Chichester, spoke about dementia and the added complications that that can lead to.”
“The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is funding research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections, including chronic UTIs. The research includes the development of antimicrobial-impregnated catheters to reduce episodes of catheter-associated UTIs, as well as something called the TOUCAN study to evaluate the rapid point-of-care UTI diagnostic tests in GP surgeries. Recently the NIHR invested £3.1 million into improving primary care antibiotic prescribing programmes. I want to return to antimicrobial resistance and why it is an important consideration. The first five-year national action plan for AMR in 2019 set out a comprehensive “One Health” approach to address AMR, acting across humans, animals, food and the environment.”
“The existing guidance provides advice on pain management and hydration. The local NHS is expected to have regard to NICE guidance in providing care and advice to patients. The UK Health Security Agency has begun work in this area, alongside NHS England, primary care and patients, to develop resources to support clinicians in managing UTI conditions. At the moment, that is for recurrent UTIs, and we agree that more research is needed. To address the uncertainty, research is being undertaken. Through our National Institute for Health and Care Research, we are supporting work to understand the research gaps on UTIs. This happens through a James Lind Alliance priority-setting partnership, led by Antibiotic Research UK, Bladder Health UK and the Urology Foundation. The partnership will publish its findings in spring 2026.”
“A long-term dose of antibiotics has been shown to work in some cases, but it is not consistently replicable, and it is not a risk-free approach. There are also the added complications of antibiotic resistance to consider when adopting such a treatment regimen. I will return to that point. Management of the condition is at the discretion of the responsible clinician, based on their specialist training and experience. Patients who remain symptomatic despite investigations and treatment by specialist urological services can be referred onwards to tertiary services. Again, I emphasise that all patients with chronic UTIs should be afforded compassion and support as part of their care. As the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam, who secured this debate, said, there is no NICE guidance specifically on chronic UTIs.”
“We will make sure that the NHS can be there for all women when they need it. We are bringing through those commitments as part of our 10-year health plan. It is vital that people with chronic UTIs receive support and compassion from the NHS in diagnosis and treatment. No one suffering with a chronic UTI should be made to feel ashamed or in any way at fault for their condition. Living with the condition is a struggle enough without having to bear the insensitivity of others. Chronic UTI sufferers merit the same understanding as anyone else with a non-communicable disease. As stated previously, the reasons why some people develop a chronic UTI are not well understood, and neither is how to cure one once it develops.”
“A population-based survey in England of women over 16 in 2015 found that 37% reported at least one episode of UTI in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, 29% of women reported more than one episode of UTI and 3% of women reported a history of recurrent UTIs in the past year. Misogyny in health services is an issue that has been discussed in this Chamber before, and women’s health remains a priority for the Government. We have been let down for too long, but we are determined to change that, and women’s health will continue to be a major focus as we fundamentally reform the health service and get it delivering for patients once again. We are working with NHS England to take forward our women’s health strategy, and we have set out plans to use the independent sector to cut gynaecological waiting lists through our investment and reforms.”
“A recurrent urinary tract infection is defined as having two or more UTIs within six months, or three or more UTIs within a year, with symptoms sometimes reappearing after a course of treatment, but regular treatment can eventually cure these. For a chronic UTI, the symptoms never go away, despite treatment. At most, they might slightly abate. A UTI can impact significantly on someone’s quality of life, making it hard to concentrate, sleep or exercise. For someone with a chronic UTI, the pain and discomfort does not end. The physical and mental struggle is relentless. The contemplation of suicide is, as we have discussed, not uncommon among people suffering with chronic UTIs. They can have a negative impact on both intimate and social relationships, as well as self-esteem. That can be incredibly isolating.”
“Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner) and I have been very good friends for some years? I know how she suffers, and I recognise her courage. She is such a powerful voice on this issue, and I am delighted that she has done what was necessary and worked so hard to get to this place and to be that voice here. I congratulate her on that. UTIs are very common, especially for women, but chronic UTIs are much rarer. However, the charity Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign, CUTIC, estimates that up to 1.7 million women in the UK may suffer from a chronic UTI. That is a very large number of people living in discomfort. I commend CUTIC for its work bringing attention to the plight of chronic UTI sufferers. It is important to make clear the distinction between a UTI, a recurrent UTI and a chronic or persistent UTI.”
“The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller), spoke about Pharmacy First. Just to confirm, it does operate in England and is designed to ensure that women aged 16 to 64 can access treatment for uncomplicated UTIs. It is worth saying that the Government currently have no plans to extend that age group, as pre-16 or post-64 cases are not necessarily considered uncomplicated and would, we would argue, require a little more focus. My hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Matt Turmaine) recognised the desperation of many sufferers and highlighted the links to suicide. Before I come to my speech and refer to some of the issues raised by the Front-Bench spokespeople, may I say that my hon.”
“It is an honour, as ever, to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor) for securing this debate. I would like to welcome and acknowledge Phoebe and all others in the Gallery. Of course, I put on record straightaway that I will ensure that a meeting takes place with the relevant Minister—we are just working out whether that will be me or somebody else, but I will ensure that it takes place. I also recognise the contributions from other hon. Members here today. My hon. Friend the Member for Dudley (Sonia Kumar), who is no longer in her place, always brings her expertise as a clinician to this discussion and does much to raise awareness. The hon. Member for North Down (Alex Easton), who is also no longer in his place, talked about antibiotics and AMR, which I will come to later.”
“Member will know, many facilities on the site are ageing, and I appreciate that the people who work there need clarity on its future as quickly as possible. The Government are thoroughly assessing options for securing the facilities that are required for these highly specialist functions and services in the future.”
“The site also plays a unique role in environmental microbiology and biosafety, helping us to understand better how infections spread in real-world settings. Porton Down’s role does not stop at healthcare. It reaches into our ecosystems, our food chain and our environment. Porton Down is a national leader in medical entomology, including the surveillance of invasive mosquitoes and ticks. Its work ensures that the UK can rapidly detect and respond to vector-borne diseases, protecting the public from threats before they gain a foothold. The site’s food, water and environmental microbiology teams provide additional expertise that is critical to national resilience and the Government’s work on climate change; but, crucially, the work of those globally leading teams requires the best facilities. As the right hon.”
“Whether it is advancing vaccine development to address global health threats, such as Mpox, or leading the world in evaluating vaccines to ensure that we have effective programmes that save countless lives, Porton Down stands as a pillar of excellence in our national health security infrastructure. Through the UKHSA science strategy, we are committed to securing health and prosperity with partners in industry and academia. That is why we established the vaccine development and evaluation centre on the Porton Down site, securing learning from the pandemic and advancing our critical research on vaccines. Porton Down’s diagnostics capabilities are equally vital, providing the UK’s only 24/7 service for detecting rare and imported pathogens, including life-threatening diseases such as Marburg virus, Ebola and Lassa fever.”
“I thank the right hon. Member for Salisbury (John Glen) for securing this important debate and for his passionate advocacy on behalf of his constituents for the vital work conducted by the UK Health Security Agency at its Porton Down site. I also take the opportunity to recognise the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) and his passionate advocacy on behalf of his constituents. Before I come to the decision-making process, I want to use this opportunity to reference some of the incredible work that takes place on the site.”
“I can assure the House that extensive discussions are taking place between UKHSA, the Department of Health and Social Care and His Majesty’s Treasury to inform a decision, and I can confirm that this decision will be taken as part of the spending review, which will conclude next month.”
“Complexity and rigorous scientific requirements mean that completion will take more than a decade, which is why we continue to invest in maintaining our current site and facilities at Porton Down, with £38.1 million allocated for capital investment in the recent spending review. The Government are committed to ensuring that we retain the ability to carry out the vital functions of UKHSA Porton Down. Members, the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee have all advocated for an urgent decision, but identifying the right site that delivers on this mission, while ensuring best value for money, is a complex decision and one that we must get right.”
“I can assure my hon. Friend, and the House, that all considerations will be taken into account when this decision is made. As I have said, the Government are thoroughly assessing options, including all those that have been raised. Two main options are under consideration: to rebuild and refurbish some facilities at Porton Down and its sister site at Colindale in north London, or to build an entirely new facility in Harlow, Essex. In either event, the staff working in the defence, science and technology laboratory at Porton Down will remain there, and even when a decision is made on those options, nothing will happen overnight.”
“Member for Salisbury again for raising this vital issue, and all Members who have intervened in the debate. I commit to updating him on progress once a decision is made. Question put and agreed to.”
“It recently invited the Government Internal Audit Agency to conduct a short review of its remobilisation plans as part of its commitment to ensure that there is maximum transparency and rigorous assessment of the programme. The agency has also obtained advice from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. I am sure that colleagues from across the House share my view that the work conducted at Porton Down is critical to protect the country. The recent pandemic put into sharp focus how this work is fundamental to keeping us all safe. Although there is still the outstanding question of how we can best preserve the facilities for the country, whatever decision we take will be made in full consultation with the staff at Porton Down, whose critical skills are highly valued by us all. I thank the right hon.”
“I do not currently have the detail on that, but I will write to the right hon. Gentleman following this debate. I can confirm that he knows as much as I do about what might be in the spending review, because those decisions have yet to be made, but more information will be made available as soon as possible. As the Secretary of State said earlier this year, “The worst decision is indecision”, —[ Official Report , 13 March 2025; Vol. 763, c. 1295.] and this Government are committed to sorting out this issue once and for all. A decision will be made in a matter of weeks. In anticipation of that decision, UKHSA is taking steps to prepare to remobilise the programme at pace.”
“We are helping people to get diagnosed closer to home by requiring community diagnostic centres to provide spirometry tests. The Government remain committed to ensuring that existing CDCs, where they are not already, are rolled out at full operational capacity at their permanent site.”
“We have not just uprated the levy to bring it in line with inflation; we also published a consultation just last month on two proposed changes—reducing the lowest sugar tax threshold from 5 grams to 4 grams of total sugar per 100 ml, and removing the exemption for milk-based and milk substitute drinks. Finally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is cleaning up our air with Great British Energy and a raft of other measures. My Department will shortly be publishing its 10-year plan for health to make our NHS fit for the future. We will shift the focus of our NHS from sickness to prevention, hospital to community, and analogue to digital. Until then, we are already taking steps on prevention by helping people to lose weight and quit smoking or vaping, and by helping to clean up our air.”
“That has improved the identification of patients with potential severe asthma, and has resulted in those people being referred to the relevant care pathways. Every member of the Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children in our history. We are taking steps to protect our kids from obesity and smoking, which are major risk factors; each one is responsible for roughly a third of asthma deaths. We are taking action through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which I am pleased to say has just passed Second Reading in the other place. In her autumn Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor took steps to ensure that the soft drinks industry levy remains effective.”
“For four in 10 asthma patients with severe asthma those treatments can significantly improve their quality of life. However, it is vital that biologics are prescribed only following specialist assessment. Currently, the NHS is deploying six biological treatments approved to treat severe asthma. The shadow Minister raised the issue of vaccines. I reassure him that a strategy and action are being delivered to increase vaccination uptake, including RSV and flu, because that is a priority for the Government. Returning to biologics, significant work was undertaken to drive uptake and access to them through the NHS England severe asthma collaborative, and patient outcomes are submitted to the UK severe asthma registry.”
“The Government are supporting systems to take innovative approaches to expanding access to their diagnostic services, with a particular focus on addressing health inequalities. Finally, the NHS rightly offers the flu vaccine free of charge to people with severe asthma as seasonal illnesses pose more of a threat to them than others. NHS England has been working with the severe asthma collaborative to develop the capacity of severe asthma centres to improve patient access to biologic treatments and to reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. That work has shown improved identification of patients with potential severe asthma in primary and secondary care, resulting in referral to severe asthma centres for consideration of their eligibility for biologic therapy.”
“The PLUS population groups include ethnic minority communities, people with a learning disability, autistic people, coastal communities, people with multimorbidity and protected characteristic groups. Core20PLUS5 also has a dedicated workstream for children and young people. The primary focus is to address over-reliance on reliever medications while decreasing the number of asthma attacks. That has made some progress, with clear reductions in the over-prescribing of reliever inhalers over the past few years. Between April 2022 and February 2025 the proportion of patients with asthma who received six or more reliever inhaler prescriptions fell from just under 20% to under 16%.”
“NHS England is working with a range of partners, including Asthma + Lung UK, the British Thoracic Society, the Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology and clinical leads to make sure that systems have everything they need to increase the number of people receiving early and accurate diagnosis for respiratory disease. In the past year the Government have made extra funding available to make sure that staff have the proper training and accreditation to use spirometry effectively. On inequalities, NHS England is taking steps to uplift the most deprived quintile through Core20PLUS5. That initiative focuses on five areas of improvement, of which chronic respiratory disease is a key part. There are targeted interventions to detect and treat asthma.”
“It is putting asthma care at the top of the agenda by giving asthma a higher priority within systems, providing funding for regional leadership, and strengthening governance and accountability to improve outcomes. It has also played a crucial role in making training easier and more readily available for staff by bringing together existing guidance and resources with a structured training scheme. Since its publication there has been a noticeable reduction in hospital admissions. The hon. Member for Strangford and the shadow Minister both raised spirometry, a diagnostic test for asthma as well as other respiratory diseases.”
“Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, on behalf of NHS England, commissioned a national audit across respiratory care, which includes asthma, and all data from the audit is published for open access. NICE is working with BTS, SIGN, NHS England and others to review the resources available to support implementation of the guidelines, and plans to publish a respiratory toolkit. To support implementation of NICE guidance, NHS England has been engaging with health system partners across the country to co-ordinate resources and implementation efforts to make sure that patients are on the appropriate treatment regime. NHS England is also protecting our children and young people through the national bundle of care.”
“NHS England is taking steps to support integrated care systems to improve outcomes for people with asthma through its national respiratory programme by providing targeted funding, clarifying what systems should be doing to ensure that people with asthma receive a high-quality and timely diagnosis, and working with key partners, industry representatives, patient groups and clinicians to support improved respiratory disease management. That will include shared decision making on inhaler choice and making better use of inhalers to reduce the overuse of reliever inhalers and encourage the use of preventer inhalers. The hon. Member for Strangford raised the issue of access to and roll-out of treatments.”
“Nevertheless, statistics published by Asthma + Lung UK just this month show that Asian people with asthma from the most deprived quintile in England are almost three times more likely to have an emergency admission to hospital than their white counterparts. Black people with asthma from that group are also more than twice as likely to be admitted to hospital. This is a burning injustice. As if that were not enough, the annual economic burden of asthma in the UK is around £3 billion a year. Lung conditions collectively cost the NHS £11 billion annually. That is why we must act. I will update Members on NHS England’s activities in this space before moving on to wider Government efforts.”
“I reassure him that engagement with such stakeholders has been central to the development of the 10-year plan. All submissions made to the major conditions strategy have been taken into account—nothing was wasted. As the hon. Member for Strangford outlined, asthma is the most common lung condition, affecting nearly 5.5 million people in the UK. Just under one in 10 kids live with asthma, and more than 12,000 people have died from asthma attacks in the last 10 years. World Asthma Day is not just about treating a condition; it is about shining a spotlight on inequalities. I strongly agree with the hon. Gentleman that everyone, regardless of where they live or how much they have in their bank account, has the right to access the inhaled medications they need to control their condition and treat attacks.”
“Guidelines developed jointly by NICE, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the British Thoracic Society to harmonise recommendations across the organisations were published in November 2024, and I hope they are useful. Before I respond to the Front-Bench contributions—if there is anything I do not cover, please let us know and we will endeavour to write with the relevant details—I want to pay tribute to charities and campaigners: people who are doing the hard yards of helping to equip our hospitals and supporting people to manage their conditions in their day-to-day lives. I thank Asthma + Lung UK, Beat Asthma and the Asthma Relief Charity, to name just a few. The shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans), asked about the contributions by charities to the major conditions strategy.”