Department of Health and Social Care

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.

The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.

The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.

The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs that will ensure staff have access to high quality support for occupational health, including support for mental health and back conditions.

The commitment to staff treatment hubs draws on various evidence sources, including the NHS England internal Staff Treatment Access Review which demonstrated the clear productivity and economic argument for investing in the health of our National Health Service staff, particularly focusing on mental health and musculoskeletal treatment services as the main drivers of sickness absence in the NHS, as well as wider sectors.

Following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the staff treatment hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, and capacity.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will shortly be publishing its business plan, which will set out its priorities for 2025/26, following approval by the NICE Board. NICE’s priorities will include delivery of commitments outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan. These include:

- the adoption of a dynamic approach to appraisals that identifies where existing innovation should be retired and where technologies should be sequenced within the clinical pathway, to improve value and health outcomes;

- expanding NICE’s technology appraisal process to cover devices, diagnostics, and digital products, supported by the introduction of a rules-based pathway for HealthTech, to reduce variation in access to high-impact medical technologies; and

- alignment of NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency processes, supported by information sharing and joint scientific advice, to speed up decision making and reduce the administrative burden for the system and industry, allowing new and innovative technologies to get to patients faster.

With the pace of innovation increasing, it is crucial now more than ever that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is focused on the highest impact technologies.

The Rules-Based Pathway (RBP), recently announced in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, will, for the first time, create a national pathway that guarantees funding for several rigorously selected transformative technologies each year, streamlining the route to adoption in the National Health Service for selected devices, diagnostics, and digital tools. This will give NICE a powerful lever to drive healthcare transformation and help to position the United Kingdom as a first-to-market location for cutting-edge technology.

NICE assessments have been carried out on diabetes technologies, including: insulin pumps; continuous glucose monitors; and most recently, hybrid closed loop systems. Diabetes technologies listed on Part IX of the NHS Drug Tariff are also subject to more frequent review.

The 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth, which is an agreement between the Department, NHS England, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, states that the standard NICE cost-effectiveness threshold will not change for the duration of the scheme, which ends in December 2028.

Under the current arrangements, NICE is able to recommend the majority of medicines it appraises for use on the NHS, with an approval rate of 84%.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently and on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence, taking into account all health-related costs and benefits for patients and caregivers, including health outcomes, in line with its established methods and processes.

NICE does not take account of economic productivity in its assessments. It would involve valuing interventions differently based on the working status of the recipient population, which would be methodologically and ethically challenging and could systematically disadvantage certain groups including children, long-term sick and unemployed people, and could result in fewer treatments being recommended for these populations.

The Government wants National Health Service patients in England to be able to benefit from rapid access to effective new medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates all new licensed medicines and makes recommendations for the NHS on whether they should be routinely funded based on the evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue its recommendations close to the time of marketing authorisation to ensure that there is no gap between licensing and patient access to NICE recommended medicines. The 10-Year Health Plan and Life Science Sector Plan outline our commitments to speeding up access for NHS patients to new medicines through the introduction of a parallel marketing authorisation and NICE process.

NHS patients are able to benefit from access to promising new medicines through the Cancer Drugs Fund and Innovative Medicines Fund while further real-world evidence is collected on their use to inform a final NICE decision on whether they can be recommended for routine NHS funding.

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

We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. NHS England continues to monitor the monthly dementia diagnosis rate and analyse trends at national, regional and integrated care board level.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will also deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

The Department and NHS England have written to integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to invite applications from local places to participate in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP). As part of this, we have requested initial information on local assets that could host neighbourhood health centres (NHCs). ICBs will be key here as strategic commissioners in identifying where NHCs are required and defining their requirements in the context of other supporting infrastructure in the local area.

Applications should be submitted by 8 August 2025; our 10-Year Health Plan sets out we will start in some of the communities where healthy life expectancy is lowest, delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Everyone who has been harmed from sodium valproate has our deepest sympathies.

Early diagnosis and the effective monitoring of foetal valproate syndrome is being considered as part of NHS England’s commissioned Fetal Exposure to Medicine Pilot project. The pilot project is being led by the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust and the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The pilot project started in December 2024 and will run for 18 months, and provides assessment, expert advice, and treatment planning for people impacted by sodium valproate and other anti-seizure medications. The pilot project will be presenting initial learning and key themes, including any additional investment requirements identified, to NHS England at the end of September to inform discussions about future service delivery models and options for wider coverage across England.

Commissioners will consider additional funding requests, alongside the need to maintain all existing services and other statutory funding duties.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.

These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. The TRANSFORM trial is an important example of this. In November 2023, the Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) announced the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer, to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the Department.

Additionally, the Frimley Park Integrated Care System, located within the constituency, is part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network, and plays a key role in supporting the delivery of research, including into prostate cancer.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including prostate cancer.

There are no plans for the Government to review the gestational limits of abortion. It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion, including gestational time limits.

When the time limit was last reduced in 1990, there was a clear consensus from the medical profession that the age of viability had reduced from 28 weeks to 24 weeks gestation. There is currently no clear medical consensus that the age of viability has reduced below 24 weeks.

The Government does not formulate policy on fetal sentience and fetal pain. The review and determination of fetal sentience and its implications for abortion and clinical practice is reached through professional medical consensus and clinical guidance.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has carried out a comprehensive review into fetal awareness evidence. Published in December 2022, the review concluded that the evidence to date indicates that the possibility of pain perception before 28 weeks of gestation is unlikely.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme addresses regional variations in healthcare by identifying areas of unwarranted variation and working with local teams to implement improvements and reduce differences. Through GIRFT’s Further Faster programme, hospital trust clinicians and operational teams are being brought together with the challenge of collectively going ‘further and faster’ to transform patient pathways, reduce unnecessary follow-up outpatient appointments, and improve access and waiting times for patients.

A Further Faster handbook for dermatology, which covers conditions like chronic spontaneous urticaria, has been produced, to share best practice and support National Health Service dermatology teams to reduce the number of Did Not Attend appointments, reduce unnecessary follow ups and, where appropriate, reduce the number of outpatient appointments by booking patients straight to tests, helping to free up capacity for patients in need of specialist dermatology services.

In addition, NHS England and the British Association of Dermatologists have established a specialist dermatology clinical reference group. Its objectives are to: measure and improve quality; improve value and reduce unwarranted variation; improve equity of service; and transform and provide advice and support to integrated care boards as they take on responsibility for specialised service commissioning.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

NHS England introduced the Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, which was incentivised through a two-year scheme, from 2022 to 2024. This framework helps to ensure that patients across the country receive timely and effective interventions, such as revascularisation, by encouraging all providers to meet consistent standards of care. It aims to reduce variation in how quickly and effectively patients are treated, regardless of where they live.

There are no plans to update Vascular PAD Quality Improvement Framework, but it remains an available resource that the National Health Service should have regard to.

The National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across NHS hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

There is no specific mandatory requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to publish routine data on PAD outcomes. However, ICBs are expected to contribute to data collection and reporting. Additionally, the Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practices to improve care for various conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, which may indirectly impact PAD management.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

To support the reduction of inequalities in care, NHS England’s national approach is Core20PLUS5, with further information available on the NHS.UK website. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement, including cardiovascular disease. There is a specific focus on improving the detection and management of hypertension, and optimising lipid management, amongst target groups to prevent conditions such as PAD.

In addition, the National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across National Health Service hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

Information on PAD is available on the NHS.UK website, and NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and professional bodies to improve care and reduce regional variation.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

To support the reduction of inequalities in care, NHS England’s national approach is Core20PLUS5, with further information available on the NHS.UK website. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement, including cardiovascular disease. There is a specific focus on improving the detection and management of hypertension, and optimising lipid management, amongst target groups to prevent conditions such as PAD.

In addition, the National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across National Health Service hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

Information on PAD is available on the NHS.UK website, and NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and professional bodies to improve care and reduce regional variation.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

To support the reduction of inequalities in care, NHS England’s national approach is Core20PLUS5, with further information available on the NHS.UK website. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement, including cardiovascular disease. There is a specific focus on improving the detection and management of hypertension, and optimising lipid management, amongst target groups to prevent conditions such as PAD.

In addition, the National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across National Health Service hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

Information on PAD is available on the NHS.UK website, and NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and professional bodies to improve care and reduce regional variation.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), like other cardiovascular conditions, shares risk factors and is largely preventable. However, access to timely diagnosis and treatment can vary significantly across regions. The Government is working to reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for patients.

To support the reduction of inequalities in care, NHS England’s national approach is Core20PLUS5, with further information available on the NHS.UK website. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement, including cardiovascular disease. There is a specific focus on improving the detection and management of hypertension, and optimising lipid management, amongst target groups to prevent conditions such as PAD.

In addition, the National Vascular Registry (NVR) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of major vascular procedures across National Health Service hospitals. This includes procedures for PAD, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputations. By highlighting both good practice and areas needing improvement, the NVR supports hospitals and commissioners in identifying and addressing regional gaps in care quality and outcomes.

Information on PAD is available on the NHS.UK website, and NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and professional bodies to improve care and reduce regional variation.

The Department remains committed to supporting the National Health Service in raising the awareness of cancer symptoms and in diagnosing all cancer types earlier, including prostate cancer.

In January 2025, NHS England re-launched the Abdominal and urological symptoms of cancer phase of its Help Us Help You campaigns, to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, including for prostate cancer, and to remove barriers to people visiting their general practitioner.

This year, the Department will publish a National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how outcomes and experiences of cancer patients in England can be improved. It will cover earlier diagnosis and ensure that cancer patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and will ultimately bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

The Government is investing £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which is seeking to find ways to detect prostate cancer in men as early as possible. The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address health inequalities by ensuring that one in ten of the participants are black men.

We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of their 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.

The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to their 2025 scheme to do so.

The Department similarly operated a community defibrillator fund which launched in September 2023. Following the depletion of that fund, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

Applications to the fund were allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

According to the BHF there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of these over 110,000 defibrillators are accessible on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week basis.

I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS875) which was made to the House on 22 July 2025, which stated:

“It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord Scriven contained inaccurate information related to the work of the Department for Health and Social Care.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL8983, tabled by Lord Scriven on 30 June 2025, stated that “the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities.” The answer then went on to list a number of areas which have required additional staff resource within the Department. The Assisted Dying Bill has required additional resource but should not have been referred to as a Government priority given the Government’s neutrality on the issue.

For clarity, the answer should read:

“The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.”

I would like to apologise for any confusion.”

We are committed to meeting the health needs of people affected by thalidomide, known as Thalidomiders, and to ensuring that they can live with dignity and have access the support they need.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, both present and future, of Thalidomiders living in England. This funding helps Thalidomiders to maintain control over their own health and enables them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

We will provide an update on funding arrangements beyond 2027 in due course.

On 16 July 2025, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.

Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.

On 16 July 2025, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.

Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.

On 16 July 2025, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.

Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.

The Leng Review was clear that for patient safety reasons, physician assistants should not see undifferentiated patients except within clearly defined national clinical protocols. NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards, and primary care networks, as well as to the staff most affected by the recommendations, to set out the immediate implications of the recommendations. In its letter to employers, NHS England set out that current physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia should remain in post, with their deployment aligned to the recommendations of the review.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations, which will consider all relevant factors. Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care, and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.

Harm reduction measures are vital and can have an impact on preventing overdoses, reducing the spread of infections, and engaging people into drug treatment. However, most of these outcomes would not be seen in ambulance data. The Department does not collect information on the potential impact of diamorphine assisted therapy (DAT), safe consumption rooms and other harm reduction services on the level of ambulance call outs. Identifying the impact of interventions typically delivered to small groups within broader populations at risk of overdose on ambulance call outs would be challenging due to other factors influencing overall levels and it is unlikely to be possible to do this robustly within an English context.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is consulted by the Environment Agency (EA) on environmental permit applications to operate municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), in their role as regulator in England. UKHSA reviews the latest scientific evidence on the health impacts of emissions from MWIs. The overall evidence analysed by UKHSA does not suggest an association between exposure to emissions from modern well-run incinerators and adverse physical health effects.

UKHSA reviewed epidemiological studies in European countries with measured physical human health outcomes which were published after implementation of the Waste Incineration Directive in 2000. This criterion ensured that the studies considered in the review were applicable to United Kingdom MWIs and considered health effects from the emissions from the incineration process only. UKHSA will continue to review its advice as new evidence on the health effects of incinerators is published in peer-reviewed journals.

The Department of Health and Social Care has noted the guidance which has been provided to relevant departments and their agencies. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads on waste management policy and the legislation relating to MWI, and the EA regulate MWI under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, which are available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/1154/contents

UKHSA responds to consultations on environmental permits received from the EA.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is delivered in line with the National Genomic Test Directory. The test directory outlines eligibility criteria and testing methods for over 200 cancer indications, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing for prostate cancer, and is regularly reviewed through an evidence-based process to ensure testing remains clinically relevant and cost-effective. Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 can help identify individuals at increased genetic risk of developing prostate cancer, enabling earlier and more targeted monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment. This supports timely clinical interventions and can improve outcomes for patients and their families. NHS England has also funded transformation projects through NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) alliances, including one led by the East GMS Alliance focused on improving the prostate cancer pathway. This project focused on the genetic testing of prostate tumour tissue samples to better understand the causes and inform treatment decisions, while also identifying whether relatives may be at increased risk of cancers such as breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, due to both the immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can also contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

There are various studies on the potential impact of cannabis use on the risk of heart disease death. The study, Cardiovascular risk associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis, was recently carried out and published in the British Medical Journal’s Heart journal where findings revealed positive associations between cannabis use and major adverse cardiovascular events.

More information on the impact cannabis has on health can be found on the National Health Service website and Talk to FRANK, the Government’s drugs information and advice service. The Talk to FRANK website also has basic harm reduction advice and details of drug treatment services and support organisations.

We know that drug treatment is protective, and the number of places in treatment for people who use non-opiate drugs, including cannabis, is being increased by 30,000 compared to 2021/22, including 5,000 more places for young people in treatment. The number of people in England receiving treatment for problems with cannabis use increased from 63,854 in 2021/22 to 74,931 in 2023/24.

Between January 2020 and March 2025, NHS England entered into 62 commercial agreements involving indication-specific pricing for cancer indications. Of these:

• 60 were for indications classified as rare; and
• of those 60, two were for indications classified as ultra-rare.

NHS England determines whether a cancer indication is considered rare or ultra-rare based on the incidence of the eligible patient population for a given National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Technology Appraisal, rather than the overall incidence of the broader cancer type. The following definitions have been applied:

• rare, with fewer than six cases per 100,000 population per year; and
• ultra-rare, with one case per 1,000,000 population per year or fewer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis, sets out considerations for clinicians when assessing for autism, including highlighting that this condition may be under-recognised in women and girls. The guidelines are available at the following links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg128

NICE has committed to updating these guidelines; however, this work has not yet been scheduled into NICE’s work programme. NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services in April 2023.

There are no current plans to fully reform the units of dental activity (UDA) system before 2026/27. As a first step to reforming the dental contract, we are consulting on a package of changes to improve access to, and improve the quality of, National Health Service dentistry, which will deliver improved care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The reforms include new payment proposals for some treatments, which would be converted to UDAs for the purposes of reconciliation. Further information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

The consultation was launched on 8 July 2025 and will close on 19 August 2025.

We are committed to more fundamental contract reform, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. We want a contract that matches resources to needs, improves access, promotes prevention, and rewards dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. There are no perfect payment models, and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession.

The latest adult psychiatric morbidity survey, published on 26 June 2025, provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated mental health disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions in the adult population in England, those aged 16 years old and over. This is the first survey since 2014 and covers the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of part 1 of the survey are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Bolsover constituency, this is the Derby and Derbyshire ICB.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. The Derby and Derbyshire ICB is expected to deliver 16,298 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

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

The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Bolsover constituency, this is the Derby and Derbyshire ICB.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. The Derby and Derbyshire ICB is expected to deliver 16,298 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

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

The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Bolsover constituency, this is the Derby and Derbyshire ICB.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. The Derby and Derbyshire ICB is expected to deliver 16,298 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

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

The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.

NHS England has confirmed the information requested is not held as data is either not available or would not provide a representative answer to the questions. NHS England collects information in the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) on people in contact with secondary mental health services with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The MHSDS is a large, complex dataset so to balance the burden on the National Health Service, some tables/fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The diagnoses tables are not mandatory so not all providers necessarily submit this information. The recording of diagnoses within MHSDS needs to be entered using clinical coding which some providers may be unable to do for various reasons. Additionally, it can take a while for a diagnosis to be confirmed for some patients. There are also other data quality issues around non-completion of the diagnosis information. We are working with providers and partner organisations to address such issues.

The Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) reports are a crucial source of evidence which help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. Practical data issues have delayed the work to date and were addressed in the final iteration provided on 25 June 2025. We are committed to publishing the latest report soon after Parliament returns alongside a Written Ministerial Statement.