Department of Health and Social Care

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process allows its independent committees to take societal benefits, such as health-related quality-of-life for carers and the impact on personal social services, into account. NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36

Evaluations should consider all health effects for patients, and, when relevant, carers. When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when the condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.

There has been no formal assessment on the potential impact of using private partnerships to build National Health Service hospitals. Current HM Treasury policy is that private finance cannot be used. As part of the NHS capital strategy, we are considering how best to address capital funding issues in the NHS estate, and all investments will be subject to value for money and strategic assessments.

The Department has received requests asking my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to use the powers under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 to call-in the award of the contract for adult and community services to the Health Care Resourcing Group Care Group. Departmental officials have been asked to look into the issues raised and to provide advice on whether my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care should call-in the decision.

The Department will assess the call-in request against the considerations published in the statutory guidance in January 2024 and the merits of the case.

The responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate NHS commissioner, who are accountable to NHS England. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients.

The £750 million Estates Safety Fund is part of the overall 2025/26 capital allocation announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Autumn Budget last year, and is an essential first step towards addressing the poorest quality estates across the National Health Service.

Integrated care systems have prioritised this funding between their organisations to deliver maximum safety benefits. Funding will be issued to NHS trusts on the basis of individual schemes. Descriptions of the planned works and funding allocations, grouped by integrated care board, are available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68398c46c99c4f37ab4e86ef/estates-safety-fund-2025-to-2026.csv/preview.

The Government inherited a crumbling National Health Service estate after years of historic underinvestment and neglect. We recognise that hospitals across the country, including Stepping Hill, have challenging and poor-quality infrastructure, and that is why repairing and rebuilding our hospitals is a key part of our ambition to create a health service that is fit for the future.

It will take time, but we are beginning to rebuild the health service. The £750 million Estates Safety Fund for 2025/26 is an essential first step towards addressing the poorest quality estates across the NHS and ensuring a safe, sustainable environment for healthcare delivery. The Stockport NHS Foundation Trust will be issued £2.8 million from this fund to deliver vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and support NHS productivity at Stepping Hill Hospital.

This investment is in addition to the operational capital the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board will receive in 2025/26, to allocate to local priorities, including investment at Stepping Hill Hospital, and capital investment to support constitutional standards recovery.

The current Spending Review, concluding in June 2025, will determine capital funding levels for future years and will consider the needs of the NHS estate.

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. This will include how we ensure we train healthcare staff, through all training routes, including nursing apprenticeships, to support patients in all of our communities.

The Department has no plans to fund such a review. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice. NICE's interventional procedures programme assesses the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures used for treatment or diagnosis to determine whether they work well enough and are safe enough for use in the National Health Service.

NICE’s interventional procedures programme has not been notified of any procedure for the treatment of pineal cysts. If NICE receives a notification, any such procedure would be considered as part of established appraisal processes.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.

The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.

ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.

The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.

ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.

The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.

There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.

NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.

ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases.

Through our public consultation on the 10 Year Plan, the Government has shown that we are committed to engaging with the public, patients, and clinicians. We are currently in the initial phases of scoping and designing a new integrated Department that aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our healthcare system. 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.

Everyone with dementia should have meaningful care following their diagnosis. This includes information on local services and access to relevant advice and support on what happens next.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.

Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014. The Government is committed to improving dementia care and empowering local leaders with the autonomy they need to provide the best services to their local community, including those with young onset dementia.

This is why we have published the D100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for system leaders and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia, including those with young onset dementia. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool is available at the following link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/service-design-and-development/dementia-100-pathway-assessment-tool

We recognise the importance of ensuring equitable access to mental health crisis support across all regions, including in South East Cornwall. Substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages and in all regions, towards ensuring that people in mental health crisis have access to timely and appropriate support.

For example, the Government has committed £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres across England, which aim to provide accessible and responsive care for individuals in mental health crisis. In addition, we are piloting several neighbourhood mental health centres which provide support to individuals in crisis without needing to book an appointment. These centres operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

People of all ages in England experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained National Health Service 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.

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

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 in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to ICBs to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data. 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.

We are currently focused on optimising the implementation of the current clinical pathways that allow for the supply of prescription only medicines, and which cover seven common health conditions, including: sinusitis; sore throat; earache; impetigo; shingles; infected insect bites; and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of the service under review.

Overall, ensuring adequate general practice (GP) provision is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs).

GPs are independent businesses, providing primary care services, based on a National Health Service GP Contract, to their local populations. Most commonly, GPs are run by GP partners who, alongside other GPs and healthcare staff, are responsible for running their own practice. This allows them to have relative autonomy in deciding how to provide contracted services, and provides opportunities for innovation.

Local enhanced services, such as blood tests, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by ICBs to fit the needs of the local population. GPs can choose whether or not they would like to participate in providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country.

We are investing an additional £889 million in general practices (GPs) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes. GPs are independent contractors, so the application of any non-ringfenced funding they receive via the contract is at their discretion, to best meet the demand of their patients.

Some elements of the £889 million investment have been specified or ringfenced. £228 million has been made available for pay uplifts. A further £176 million has been provided for Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme staff, which now includes GPs and practice nurses, and is worth £1.7 billion in 2025/26. In addition, we estimate that £13.2 million will be used to uplift locum reimbursement rates, which were agreed as part of the contract. Additionally, we are accepting the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body’s recommendation of a 4% increase to the pay element of the GP Contract, backdated to 1 April 2025. This will mean an increase in the £889 million contract investment, which was based on a 2.8% pay assumption.

£17.8 million has been used to increase the item of service fee for routine childhood vaccinations, and in addition to the £889 million, a further £80 million has been provided to support patient services through the advice and guidance enhanced service.

Every year the Department and NHS England consult with the General Practitioners’ Committee (GPC), of the British Medical Association (BMA), to discuss the services general practitioners (GPs) will be expected to provide and the funding they will receive in return under the GP Contract. Feedback from the GPC is considered as part of this process and we are pleased that the GPC is supportive of the changes made to the 2025/26 GP Contract.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Fylde, which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the system

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS shows that since 1 October 2024, over 1,700 GPs were recruited through the scheme.

We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion 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.

General practices (GPs) are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking account of the cost of delivering services.

The global sum allocation formula, which underpins capitation payments to GPs, is designed to ensure that resources are directed to practices based on an estimate of their patient workload and unavoidable practice costs. This takes into account factors such as age and sex composition of registered patients, and additional pressures caused by factors such as geographical location and patient turnover.

We are committed to ensuring that primary medical services receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population. The National Health Service website advises that individuals should see a general practitioner (GP) if they think they have undiagnosed dyspraxia or problems with co-ordination. The GP may refer them to a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist for tests. Further information on dyspraxia assessments and treatment is available on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-in-adults/

Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June.

The Department is committed to ensuring that primary care services receive appropriate support and resources. Every year the Department and NHS England consult with the General Practitioners’ Committee of the British Medical Association to discuss the services practices are expected to provide, and the funding they will receive in return. The operating costs for practices are taken into account as a part of this process.

The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s Health Mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care.

Patient satisfaction with general practice (GP) services is measured through the annual GP Patient Survey (GPPS), and the Office for National Statistics’ monthly Health Insight Survey (HIS). The most recent HIS results show that 73.3% of respondents describe their experience with their GP as good, up from 67.4% when the survey was launched in August 2024. In the 2024 GPPS, 73.9% of patients reported a good overall experience with their practice. GP satisfaction is measured by the GP Worklife Survey, led by the University of Manchester. The results of the twelfth edition of the survey have not yet been published.

Long waits for mental health services are being driven by increasing demand to a system in desperate need of change. The Government is already responding by delivering new and innovative models of care in the community. We are piloting innovative models of care in the community, including six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.

NHS England Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivity. We are also improving data quality so we can support providers to understand demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting times metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication to help services to target the longest waits.

It is important that mental health services within the National Health Service work closely with the voluntary sector to deliver new models of care. The 10-Year Health Plan will be published shortly, and this will set out how the overall health system will run.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.

In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.

This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.

In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.

This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.

In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.

This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

Under the Care Act 2014 and Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring deafblind people in their area access the right care and support. This includes making contact with and keeping a record of all deafblind people in their area and ensuring that needs assessments are carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise relating to individuals who are deafblind. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.

The Government recognises the many challenges facing the adult social care system and is taking steps to improve access to adult social care. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will make clear recommendations to define and build an adult social care system that will meet the current and future needs of our population. The commission will consider older people’s care and support for working age disabled adults separately, recognising that these services meet different needs.

In the interim, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deafblind people. Support for deafblind people will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report when there is something to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice or an area for improvement. If the CQC identifies a local authority has failed or is failing its functions to an acceptable standard, my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene. The CQC has published over forty local authority ratings and reports, which are available at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published September 2024, highlighted the severe delays for accessing autism assessments and that demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments for children in rural areas, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. In doing so, ICBs should take account of waiting lists, considering how local funding can be deployed to best meet the needs of their local population.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs, including those in rural areas, and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these. NHS England is also working with research organisations to explore evidence-based models that support improved outcomes for those people waiting for an autism assessment.

The Pharmacy First service allows for referrals from NHS111, general practitioners and accident and emergency for advice on a minor illness, which includes a number of skin conditions and may also include the sale of over-the-counter medicines.

Currently the clinical pathways element of the service that allows for the supply of prescription-only medicines covers seven common health conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged between 16 and 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this part of the service under review.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas, and we are already taking action through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment initiative will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in the rural and coastal areas that need them most for three years.

Looking to the longer-term, a central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the National Health Service needs to care for patients across our communities.

Tackling the geographical disparities in access to NHS dentistry is vital. 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.

The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure. This is alongside guidance on how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better negotiated and used towards delivering local health services and infrastructure.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning, planning, securing, and monitoring general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes.

There is, at present, no single established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; it will soon release technical guidance to integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data and publishing more localised data in future.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support local systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.