Department of Health and Social Care

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS England is aware of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease that sits among other welcome approaches to improving care and outcomes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NHS England clinical policy for people with COPD is largely formed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and professional society recommendations such as from the British Thoracic Society and Primary Care Respiratory Society. Broader initiatives and evidence may be considered where appropriate.

We hugely value our health and social care workers from overseas who work tirelessly to provide the best possible care and enhance our health and care workforce with their valuable skills, experience and expertise. Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. This includes prohibiting active recruitment from red list countries to the National Health Service, social care, or independent sectors under our Code of Practice.

The Government also remains committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS. Following publication of our 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, we will produce a refreshed workforce plan, setting out how we will train and provide the staff that the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities and treat them on time again. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will work across Government to prioritise medical graduates from the United Kingdom for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. The plan also outlines that we will now make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period. We intend this minimum period to be at least three years.

The Immigration White Paper also set out reforms to legal migration, so that we can restore order, control and fairness to the system, bring down net migration and promote economic growth. The changes set out include a complete overhaul of the relationship between the immigration system, training and the labour market to support sustainable growth as well as a sustainable immigration system.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.

This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.

At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.

We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.

NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.

Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with dementia, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

As an example, the Department, via the NIHR, is investing nearly £50 million into the Dementia Trials Network, a coordinated network of trial sites across the United Kingdom, which will offer people with dementia the opportunity to take part in early phase clinical trials irrespective of where they live. This is complemented by the £20 million Dementia Trials Accelerator, designed to position the UK as the destination of choice for late phase clinical trials in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.

The NIHR also funds research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including research on dementia. For example, the aim of the University College London Hospitals’ Biomedical Research Centre’s dementia theme is to develop novel treatments through precision medicine. The theme’s focus on young onset and familial dementias provides key insights into the factors that can cause or speed up neurodegeneration, allowing a window for treatments to be administered, before functional decline occurs.

In partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and Alzheimer Scotland, the NIHR also delivers Join Dementia Research, an online platform which enables the involvement of people with and without a dementia diagnosis, as well as carers, to take part in a range of important research, including studies evaluating potential treatments for dementia.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, which is expected to have nearly £150 million of Government funding allocated to it, or aligned with it, aims to speed up the development of new treatments for dementia and neurodegenerative conditions by accelerating innovations in biomarkers, clinical trials, and implementation.

Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with dementia, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

As an example, the Department, via the NIHR, is investing nearly £50 million into the Dementia Trials Network, a coordinated network of trial sites across the United Kingdom, which will offer people with dementia the opportunity to take part in early phase clinical trials irrespective of where they live. This is complemented by the £20 million Dementia Trials Accelerator, designed to position the UK as the destination of choice for late phase clinical trials in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.

In partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and Alzheimer Scotland, the NIHR also delivers Join Dementia Research, an online platform which enables the involvement of people with and without a dementia diagnosis, as well as carers, to take part in a range of important research, including studies evaluating potential treatments for dementia.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, which is expected to have nearly £150 million of Government funding allocated to it, or aligned with it, aims to speed up the development of new treatments for dementia and neurodegenerative conditions by accelerating innovations in biomarkers, clinical trials, and implementation.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis, and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring that people can access any licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended treatment and/or support they need.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates surgical procedures, including male circumcision for therapeutic and non-therapeutic reasons, where the procedure is carried out by a health care professional.

The CQC has developed guidance with other professional organisations entitled Additional guidance and prompts: non-therapeutic male circumcision, a copy of which is attached.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislation or further guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision.

School-based vaccination delivery is a key component of the National Immunisation Programme. Currently, vaccines offered in schools include: human papillomavirus; meningococcal A, C, W, Y; tetanus, diphtheria, and polio; measles, mumps, and rubella; and the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Educational settings play a vital role in supporting the routine immunisation programme by sharing accurate and timely information with parents and caregivers. To assist with this, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides a wide range of educational resources designed to raise awareness of vaccine-preventable diseases, the importance of immunisation, and how vaccines protect individuals and communities. These resources include:

• the e-Bug online programme, with further information available on the e-bug.eu website;
• back-to-school immunisation resources for nurseries, primary, and secondary schools, with further information available on the GOV.UK website; and
• the Immunisations for Young People leaflet, which is available on the GOV.UK website.

School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) providers are commissioned by NHS England to deliver the school-based immunisation programmes. Children who are home-schooled or not in mainstream education are also included. The success of school-based immunisation programmes depends on close working relationships between the schools, school nurses, and SAIS providers. Therefore, schools also play a vital role in facilitating SAIS providers to deliver vaccinations within school settings and in supporting the delivery of routine and seasonal immunisation programmes through the sharing of information with parents and caregivers at key points. Schools support the immunisation process by:

• providing appropriate space and time in the school timetable for vaccination sessions;
• reminding staff, pupils, and parents or carers about upcoming sessions;
• distributing information leaflets and consent forms; and
• sharing lists of eligible pupils and contact details with the SAIS team.

The UKHSA publishes regularly updated guidance for schools on how to support immunisation activities effectively, with further information available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

Recognising the need to improve the vaccine uptake of our school-aged programme, the Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with NHS England, the UKHSA, and the Department for Education to better understand the barriers and facilitators to effective delivery of school-based immunisation programmes, and approaches to supporting increased vaccination uptake among school-aged children. This work is to ensure a more comprehensive and focused support offer is made available to schools to deliver their role effectively and support improvements in vaccine uptake.

Alongside this work, NHS England also continues to work with all key stakeholders at a regional level, and is involved in the delivery of school-aged vaccinations to strengthen local initiatives and encourage innovative models of vaccination delivery.

From 23 June, tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, started to become available in primary care, in line with the agreed plans for a phased rollout, meaning it can be prescribed in general practices.

NHS England has been working closely with local health systems, including integrated care boards, to design approaches for the safe and effective roll out of tirzepatide in primary care. This includes the use of digital providers, as NHS England recognises that digital first models can offer valuable tools to support patients and clinicians in the safe and effective delivery of care. Some patients have already been referred to receive diet, physical activity, and lifestyle support digitally through NHS England’s interim offer for behavioural support for obesity prescribing.

No full assessment has been made of the role of digital providers in supporting this roll out. To support equitable access and avoid risks of digital exclusion for those with less digital skills, a range of service delivery models are being made available, including face-to-face, remote, and digitally supported care.

There will be a robust evaluation of the initial phased rollout of tirzepatide in primary care, which will consider the use of digital providers. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our ambition to build on these plans by testing innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. We will work closely with industry and local health systems to increase patient access. Full details will be announced in due course.

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary hugely. As a result, sepsis can be challenging to diagnose. It is therefore critical that all acutely unwell patients are treated promptly and appropriately regardless of cause. The National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) is a clinical screening tool for the recognition of acutely unwell adults, including those with sepsis. NEWS2 supports clinicians to determine the need for immediate care and is used in 99% of acute trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England.

To further support clinical staff and ensure unwell patients are identified promptly and are immediately started on life-saving treatment, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management, which staff can access alongside NHS England’s online sepsis training programmes. Furthermore, the Department continues to fund research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, to improve our understanding of sepsis diagnosis and immediate management.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition, taken very seriously by the Government. The Government therefore welcomes the three patient safety investigation reports on sepsis, published on 26 June by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB).

Together, the Department and NHS England are closely considering the HSSIB’s recently recommended Areas of Improvement. This will include working with stakeholders to assess implications for current policies and guidance, including reinforcing the updated Royal College of Physicians National Early Warning Score guidance, as well as implications for future policy and development.

Using the latest Health Survey for England estimates from 2022, and the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) population estimates for England, we estimate that in 2022, approximately 13.5 million adults, or 28.9% of England’s population, were living with obesity. In addition, using the latest National Child Measurement Program estimates from 2023/24, and the latest ONS population estimates for England, we estimate that in the 2023/24 school year, there were approximately 1.4 million children living with obesity.

In 2023, Frontier Economics estimated that the total cost to society of obesity was approximately £74.3 billion per year in the United Kingdom. This estimate encompasses reduced quality of life, sickness absence, and National Health Service and social care costs, due to a higher probability of hospitalisation and/or death.

In relation to the NHS, in 2023 Frontier Economics found that the annual cost to the NHS of obesity related ill-health is £11.4 billion, which is the equivalent to approximately 7% of the NHS’ 2023/24 budget. Frontier Economics also found that higher body mass index increases the likelihood of requiring social care for long-term illness, with a total social care cost of £5.9 billion. The total social care cost is composed of informal social care, at approximately £5.5 billion, and formal social care, at approximately £400 million.

Finally, estimates from Frontier Economics in 2023 found that increased sickness absence and early death reduces workforce productivity, with a total economic cost of £8.9 billion per year. Individuals living with obesity take more sick days, reducing productivity across the workforce.

Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out the decisive action we will take on the obesity crisis.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) regularly assesses both the social media landscape and its own digital content, to ensure we are identifying the right opportunities to promote vaccine uptake and are responding to mis and disinformation where possible and appropriate.

The UKHSA regularly delivers vaccine communications through social media and other channels to support national immunisation programmes. In collaboration with NHS England and the Department, the UKHSA delivers vaccine campaigns that combine paid marketing, public relations, stakeholder engagement, and operational communications to patients and health care professionals. Social media activity has been instrumental in directing users to key resources, including the National Booking System for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

The UKHSA produces a range of static and video content for use during cultural events, seasonal holidays, and vaccination campaigns. These assets are shared with stakeholders for use on their own platforms, while the UKHSA’s blog provides regularly updated vaccine information.

Content is tailored to reach diverse audiences, including parents, pregnant women, and individuals with long-term health conditions. Social media channels are used to share the latest news, research, and statistics on United Kingdom vaccination efforts. They also play a vital role in disseminating public health advice during infectious disease outbreaks, with the UKHSA developing targeted vaccination content for both its own platforms and for the platforms of its partners.

As more people turn to social media for news, the UKHSA’s posts continue to generate significant engagement across platforms. Daily social listening enables the agency to identify misinformation and respond to public concerns, helping to shape accurate, timely, and audience-informed vaccine messaging.

From 23 June, tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, started to become available in primary care, in line with the agreed plans for a phased rollout, meaning it can be prescribed in general practices.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based guidance for health and care practitioners on best practice. As well as official guidance on the management of overweight and obesity and the use of tirzepatide, NICE has developed a practical guide to support the use of medicines for managing overweight and obesity. This guide provides an outline of the steps needed to safely assess, prescribe, monitor, and stop medicines that can be prescribed in primary care for weight management.

As well as NICE guidance, general practitioners have access to a range of support from their integrated care boards, and NHS England has developed a suite of implementation materials, delivery guidance, and protocols, and has provided access to training resources to help prescribers and other healthcare professionals to understand key aspects such as side effect profiles, medication initiation requirements, and the essential behavioural support that must accompany prescribing under the NICE Technology Appraisal on tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity, code TA1026.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to manage financial risk in 2025/26, and to assure the delivery of agreed financial plans. We recognise the aggregate £1.5 billion of risk in plans, which is a top-down estimate. The Department has not made an estimate of that risk by individual trust and integrated care board. Work to manage and mitigate the risk includes derisking efficiency plans, and robust performance management, including a Financial Performance Improvement Programme. We are confident that overall financial balance of the National Health Service budget will be achieved.

The Government is committed to addressing the United Kingdom’s stark health inequalities by tackling the social determinants of health, which includes halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England.

We therefore welcome the ongoing initiative shown by local areas towards this end, including by those seeking designation as Marmot Places, with support from the Institute of Health Equity. However, this is a matter for local decision making and collaboration between the relevant partner agencies.

Arrangements in relation to support for Marmot Places in the rest of the UK are a matter for the respective devolved administrations.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England provides all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage. The screening test does not look for cancer, but for HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers. As it takes approximately ten years for HPV to cause cancerous cells, it is rare for women below the age of 25 years old to develop cervical cancer. This is why the age limit is set as it is.

NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place between 16 and 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.

In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/

From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer HPV self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months or more following routine invitation.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England provides all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage. The screening test does not look for cancer, but for HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers. As it takes approximately ten years for HPV to cause cancerous cells, it is rare for women below the age of 25 years old to develop cervical cancer. This is why the age limit is set as it is.

NHS England launched its first ever cervical cancer elimination creative campaign and communications toolkit for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which took place between 16 and 24 June 2025. The campaign included digital resources that create a strong sense of shared responsibility and aim to increase awareness of the elimination goal, educate the public, and build confidence in cervical screening.

In March 2025, NHS England published its Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England, setting out how the National Health Service will improve equitable uptake and coverage across cervical screening to meet the goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. NHS England will build on what is already working well to drive vaccination and screening uptake and coverage, focussing on five cross-cutting themes: increasing access; raising awareness; reducing inequalities; improving digital capabilities; and strengthening workforce capacity. Further information on the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 – plan for England is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/

From early 2026, screening providers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England will be able to offer HPV self-sampling kits to women if they have not attended their appointment for six months or more following routine invitation.

NHS England announced in April 2025 that eligible women with secondary breast cancer could soon have access to a new targeted treatment, capivasertib, used alongside fulvestrant, on the National Health Service.

In May, NHS England announced the world’s first roll out of liquid biopsy testing, which is now available for all eligible breast cancer patients, and which aims to speed up diagnosis and inform better treatment options for those with breast cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the British Thoracic Society (BTS), and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) published the guideline Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management in November 2024, which covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. The guideline emphasises the importance of personalised asthma action plans (PAAPs) for effective asthma management.

The Department and NHS England welcome the updated guideline and have been engaging with health system partners to support its implementation across the country, including the use of PAAPs.

NHS England’s National bundle of care for children and young people with asthma aims to support integrated care systems to deliver high quality asthma care and has resources available to support the use of PAAPs in children and young people.

NHS England has also been working jointly with the Health Innovation Networks to form a national respiratory partnership to improve asthma outcomes, including through implementation of the collaborative NICE, BTS, and SIGN asthma guideline.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) incentivises use of PAAPs through indicator AST007, which measures the percentage of patients with asthma on the register, who have had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that includes an assessment of asthma control, a recording of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique, and a written personalised action plan. The latest QOF data shows that for England, the percentage of asthma patients on the register receiving this care has increased from 52.5% in 2021/22 to 64.6% in 2023/24.

According to the QOF data for the end of 2023/24, general practices in the Perry Barr constituency had 5,437 patients on the asthma register. Of these, 4,253 had received an asthma review in the previous 12 months, and 3,361, or 61.8% of patients on the register, had a written personalised asthma plan. Data for this indicator is not broken down by age, and determining these numbers for children would require contacting individual general practices, as they are the data controllers for this patient information.

Further information on the QOF asthma indicators are available on pages 41 to 46 of NHS England’s 2025/26 QOF guidance, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/quality-outcomes-framework-guidance-for-2025-26.pdf

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the British Thoracic Society (BTS), and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) published the guideline Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management in November 2024, which covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. The guideline emphasises the importance of personalised asthma action plans (PAAPs) for effective asthma management.

The Department and NHS England welcome the updated guideline and have been engaging with health system partners to support its implementation across the country, including the use of PAAPs.

NHS England’s National bundle of care for children and young people with asthma aims to support integrated care systems to deliver high quality asthma care and has resources available to support the use of PAAPs in children and young people.

NHS England has also been working jointly with the Health Innovation Networks to form a national respiratory partnership to improve asthma outcomes, including through implementation of the collaborative NICE, BTS, and SIGN asthma guideline.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) incentivises use of PAAPs through indicator AST007, which measures the percentage of patients with asthma on the register, who have had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that includes an assessment of asthma control, a recording of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique, and a written personalised action plan. The latest QOF data shows that for England, the percentage of asthma patients on the register receiving this care has increased from 52.5% in 2021/22 to 64.6% in 2023/24.

According to the QOF data for the end of 2023/24, general practices in the Perry Barr constituency had 5,437 patients on the asthma register. Of these, 4,253 had received an asthma review in the previous 12 months, and 3,361, or 61.8% of patients on the register, had a written personalised asthma plan. Data for this indicator is not broken down by age, and determining these numbers for children would require contacting individual general practices, as they are the data controllers for this patient information.

Further information on the QOF asthma indicators are available on pages 41 to 46 of NHS England’s 2025/26 QOF guidance, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/quality-outcomes-framework-guidance-for-2025-26.pdf

The Men's Health Strategy will seek to improve the health and wellbeing of all men in England and will be informed by a call for evidence that is open to the public, academics, health and social care professionals, and stakeholder organisations in England. The call for evidence closes on 17 July 2025. We encourage all men’s mental health organisations in the north of England to complete the call for evidence and have their say on ways to tackle the biggest health problems facing men. We will continue to engage with stakeholders during development of the strategy.

The UK Health Security Agency undertakes monitoring and evaluation of immunisation programmes, including the effectiveness of vaccines. Monitoring and evaluation work has begun for the new respiratory syncytial virus programmes which launched in September 2024 to protect infants through maternal vaccination and for direct protection of older adults. Findings will be published in due course.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has been working with partners to scope an in-service evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in real world National Health Services in the United Kingdom.

The research brief that will inform this in-service evaluation has now been published, and the call for applicants is live.

Results from the in-service evaluation, along with a new SMA screening modelling study, will inform any recommendation made by the UK NSC on whether to screen newborn babies for this condition.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has been working with partners to scope an in-service evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in real world National Health Services in the United Kingdom.

The research brief that will inform this in-service evaluation has now been published, and the call for applicants is live.

Results from the in-service evaluation, along with a new SMA screening modelling study, will inform any recommendation made by the UK NSC on whether to screen newborn babies for this condition.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) maternal vaccine uptake methodology is published on the GOV.UK website, and includes an explanation of the data sources and their reporting lags, in the monthly RSV maternal vaccination coverage reports, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rsv-immunisation-for-older-adults-and-pregnant-women-vaccine-coverage-in-england

The data collection methodology chosen ensures that robust and precise coverage estimates are calculated for the maternal programme.

I would like to express my deepest sympathies to those individuals who have experienced harm following vaccination, and to their families.

Ministers continue to consider options for reforming the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

In parallel, the Department has been working with the NHS Business Services Authority, the administrators of the scheme, to take steps to improve the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, including through processing claims at a faster rate.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to National Health Service-funded treatment are still appropriate.

In the light of broader pressures on the NHS and on-going changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

The current NHS England guidance dated February 2024, titled Guidance for assuring and supporting complex change – subsidiaries guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary, confirms that the Department “reminded all NHS provider finance directors in September 2017 of their responsibilities around tax, advising that tax avoidance arrangements should not be entered into under any circumstances. We expect all NHS providers to follow this guidance when considering any new arrangements or different ways of working”

A perceived VAT advantage of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary cannot be the only reason for its creation. Subsidiary proposals should be driven by a robust commercial strategy that delivers clear financial, operational, and patient benefits.

No assessment is planned or deemed necessary.

The current NHS England guidance dated February 2024, titled Guidance for assuring and supporting complex change – subsidiaries guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary, sets out the VAT position of wholly owned subsidiaries and confirms that “the commercial rationale is not dependent on the subsidiary enabling a VAT treatment that differs from the trust’s current arrangements”.

There are no plans for this guidance to be updated.

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive, including access to high quality health and wellbeing support.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health.

To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain, one where people can live longer, healthier lives regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances. Tackling health inequalities requires a whole-Government effort. The newly published 10-Year Health Plan outlines a long-term vision to tackle these inequalities, address social determinants of health, and to make the National Health Service fit for the future, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future

In Eastbourne and across the South East, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ South East Regional Team provides system leadership for population health and for reducing health inequalities. This includes working with local authorities and integrated care systems to develop and deliver population health programmes at a local level, supporting regional NHS priorities and long-term planning on prevention and health inequalities, contributing to the development of the public health workforce, and enhancing data, intelligence, and insights for population health.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment.

As a condition of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are responsible for improving the take up of, and outcomes from, their drug and alcohol treatment services, based on an assessment of local need and a plan which has been developed with local health and criminal justice partners. In addition to funding through the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing East Sussex County Council with £3,095,946 from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant and £168,422 from the Individual Placement and Support grant to help improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. In the 12 months to May 2025, there were 2,791 adults who had benefited from treatment in East Sussex, compared to 2,657 in the 12 months to May 2024.

This year, the Government is providing an additional £70 million for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, building on existing funding made available via the Public Health Grant. Additional funding for Stop Smoking Services is based on the number of smokers in each local authority, and East Sussex County Council has been allocated an extra £710,734 for 2025/26.

All funding is provided at the East Sussex level, and it is for East Sussex County Council to determine how to meet needs in Eastbourne.

In April 2025, a new statutory levy on gambling operators, expected to raise approximately £100 million per year, was introduced to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will be distributed across the three workstreams, with 50% allocated to NHS England, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the development of effective treatment and support services at national and sub-national levels.

Nicotine is the active ingredient in oral nicotine pouches, which is a highly addictive drug. Unlike vapes, nicotine pouches currently have no set nicotine limits, and nicotine strengths can be extremely high. The use of nicotine pouches is increasing, particularly among young men. Among adults in Great Britain, 5.4% tried nicotine pouches in 2024.

The Government is committed to protecting future generations from the harms of nicotine addiction. That is why, alongside vapes, we are taking action to control these products through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The bill will ban the advertising and sponsorship of all consumer nicotine products, ban their sale to anyone under 18 years old, and prohibit free distribution. The bill also provides powers to regulate the flavours, ingredients, which includes nicotine strength, packaging, and displays of vapes and nicotine products.

The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has funded a range of ongoing and completed epilepsy research, including research into the development of a wireless intracranial neuromonitoring device for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

NHS England has produced the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit, and one of the key focuses of the toolkit is reducing epilepsy-related deaths, including SUDEP. The toolkit includes several recommendations for identifying those who are most at risk of an epilepsy-related death and preventing SUDEP.

In addition, the Royal College of General Practitioners aims to raise awareness of SUDEP amongst general practitioners and other primary care professionals, through its e-learning modules on SUDEP and seizure safety, which were developed in collaboration with SUDEP Action and last updated in December 2024.

Health Education England, now part of NHS England, has also developed an Epilepsy Programme in collaboration with SUDEP Action, which is designed to enable healthcare professionals, particularly those who are not specialists in epilepsy, to better understand SUDEP and how the risk of SUDEP can be reduced.

The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, final delivery plan will be published shortly. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients, including those in rural constituencies, are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals. Our priority will be to address underperformance and health inequalities in the areas with the worst health outcomes, such as rural and coastal communities, where we know access to healthcare services is often particularly poor.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is creating a National Health Service truly fit for the future, keeping patients healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home. An impact statement for the plan will be published in shortly.

The Chief Medical Officer, in his 2023 Annual Report, made clear that future health and care needs will vary significantly, with the populations of rural, semi-rural, and coastal areas more likely to experience worse health outcomes.

In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government commits to reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas by tackling health inequalities and the social determinants of health.

The Department will address under performance in areas with the worst health outcomes, including coastal communities, where access is often poor. National Health Service regions are compiling action plans for each provider in these areas to begin improvements.