Department of Health and Social Care

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning secondary eye care services to meet local population need. Appropriate levels of staffing are decided by local system workforce planning.

We recognise the challenges facing secondary eye care services. NHS England has been testing how IT connectivity can improve the triage and referral of patients between primary and secondary care, and how to allow more patients to be managed in the community, increasing secondary eye care capacity.

The Government and NHS England remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%.

The NHS Operational Planning Guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the National Health Service does, and the absence of a target does not mean it is not an area of focus. We have yet to take decisions on future iterations of the guidance.

We have changed the National Health Service operating model to devolve power to local leaders. The Darzi investigation highlighted that there were too many targets set for the NHS, which made it hard for local systems to prioritise their actions or be held properly accountable. 2025/26 NHS Planning Guidance therefore stripped back instructions to the NHS.

These clear and concise instructions will allow local leaders to focus on the job of meeting patients’ needs and improving the communities they serve. We are giving more freedom and autonomy to good leaders, including clinical leaders and managers in the NHS who are coming up with some of the best ways of improving productivity gains in the system.

2025/26 Planning Guidance was clear that the 2025/26 financial year needs to mark a financial reset for the NHS, and that systems must develop plans, including for the numbers of substantive staff, that are affordable within the allocations set, exhausting all opportunities to improve productivity and tackle waste, and take decisions on how to prioritise resources to best meet the health needs of their local population. The NHS England Chief Executive also set out, on 1 April, further actions to lay the foundations for reform, including halving the growth in corporate costs in providers since 2018/19.

There are no current plans to assess implementation of the 2008 High Quality Care for All report.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the National Health Service has strong and effective leadership in place. As Lord Darzi stated in his recent independent report on the NHS in 2024, “the NHS has many strong and capable leaders”, although we know there is more work to do to strengthen NHS leadership. That is why there is a significant programme of work underway to improve NHS management and leadership, including our commitment to establish an NHS College of Executive and Clinical Leadership and to introduce professional standards for, and regulation of, NHS managers. This builds on a wider programme of work being led by NHS England to develop standards, a code of practice, and a curriculum for NHS managers and leaders.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, across all of the country.

To reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Appropriate information sharing is essential for the provision of safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients and better informed clinical and care decision-making, empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

The Connecting Care Records programme joins up information based on the individual rather than via one organisation. Through targeted investment, local Connecting Care Record systems have been established in all integrated commissioning board areas. 97% of trusts and 92% of primary care networks are now connected.

As you may also be aware, NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records, and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity, which will further reduce barriers to the information sharing needed to treat patients. Further information on data and clinical record sharing is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/

Going beyond this, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the intention for there to be a single patient record, which would provide a comprehensive patient record and end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the NHS. We have been engaging with the public to help shape our plans, including what information they would want to see included in a single record.

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

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.

Additionally, in February, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

Premarin tablets remain available. However, the supplier of Premarin has debranded this product, which means the product's brand name, Premarin, has been removed and it is now available and known under its generic name, which is conjugated oestrogens tablets.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring 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 the summer.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

NHS Devon advises that it has developed a local accreditation process for the Right to Choose pathway in ADHD and autism, which will enable the local NHS to assure quality and delivery on many new providers under the Right to Choose pathways.

Officials from the Department are working closely with the General Medical Council to develop the necessary legislation to modernise the legislative framework for doctors, as part of our professional regulation reform programme.

We anticipate being in a position to consult on this legislation, which will be made using the affirmative procedure under powers granted in Section 60 of the Health Act 1999, in late 2025.

Digital transformation offers substantial opportunities for the National Health Service to improve care outcomes and to lower cost, while improving the experience of patients. The impact of digital tools and programmes are measured individually, and organisations are required to identify, manage, actively track, and report impacts, outcomes, and benefits against agreed plans.

Our investment in digitising the frontline will ensure value for money and that health and care staff have access to health-related information when and where it is needed, supporting them to deliver care efficiently, effectively, and safely, reducing variation and improving outcomes.

Currently, 187 out of 206, or 91% of, secondary care trusts have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) in place, with work underway to provide tailored support to the remaining 19 trusts that do not yet have an EPR. Our ambition is for all trusts to meet our stated core digitisation standards, including having EPRs in place, by March 2026.

In adult social care, 75% of registered care providers now have digitised care records, up from 41% in December 2021, benefiting 85% of people who draw on care.

The product information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) provides advice on the risk of withdrawal/discontinuation reactions, and advises patients not to stop their medication suddenly. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning health services for their local population. This includes consideration of services for patients taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms, based on local population needs.

An increasing number of non-pharmacological alternatives have become available on the National Health Service, such as NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, with over 670,000 courses of treatment provided in 2022/23. NHS England is encouraging ICBs to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop prescribed medicines that can cause dependence and withdrawal.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved product information, provided to healthcare professionals and patients for all SSRIs, was updated in 2019 to inform them that reports had been received of long-lasting sexual dysfunction, where symptoms continue despite discontinuation of the SSRI. The MHRA was an integral part of the European Union wide review of the available evidence which underpinned the current warnings.

The term Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction was added to the regulatory dictionary in 2021, which will help with the recording and retrieval of Yellow Card data and literature cases, and in the future, will contribute to the much-needed research into this important health issue. Persistent sexual dysfunction following withdrawal of an SSRI as a disorder was added to the electronic health records system, known as SNOMED, in October 2024, as a code that will help with the clinical identification of patients with persistent sexual dysfunction, including those after taking SSRIs.

An Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines has been established by the MHRA to consider how the risk of sexual dysfunction which continues after stopping antidepressants is communicated in patient information leaflets, however this work will not address the clinical recognition of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, as that is outside the remit of the MHRA.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) holds data going back to April 2015, but not prior to this date. The following table shows the total number of patients aged 17 years old and under that were prescribed antidepressants for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24:

Source: NHSBSA Statistical Collections, available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england

These cover antidepressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.

The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement that has been undertaken with the public, patients, and staff. The plan will set out how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet their needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see. The plan’s shift from sickness to prevention will help ensure the National Health Service uses its relationship with patients to help patients improve and protect their own health.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a critical role to play as strategic commissioners, improving population health, reducing inequalities, and ensuring access to high quality care. NHS England has circulated a draft of The Model ICB - blueprint document to all ICBs, to assist them in shaping their future plans, including which functions they should focus on, as indicated in Sir James Mackey’s letter to the National Health Service trusts, foundation trusts, and ICBs, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/#:~:text=When%20we%20met%20on%2013,the%20last%20few%20tricky%20weeks.

We expect ICBs to adhere to the timelines set out by NHS England on 1 April 2025, to ensure that ICBs are acting as lead strategic commissioners of health and care services and to ensure that cost savings are directed to frontline NHS health and care services.

There has been no recent assessment. Under the UK Foundation Programme curriculum, foundation doctors should receive career guidance and advice from educational supervisors, along with the opportunity to explore potential careers.

A variety of other tools and support are available to support resident doctors with their career development and job searches. This includes an e-learning for healthcare course on career planning, and guidance on training pathways and career opportunities for doctors on the NHS Health Careers website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Ongoing assessment is part of the reform programme, and the evidence collected will inform the programme as appropriate and ensure our decisions focus on improving patient care.

The Government is committed to transparency, and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes.

There has been no such consideration. Foundation training and medical speciality training involve different responsibilities, expectations, and levels of experience. The two-year foundation programme acts as a bridge between medical school and specialty training. The programme provides trainees with the defined practical skills, competencies, and sound knowledge of how to manage acutely ill patients that prepares them for entry into specialty training.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our 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 improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow for earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates.

The prevalence of smoking in adults, current smokers who are 18 years old and over, in Newcastle under Lyme and Staffordshire is lower than the overall England average, at 8.8% and 9.0% respectively, compared to the overall England average of 12.4%.

Urgent cancer referrals for suspected lung cancer in the Staffordshire and Stoke Integrated Care Board are much higher than the England average. However, the mortality rate from lung cancer, chronic obstructive airways disease, heart disease, and stroke associated with smoking in Staffordshire is similar to the England average.

We are taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, for instance by enabling a smoke free generation to further help prevent lung conditions.

It is the most disadvantaged who suffer the most from the financial and health burden of smoking, with 230,000 households living in smoking induced poverty and with smoking being the number one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health, claiming the lives of approximately 80,000 people a year in the United Kingdom, and being the leading cause of lung cancer. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will create the first smoke-free generation, ending the cycle of addiction and disadvantage and putting us on track to a smoke-free UK.

In England, the total number of brain tumour diagnoses in the zero to 19 year old age group in 2022 was 579. In the same period, for the 20 to 24 year old age group, the total number of brain tumour diagnoses was 154.

The most recent data available is from the 2022 Cancer Registrations Statistics for England. Data is not held for the specific age group of under 21 years old, but it is held for the zero to 19 and 20 to 24 year old age groups.

It is important to note that the statistics are presented as numbers of diagnoses, and not numbers of people. This is due to the possibility of one person receiving more than one diagnosis.

NHS England publishes annual data on Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity in England. The latest data covers activity from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, during which 428 hospital admissions were reported where measles was recorded as the main reason for admission.

The United Kingdom relies on laboratory testing to confirm or exclude measles infection. This means the admission figures above will include suspected measles cases which are later discarded after testing, and may also not capture some true measles.

A more accurate method for identifying measles-related hospitalisations links laboratory confirmed measles case data to hospital admission data. The UK Health Security Agency undertakes this analysis and plans to publish hospitalisation data in the quarterly Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Health Protection Report. The first inclusion of these figures in the report will be published by the end of June 2025. The current reports are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-mumps-and-rubella-lab-confirmed-cases-in-england-2024

The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects and analyses diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. Further information is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs

The NDRS does not record patients’ religion as part of cancer registration data. Additionally, in line with guidance from the Office for National Statistics and the National Health Service, ethnicity data is collected using standardised categories that do not separately identify Jewish ethnicity. Further information on the classification of ethnic groups can be found at the following link:

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/style-guide/ethnic-groups

The term ‘fast food outlet’ is not one that is used or defined in retained European Union or domestic food hygiene and safety legislation. In addition, there is nothing in terms of food standards regarding the definition of a fast-food outlet.

Any food business that sells, cooks, stores, handles, prepares, or distributes food may be considered a food business and will need to register with their local authority.

When a food business registers, they confirm what type of business they are, including if they supply take away food. They would be regulated in a similar way to restaurants, cafés, and canteens.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.

It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of well-being in later life.

It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on a wide range of matters relating to clinical negligence reform, and we will announce our position in due course.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the national Health Service in England. The following table shows the total legal costs paid for claimants due to clinical negligence claims closed in the financial year 2023/24, where damages were paid up to £25,000:

Claims closed in 2023/24 will often have been settled in previous years, as costs can take some time to finalise after an agreement on damages. NHSR does not record a breakdown of claimant legal costs between profit costs and disbursements in its claims management system. It also does not record a breakdown for expert fees.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the national Health Service in England. The following table shows the total legal costs paid for claimants due to clinical negligence claims closed in the financial year 2023/24, where damages were paid up to £25,000:

Claims closed in 2023/24 will often have been settled in previous years, as costs can take some time to finalise after an agreement on damages. NHSR does not record a breakdown of claimant legal costs between profit costs and disbursements in its claims management system. It also does not record a breakdown for expert fees.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the national Health Service in England. The following table shows the total legal costs paid for claimants due to clinical negligence claims closed in the financial year 2023/24, where damages were paid up to £25,000:

Claims closed in 2023/24 will often have been settled in previous years, as costs can take some time to finalise after an agreement on damages. NHSR does not record a breakdown of claimant legal costs between profit costs and disbursements in its claims management system. It also does not record a breakdown for expert fees.

Ministers in the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Transport have discussed promoting the mental, physical, and wellbeing benefits of walking and cycling. The departments work together to align active travel with health objectives, such as reducing physical inactivity and health inequalities, and improving air quality. We are considering together how to incorporate health into the upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy and Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Local authorities have responsibility for commissioning public health services, including health visiting and services for all new parents. The Healthy Child Programme sets out the services and support families can expect and includes guidance on weighing, screening, immunisation, health improvement, wellbeing, and parenting, as well as five mandated health and development reviews.

Department officials and NHS England have worked across the South East region to develop resources. This includes a Health Visiting Development Toolkit to help share best practice and ensure consistency.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and strengthening the health visiting service. To achieve this, we must ensure that families have the support they need to give their babies and children the best start and the building blocks for a healthy life.

The local community diagnostic centre (CDC) for patients in Shropshire is the Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin CDC. The CDC is located at Hollinswood House in Telford, TF3 3BD. Patients requiring tests will also be referred to other settings as appropriate, including local hospital sites. A list of all operational CDCs is published and available at the following link:

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

The Department and NHS England do not directly inform local providers or general practices (GPs) when CDCs open for referrals in the nearby area, but it is the expectation that each CDC and their host National Health Service trust does local engagement, including with local providers and GPs.

The local community diagnostic centre (CDC) for patients in Shropshire is the Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin CDC. The CDC is located at Hollinswood House in Telford, TF3 3BD. Patients requiring tests will also be referred to other settings as appropriate, including local hospital sites. A list of all operational CDCs is published and available at the following link:

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

The Department and NHS England do not directly inform local providers or general practices (GPs) when CDCs open for referrals in the nearby area, but it is the expectation that each CDC and their host National Health Service trust does local engagement, including with local providers and GPs.

According to the Global Burden of Disease, in 2021 the three main contributory risk factors for the burden in the United Kingdom for type 2 diabetes were high body mass index, dietary risks, and low physical activity, excluding high blood glucose. For coronary heart disease, the main contributory risk factors were high blood pressure, dietary risks, and high cholesterol. For stroke, the risk factors were high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and tobacco use.

It is not possible to assess how much these risk factors have influenced trends or the change in trends for these three conditions, but the top three risk factors for each condition have remained the same from 1990 to 2021. For all three conditions, the prevalence increases with age, so the ageing population is also a leading contributory factor in recent trends.

NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise the critical need to incorporate clinical expertise into our work. National clinical roles are a key part of this approach, and play an important role in policy development and implementation.

We are currently scoping the programme to bring NHS England into the Department, to form a new joint centre which will deliver better value for taxpayers’ money, and a better service for patients. As part of this process, we are carefully considering the future role of national clinical roles. While no specific decisions have been made yet regarding their scope and responsibilities within the new organisation, their expertise and leadership will continue to be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare in our country.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence publishes clinical knowledge summaries (CKS) as a source of information mainly for National Health Service staff working in primary care. The CKS on the diagnosis and clinical management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) was updated in February 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/

General practitioners (GPs) have a generalist’s knowledge of RLS. GPs utilise the RLS Rating Scale to understand the impact on the patient and then to trial treatments. GPs are supported by neurology referral or specialist Advice and Guidance. This includes 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across the NHS in England, which provide access to neurological multidisciplinary teams to ensure that patients with RLS can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

West Dorset sits within the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB). In March 2025, 39.2% of appointments in the ICB took place on the same day as booking, and 73.4% took place within two weeks of booking. Nationally, 44.2% of appointments took place on the same day as booking, and 82.1% took place within two weeks of booking.

There are a number of factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and patients may wish to book routine or follow-up appointments further in advance.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

National Health Service planning guidance, published on 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. Investment has been provided each year to enable local areas to develop community intensive support teams, community forensic teams, and 24/7 crisis response for people with a learning disability and autistic people. For the 2025/2026 financial year, there is continued funding within integrated care board (ICB) baselines 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 was introduced in the House of Commons on 24 April 2025, following its recent passage through the House of Lords. Through the bill, we propose taking forward a package of measures to improve care and to keep people out of hospitals. Subject to Parliamentary agreement, measures around Dynamic Support Registers and Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews, and new duties on commissioners will help to ensure that there is an appropriate level of community support in future.