Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 47908 on Community Health Services: Finance, what options to improve homecare services are under consideration; and what his planned timetable is for the implementation of changes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to moving more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receive the care they need when and where they need it.

The 10-Year Health Plan will see more tests and scans and services delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology. All will support people to manage their conditions closer to home.

Homecare medicines services will play a key role in this and have already grown considerably in the past five years, now supporting approximately 600,000 patients in England to receive specialist, hospital prescribed medicines at home, work or another convenient place.

The Department and NHS England recognise the importance of strengthening homecare medicine services and continue to prioritise improvements in this area following the House of Lords Public Services Committee’s report, Homecare medicines services: an opportunity lost. The recommendations accepted by the Department and NHS England continue to be explored and developed. Work is underway to scope the opportunities to improve how homecare services can be procured, contracted, and delivered to meet the future needs of the NHS. An update on progress will be provided to the House of Lords Public Services Committee later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the National Service Specification for Cleft Lip and/or Palate Services will continue to be delivered in full during the process of merging NHS England into the Department for Health and Social Care.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre.

We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations and options for future allocation. At this stage, it is too early to say what the precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be and how this will impact on the delivery of services for cleft lip and/or palate.

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and raising the healthiest generation of children ever, and this includes children, young people, and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate.

There are nine specialist services across England that provide lifelong care for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate and non-cleft velopharyngeal dysfunction, offering diagnosis, treatment, and multidisciplinary support from before birth into adulthood.

NHS England’s Service Specification for Cleft Lip and Palate Services, a copy of which is attached, includes optimal timelines for carrying out cleft lip and palate surgeries. National data indicates that there is national variation linked to surgery timings. Consequently, NHS England’s Specialised Surgery in Children Clinical Reference Group has been developing a collaborative programme of work with individual services, integrated care boards, and the Cleft Development Group. The Cleft Development Group is made up of active clinical staff from cleft services, Public Health Consultants, and patient representatives.

The programme of work has only just commenced and will report back progress to NHS England’s Delegated Commissioning Group in December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the National Service Specification for Cleft Lip and/or Palate Services is being delivered in full by NHS England.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre.

We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations and options for future allocation. At this stage, it is too early to say what the precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be and how this will impact on the delivery of services for cleft lip and/or palate.

The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and raising the healthiest generation of children ever, and this includes children, young people, and adults with a cleft lip and/or palate.

There are nine specialist services across England that provide lifelong care for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate and non-cleft velopharyngeal dysfunction, offering diagnosis, treatment, and multidisciplinary support from before birth into adulthood.

NHS England’s Service Specification for Cleft Lip and Palate Services, a copy of which is attached, includes optimal timelines for carrying out cleft lip and palate surgeries. National data indicates that there is national variation linked to surgery timings. Consequently, NHS England’s Specialised Surgery in Children Clinical Reference Group has been developing a collaborative programme of work with individual services, integrated care boards, and the Cleft Development Group. The Cleft Development Group is made up of active clinical staff from cleft services, Public Health Consultants, and patient representatives.

The programme of work has only just commenced and will report back progress to NHS England’s Delegated Commissioning Group in December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the data sets and methods that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) used to calculate the vaccine effectiveness estimates that informed the cost-effectiveness estimates on which the JCVI’s advice for a COVID-19 vaccination programme in autumn/winter 2025 was based.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice on COVID-19 vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026 was published on 13 November 2024.

The advice was based on a cost-effectiveness study of COVID-19 vaccination by the University of Warwick, published in the journal Vaccine in February 2025 by Keeling et al. The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) vaccine effectiveness estimates were used by the University of Warwick in their cost-effectiveness analysis.

The data set and methodology used by UKHSA to calculate these estimates were published in the Journal of Infection in July 2024 by Kirsebom et al.

The JCVI continues to keep all United Kingdom vaccination programmes under review as new evidence emerges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what interim support his Department is providing to integrated care boards in relation to NHS dentist shortages in Ashfield constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.

Integrated care boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS, a central part of which will be our workforce. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 51548 on Primary Care: Lancashire, if he will define the term most at need in relation to those targeted by the integrated dental access programme.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the percentage of free prescriptions in England that remain uncollected by patients and are subsequently destroyed by the NHS; and what is the average cost of uncollected and destroyed prescriptions to the Exchequer.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold information on the number of prescriptions that are uncollected. The majority of uncollected prescriptions can be disassembled, and the medicines returned to the pharmacy’s stock, ready to be used to fill other prescriptions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to measure the effectiveness of and potential to rapidly adopt cancer therapies that require non-genomic biomarker testing.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a key role in assessing the safety and efficacy of any medicine, and newly licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The NICE routinely appraises medicines with accompanying biomarkers/companion diagnostics and considers the relevant costs and implications in order to provide robust guidance and support rapid access to clinically and cost-effective medicines. Additionally, the MHRA and the NICE are already actively engaged in supporting industry through scientific advice ahead of, and as part of, the regulatory approval process for cancer therapies that require non-genomic biomarker testing. The MHRA is also working on guidance and further support for industry to better understand how biomarkers and similar products are considered in the regulatory process. This includes, but is not limited to, non-genomic testing.

The MHRA encourages potential applicants to engage early to establish the suitability of biomarkers in the Scientific Advice process, as these decisions are frequently specific to the indication and intended use. The MHRA also supports the development and availability of innovative medicines through a range of regulatory initiatives designed to enable earlier patient access while maintaining uncompromising standards of safety. Central to this is the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), which offers a joined-up approach between the MHRA, the NICE, and National Health Service bodies, including within the devolved administrations. The ILAP provides early regulatory input through an Innovation Passport and a tailored roadmap to authorisation, helping promising new medicines reach patients more quickly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to NHS dentistry for people living in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, this is the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB is expected to deliver 13,990 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP appointment availability in South Northamptonshire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is determined to work with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and ensure everyone can access general practitioner (GP) appointments, including in South Northamptonshire. In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,700 newly qualified GPs across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients

We delivered an £889 million uplift in funding for 2025/26, with general practice now receiving a growing share of NHS resources. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will upgrade more than a thousand GP surgeries across England, helping to improve productivity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of available NHS dental appointments in Ashfield constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Ashfield constituency, this is the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB is expected to deliver 24,360 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on primary care providers in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances at the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise was implemented in April 2025.

Primary care providers are valued independent contractors. Every year we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract. Operating costs for these providers are taken into account as a part of this process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Single Patient Record, for which a request for information was published by NHS England on 29 April, will allow patients to see when and where their record has been accessed.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The single patient record will give staff in any provider access to the information they need to provide care, and would end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the National Health Service.

We are currently in the early stages of considering the scope, and this includes what information patients will be able to see about when and where their record is accessed. Our engagement with the public identified the importance of there being an audit trail of access.

We will mandate its use by the NHS and social care, so that everyone has the opportunity to have a single patient record.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate that a Single Patient Record, for which a request for information was published by NHS England on 29 April, will be required for every NHS patient.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The single patient record will give staff in any provider access to the information they need to provide care, and would end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the National Health Service.

We are currently in the early stages of considering the scope, and this includes what information patients will be able to see about when and where their record is accessed. Our engagement with the public identified the importance of there being an audit trail of access.

We will mandate its use by the NHS and social care, so that everyone has the opportunity to have a single patient record.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of access to NHS dentistry in new developments in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available from the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

The data for the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, which includes the West Dorset constituency, shows that 36% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and that 52% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to increase the level of access to NHS dentists by people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and Staffordshire, this is the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB is expected to deliver 16,190 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of NHS dental contract reforms on rural patient access.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. This is why we have launched the Golden Hello scheme which will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists. There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 51210, tabled by the hon. Member for Wokingham on 9 May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 2 June 2025 to Questions 51207, 51208 and 51210.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 51208, tabled by the hon. Member for Wokingham on 9 May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 2 June 2025 to Questions 51207, 51208 and 51210.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 51207 tabled by the hon. Member for Wokingham on 9 May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 2 June 2025 to Questions 51207, 51208 and 51210.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of access to NHS dental care in Ashfield constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324

In the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which includes the Ashfield constituency, 42% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England, and 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, what steps he is taking to improve patient access to GPs in (a) Fylde, (b) Lancashire and (c) England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is determined to work with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and to ensure that everyone can access general practice (GP) appointments nationally, including in Lancashire and Fylde.

That’s why in October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,700 newly qualified GPs across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients

We delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of NHS resources. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will upgrade more than a thousand GP surgeries across England, helping to improve productivity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing (a) employer National Insurance Contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on hospices in (i) Kent and (ii) Weald of Kent constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, enabling the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.

The employer National Insurance contribution rise was implemented in April and the planning guidance, published on 30 January, sets out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding providers during this next financial year. It takes into account a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare, including charitable hospices. Further information on the planning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/

Regarding the national minimum wage, independent organisations, such as charities and social enterprises, including hospices in Kent, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the quality of mental health services in (a) England and (b) Essex.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England uses the Oversight Framework to assess the quality and safety of all mental health inpatient services in England, including services in Essex. Risks and issues are escalated nationally using the quality risk and escalation framework.

National Health Service commissioners in England are responsible for ensuring that mental health services are safe, effective, sustainable and meet the needs of the population.

In addition, the Care Quality Commission carries out monitoring and assessments of providers in England to ensure they are providing safe and quality care to people using their services. The Care Quality Commission has a duty under the Mental Health Act 1983 to monitor how services exercise their powers and discharge their duties when patients are detained in hospital or are subject to community treatment orders or guardianship.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of immigration controls on staffing levels in (a) primary and (b) secondary care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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. At the same time, we are also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the National Health Service. Following publication of our 10-Year Health Plan, 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.

The immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, will reshape our immigration system towards those who contribute the most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers. Every area of the immigration system, including work, family, and study, will be tightened up, to reduce record-high levels of net migration and restore control and order to the immigration system. The White Paper is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper

Health and Social Care Worker visa data is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting with experts from the voluntary support sector during the (a) planning for and (b) piloting of mental health support teams in schools.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance 2025/26, integrated care boards are responsible for planning and implementing mental health support teams. Since the inception of the programme, guidance to local commissioners has been to engage with local partners including the voluntary sector in planning for mental health support teams, mapping local support, and through representation in local governance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department plans to allocate to support people with long covid.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess children and young people who are experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. Since April 2024, commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local ICBs following the closure of the national programme.

The Government has also invested over £57 million into long COVID research. The projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, and to evaluate clinical care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on reducing the rate of prostate cancer among younger men.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 May 2025 to Question 52196.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for cardiology services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The latest data from March 2025 show that 60.9% of waits for cardiology services are within 18 weeks, which is a 1.6% improvement on the same month in the previous year. While this shows progress, we know there is more to do.

That is why, as well as our commitment to returning to the 92% referral-to-treatment standard for elective care by March 2029, the Elective Reform Plan commits to significant elective reform in cardiology. This includes a key milestone for 2025/26, as set out in National Health Service operational planning guidance, that by the end of March 2026, 65% of waits will be within 18 weeks, with the expectation of a 5% improvement from each provider.

Cardiology is one of five priority specialties identified for significant elective reform in the Elective Reform Plan, due to it being a large volume specialty with waiting list challenges and a high proportion of non-surgical care. Reforms will include increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways, and developing standard and efficient care pathways for common cardiology symptoms. It also includes improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through implementing more straight-to-test pathways, where a general practitioner can refer a patient directly to secondary care for a test, which can reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments and improve waiting times even further for patients across England. These improvements to common cardiology pathways help standardise patient care, reduce inequalities, and improve access to care, especially in the early stages of the pathways, for patients across England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the waiting times for diagnoses of endometriosis.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and we are taking action to ensure that individuals with endometriosis receive a timely diagnosis and effective treatment. That is why, alongside committing to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029, our Elective Reform Plan, published January 2025, sets out a range of efforts to reduce the time patients wait for gynaecological care. This includes rolling out innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community. We also provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to exceed our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered over three million more appointments across elective services, as a first step to achieving the 18-week RTT standard.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also updated its guidelines on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis, which will help women receive more timely care. This updated version in November 2024 includes updated recommendations that for women with symptoms of endometriosis, initial pharmacological treatment should take place in primary care, and that this can take place in parallel with additional investigations and referral to secondary care if needed. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that high-intensity focused ultrasound is available to patients in Hampshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including in Hampshire. This means making sure that patients, including those waiting to receive high-intensity focused ultrasound, are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

We will transform diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including ultrasound scanners.

We have made progress in cutting NHS waiting lists and ensuring people have the best possible experience during their care. As of March 2025, the waiting list has reduced by over 219,000 pathways and since July 2024 we have delivered over three million more appointments, exceeding our pledge of two million.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce ambulance response times in South Northamptonshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service and the impact this is having on ambulance response times, including in South Northamptonshire.

We are determined to turn things around, our 10-Year Health Plan will be published in summer 2025, setting out major NHS reforms to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention.

The NHS Urgent and emergency care plan 2025/26, published on 6 June 2025, requires health systems to focus on those areas likely to have the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care services this year. The plan includes actions that will reduce category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes and reduce ambulance handovers to 45 minutes, helping to get 550,000 more ambulances back on the road.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for ambulances in the West Midlands.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service and the impact this is having on ambulance response times, including in the West Midlands.

We are determined to turn things around, our 10-Year Health Plan will be published in summer 2025, setting out major NHS reforms to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention.

The NHS Urgent and emergency care plan 2025/26, published on 6 June 2025, requires health systems to focus on those areas likely to have the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care services this year. The plan includes actions that will reduce category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes and reduce ambulance handovers to 45 minutes, helping to get 550,000 more ambulances back on the road.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average delay is between patient (a) referral and (b) diagnostic testing in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust; and what steps he is taking to reduce diagnostic waiting times.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is no complete measure for the average wait time for a patient between a referral and receiving a diagnostic test for all diagnostic tests.

The Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity monthly collection, known as DM01, measures the current waiting times of patients still waiting for 15 key diagnostic tests or procedures at the end of each month. As of the end of March 2025, of those that were on the waiting list for a key diagnostic test at the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, the median average length of time patients had been waiting was 2.5 weeks, compared to 2.7 weeks nationally. Details on this collection are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/

Cutting waiting lists, including for diagnostic tests, is a key priority for the Government. Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, builds on the investments already made with an ambitious vision for the future of diagnostic testing. This will include more straight-to-test pathways, increasing and expanding community diagnostic centres, and better use of technology.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference the New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, published 20 January 2025, how much funding his Department plans to allocate for the construction of the Royal Berkshire Hospital; and what proportion of that funding will be from (a) public dividend capital, (b) land sales and (c) charitable donations.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have put the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on a sustainable footing, with a timeline that can be met, and a budget that is consistent with the fiscal rules under which the Government is operating. We are backing this plan with investment which will increase to up to £15 billion over each consecutive five-year wave, averaging approximately £3 billion a year from 2030. The exact profile of funding will be confirmed in rolling five-year waves at regular Spending Reviews, as with all government capital budgets in future.

As set out in the NHP Plan for Implementation, the cost estimate of the Royal Berkshire Hospital is expected to be £2 billion or more; however, the final individual amount for the scheme will only be confirmed once its Full Business Case has been approved, as set out in the HM Treasury Green book and is standard for large infrastructure projects. The proportion of funding, including those from additional sources such as land sales and charitable donations, will be confirmed through this business case process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53645 on Parkinson's Disease: Greater Manchester, whether his Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish regional data on the average waiting time for Parkinson’s patients to see a neurologist.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no current plans to collect and publish regional data on the average waiting time for patients with Parkinson’s disease to undergo their first neurology appointment following referral.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of stroke-related medicines in Northumberland; and what steps he is taking to ensure the equal provision of medicines across England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of a supply issue affecting aspirin 300 milligram suppositories until late June 2025, which are used outside of their license of pain and inflammation, for their antiplatelet effect after a stroke. We have issued shortage management guidance to the National Health Service advising on the alternative, aspirin 150 milligram suppositories, which remain available for affected patients.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within Northumberland is not held centrally.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. We have drawn on up-to-date intelligence and data on the root causes of medicine supply issues, with manufacturing problems being the most dominant root cause. The Department works closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers, and other partners across the supply chain to make sure patients across the UK can access the medicines they need.

The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and to strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions. We have plans underway to increase the awareness of our work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 29926 on Health Professions: Regulation, what recent progress he has made on setting a timetable for announcing his priorities in relation to the applicability of the five year rule by professional regulators on fitness to practise in cases which involve allegations of historic sexual abuse.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has set out its intention to reform the legislative frameworks of all healthcare professional regulators, starting with the General Medical Council (GMC).

As part of this work, any legislative restrictions on regulators from being able to consider fitness to practise concerns that are more than five years old will be removed from legislation. Regulators such as the GMC will have the discretion to determine whether a concern should be investigated based on the specific details of a fitness to practise case, which may include reflections on the length of time that has elapsed since the concern was raised or occurred.

The Government is aiming to consult on a draft legislative framework for the GMC by the end of this year, and lay the legislation during this Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential short term impact of (a) restructures of Integrated Care Systems and (b) abolition of NHS England on the ability of the NHS to deliver services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, with the expectation of achieving a reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts in a letter on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/

Along with the reform of NHS England’s responsibilities, these changes will form part of a package of measures, including the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan, that positively impact on patient care and safety by driving quality of care, productivity, and innovation in the NHS. ICBs will continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and NHS England’s transformation team will continue to work with ICBs to develop their plans and ensure the implementation of changes whilst maintaining a focus on delivering NHS statutory functions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of emergency healthcare in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in the North East.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care board are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local communities, including in the North East, as they are best placed to take those decisions.

However, more broadly, the Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance is not at the high standard that patients should expect. We are committed to returning to the safe operational waiting time standards set out in the NHS Constitution.

We have set out plans on the action to be taken to improve services this year and will shortly publish a 10-Year Health Plan, which will set out the radical reforms needed to make the National Health Service fit for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for audiology assessments.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards, who are the commissioners of audiology services, to improve performance and reduce waiting lists. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in National Health Service trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via community diagnostic centres, and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47907 on Community Health Services, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of clinical homecare to moving healthcare out of hospitals and into the community.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to moving more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and families receive the care they need when and where they need it.

The 10-Year Health Plan will see more tests and scans and services delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology. All will support people to manage their conditions closer to home.

Homecare medicines services will play a key role in this and have already grown considerably in the past five years, now supporting approximately 600,000 patients in England to receive specialist, hospital prescribed medicines at home, work or another convenient place.

The Department and NHS England recognise the importance of strengthening homecare medicine services and continue to prioritise improvements in this area following the House of Lords Public Services Committee’s report, Homecare medicines services: an opportunity lost. The recommendations accepted by the Department and NHS England continue to be explored and developed. Work is underway to scope the opportunities to improve how homecare services can be procured, contracted, and delivered to meet the future needs of the NHS. An update on progress will be provided to the House of Lords Public Services Committee later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of allowing paramedics to prescribe oxycodone.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicine responsibilities for non-medical professionals. This will support the aim that patients are cared for and treated by the most appropriate healthcare professional to meet their needs, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Many regulated healthcare professionals have already received extended medicine responsibilities, and the Department is committed to assessing the impact that these changes have had on patient care.

Regarding the extension of paramedics’ medicine responsibilities, there is a process in place for making changes to ensure proposals are safe and beneficial for patients. Officials are carefully considering proposals relating to a range of healthcare professionals, including paramedics, as a part of wider work building on work delivered by the Chief Professions Officers’ medicines mechanisms programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of doctor staffing levels at community hospitals in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a specific assessment. Appropriate National Health Service staffing levels are determined locally.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Advertising Standards Authority ruling on EME Aesthetics and Beauty Academy Ltd, published on 16 April 2025.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cosmetic treatment providers have a responsibility to ensure that their advertising does not trivialise medical risks, provide misleading information or pressure customers to book without proper consultation. The Government supports the Advertising Standard Authority’s ruling to ensure that consumers are supported to make safe and informed choices about any cosmetic procedure they wish to undergo.

We are exploring options for further regulation in this area and will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of donated blood which is discarded due to the lack of MHRA authorisation for the use of medically relevant components, other than immunoglobulin and albumin, from blood donated in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. NHSBT Logistics plays a key role in planning for, collecting, and delivering lifesaving and life changing donated blood products to hospitals across England. However, NHS England owns and manages the contract with Octapharma to fractionate and produce medicines, including immunoglobulin and albumin. These medicines have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to reflect the priorities of the National Health Service.

No blood is discarded by NHSBT due to MHRA authorisations. If there are any discarded fractions by Octapharma, NHSBT does not hold this information. All of the plasma that meets the requirements for use in medicines is forwarded to Octapharma for fractionation, and the specific manufacturing arrangements are subject to commercial confidentiality.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure community pharmacy provision in new housing developments in Dorset.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies. Legislation requires PNAs to include considerations of the future need for pharmaceutical services in the area. The Department has published an information pack to support local authorities in preparation of PNAs, with the pack available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/617bdc31d3bf7f5601cf3168/pharmaceutical-needs-assessment-information-pack.pdf

Chapter 6 of the information pack provides advice on how future needs, improvement or better access should be articulated in the PNA, including following any new housing developments. These assessments inform commissioning decisions by integrated care boards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care) on 24 January (HC25099), what assessment they have made of the health risks resulting from the NHS using gender-neutral language that may obscure the impact of biological sex on the physical effects of drugs.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government expects the National Health Service to deliver health services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, having appropriate regard to protected characteristics as defined in the Act where relevant.

Language is very important when communicating with patients and whilst no assessment has been made of the impact of specific language, the NHS always strives to ensure clear terms that everyone can understand should always be used. Sex and gender identity are not always the same thing, and it is important for patients that we record both accurately.

The Department is committed to delivering safe and holistic care for both adults and children when it comes to gender, and that also means accurately recording biological sex, not just for research and insight, but also for patient safety. Following the publication of the Sullivan Review, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting MP) instructed the health service to immediately suspend applications for NHS number changes for children under 18 years old, in order to safeguard them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is planning to take to protect responsibilities for musculoskeletal conditions that currently sit within NHS England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include the voices of patients in the ongoing NHS England consultation on ADHD assessments; and if he will ensure all patients have the Right to Choose.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Earlier in 2025, NHS England ran a consultation on the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme. This consultation was not specific to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, but some concerns were raised about a perceived potential impact on ADHD services, particularly in respect of the impact on the right to choose. No changes to the legal right to choose were proposed as part of this. Following consultation, the original proposals have not been implemented.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors, to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in summer 2025.

The Government is also committed to patients’ legal right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. This commitment is reflected in the NHS Constitution for England and the NHS Standing Rules, and is explained in the NHS Choice Framework. In addition to this, NHS England has regulatory oversight responsibilities to ensure patient choice operates effectively in the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people with (a) a learning disability and (b) autism in mental health hospitals.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The latest National Health Service planning guidance, from 30 January 2025, includes a focus on improving mental health and learning disability care and contains the objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people in 2025/26.

For 2025/26, there is continued funding within integrated care board (ICB) baselines for support for people with a learning disability and autistic people. ICBs should prioritise continuing to invest in reducing reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the 2025/26 NHS operating planning guidance.

The Mental Health Bill has reached Committee stage in the House of Commons, following its recent passage through the House of Lords. Through the bill, we propose taking forward a package of measures to improve care and keep people out of hospitals. Subject to parliamentary agreement, statutory Dynamic Support Registers, Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews, and new duties on commissioners will help to ensure appropriate community support in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve outcomes for dementia patients in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision of dementia health care services, and we expect ICBs to commission services based on local population need, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. Lincolnshire is above the national ambition for dementia diagnosis rates, because of prioritising improvements in diagnosis rates. As a system, Lincolnshire is committed to continuing to improve its offer to support the local population following a diagnosis of dementia. This includes developing plans for a dedicated standalone service which will increase its capacity to offer support before, during, and after diagnosis.

The Dementia Home Treatment Team provides a countywide, community-based ‘hospital at home’ service seven day a week, for those whose needs are escalating beyond the care of existing community mental health teams.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to engage with mental health service users on the development of mental health policy.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

A significant number of mental health service users have taken part in our 10-Year Health Plan engagement. 28% of participants on the Change NHS website reported waiting to access mental health services as a challenge they have experienced, while one in six said they had accessed mental health services in the last 12 months. Over 100 people with a mental health condition attended our public and staff deliberative events and 170 mental health organisations contributed to the Change NHS website, in addition to the organisations who attended our national partners council meetings and other meetings. The 10-Year Health Plan will be published shortly, and this will set out how the overall health system will run.

The Mental Health Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will modernise the Mental Health Act so that it is fit for the 21st century, ensuring that people with the most severe mental health conditions get better, more personalised care. The bill reflects the recommendations of Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review into the Mental Health Act of 2018. The review’s advisory panel comprised of individuals with lived experience, advocacy organisations, professionals and representative bodies, and representatives from the statutory system. The Government ran an extensive public consultation on the proposals in the Mental Health Act White Paper, which received over 1,700 total responses and more than 1,119 individual responses. Since July 2024, we have further engaged with a range of key stakeholders and we will continue to engage, and consult widely, on the development of the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, the statutory guidance which will inform practice under the bill.

In addition, ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders who represent the interests of mental health service users, about future plans for mental health services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) include support for adults with autism and (b) help support (i) Integrated Care Boards and (ii) local hospital trusts with supporting adults with autism through the NHS 10 year plan.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to supporting people with a range of conditions such as autism, in all parts of the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential causes of trends in the number of people being diagnosed with melanoma.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Diagnoses of skin cancers, including melanoma, have been increasing. NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including melanoma. This information can be found at sources such as the NHS.UK website.

As well as raising awareness, there have been changes in the way skin cancers, including melanoma, are diagnosed. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time national report provided recommendations to encourage the wider use of technology to ensure skin cancer patients get faster and more equitable access to care.

NHS England has been rolling out teledermatology services, which allow a virtual review of dermoscopic images to identify skin cancers. In providers where this has been fully implemented, improvements in workforce capacity have enabled up to double the number of patients to be reviewed per clinic. This has also resulted in an improved performance for the Faster Diagnosis Standard.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure the continuation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme following the abolition of NHS England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

A central mission of the Government is to build a health and care system fit for the future. To achieve this, it is crucial that we tackle preventable ill health, such as type 2 diabetes.

The highly effective NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme continues to be delivered. Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead the formation of a new joint centre. As we work to bring the two organisations together, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds and put plans in place to ensure continuity of care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the allocated budget was for (a) Operation Courage and (b) Operation Restore in each financial year between 2020-21 and 2024-25; and how much funding has been allocated to each programme in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 13 March 2025, it was announced that NHS England will be brought into the Department to form a new joint centre. We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations and options for future allocation. At this stage, it is too early to say what precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be.

The following table shows the actual spend on Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the budget for 2025/26:

Source: NHS England

The following tables show the referral numbers for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE since 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively, as well as the percentage of referrals for Op COURAGE met within relevant targets since 2023/24 and for Op RESTORE since 2021/22:

Source: NHS England

Source: NHS England

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals there have been to (a) Operation Courage and (b) Operation Restore in each year since 2016; and how many of those referrals were reviewed by multi-disciplinary teams within 8 weeks.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 13 March 2025, it was announced that NHS England will be brought into the Department to form a new joint centre. We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations and options for future allocation. At this stage, it is too early to say what precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be.

The following table shows the actual spend on Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the budget for 2025/26:

Source: NHS England

The following tables show the referral numbers for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE since 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively, as well as the percentage of referrals for Op COURAGE met within relevant targets since 2023/24 and for Op RESTORE since 2021/22:

Source: NHS England

Source: NHS England

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who Operation (a) Courage and (b) Restore will be (i) managed and (ii) funded by after the abolition of NHS England.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 13 March 2025, it was announced that NHS England will be brought into the Department to form a new joint centre. We are assessing the full range of current functions across both organisations and options for future allocation. At this stage, it is too early to say what precise changes in personnel and organisational design will be.

The following table shows the actual spend on Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the budget for 2025/26:

Source: NHS England

The following tables show the referral numbers for Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE since 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively, as well as the percentage of referrals for Op COURAGE met within relevant targets since 2023/24 and for Op RESTORE since 2021/22:

Source: NHS England

Source: NHS England

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on creating a treatment pathway for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the NHS.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including treatment pathways and support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard in England for FASD to help providers and commissioners improve both diagnosis and support for people affected by FASD. This includes guidance on individualised management plans, which help to coordinate care across a range of healthcare professionals, as well as education and social services, to improve outcomes. The quality standard also covers support during pregnancy to improve awareness and prevent the disorder. The quality standard was published in March 2022, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of in-community support for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including treatment pathways and support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard in England for FASD to help providers and commissioners improve both diagnosis and support for people affected by FASD. This includes guidance on individualised management plans, which help to coordinate care across a range of healthcare professionals, as well as education and social services, to improve outcomes. The quality standard also covers support during pregnancy to improve awareness and prevent the disorder. The quality standard was published in March 2022, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish monthly reports from each of the 15 local partnerships on re-matching social care workers to new employers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to publish monthly reports on the international recruitment regional fund.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for new specialist mental health crisis centres in Surrey.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis in Surrey can access support 24/7 through the Mental Health Crisis Helpline, operated by the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The service is staffed by trained professionals who provide immediate advice, support, and signposting to a range of community services.

There are five Safe Havens across Surrey that provide out-of-hours help and support to individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress. Each Safe Haven is staffed by a mental health practitioner from the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and two trained Safe Haven workers. Peer support from people with lived experience of mental health issues is also increasingly available.

At a national level, substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages and in all regions, ensuring that people in a mental health crisis can receive the right care.

As part of this, the Government has committed £26 million in capital investment to support people in a mental health crisis, including opening new mental health crisis centres across England, which aim to provide accessible and responsive care for individuals in a mental health crisis. In addition, we are piloting six 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres which provide support to individuals with severe mental illness, without needing to book an appointment.

People of all ages in England experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time of the day via the NHS 111 service. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the real-terms value of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s £30,000 Quality-Adjusted Life Year threshold since its introduction in 1999.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers the overall resources available to the National Health Service when determining whether an intervention represents value for money. Therefore, decisions about a new technology must consider the implications for healthcare programmes for other patient groups that may be displaced by the adoption of the new technology, and the opportunity cost, including those programmes or technologies not evaluated by NICE. NICE’s threshold represents the opportunity cost to the NHS of recommending a new technology. Empirical evidence suggests that the actual opportunity cost is closer to £15,000 per Quality Adjusted Life Year gained. Considering the real terms value of the NICE’s threshold is therefore not directly relevant because it represents the opportunity cost to the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of average cost per activity under the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service, in the context of value-for-money references during the Urgent Question on the NHS Volunteer and Care service on 19 May 2025.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response and then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers, and NHS England has recently taken the decision to close the programme.

The following table shows the cost to the public purse of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme, for 2023/24 and 2024/25:

Note: NHS England is awaiting final invoices for 2024/25 so this figure may change, although the total cost for 2024/25 is expected to be no more than £4,330,652, excluding VAT.

The monthly and quarterly breakdown of costs varies based on invoicing schedules rather than by use of the programme, and therefore only annual figures have been provided. The average cost per task for 2024/25 was £40.74, based on the estimated programme cost of £4,330,652 in 2024/25 and delivery of 106,297 completed tasks, as per figures provided by the Royal Voluntary Service.

Providing a volunteer-based programme will always incur costs as there is a need to provide a supportive infrastructure including recruitment and management of volunteers, appropriate safeguarding support, the digital infrastructure and overall management of the scheme, as well as practical support for volunteers such as payment of expenses. However, the current cost per task is not considered value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) year since January 2023.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response and then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the important contribution of our much-valued volunteers, and NHS England has recently taken the decision to close the programme.

The following table shows the cost to the public purse of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme, for 2023/24 and 2024/25:

Note: NHS England is awaiting final invoices for 2024/25 so this figure may change, although the total cost for 2024/25 is expected to be no more than £4,330,652, excluding VAT.

The monthly and quarterly breakdown of costs varies based on invoicing schedules rather than by use of the programme, and therefore only annual figures have been provided. The average cost per task for 2024/25 was £40.74, based on the estimated programme cost of £4,330,652 in 2024/25 and delivery of 106,297 completed tasks, as per figures provided by the Royal Voluntary Service.

Providing a volunteer-based programme will always incur costs as there is a need to provide a supportive infrastructure including recruitment and management of volunteers, appropriate safeguarding support, the digital infrastructure and overall management of the scheme, as well as practical support for volunteers such as payment of expenses. However, the current cost per task is not considered value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the the amount of money that has been paid to private clinics for delivering NHS cataract surgery in each of the last six years; and how much of the amount identified represented profit for the companies involved.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Independent providers play an important role supporting the National Health Service to deliver eyecare services, ensuring patients receive the treatment and care they need.

The data is not held in the format requested.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS letters regarding (a) appointments and (b) test results received late by patients in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is putting patients first, making sure they are seen as quickly as possible and have the best possible experience, which includes receiving timely communication regarding appointments and test results.

We are reforming the digital landscape to improve productivity, communication, and to offer greater convenience for National Health Service users, including changing the NHS App to make it easier and more helpful for patients to access information about their appointments. 87% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters. Expanding the use of the NHS App has prevented over 1.5 million missed hospital appointments since July 2024. It also saves staff time, so they can focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want or need it.

We will also build on the success of digitising appointment letters by making more types of content about patients’ treatment available on the NHS App, such as discharge letters, by December 2025.

We do not hold data on the number of NHS letters for appointments and test results that have been received late by patients in Lincolnshire in 2024 and 2025.

NHS providers in Lincolnshire are working towards a patient engagement portal which allows patients to access correspondence electronically. If patients enable this function, notifications are sent to patients to allow them to log in to see any information in real time.

There is also a process in place to telephone all patients that have had an appointment booked less than two weeks in advance, to ensure they have received sufficient notice of their appointments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce targeted incentives for dentists treating low-income patients privately due to levels of NHS provision in West Dorset.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the Dorset ICB.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. NHS dentists can offer private treatments in addition to NHS services. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. The Government does not control the cost of private dental or orthodontic treatment and patients cannot claim back the expense from the NHS.

Free NHS dental care is available for patients who qualify for certain exemptions. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England is offering temporary funding for private providers to deliver NHS dental care in areas with insufficient NHS provision.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the Dorset ICB.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.

The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care settings. NHS dentists can offer private treatments in addition to NHS services. Dentists must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each. The Government does not control the cost of private dental or orthodontic treatment and patients cannot claim back the expense from the NHS.

Free NHS dental care is available for patients who qualify for certain exemptions. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

Found: and Care Act 2022, Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/31/contents/enacted 19 DHSC

Found: DHSC has made slow progress in implementing diagnostic tools that could help reduce AMR.

Found: match funding for, but the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC

Found: Alongside the consultation, 19 policy development workshops were held by Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Letter to Ashley Dalton MP, Department of Health and Social Care re Pandemic Accord (14 May 2025) Correspondence

Found: with digital technology suppliers HC 640 26th Tackling Violence against Women and Girls HC 644 25th DHSC

Found: But in general, this often does sit under DHSC.

Found: challenge is working under a national partnership agreement with the MOJ and HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: challenge is working under a national partnership agreement with the MOJ and HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: 0.553 From the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: challenge is working under a national partnership agreement with the MOJ and HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: challenge is working under a national partnership agreement with the MOJ and HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: • We align closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)’s priorities, supporting the

Found: Lord Vallance: DHSC. Emily Darlington: But which Minister?

Found: Companies and government (notably the DHSC, DWP and HMRC) must work collaboratively to establish data

Found: How has the programme between DHSC, DCMS and the Gambling Commission to develop a “robust approach

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if a Minister from his Department will represent the UK at the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from 10 to 12 June 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK will be represented at this year's Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by Minister Seema Malhotra in her role as Minister for Equalities. Minister Malhotra will be joined by senior officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Cabinet Office, and the Work and Health Unit, a cross-government unit, jointly sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with care experience have direct access to mental health services.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care are updating guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children to ensure children in care and care leavers receive necessary health services and mental health support. This guidance sets expectations for local authorities, health service commissioners, the NHS, and others to promote physical, emotional, and mental health, including early intervention.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools bill aims to improve access to health services by enhancing information sharing between agencies and considering the needs of looked-after children. Measures include improving data sharing with a Single Unique Identifier and introducing new corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and public bodies, to create a culture of support and break down barriers to good outcomes. Finally, the government will expand Mental Health Support Teams in schools to provide early support for young people.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the need for food labelling which allows people with medical needs to effectively monitor their condition.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

All food sold on the UK must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way. Information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food. The United Kingdom maintains high standards on the information provided on food labelling to ensure consumer confidence.

Defra works with other government departments, including both the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to provide consumers with information to assist with medical needs and ensure that food safety standards are maintained.

This includes improving the provision of information for people with allergies and working with food businesses to increase allergen training in the sector. The FSA’s programme on food hypersensitivity is focused on policy, research and evidence to support enforcement and engaging with consumers and businesses.

It is mandatory for food and drinks packaging to include a Nutrition Declaration on the back-of-food packaging. At a minimum, this must include information on energy plus the amounts of fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. It can also provide information on other nutrients on a voluntary basis including other fats and vitamins and minerals. This label will help individuals with medical conditions, who need to manage their diets.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the merits of making (a) PINS training materials and (b) modules available to schools currently not participating in the programme.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the merits of the PINS programme from the 1,600 schools participating in that programme.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any schools in Lancashire are (a) currently part of and (b) will be included in the next phase of the PINS programme.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the £9.5 million in funding for the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme will be allocated across the additional 1,200 schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools will be affected by the expansion of the PINS programme in the Fylde constituency

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that medical students in receipt of the NHS Bursary can also access full student maintenance loans in their final years of study.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.

The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. We will continue to engage with the DHSC to consider the financial support that medical students receive.

Students attending the fifth and sixth years of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has announced an increase to all NHS bursary maintenance grants and allowances for the 2025/26 academic year by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the Retail Price Index (RPIX) inflation index.

Medical students qualifying for NHS bursary support also qualify for non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has announced that maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year, including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students undertaking NHS bursary years, will also increase by 3.1%.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Higher Education providers on regional expansion of dental schools to tackle geographic shortages.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​The department works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters, to help ensure the NHS has the dentistry workforce that it needs, including funding for dental schools and the training of dental students.

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and it is a decision for individual universities to decide whether they wish to establish a dental school.

​The government is preparing the 10 Year Health Plan which will set out a bold agenda to reform and repair the NHS. Ensuring that we have the right people, in the right places and with the right skills, will be central to this vision. The government will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

​The department continues to work closely with DHSC on the 10 Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what incentives are in place to encourage universities to expand or introduce dental training programmes in the South west.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​The department works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters, to help ensure the NHS has the dentistry workforce that it needs, including funding for dental schools and the training of dental students.

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and it is a decision for individual universities to decide whether they wish to establish a dental school.

​The government is preparing the 10 Year Health Plan which will set out a bold agenda to reform and repair the NHS. Ensuring that we have the right people, in the right places and with the right skills, will be central to this vision. The government will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

​The department continues to work closely with DHSC on the 10 Year Health Plan.

Found: Over half of the increase will go to the Department of Health and Social Care, with education and defence

Found: Answering member: Andrew Gwynne | Department: Department of Health and Social Care As of 1 December

National leadership and action on vascular and venous disease

Found: payments made by or on behalf of public authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Social Care

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care should provide additional clarity over commissioning

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: to share responsibility for global health R&D with other departments including the Department of Health and Social Care

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) need to ensure there is a clear commissioning pathway

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: 2021 The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Department of Health and Social Care

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care Department of Health and Social Care

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Department of Health and Social Care

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The UK Government Equalities Office and Department of Health and Social Care should lead cross-government

Micromobility APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: of the APPG and wished her luck in her new role as a PPS in the Department of Health and Social Care

Social Science and Policy APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: between health and total spending at recent Spending Reviews Average: +2.0pp 2.8% settlement for DHSC

Prostate Cancer APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Ashley Dalton MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State The Department of Health and Social Care

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Foreword by Paulette Hamilton MP I urge the Government and Department of Health and Social Care to

University APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Overseas) 8 Education: British National (Overseas) 9 Research: Higher Education 10 Department of Health and Social Care

East of England APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: - where the number of “creative” GCSEs has declined by 60% over the past 5 years - and in health (DHSC

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Other Josh Fenton-Glynn MP Gillian Rosenberg - NHS England Caitlin Eckley – Department of Health and Social Care

University APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: [UIN 48688] Karin Smyth MP: The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: DHSC must adopt specific targets for monitoring earlier detection of liver cancer to overcome staging

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: House of Commons Tuesday 6 May Main Chamber, sitting at 2:30pm Oral questions – Department of Health and Social Care

Science and Technology in Agriculture APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: (DSIT) is responsible for shaping norms around responsible biotech use, while the Department of Health and Social Care

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Recommendation 1: DHSC must widen the list of Non-Specific Symptoms (NSS) that warrant referral to the

Antimicrobial Resistance APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Organisation Chris Banks One Health and AMR Policy Advisor FCDO Tom Pilcher Head of International AMR Policy DHSC

Homelessness APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Minister added that she has been working closely with colleagues in DHSC, including the Care Minister

Homelessness APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Minister added that she has been working closely with colleagues in DHSC, including the Care Minister

Prostate Cancer APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: National Institute for Health Research – NIHR Research Professor – Current part-time secondment to DHSC

Women's Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: playing a greater role in early intervention and preventative care – in line with Department of Health and Social Care

Children who need Palliative Care APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: • Lee McGill (Head of Long-Term Conditions and Palliative & End of Life Care, Department of Health and Social Care

Children who need Palliative Care APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: • Lee McGill (Head of Long-Term Conditions and Palliative & End of Life Care, Department of Health and Social Care

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: House of Commons Tuesday 25 March Main chamber, sitting at 11:30am Oral questions – Department of Health and Social Care

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Debbie Anderson MP (DA); Lord Offord (LO) In attendance Lee McGill (LM) & Mark Joannides (MJ) – DHSC

Long Covid APPG
Thursday 12th June 2025

Found: services were centrally funded by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Prostate Cancer APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: On educating boys, Professor Chinegwundoh highlighted that he had approached the Department of Health and Social Care

Baby Loss APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Bereavement Support CIC Emily Cannon Office of Michelle Welsh MP Kate Davis Department of Health and Social Care

Science and Technology in Agriculture APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: NHS regional structures to be alert to public health requirements Clear leadership from Defra, DHSC

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: We will also invite healthcare professionals and NHS and DHSC officials to discuss how these technologies

Down Syndrome APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: It was reported that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issued draft guidance before Christmas

Science and Technology in Agriculture APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: technologies.”69 The UK Bioindustry Association told us that they welcomed “DSIT, DBT, GO- Science and DHSC

Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) need to work together through

Vascular and Venous Disease APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: .   TheDepartmentofHealthandSocialCareand NHSEnglandprovideadditionalresourceto  ICBs

Less Survivable Cancers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: We will also invite healthcare professionals and NHS and DHSC officials to discuss how these technologies

Autism APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Health Bill in the House of Commons (with Baroness Merron as overall lead in the Department of Health and Social Care

Autism APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Health Bill in the House of Commons (with Baroness Merron as overall lead in the Department of Health and Social Care

Deep Geothermal APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Investors are very keen on opportunities, and the NHS and DHSC are also supportive of these projects.

Science and Technology in Agriculture APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: years and over eating ‘5 a day’ by ethnicity, FYE 2023 only Source: Fingertips | Department of Health and Social Care

Down Syndrome APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Co-Chair Andrew cooper on behalf of the group Rachael Ross (RR) reported that the Department of Health and Social Care

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Office Tuesday 19 November Main chamber, sitting at 11:30am Oral questions – Department of Health and Social Care

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: performance Tuesday 15 October Main chamber, sitting at 11:30am Oral questions – Department of Health and Social Care

Antimicrobial Resistance APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Department of Health and Social Care, HM Government. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-20

Down Syndrome APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: collaboration with NHS England, Integrated Care Board (ICB) Leads for Down Syndrome, the Department of Health and Social Care

Adult Social Care APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Government’s responsibility to ensure that NHS commissioners are working with the Department of Health and Social Care

Defibrillators APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: arrest outcomes registry’ December 2023 8 In addition , on the 28th June 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care

Baby Loss APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Insights from the Pregnancy Loss Review from Department of Health and Social care Hannah Putley -

Vascular and Venous Disease APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: South Lincolnshire. 21 In January 2024, the VVAPPG’s Chair, Jim Shannon MP, asked the Department of Health and Social Care

Baby Loss APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Trust Caroline Brogan Irwin Mitchell Jake Poulton NMC Guy Forster Irwin Mitchell Hannah Putley DHSC

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: debate on the covid-19 inquiry, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care

Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: access to menstrual products, APPG on PDRH represented at Global Gynaecological Healthcare event, DHSC

Carers APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: of any future National Carers Strategy, respondents prioritised the following: • Department of Health and Social Care

Scientific APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: COMMITTEE The Committee scrutinises government and in particular the work of the Department of Health and Social Care

Scientific APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Professor Sarah Sharples Department for Work and Pensions Trevor Huddleston Department of Health and Social Care

Adult Social Care APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is also aware that there is currently limited organisational

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: All-Party Parliamentary Group for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Minutes of the meeting on ME Research and the DHSC

Scientific APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: COMMITTEE The Committee scrutinises government and in particular the work of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: (DHSC) and the Government of Wales on how many cases of child sexual abuse or exploitation

Found: Department of Health and Social Care, £2.2 bn Ministry of Defence, £6.5 bn NHS Pension Scheme,

Found: Fixing NHS Dentistry Introduction from the Committee The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Fixing NHS Dentistry Introduction from the Committee The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) settlement at Spending Review 2025 provides record cash

Found: (DHSC) Group supports ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care systems

Found: This covers services provided by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education

Found: Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive (alongside the scheme run by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: (DHSC).

Found: (DHSC).

Found: she pledged to invest in Britain’s renewal, with the biggest ever investment in the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: connections with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC

Found: The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Found: The CHM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Secretary; the Chief Medical Officer for England; and the Permanent Secretaries of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: autoleucel for treating relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: mafodotin with bortezomib and dexamethasone for previously treated multiple myeloma The Department of Health and Social Care

Found: We’re reviewing quality programmes across NHS England, DHSC, and CQC to agree on a core set of indicators

Found: York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Jon Bell Expert by experience Jason Brandon Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Stroke Network Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CVRX Defence Primary Healthcare Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Radiographers • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association • UK Oncology Nursing Society Others • Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Overview Team Cwm Taf University Health Board Department of Health - Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Rationale: Salaried employment in DHSC.

Found: r Non- Financial professio nal and personal interest Member of expert panel interviewed by DHSC

Found: This agreement is between: • Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) • Home Office • NHS England

Found: Statistics Authority, Cabinet Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department of Health and Social Care

Found: DHSC capital budget for 2025 -26 of £13.6bn would equate to c£1.3bn in Scotland if calculated on Barnett