Department of Health and Social Care

We support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Democratic Unionist Party
Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford)
Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Health)

Labour
Baroness Wheeler (Lab - Life peer)
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

Plaid Cymru
Ben Lake (PC - Ceredigion)
Shadow PC Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)

Labour
Baroness Merron (Lab - Life peer)
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Wes Streeting (Lab - Ilford North)
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Liberal Democrat
Daisy Cooper (LD - St Albans)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Lord Allan of Hallam (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Health)

Scottish National Party
Amy Callaghan (SNP - East Dunbartonshire)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Labour
Abena Oppong-Asare (Lab - Erith and Thamesmead)
Shadow Minister (Women's Health and Mental Health)
Preet Kaur Gill (Lab - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Shadow Minister (Primary Care and Public Health)
Karin Smyth (Lab - Bristol South)
Shadow Minister (Health)
Ministers of State
Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Andrew Stephenson (Con - Pendle)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Lord Markham (Con - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Maria Caulfield (Con - Lewes)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Scheduled Event
Tuesday 5th December 2023
11:30
Department of Health and Social Care
Oral questions - Main Chamber
5 Dec 2023, 11:30 a.m.
Health and Social Care (including Topical Questions)
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Scheduled Event
Wednesday 6th December 2023
Department of Health and Social Care
Orders and regulations - Main Chamber
Draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023 and associated regret motion
View calendar
Debates
Thursday 30th November 2023
Select Committee Docs
Wednesday 29th November 2023
11:05
IMH0106 - Men's health
Written Evidence
Select Committee Inquiry
Thursday 20th July 2023
Men's health

This inquiry on men’s health will explore a range of issues relating to male health outcomes. Life expectancy for men …

Written Answers
Monday 4th December 2023
General Practitioners: Standards
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the average waiting …
Secondary Legislation
Tuesday 14th November 2023
Medical Devices (In Vitro Diagnostic Devices etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023
These Regulations make provision for the implementation in respect of Northern Ireland of Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament …
Bills
Tuesday 6th July 2021
Health and Care Act 2022
A Bill to make provision about health and social care.
Dept. Publications
Monday 4th December 2023
09:00

Department of Health and Social Care Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Oct. 17
Oral Questions
Apr. 17
Urgent Questions
Nov. 29
Written Statements
Nov. 29
Westminster Hall
Nov. 13
Adjournment Debate
View All Department of Health and Social Care Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department of Health and Social Care does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2019 Parliament


A Bill to make provision about health and social care.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to confer power to amend or supplement the law relating to human medicines, veterinary medicines and medical devices; make provision about the enforcement of regulations, and the protection of health and safety, in relation to medical devices; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th February 2021 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision in connection with coronavirus; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 25th March 2020 and was enacted into law.


To make provision regarding the funding of the health service in England in respect of each financial year until the financial year that ends with 31 March 2024.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th March 2020 and was enacted into law.

Department of Health and Social Care - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations make provision for the implementation in respect of Northern Ireland of Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices and repealing Directive 98/79/EC and Commission Decision 2010/227/EU (“Regulation (EU) 2017/746”). Article 5(4) of the Windsor Framework between the United Kingdom and the European Union(43) (“the Windsor Framework”) provides that the EU law listed in Annex 2 to the Windsor Framework will apply to and in the UK, in respect of Northern Ireland. Regulation (EU) 2017/746 is listed in Annex 2 and applied from 26 May 2022. Section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 gives effect to Regulation (EU) 2017/746 in domestic law.
These Regulations authorise the placing on the market of specific feed additives in England.
View All Department of Health and Social Care Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petition Open
61,448 Signatures
(6,299 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
64,816 Signatures
(1,218 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
4,080 Signatures
(583 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
8,881 Signatures
(502 in the last 7 days)
Petitions with most signatures
Petition Open
64,816 Signatures
(1,218 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
61,448 Signatures
(6,299 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed

Advice from the JCVI on the priority groups for a Covid-19 vaccine does not include school/childcare workers. This petition calls for these workers, who cannot distance or use PPE, to be kept safe at work by being put on the vaccine priority list when such a list is adopted into government policy.

375,208
Petition Closed
20 Jul 2021
closed 2 years, 4 months ago

We want the Government to commit to not rolling out any e-vaccination status/immunity passport to the British public. Such passports could be used to restrict the rights of people who have refused a Covid-19 vaccine, which would be unacceptable.

I want the Government to prevent any restrictions being placed on those who refuse to have any potential Covid-19 vaccine. This includes restrictions on travel, social events, such as concerts or sports. No restrictions whatsoever.

View All Department of Health and Social Care Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Health and Social Care Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Health and Social Care Committee
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine (Conservative - Winchester)
Health and Social Care Committee Chair since 2nd November 2022
Taiwo Owatemi Portrait
Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 2nd March 2020
Lucy Allan Portrait
Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 3rd November 2021
Rachael Maskell Portrait
Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 4th July 2022
Paulette Hamilton Portrait
Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham, Erdington)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 4th July 2022
James Morris Portrait
James Morris (Conservative - Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 25th October 2022
Chris Green Portrait
Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 8th November 2022
Caroline Johnson Portrait
Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 21st November 2022
Paul Bristow Portrait
Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 29th November 2022
Paul Blomfield Portrait
Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 13th December 2022
Amy Callaghan Portrait
Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Health and Social Care Committee Member since 12th September 2023
Health and Social Care Committee: Previous Inquiries
Department's White Paper on health and social care Pre-appointment hearing for the role of Chair of NICE Supporting those with dementia and their carers Social care: funding and workforce General Practice Data for Planning and Research Omicron variant update Long term funding of adult social care inquiry Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond Maternity services inquiry Planning for winter pressure in A&E departments inquiry NHS England current issues evidence session Suicide prevention inquiry Professional Standards Authority one off evidence session Department of Health and NHS finances Brexit and health and social care inquiry Impact of the Spending Review on health and social care Impact of membership of the EU on health policy in the UK Long-term Sustainability of the NHS - Report of the House of Lords Committee inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of National Health Service Improvement Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems inquiry Brexit – medicines, medical devices and substances of human origin inquiry Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement inquiry Nursing workforce inquiry Children and young people's mental health - role of education inquiry Care Quality Commission accountability inquiry Childhood obesity: follow-up Sustainability and Transformation Plans inquiry Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 inquiry National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination inquiry Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 inquiry NHS Capital inquiry Dentistry Services inquiry Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging inquiry Harding Review of health and social care workforce inquiry Kark Report inquiry Drugs policy inquiry Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis inquiry Suicide prevention: follow-up inquiry Availability of Orkambi on the NHS inquiry Budget and NHS long-term plan inquiry Impact of the Brexit withdrawal agreement on health and social care inquiry Impact of a no deal Brexit on health and social care inquiry Patient safety and gross negligence manslaughter in healthcare inquiry Care Quality Commission inquiry First 1000 days of life inquiry Sexual health inquiry NHS funding inquiry Pre-Appointment hearing for Chair of NHS England NMC and Furness General Hospital inquiry NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Antimicrobial resistance inquiry Prison healthcare inquiry Alcohol minimum unit pricing inquiry Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing inquiry Implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Management of long-term conditions Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Emergency services and emergency care Post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health Act 2007 Nursing Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Public Expenditure Social Care Government's Alcohol Strategy Responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Health Commissioning Revalidation of Doctors Complaints and Litigation Follow-up inquiry into Commissioning Public Health Annual accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Annual accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Annual accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Annual accountability hearing with Monitor Report of the NHS Future Forum Public Expenditure 2 Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board Education, training and workforce planning Professional responsibility of Healthcare practitioners PIP breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions Accountability hearing with Monitor (2012) Public expenditure on health and care services Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of NICE Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Care Quality Commission 2013 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of Monitor 2013 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission End of Life Care The impact of physical activity and diet on health 2015 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council 2015 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council One-off session on the Ebola virus 2014 accountability hearing with Monitor 2014 accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission Public expenditure on health and social care 2015 accountability hearing with the General Dental Council Accident and emergency services Children's oral health Current issues in NHS England inquiry Primary care inquiry Work of the Secretary of State for Health inquiry Childhood obesity inquiry Public health post-2013 inquiry Pre-appointment hearing for Chair of the Care Quality Commission Establishment and work of NHS Improvement inquiry Children's and adolescent mental health and CAMHS Integrated Care Pioneers Complaints and raising concerns Handling of NHS patient data Urgent and Emergency Care Public expenditure on health and social care inquiry 2013 accountability hearing with Monitor Public Health England Health and Care Professions Council 2013 accountability hearing with the General Medical Council Work of NICE Work of NHS England Safety of maternity services in England Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care Work of the Department Digital transformation in the NHS Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability IMDDS Review follow up one-off session Assisted dying/assisted suicide NHS dentistry Ambulance delays and strikes The situation in accident and emergency departments Prevention in health and social care Future cancer Pharmacy Men's health Management of the Coronavirus Outbreak Preparations for Coronavirus Coronavirus: recent developments Availability of Orkambi on the NHS Childhood obesity follow-up 2019 Dentistry Services Drugs policy Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis First 1000 days of life Budget and NHS long-term plan Care Quality Commission's State of Care Report 2018-19 Harding Review of health and social care workforce National Audit Office's Report on Investigation into pre-school vaccination NHS Capital NHS Long-term Plan: legislative proposals Government’s review of NHS overseas visitor charging Sexual health Calls for cases of GP visa issues Long term funding of adult social care Memorandum of understanding on data-sharing Work of NHS England and NHS Improvement Work of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve waiting times for cancer treatment in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

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.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Radiologists’ 2022 Workforce Census, what assessment he has of the adequacy of the size of the NHS clinical oncology workforce.

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.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Prime Minister launches Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, published 14 August 2022, what progress her Department has made on its commitment to reach dementia research funding of £160 million a year by 2024; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Autumn Statement on that commitment.

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.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding allocated for social care.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for York Central on 22 November 2023 to Question 2356.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.

Based on the latest scientific evidence, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended a COVID-19 vaccination for those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This includes all adults aged 65 years old and over and those aged six months old and over with specified underlying health conditions.

The National Health Service COVID-19 vaccination programme provides vital protection to those eligible, keeping people from developing serious illness, and helping to minimise hospitalisations during busy winter months. This year’s autumn COVID-19 vaccine programme started on 11 September 2023 in England as a precautionary measure following the identification a new COVID-19 variant called BA 2.86. As of 30 November 2023, over 11.2 million autumn vaccinations for COVID-19 have been administered since start of the autumn campaign. The programme has seen a fast rollout of COVID-19 vaccination to care home residents.

Additionally, on 1 November 2023, the Get Winter Strong campaign was launched urging those eligible who have not yet come forward for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to ‘get winter strong’ and join the millions of others in taking up the offer ahead of the festive and new year season.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help provide proactive mental health support to veterans.

NHS England has several bespoke services and initiatives to meet the needs of our Armed Forces community including Op COURAGE, the Veterans Mental Health, and Wellbeing Service, which provides a comprehensive mental health care pathway for veterans.

NHS England commissioned Op COURAGE in April 2023 which is the integrated veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service, replacing the previously three separate services of Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service, the Complex Treatment Service, and the High Intensity Service. Access to Op COURAGE is via referral or by direct contact from veterans. The integrated Op COURAGE service has received over 3,500 referrals since it started in April 2023.

The Government is providing an additional £10 million to support the Veterans’ Places, People and Pathways Programme to increase support to a significant community of vulnerable veterans throughout the United Kingdom and enable it to become self-sustaining.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why the answer to the "Frequently Asked Question" on the NHS England website about NHS England’s Federated Data Platform "Can patients opt out of sharing their data with the Federated Data Platform?" was changed at some point after 20 November, from starting with "No" to saying that the national data opt-out "will always be respected".

The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders and the public. The National Data Opt-Out applies when confidential patient information is used for planning and research, not when it is used for direct care. Although the Federated Data Platform (FDP) will not use such information for planning or research, the answer was revised to make clear that, as with any system handling patient data, the National Data Opt-Out would be respected for any relevant uses of data.

We are committed to providing public information that is meaningful and accessible for a range of audiences. The easy read accessible version has been co-produced with representatives of the audience for whom it is designed. We will continue to keep this under review to make sure it is aligned with the other information available on the FDP.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason the accessible version of the easy read PDF about NHS England’s Federated Data Platform says "No" in answer to the question "Can patients opt out of their data being shared in the FDP?", after the main "Frequently Asked Questions" page was changed to say that opt-outs will be respected.

The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders and the public. The National Data Opt-Out applies when confidential patient information is used for planning and research, not when it is used for direct care. Although the Federated Data Platform (FDP) will not use such information for planning or research, the answer was revised to make clear that, as with any system handling patient data, the National Data Opt-Out would be respected for any relevant uses of data.

We are committed to providing public information that is meaningful and accessible for a range of audiences. The easy read accessible version has been co-produced with representatives of the audience for whom it is designed. We will continue to keep this under review to make sure it is aligned with the other information available on the FDP.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, following a survey by the School and Public Health Nurses Association and the British Dental Association in June which showed that 65 per cent of health practitioners reported that children’s health had got worse over the last year as a result of hunger, what plans they have to address hunger and poor nutrition in children.

The Government understands concerns regarding food inflation and its impact on the current cost of living, and as such is providing support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 13.6% in the year to August 2023. This was down from 14.9% in July and a recent high of 19.2% in March 2023, which was the highest rate seen for over 45 years. This means that food prices are still increasing but at a slower rate than before.

Through the Healthy Food Schemes, the Government provides a nutritional safety net to those who need it the most. The three Healthy Food Schemes, namely Healthy Start, Nursery Milk and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, together help more than three million children. They support wider Government priorities on obesity and levelling up. The schemes help to support children and babies when they are at home, in childcare and in early years at school, and pregnant women. From April 2021, the value of the Healthy Start increased from £3.10 to £4.25, providing additional support to pregnant women and families on lower incomes to make healthy food choices.

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme provides approximately 2.2 million children in Key Stage 1 with a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables each day at school. Around 419 million pieces of fruit and vegetables were distributed to children in 2022/2023. In addition, the Nursery Milk Scheme provides a reimbursement to childcare providers for a daily 1/3 pint portion of milk to children and babies.

Free school meals are provided to over one third of school children. This includes two million pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, making up 23.8% of all pupils, which is an increase from January 2021 when 1.7 million or 20.8% pupils were eligible. In addition, almost 1.3 million more infants enjoy a free and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of universal infant free school meals in 2014. A further 90,000 disadvantaged pupils in further education also receive a free meal at lunch time. Overall, we spend over £1 billion per annum delivering free lunches to a large proportion of school children.

The Government’s wider programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight includes:

- regulations which restrict the placement of products high in saturated fat, salt or sugar in store and online;

- efforts to reformulate products high in calories, sugar and salt;

- the Soft Drinks Industry Levy; and

- calorie labelling regulations for food sold in large out of home businesses.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of 18 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Bedfordshire in each of the last five years.

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.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people under the age of 18 have been waiting over a year to access CAHMS support in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

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.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
24th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people who have been unable to register with an NHS dentist.

Patients in England are not registered with a dental practice in the National Health Service, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. NHS dental practices are contracted to deliver activity and to deliver a course of treatment to an individual irrelevant of where they live, rather than to provide ongoing regular care. This means that there is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend, allowing patients the choice of where they would like to receive a course of treatment.

The latest NHS Dental Statistics Annual Report published on 24 August 2023 shows that 18.1 million adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the 24 months up to 30 June 2023, an increase of 1.7 million or 10% when compared to the previous year; and 6.4 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months up to 30 June 2023, an increase of 800,000 or 14% when compared to the previous year.

The annual GP Patient Survey also includes questions on whether patients have tried to obtain an appointment with an NHS dentist and, if so, whether they had been successful. The latest GP Patient survey data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/category/statistics/gp-dental-statistics/

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions due to anaphylaxis there have been in each year since 2000.

Data on admissions due to anaphylaxis is not available prior to 2011. The following table shows the number of admissions due to anaphylaxis between 2011/12 and 2022/23:

Year

Anaphylactic shock due to adverse food reaction

Anaphylactic shock, unspecified

Anaphylactic shock due to serum

Anaphylactic shock due to adverse effect of correct drug or medicament properly administered

2022/23

1482

1589

20

579

2021/22

1903

2364

27

617

2020/21

1906

2406

37

565

2019/20

2134

2708

11

664

2018/19

2287

2670

18

532

2017/18

1855

2345

11

625

2016/17

1768

2324

16

679

2015/16

1711

2116

9

646

2014/15

1594

1958

19

634

2013/14

1505

1992

7

608

2012/13

1381

1764

12

590

2011/12

1258

1871

7

599

Source: NHS England

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many fines have been issued by Trading Standards to retail outlets for the sale of (a) tobacco and (b) e-cigarette products in each of the last 10 years.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Department has previously commissioned various reports into the compliance of tobacco and vaping legislation, which was led by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. These reports are available at the following link:

https://www.tradingstandards.uk/news-policy-campaigns/tobacco-control/

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the average waiting times for GP appointments in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last three years.

Information on the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place is not held at constituency or city level. The following table shows the percentage of appointments taking place on the same day as booking and within two weeks of booking for England and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Midlands region in each of the last three years:

Appointments - 12 months from November to October

National - Percentage of appointments occuring on the same day of booking

ONS Midlands Region - Percentage of appointments occuring on the same day of booking

National - Appointments occuring within two weeks of booking

ONS Midlands Region - Appointments occuring within two weeks of booking

November 2020 - October 2021

45.2%

47.2%

88.6%

88.7%

November 2021 - October 2022

43.8%

45.8%

85.1%

85.3%

November 2022 - October 2023

43.1%

44.7%

82.5%

82.6%

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of allowing patients to register with their GP as a gender which is different to the one they were assigned at birth.

Patients can request to register or change their gender to that with which they identity. No formal assessment has been made, however the Government is clear that biological sex matters and that there are different health needs between the sexes. It is important that patients continue to receive the right care for their need whilst feeling comfortable and confident to access the healthcare they need.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of money that (1) they, and (2) the NHS, spent on Babylon Health.

The 2022/23 payments made by the National Health Service to general practice is published by NHS Digital. Over £11 million was paid to Babylon GP Practice, including Primary Care Network and COVID-19 payments (minus deductions) in 2022/23.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will commission an independent review into their (1) relationship with, and (2) outcomes, from their work with Babylon Health.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not have any current plans to commission an independent review of Babylon Health.

In 2018, NHS Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England commissioned Ipsos Mori to undertake an independent evaluation of the Babylon GP at Hand practice. The final report was published in May 2019 and is publicly available.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what level of funding will be provided in the next financial year for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis through the NHS.

The information requested is subject to commercial agreements which are commercial in confidence. I am therefore unable to provide a figure.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Home Office's publication entitled Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume 2: Emergency Response, published in November 2022, what steps she is taking to ensure Public Access Trauma kits are available in all locations where they are most likely to be needed.

The Department has accepted this recommendation and is working with a broad range of stakeholders, including NHS England and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, to finalise and implement an appropriate strategy to promote the use of Publicly Accessible Trauma Kits. A review of the equipment contained in the kits is also underway, in line with Recommendation 146 of the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume 2: Emergency Response.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide additional funding to replace the funding for suicide prevention allocated under the NHS Long Term Plan which ends in March 2024.

Funding beyond 2024/25 is subject to future spending decisions through which we will consider further opportunities to build upon our £57 million investment for suicide prevention under the NHS Long Term Plan. In addition, the Government’s £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund will run to March 2025 to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in meeting demand for their services supporting people experiencing suicidal thoughts or approaching a mental health crisis. We expect to start making this funding available to successful applicants as soon as possible in the New Year.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
24th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2023 to Question 2154 on Gynaecology: Waiting Lists, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of waiting times for NHS gynaecology services in Rotherham.

The Government is taking action to recover elective services, including for patients waiting for National Health Service gynaecology services in Rotherham, by providing record levels of staffing and funding as the NHS implements the Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care. We have not made a specific assessment of waiting times for NHS gynaecology services in Rotherham.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 20 November to Questions 2738 and 2739 on Intensive Care: Hospital Beds and Hospital Beds respectively, if she will make a comparative estimate of the number of NHS acute hospital beds (a) available and (b) required in winter 2023-24; how many and what proportion of the 5,000 additional beds that were promised have been deployed; and what her planned timeframe is for the deployment of the remainder of the 5,000 beds in each constituency.

Published data from NHS England shows that there were 99,067 total general and acute (G&A) beds available in October 2023, including 96,781 core beds and 2,285 escalation beds.

Our Delivery Plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services set the ambition to increase the core G&A bed base by 5,000 permanent staffed beds in 2023/24 compared to planned levels for 2022/23. This would increase the number of core beds to 99,500. As of October, the National Health Service has delivered 2,281 additional core beds. NHS England continues to work with local systems and trusts to deliver this ambition this winter.

G&A bed numbers are expected to peak in January 2024 in response to expected demand. A breakdown of these additional beds by constituency is not available centrally.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Dame Kate Bingham's experience, as set out in The Long Shot, of leading the Vaccine Task Force during the COVID-19 pandemic; and whether they intend to review the processes and systems of supervision and governance in respect of projects commissioned by His Majesty's Government.

No assessment has been made of The Long Shot. The Government has published a review of the Vaccine Task Force’s performance. The review draws out learning that can be applied to future government programmes, both in emergency circumstances, and to business-as-usual activity.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding was provided through the NHS for modular drugs to treat Cystic Fibrosis in each of the past three years.

The information requested is subject to commercial agreements which are commercial in confidence. I am therefore unable to provide a figure.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve the supply of elvanse.

We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.

The National Patient Safety Alert to the National Health Service advises healthcare professionals on the management of patients during this time. We have well-established processes for managing and mitigating medicine supply issues, which involve working with the pharmaceutical industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, the devolved governments and others operating in the supply chain to help ensure patients have access to the treatments they need.

The Department has been working closely with manufacturers of all ADHD medicines and some issues have now been resolved, including Elvanse Adult 50 milligram and 70 milligram capsules. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, including other presentations of Elvanse, which are expected to resolve in early 2024.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of trends in the level of pharmacy students in Walsall South constituency.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion to fund additional education and training places over the next five years, sets out the ambition to increase training places for pharmacists across England by nearly 50% to around 5,000 by 2031/32, and to grow the number of pharmacy technicians. Increasing training places will increase the number of pharmacy students, including those choosing to study in schools of pharmacy in proximity to Walsall South constituency.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a senior official in NHS England has been asked to take responsibility for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

NHS England is currently scoping a national programme of work on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a senior official will be asked to lead the work on NHS England’s behalf.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to freeze prescription charges for 2024-25.

No decision has been made on whether to make any changes to prescription charges for 2024/2025. In England, there are extensive arrangements currently in place to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Around 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and extensive arrangements are already in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) total, (b) substantive, (c) bank and (d) agency workforce was at each NHS (i) integrated care system, (ii) trust and (iii) foundation trust in (A) April and (B) September 2023.

Substantive staff data collected is published by NHS England, with the most recent data available being from July 2023. The data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/july-2023

Headcount data is available by trust and integrated care system. Bank and agency headcount data is unvalidated and is not of a statistical quality for publication.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 29 March 2023 to Question 173068 on Mental Health Services: Artificial Intelligence, when he plans to publish the results of the app testing.

The real-world testing of WYSA, which is one of the projects for the AI in Health and Care Award, finished in August 2023. The results are being independently evaluated by a Technology Specific Evaluation team from iCAIRD and are expected to be published early 2024.

Evaluations of AI in Health and Care projects will fill key evidence gaps for relevant published evidence standards frameworks and focus on accuracy, safety, effectiveness, value, fit with site, implementation, feasibility of scale up and sustainability of scale up.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish a national vaccination strategy.

Development of a vaccine strategy remains under review given the evolving understanding from the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the existing seasonal flu and the 12 national immunisation programmes.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
23rd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the reported increase in incidence of respiratory diseases in China.

The UK Health Security Agency is closely monitoring the situation in China and will continue to work with international partners to assess the emerging information as it becomes available.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
23rd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on ensure that the evidence submitted to an education, health and care plan by a clinician carries appropriate weight when determining resource requirements.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions on a wide range of matters with Cabinet colleagues including the Secretary of State for Education.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND), receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We are doing this through working together to implement the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which was published 2 March 2023. The improvement plan includes actions to reform the education, health and care plan system.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that second generation GLP-1 weight management medications are being (a) sold and (b) marketed according to their licence specifications.

The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are members of the GLP1-RA Incident Management Team. Risk management in relation to the advertising and sale of these medicinal products is a standing item for discussion.

MHRA is obliged to consider complaints received about the advertisement of prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public. Advertising investigations are carried out on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the circumstances of the particular case. Completed advertising investigations leading to correction of advertising materials are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/advertising-investigations-by-mhra

MHRA works closely with other regulators to help ensure that the public are protected from the advertising of POMs. A joint enforcement operation is in place with the Advertising Standards Authority to take targeted action against weight-loss treatment providers who use social media to promote POMs.

MHRA takes proportionate action, on a case-by-case basis, to enforce the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in respect of the advertisement, sale, and supply of second-generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications. In cases of serious non-compliance, this can include undertaking formal criminal investigations and, where appropriate and evidentially supported, prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has held discussions with the MHRA on preventing unlicensed online (a) marketing and (b) sale of second generation GLP-1 weight management medications.

The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are members of the GLP1-RA Incident Management Team. Risk management in relation to the advertising and sale of these medicinal products is a standing item for discussion.

MHRA is obliged to consider complaints received about the advertisement of prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public. Advertising investigations are carried out on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the circumstances of the particular case. Completed advertising investigations leading to correction of advertising materials are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/advertising-investigations-by-mhra

MHRA works closely with other regulators to help ensure that the public are protected from the advertising of POMs. A joint enforcement operation is in place with the Advertising Standards Authority to take targeted action against weight-loss treatment providers who use social media to promote POMs.

MHRA takes proportionate action, on a case-by-case basis, to enforce the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in respect of the advertisement, sale, and supply of second-generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications. In cases of serious non-compliance, this can include undertaking formal criminal investigations and, where appropriate and evidentially supported, prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase access to mental health services.

We remain committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year by March 2024 to expand and transform mental health services in England. This extra funding will enable an extra two million people to be treated by mental health services in the National Health Service by March 2024.

We expect integrated care boards to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Law Commission's report Building families through surrogacy: a new law, HC1236, on (a) establishing a new pathway for surrogacy in which intended parents can be recognised as legal parents from birth, when supported by Regulated Surrogacy Organisations, (b) establishing a surrogacy register to enable people born through surrogacy to find out about their origins, (c) removing the need for surrogates’ partners to consent to parental orders and (d) introducing up to date guidance on what counts as a reasonable expense within a surrogacy agreement.

The Government is giving consideration to all the recommendations in the Law Commission report, Building families through surrogacy: a new law, and will publish a full response in due course.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she had had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of extending the funding of the Suicide Prevention Grand Fund.

No such discussions have taken place. The process for assessing all applications made to the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund is still ongoing.

The fund attracted a huge amount of interest from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, from small, community-led organisations at local level to large national level organisations. We received over 1800 applications overall, covering a range of activities aimed at preventing suicides. We are currently assessing bids and we aim to inform applicants on whether they have been successful by the end of the year.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) supply levels of covid-19 vaccine.

The United Kingdom has sufficient supply of vaccines to meet the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice for the current 2023 autumn booster campaign and for anticipated campaigns in 2024. All vaccines used in the UK to date are effective at protecting against severe disease from current COVID-19 variants.

There is regular contact between the UK Health Security Agency and vaccine manufacturers to ensure the future supply of vaccines to the UK. Advice on eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines and the choice of vaccine products for future campaigns is provided by the JCVI.

All those eligible for a COVID-19 booster as part of the current vaccination campaign and who are yet to come forward are strongly encouraged to do so.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding per adult was provided for mental health services in Warwick and Leamington constituency in (a) 2019 and (b) 2022.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding per child and adolescent was provided for CAMHS mental health services in Warwick and Leamington constituency in (a) 2019 and (b) 2022.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
23rd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether adult smokers will be required to present an identification document to retailers after the introduction of the generational ban on smoking.

Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom. Smoking causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK and is responsible for just over 70% of all lung cancer deaths. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users. Smoking costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital because of smoking, and up to 75,000 general practitioner appointments attributed to smoking each month, constituting over 100 appointments every hour.

This is why the Government is planning to create a smokefree generation by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 years old or younger this year will never be legally sold tobacco products. As per existing age of sale legislation, smokers will be required to produce identification if retailers are uncertain that they are above the legal smoking age.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of funds dispersed by NHS Blood and Transplant to organisations for the purposes of raising awareness of organ, blood and stem cell donation.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) provides funds to organisations via two routes, the Community Grants Programme and special project grants. Both funds complement and enhance NHSBT’s integrated marketing approach and are focused raising awareness, building trust with specific communities, and overcoming barriers to donation.

Since April 2023, The Community Grants Programme has provided around £700,000 of funding to 50 groups resulting in 304 initiatives, 134 events, 99 social media campaigns and 26 press and radio campaigns. The Community Grants Programme has contributed to increases in new Black heritage blood donors, increasing from 1% of new donors being from Black heritage backgrounds to 6% now. Overall, there was an increase from 31% to 48% of non-donors across ethnic backgrounds saying they would donate blood in July 2023.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to improve (a) the training of pharmacists on and (b) their access to new drug therapies.

As a regulated profession, pharmacists have a professional responsibility to keep up to date and must complete a revalidation process with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) annually to provide assurance of competence. In 2021, the GPhC published new learning outcomes for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists, including learning outcomes that specifically relate to novel and new therapies. To support this outcome, NHS England commissioned new learning resources within the e-learning for healthcare provisions.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many FTE GPs at each (a) main practice and (b) branch surgery in Bradford East constituency were (i) fully qualified and (ii) in training grades as of October 2023.

The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice at each main practice in Bradford East as of October 2023, with the data for branch practices being held at the main practice:

Practice Name

All doctors in general practice, FTE

Fully qualified general practitioners, FTE

General practitioners in training grade, FTE

Thornbury Medical Practice

2.5

2.5

0.0

Farrow Medical Centre

5.7

4.7

1.1

Idle Medical Centre

5.9

5.9

0.0

Little Horton Lane Medical Centre - Raja

1.9

1.9

0.0

Primrose Surgery

2.3

2.3

0.0

Bradford Moor Practice

1.0

1.0

0.0

Haigh Hall Medical Practice

2.6

2.6

0.0

The Ridge Medical Pract.

32.7

15.6

17.1

Moorside Surgery

5.0

4.0

1.1

The Avicenna Medical Practice

2.4

2.4

0.0

Ashcroft Surgery

14.2

6.8

7.4

New Otley Road Medical Practice

1.7

1.7

0.0

Valley View Surgery

2.0

2.0

0.0

Peel Park Surgery

2.3

2.3

0.0

Dr Gilkar

5.6

2.4

3.2

Moor Park Medical Practice

1.4

1.4

0.0

Eccleshill Village Surgery

1.0

1.0

0.0

Notes:

  1. Data does not include estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records
  2. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time. In GPs in Training Grade contracts 1 FTE = 40 hours and in this table these FTEs have been converted to the standard wMDS measure of 1 FTE = 37.5 hours for consistency.
  3. Figures shown do not include staff working in Prisons, Army Bases, Educational Establishments, Specialist Care Centres including Drug Rehabilitation Centres, Walk-In Centres and other alternative settings outside of traditional general practice such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units.

Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has taken steps to increase support for suicide prevention services in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Government is delivering on its commitments on mental health. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding a year by March 2024 to expand and transform mental health services within the National Health Service, so an extra two million people, including in Romford constituency, can get mental health support.

We are investing £57 million in suicide prevention, and all local areas, including Romford constituency, now have suicide prevention plans to address the specific needs of their populations.

The new suicide prevention strategy for England is a five-year strategy which sets out the Government’s ambition for suicide prevention. It is a multi-sector and cross-government suicide strategy, with actions from a wide range of organisations that will be delivered over the next few years.

The Department has also established a £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund to run from 2023 to March 2025 to support voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations to deliver suicide prevention activity.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has taken steps to increase support for young men suffering from mental health conditions in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

We remain committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including in Romford constituency. This extra funding will enable an extra two million people, including young men, to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024. We expect integrated care boards to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year.

The new suicide prevention strategy for England, including Romford constituency, is a five-year strategy which sets out the Government’s ambition for suicide prevention. Many of the actions within the new strategy will support suicide prevention in men by addressing the common risk factors for this group, such as a history of drug or alcohol misuse, family or relationships problems, and social isolation and loneliness.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the levels of compliance by health and social care providers with the Accessible Information Standard.

National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers must comply with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) to meet the communication needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. NHS England has completed a review of the AIS to help ensure that everyone’s communication needs are met in health and care provision. The review considered the effectiveness of the current AIS, how the standard is implemented and enforced in practice, and identified recommendations for improvement.

One of the aims of the review was to strengthen assurance of implementation of the AIS, and a self-assessment framework has been developed to support providers of NHS and social care services to measure their performance against the AIS and develop improvement action plans to address gaps in implementation. The self-assessment framework has also been designed to help the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to gain insight into people's experiences and whether their accessible communication needs are being met, and help CQC better understand organisational performance and to include that in the CQC assessment framework for provider organisations.

Following publication of the revised standard, NHS England will continue work to support its implementation with awareness raising, communication and engagement and updated e-learning modules on the AIS to ensure NHS staff are better aware of the standard and their roles and responsibilities in implementing it.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)