Department of Health and Social Care

As part of the approval process for new drugs, the impact of sex, on men versus women, is assessed on pharmacokinetics, or exposure, pharmacodynamics, and overall efficacy and safety. The data is assessed in terms of whether any dose adjustments are warranted. Data in pregnant and breast-feeding women is also required where relevant.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does not capture this information in a searchable format, however this information would be available in Public Assessment Reports and summaries of product characteristics, where relevant. These documents are available at the following link:

https://products.mhra.gov.uk/

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops evidence-based guidance on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE aims to publish recommendations as close as possible to the point of licensing, and the NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, usually within three months of final guidance. NICE recommended cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of a draft recommendation.

The NICE has evaluated and recommended a large number of immunotherapies for the treatment of different cancers that are now routinely available to eligible NHS patients in England.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

The Department regularly monitors the number of appointments the National Health Service is delivering using internal management information. Official measurement of the additional appointments will be published at the earliest opportunity.

The Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) consider evidence submitted to them from a range of stakeholders, including from trade unions, before making recommendations on the level of annual pay awards. Some trade unions have chosen not to submit evidence.

The Department has published its written evidence to the PRBs, setting out its evidence for 2025/26 across a wide range of areas such as recruitment, retention, motivation, and morale.

Oral evidence sessions are due to take place in January and February 2025. We expect to receive reports from the PRBs in the spring.

The Department has continued to work hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

We are continuing to work to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.

In parallel, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets or available alternative ADHD medicines. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

The Department is also continuing to engage with suppliers of Creon and other pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. The supplier of Creon expects to receive increased quantities for 2025. Suppliers of alternative PERT and specialist importers of unlicensed medicines continue to supply increased volumes to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice, including advice on preserving the available stock of alternative PERT for certain patient cohorts.

The Department has continued to work hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, atomoxetine oral solution, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

We are continuing to work to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.

In parallel, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets or available alternative ADHD medicines. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

The Department is also continuing to engage with suppliers of Creon and other pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. The supplier of Creon expects to receive increased quantities for 2025. Suppliers of alternative PERT and specialist importers of unlicensed medicines continue to supply increased volumes to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice, including advice on preserving the available stock of alternative PERT for certain patient cohorts.

There are currently no plans to make ormeloxifene available. It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Ormeloxifene has not been licensed by the MHRA. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.

In England, most new licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of ormeloxifene seeks a licence from the MHRA, then it may be considered for evaluation by the NICE.

The National Disease Registration Service, through the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Services (NCRAS), collects information on how many people in England have cancer. Blood cancer is included as a distinct category, labelled haematological neoplasms. The National Disease Registration Service’s website also shows the number of people treated for different tumour types by treatment type, as well as survival rates, mortality rates, and data on urgent suspected cancer referrals. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/

All cases of cancer diagnosed and treated in the National Health Service in England are registered by the NCRAS. This creates a clinically rich data resource that is used to measure diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. The data held by the NCRAS supports service provision and commissioning in the NHS, clinical audits, and public health and epidemiology.

The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and ensure patients get the treatment they need, when and where they need it.

No formal statutory public consultation is planned. In the development of the plan, we will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including health charities and trade unions, to ensure needs of staff and patients are considered.

The Department does not have data on the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from surgeries conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

The information requested is not held centrally.

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 Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel prioritises stringent ethical standards for employers and recruiters to follow when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas on the Health and Care Worker visa. A guiding principle of the code is that international health and social care personnel will have the same legal rights and responsibilities as domestically trained staff in all terms of employment and conditions of work.

The Department has also published guidance on applying for a health or care job in the United Kingdom from abroad to address the risks facing international candidates with regards to scams and workplace exploitation. The guidance aims to ensure that candidates are well informed about living and working in the UK, warned about the risks, and know who to contact if they have concerns.

NHS England’s NHS Equality, Improvement and Diversity Plan sets out, and encourages organisations to implement, a comprehensive induction, onboarding, and development programme for internationally recruited staff, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued right from the start of their career. This includes the need to ensure there is clear communication, support, and guidance on the conditions of their employment.

Pay uplifts for nurses and other healthcare staff employed directly on national contracts are determined through the Government responding to recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies (PRB). The PRBs base their recommendations on a range of factors including the economic context, cost of living, recruitment and retention, morale, and the motivation of National Health Service staff.

The Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel prioritises stringent ethical standards for employers and recruiters to follow when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas on the Health and Care Worker visa. A guiding principle of the code is that international health and social care personnel will have the same legal rights and responsibilities as domestically trained staff in all terms of employment and conditions of work.

The Department has also published guidance on applying for a health or care job in the United Kingdom from abroad to address the risks facing international candidates with regards to scams and workplace exploitation. The guidance aims to ensure that candidates are well informed about living and working in the UK, warned about the risks, and know who to contact if they have concerns.

NHS England’s NHS Equality, Improvement and Diversity Plan sets out, and encourages organisations to implement, a comprehensive induction, onboarding, and development programme for internationally recruited staff, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued right from the start of their career. This includes the need to ensure there is clear communication, support, and guidance on the conditions of their employment.

Pay uplifts for nurses and other healthcare staff employed directly on national contracts are determined through the Government responding to recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies (PRB). The PRBs base their recommendations on a range of factors including the economic context, cost of living, recruitment and retention, morale, and the motivation of National Health Service staff.

The Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel prioritises stringent ethical standards for employers and recruiters to follow when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas on the Health and Care Worker visa. A guiding principle of the code is that international health and social care personnel will have the same legal rights and responsibilities as domestically trained staff in all terms of employment and conditions of work.

The Department has also published guidance on applying for a health or care job in the United Kingdom from abroad to address the risks facing international candidates with regards to scams and workplace exploitation. The guidance aims to ensure that candidates are well informed about living and working in the UK, warned about the risks, and know who to contact if they have concerns.

NHS England’s NHS Equality, Improvement and Diversity Plan sets out, and encourages organisations to implement, a comprehensive induction, onboarding, and development programme for internationally recruited staff, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued right from the start of their career. This includes the need to ensure there is clear communication, support, and guidance on the conditions of their employment.

Pay uplifts for nurses and other healthcare staff employed directly on national contracts are determined through the Government responding to recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies (PRB). The PRBs base their recommendations on a range of factors including the economic context, cost of living, recruitment and retention, morale, and the motivation of National Health Service staff.

There is currently no central funding from NHS England to support the national commissioning of digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia to integrated care boards.

Sleepio remains available for local commissioning by integrated care systems, should they choose to commission this product, as part of local insomnia care and treatment pathways.

No further assessments relating to the funding or availability of this product at a national level are currently planned.

No such assessment has been made by the Department. The commissioning of out of hours services, and to what extent those services are supported, is the responsibility of local commissioners in partnership with their providers, and in the best interest of their populations.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by the integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. ICBs are expected to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. We are aware that compliance with these guidelines is variable.

The NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. We expect this review to be published later in 2025.

The Department is working with NHS England to consider future policy options to support ICBs to provide more equitable in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. No assessment has been made of the of NHS-funded IVF treatment in the Eastleigh consistuency.

There are no plans to replace the National Health Service’s Pay Review Body process with direct negotiation. We published written evidence to the Pay Review Bodies as per the usual process on 10 December 2024, and oral evidence sessions are due to take place in January and February 2025.

The data is not available in the format requested. The latest provisional published data for the median average time spent at emergency departments at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust for November 2024 was 232 minutes. Information relating to December 2024 will be published on 13 February 2025, and information relating to January 2025 will be published on 13 March 2025.

On 7 January 2025, there were a total of 24 active critical incidents reported, as referenced by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in his oral statement of 15 January 2025. The following table shows a list of the 24 National Health Service organisations where the critical incidents were declared:

As of 21st January, 23 of the critical incidents declared above have been stood down. University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust remains active.

The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including the criteria for routing topics to the Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme.

Decisions on whether medicines should be evaluated through the NICE’s HST programme are taken by the NICE against a set of published criteria that have been developed through public and stakeholder engagement. The NICE is currently reviewing the criteria and opened a consultation in December 2024, with a closing date for comments of 30 January 2025. The proposed criteria are intended to make routing decisions more predictable and transparent with the aim of making the process more timely and efficient. We encourage people to respond to the consultation.

The NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue draft guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing. The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund drugs recommended by the NICE, usually within three months of final guidance.

NHS England does not hold this information centrally.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chairs a cross-Government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission to build a health and social care system fit for the future. Mission Boards are Cabinet Committees.

The current membership of the Health Mission Board includes the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as the Deputy Chair. Other ministers will be invited to meetings according to the agenda.

The Terms of Reference of the Health Mission Board are to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission.

All 42 integrated care boards offer at least one cycle of in vitro fertilisation.

Developing our workforce is key to supporting the delivery of effective and sustainable cancer services across England and in local areas, including for the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System.

NHS England invested approximately £90 million on training and educating the cancer and diagnostics workforce throughout 2024/25, focusing on growing the number of specialist doctors, nurses, support workers, and allied health professionals, as well as providing opportunities to upskill those already providing frontline services.

NHS England is also expanding priority medical specialities, including clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, and clinical radiologists. This will aid our ability to recruit and retain the oncology workforce in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will reform the workforce.

Local authorities are under statutory duties to safeguard adults in their area with care and support needs from abuse and neglect. This includes making enquiries, or causing others to do so, if it believes that an adult in its area, with care and support needs, which may include learning difficulties or cognitive impairments or both, is experiencing or at risk of abuse, including sexual abuse, or neglect, and as a result of those needs is, or would be, unable to protect themselves.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care providers are also required to adhere to the CQC fundamental standards, set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which include that service users must be treated with dignity and respect, and must have their support provided in a way that reflects their preferences. The CQC’s guidance on this legislative framework says that when providing intimate or personal care, a provider must make every reasonable effort to make sure that they respect people's preferences about who delivers their care and treatment. This may include requesting staff of a specific sex.

New artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being developed that have the potential to improve healthcare delivery and to provide significant cost savings to the National Health Service. One example is the use of automated voice to text tools, which use AI to listen to and transcribe patient notes.

Currently, there are ongoing assessments of the use of these tools in the NHS as these technologies could help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient. Several NHS trusts are running trials, including a multi-site assessment of the impact of using automated transcription software. The NHS AI team is monitoring these developments and developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools. This guidance will be informed by the Government’s broader guidance on the use of generative AI in the public sector.

There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the United Kingdom’s General Data Protection Regulations, and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where AI is used in relation to patient records.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from the use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK General Data Protection Regulations. They have also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies.

As a minimum, all local authorities on the programme are expected to publish their Start for Life offer digitally in a single online space, and provide a hard-copy of the local offer to parents-to-be. We can confirm that all 75 local authorities have published details of their Start for Life offer online.

In 2025/26, £57 million will be made available to 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation to provide a range of Start for Life services. This will include £2 million to ensure that families can access and understand their local Start for Life services, and to support parents and carers in bringing their valuable insight into the service design.

Prescription data is collected by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for the operational purpose of reimbursing and remunerating dispensing contractors for the costs of supplying drugs and devices, and providing essential and advanced services, to National Health Service patients.

The following table shows the total net ingredient cost (NIC) for prescription items with an oral route of administration, dispensed to patients aged 71 years old and over, for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24, and from April to November 2024/25:

This answer is based on information extracted from the NHSBSA Data Warehouse, using all drug products where there was an indication of an oral route on the NHSBSA’s drug database.

The NHSBSA does not hold a single cost to the NHS. Total NIC is the amount that would be paid using the basic price of the prescribed medicine and the quantity prescribed, before any discounts, dispensing costs, or fees. It also does not include other costs to the NHS, such as those associated with purchasing or storing these medicines. The basic price is given either in the Drug Tariff or is determined from prices published by manufacturers, wholesalers, or suppliers. For branded medicines, the cost to the NHS will be partially offset by the statutory scheme and voluntary scheme.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of medicines on the United Kingdom’s market and ensures the product information, which includes the patient information leaflet supplied with each pack of medicine, reflects what is known about the medicine, and provides information to support the safe use of the medicine. This includes information about the risks to particular groups of patients such as the elderly, details of possible side effects, and if action is needed to seek medical advice and information about the risk of interactions with other medicines, and the action that is needed to minimise the risks.

In 2025/26, £57 million will be made available to 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation to provide a range of Start for Life services. An updated programme guide will be published, setting out delivery expectations and guidance for local authorities providing Start for Life services.

The Government has no plans at this stage to introduce a duty on my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to report annually on the level of support available in England. Two national, independent evaluations are underway to understand the implementation and impact of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.

The Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) provides the total number of prescription items of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following table shows the total number of items prescribed, based on information within the PCA and using British National Formulary Section 0403 for antidepressant drugs that have been dispensed in England regardless of where prescribed, as well as their net ingredient cost (NIC), for each calendar year from 2014 to 2023, and from January to November 2024:

The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold a single cost to the National Health Service. Total NIC is the amount that would be paid using the basic price of the prescribed medicine and the quantity prescribed, before any discounts, dispensing costs, or fees. It also does not include other costs to the NHS, such as those associated with purchasing or storing these medicines. The basic price is given either in the Drug Tariff or is determined from prices published by manufacturers, wholesalers, or suppliers.

Unintended consequences, such as potential side effects, associated with taking antidepressants are outlined in the Product Information provided with each pack of medicine. The safety of all medicines is kept under continuous review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the product information is updated as needed to reflect what is known about the medicine. The product information is designed to support but not replace the clinical conversation between the prescriber and patient on the benefits and risks of pharmacological treatment.

The Medicines Used in Mental Health statistical release includes information about prescribing in England for medicines classified within the British National Formulary section 0403, as antidepressant drugs. There were 6,873,381 total identified patients, aged 18 years old and over, in quarter two of 2024/25.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) publishes population statistics for England on the ONS website. The estimated mid-year population for people aged 18 years old and over in England in 2023 was 45,691,677.

Based on the latest published data, the number of adults, those aged 18 years old and over, in England who received a prescription for antidepressant drugs in the quarterly period of July to September 2024 was 15% of the estimated 2023 mid-year population.

Information on the number of recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is currently being collated. We are working to verify the data and establish its reliability, which is necessary before any dataset can be published. Between 31 July 2024 and 30 November 2024, the headcount of fully qualified GPs increased by 831.

There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The demands each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

A number of anti-depressant products have been licenced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). These medicines are prescription only, and must only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Each individual product is assessed for its efficacy and safety in a specific indication prior to the issuing of a marketing authorisation. Only when the benefit-risk analyses have been shown to be positive in relation to quality, safety, and efficacy, will a product obtain an approval.

The Product Information for each product will include not only the details of the indication, but will also include posology, or the dose recommendations, contra-indications, a list of known side-effects, and a reference to the Yellow Card Scheme, for reporting new side-effects. Safety is regularly monitored in order to detect any safety signal not recorded during the clinical trials and once the drug is available to a wider population.

Details of products approved by the MHRA, including therapeutic indications, can be found by searching ‘antidepressant’ on the MHRA website, which is available in an online only format.

The effectiveness of the product, which is measured post-authorisation, is considered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and other learned bodies, for the development of clinical guidance.

It should be noted that non-pharmacological alternatives may also be recommended to a patient, however this a decision for the healthcare professional.

The NICE is the independent body responsible for translating evidence into authoritative guidance and best practice for the health and care system. NICE guidelines provide recommendations in terms of both the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions and services, and National Health Service organisations are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local populations.

The NICE has published guidance on the treatment and management of depression in adults which provides recommendations on the use of antidepressants and non-drug treatments for depression.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population. NHS England Specialised Commissioning commissions complex disability equipment services, including communication aids, environmental controls, and prosthetics.

We expect ICBs to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In 2022, the NICE published the guidance Disabled children and young people up to 25 with severe complex needs: integrated service delivery and organisation across health, social care and education, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng213/chapter/Recommendations-on-service-organisation-integration-and-commissioning

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires that education, health, and social care services must work together to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In May 2023, NHS England issued statutory guidance setting out the requirement for ICBs to have an Executive Lead for SEND, who will lead on supporting the Chief Executive and the board in ensuring the ICB performs its functions effectively, in the interests of children and young people with SEND.

Local authorities are responsible for providing social care services for disabled children, which can include specialist equipment. The guidance on supporting disabled children and their carers is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669e7501ab418ab055592a7b/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023.pdf

Further guidance on the roles and responsibilities of different organisations in meeting the needs of children with SEND can be found in the SEND Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure people with a learning disability and autistic people get the support they need in the community, improve care, and prevent admission to hospitals. We will engage with expert stakeholders to inform implementation planning, including in respect of the development of strong community services.

Investment has been provided each year to enable local areas to develop community intensive support teams, community forensic teams, and crisis response 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

For 2024/25, NHS England has allocated £124 million of transformation funding for learning disability and autism services in local integrated care board areas. This funding includes money for local systems to reduce reliance on mental health inpatient settings.

In addition, NHS England has a housing capital programme, with £13 million available in 2025/26, to support areas to develop housing to help reduce the number of autistic people and people with a learning disability in a mental health hospital setting.

We are also providing an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will fund approximately 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024.

Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including but not limited to dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.

In December 2024 we announced a proposed funding uplift for general practices (GPs) in 2025/26 of £889 million, representing a 7.2% cash growth, estimated to be an approximately 4.8% real terms growth. This is the largest uplift to GP funding since 2019 and means that we are reversing the recent trend, with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to GPs.

We started consulting with the General Practitioners Committee in England, of the British Medical Association, on the 2025/26 GP Contract on 19 December 2024, and will consider all proposed policy changes alongside the funding uplift. The final changes will be announced in the usual way following the close of the consultation in 2025.